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Contact:
Tracy Warren, NRECA
703-907-5746
Mobile: 703-517-3411

Washington, DC, March 25, 2009 – Glenn English, CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and chair of the Consumers United for Rail Equity, cited a new survey showing high rail customer dissatisfaction in his morning address to the wide range of shippers gathered in Washington to lobby for an end to the abuse of monopoly power by America’s railroads.

The survey is the largest of its kind, incorporating answers from 170 businesses that use the railroads to ship their goods. English said the survey proves the current system puts too much power in the hands of the railroads and that Congress must enact rail reform legislation to prevent further U.S. job losses and higher prices for consumer goods.

Rail customers are. Other rail customers who are unable to make it to Washington are contacting their Congressional delegations from back home.

Rail customers and CURE members from across America are on Capitol Hill today for the 5th Annual Rail Customer Day, meeting with members of the U.S. House and Senate and their staffs this week to seek support for rail reform initiatives.  For the first time, participants will keep CURE members updated on the day’s events by posting to the “Rail Customer Day Online Journal,” a one-day blog designed to keep members informed of the developments in the dozens of Rail Customer Day meetings on Capitol Hill. CURE Members will provide news postings and photos throughout the day.

To read the journal, visit the Cure website (http://railcure.org/), as well as the Rail Customer Day page (http://railcure.org/resources/rail_customer.asp).

Rail customers seek legislation to place the railroads under the nation’s antitrust laws, from which they are largely exempt. This legislation - the Railroad Antitrust Enforcement Act (H.R. 233, S. 146) - passed the Senate Judiciary Committee March 5 on a bipartisan 14-0 vote. Companion legislation is awaiting consideration in the House Judiciary Committee. CURE also supports enactment of legislation to reform the Surface Transportation Board (STB), the railroads’ federal regulatory agency, in order to create a more level playing field for customers and consumers.

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