Domestic News

Deregulating Rail Transportation of Liquefied Natural Gas

A new regulation from the Trump Administration may soon make it easier for U.S. companies to ship large quantities of liquefied natural gas (LNG), an increasingly valuable product. But the new regulation also carries great risks.

Commentary: Can the Railcar Fleet be Simplified?

My thesis is that the railcar fleet could be right-sized to just four basic railcar types. There are too many boutique car types – now we must find common ground and agreement among all the parties involved. In my last commentary, I closed with the following: The rail industry is still generating strong cash flow. …there is a random possibility that a full GDP recession might further exacerbate the car supply dilemma.

U.S. Domestic Passenger Flights Could Virtually Shut Down, Voluntarily or by Government Order

Major U.S. airlines are drafting plans for a potential voluntary shutdown of virtually all passenger flights across the U.S., according to industry and federal officials, as government agencies also consider ordering such a move and the nation’s air-traffic control system continues to be ravaged by the coronavirus contagion.

COVID-19 Fallout Boosts Outlook for Long-Term Infrastructure Funding

The fate of a long-term surface transportation funding bill and a bailout of the Highway Trust Fund – which is on the road to insolvency starting next year – may have reversed course as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, according to a Capitol Hill insider.

International News

EU Exemption for Container Vessel-Sharing Arrangements Continues

The European Commission on March 24 published a final rule extending its existing block exemption regulation that allows for vessel-sharing among ocean container carriers for another four years. The commission said its recent evaluation of the block exemption concluded that vessel-sharing among carriers is “still fit for purpose,” if these individual arrangements do not exceed 30% of market share.

Upcoming Industry Events with GBX Attendance
NARS Annual Meeting	Downstream 2020	MARS Summer Meeting
Kansas City, MO May 12-14th	Houston, TX June 10-11th	Lake Geneva, WI July 20-21st