WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board will hold a public meeting Nov. 6 to discuss the independent study by Christensen Associates assessing the current state of competition in the freight railroad industry in the United States.
The Board also announced that the Christensen study will be released to the public, via the Board’s website at www.stb.dot.gov, prior to the public meeting.
At the meeting, the Board will discuss the study’s findings with Christensen researchers. While the public is invited to attend the meeting, they will not be permitted to testify, the STB said.
The study was undertaken pursuant to a contract the Board awarded to Christensen in September 2007. Christensen, a Madison, Wisc.-based economic and engineering consulting firm was engaged to focus on providing a comprehensive analysis of a wide range of issues in the freight rail industry including competition, capacity, and the interplay between the two.
The study also is expected to examine various regulatory policy alternatives. In addition to its quantitative research, Christensen conducted detailed, qualitative interviews with many key industry stakeholders.
