Panel: Public-private investment in short lines can boost Texas economy
January 17th, 2017
January 13, 2017 - Trains.com - Hayley Enoch -
The economy of Texas stands to significantly benefit from public-private partnerships investing in shortline railroads. That revelation comes from a panel at the Southwestern Rail Conference in Dallas this week that included Paul Treangen, CEO of TNW Corp.; Jeff Van Schaick, vice president of governmental affairs for Genesee & Wyoming; Ken Lucht, director of governmental affairs for Watco; and David Arganbright, vice president of government affairs for OmniTrax.
“We’re trying to get people to wrap their heads around the fact that we aren’t a special interest group,” Arganbright says. “We are a means to build the economy and invest in communities. Investing in short lines is a huge multiplier of every tax dollar spent.”
Forty-one shortline railroads operate in Texas. They compose 20 percent of the total rail miles in the state. Most of these companies were formed after the Staggers Act allowed Class I railroads to divest spurs and branch lines that failed to turn a profit.
Read more: http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2017/01/13-panel-public-private-investment-in-short-lines-can-boost-texas-economy#.WHkkS4X6mQQ.twitter
The economy of Texas stands to significantly benefit from public-private partnerships investing in shortline railroads. That revelation comes from a panel at the Southwestern Rail Conference in Dallas this week that included Paul Treangen, CEO of TNW Corp.; Jeff Van Schaick, vice president of governmental affairs for Genesee & Wyoming; Ken Lucht, director of governmental affairs for Watco; and David Arganbright, vice president of government affairs for OmniTrax.
“We’re trying to get people to wrap their heads around the fact that we aren’t a special interest group,” Arganbright says. “We are a means to build the economy and invest in communities. Investing in short lines is a huge multiplier of every tax dollar spent.”
Forty-one shortline railroads operate in Texas. They compose 20 percent of the total rail miles in the state. Most of these companies were formed after the Staggers Act allowed Class I railroads to divest spurs and branch lines that failed to turn a profit.
Read more: http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2017/01/13-panel-public-private-investment-in-short-lines-can-boost-texas-economy#.WHkkS4X6mQQ.twitter