A railroad CEO and an agricultural industry leader have joined forces to warn against proposed federal mandates on freight rail that they say could harm America's farm economy and consumers.
Ian Jefferies, President and CEO of the Association of American Railroads, and a representative from the agricultural sector argue that new operational requirements would raise costs, reduce capacity, and ultimately burden consumers.
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Why Rail and Agriculture Are Interdependent
Railroads transport hundreds of millions of tons of grain, feed, fertilizer, biofuels, and ethanol annually across the United States.
From Iowa corn farms to Pacific Northwest grain elevators, and from Kansas feedlots to Gulf Coast export terminals, freight rail serves as the backbone of the agricultural supply chain.
There is no realistic substitute for the volume, distance, safety, or cost-efficiency that rail provides, according to the leaders.
They stress that any disruption to rail operations would directly impact farmers' bottom lines and eventually trickle down to consumers.
Farm Economy Under Pressure
Net farm income has declined sharply in recent years, while input costs remain high and export markets face new uncertainties.
In this environment, transportation costs are critical — they can determine whether a crop year is profitable or a loss.
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Every additional dollar spent on moving grain or fertilizer comes directly out of a farmer's profit, the leaders note.
These costs ultimately reach consumers at the grocery store.
Congress is considering provisions that would impose sweeping operational mandates on freight rail, including train length limits and expanded manual inspection requirements.
The leaders argue these measures lack credible evidence that they would improve safety outcomes.
Instead, they say such mandates would constrain network efficiency and slow the adoption of advanced automated detection technology that makes rail safer.
Rail safety has improved significantly over the past two decades due to billions of dollars in private investment in technology, infrastructure, and training.
Data from the Federal Railroad Administration shows freight rail safety improved across nearly every major category in 2025, marking a record-breaking year.
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The leaders support targeted safety measures such as expanding detection technologies, strengthening track maintenance, improving first responder training, and ensuring resources for hazardous materials response.
However, they oppose provisions that would constrain operational flexibility and capacity without a solid evidence base linking them to better safety outcomes.
They warn that making rail less efficient would lead to more congestion, higher costs, and reduced reliability — and farmers would feel the impact first and hardest.
Congress has an opportunity as it considers a five-year surface transportation bill due in September.
Done right, rail safety legislation can strengthen a network vital to rural America and agricultural competitiveness.
Done wrong, it would add another costly burden to a farm economy already under enormous stress.
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America's farmers are counting on Congress to get this right, the leaders conclude.
