A word from
Ian Jefferies
Much has changed since 2004, but railroads’ service to the economy, as well as GoRail’s work in spreading the message at the local level, have been constants.
This report provides highlights from the past 20 years and a glimpse of why we need GoRail to continue its important work into the future. Thank you for your continued support of GoRail. We are excited for the next 20 years.
A word from Ian Jefferies
Thank you for your interest in and support of GoRail as it marks its 20th anniversary. Much has changed since 2004, but railroads’ service to the economy, as well as GoRail’s work in spreading the message at the local level, have been constants.
The industry has led through record private investments in rail infrastructure, technological innovation across nearly all aspects of railroading, and unprecedented advancements in rail safety and service. Last year alone marked the safest year on record for the transportation of hazardous materials.
At the same time, freight transportation and goods movement become even more central to a U.S. economy tied closely to consumer and manufacturing activity. In 2020, a year GoRail led thousands to celebrate the 40th anniversary of partial economic deregulation, more Americans than ever became aware of supply chain dynamics and the criticality of rail.
These systems, with rail at the center, are today more interconnected and dependent on reliability, efficiency, and just-in-time delivery.
Just as railroads have adapted and evolved to meet these challenges—GoRail has been there to tell the freight rail story: that every ton of freight moving by rail provides tangible public benefits – particularly in terms of the environment, highway quality and consumer cost savings.
Even as politics have become messier and more nationally oriented, the “all politics is local” ethos is still paramount. That phrase marked one of GoRail’s first annual reports and today still resonates, particularly through the work the team does every day.
Thousands of community leaders and everyday citizens have an understanding and appreciation of freight rail thanks to GoRail’s outreach and educational efforts.
And every year, county commissioners, mayors, economic development officials, chambers of commerce, and other local leaders who appreciate how their communities benefit when freight moves by rail, in turn help guide the federal policymaking process by communicating that message to Congress and regulatory agencies.
In this way, GoRail provides a bridge between railroads, the suppliers and contractors who build and maintain the rail network, and the communities that rely on freight rail – and ensures constituents have a voice in the process on Capitol Hill.
This report provides highlights from the past 20 years and a glimpse of why we need GoRail to continue its important work into the future. Thank you for your continued support of GoRail. We are excited for the next 20 years.
Ian Jefferies
AAR President and CEO
Before taking a closer look at our work, here’s more context for how the rail industry has changed over the last two decades. Whether investing billions into their networks, improving efficiency, or continuously hitting new safety milestones, railroads are committed to evolving for the customers and communities they serve.
Since GoRail was founded 20 years ago,Class I railroads have…
Impact in Their Words
GoRail has facilitated thousands of media submissions over the last two decades, from social media campaigns connecting rail advocates to their policymakers, to placements in the publications of vital state associations, to op-eds and letters to newspapers large and small across the nation.
GoRail is small but able to impact policy by working with local and state leaders across the country to highlight the public benefits of rail. Our state directors have traveled thousands and thousands of miles to build relationships, talk rail, and mobilize advocates in support of pro-rail policies.
A word from
Russ McGurk
When GoRail began operations twenty years ago in March 2004, a new social network called thefacebook.com had just launched, President George W. Bush was starting his second term in the White House, and Tom Brady was fresh off his second Super Bowl win.
A word from Russ McGurk
When GoRail began operations twenty years ago in March 2004, a new social network called thefacebook.com had just launched, President George W. Bush was starting his second term in the White House, and Tom Brady was fresh off his second Super Bowl win.
Two decades later, GoRail’s core message still resonates: Freight railroads strengthen the economy, support jobs, mitigate emissions and congestion, and save taxpayers money.
Across 44,000 meetings with community leaders about government policies impacting rail, we’ve seen the positive impact when key constituents deliver our message to Congress with local examples of how freight rail benefits their cities and towns.
As we turn 20 this year, we’ve taken a step back to produce this report highlighting our advocacy work on behalf of the world’s safest, most efficient, and most cost-effective freight rail system.
Thank you for supporting our work, and we hope you’ll stay involved for the next 20 years.
We are proud of this team and the work they do every day to forge connections in support of robust railways and the communities they serve. And thank you to the GoRail alum over the years who have also shared the freight rail story.