One of the most important changes the rail industry faces in 2009 is an increasingly troubled economy. Like many industries, we will be challenged to make our businesses stronger and more viable in a difficult economic time. To do this, we must remain focused on the long-term benefits we offer the nation.
The rail industry provides essential solutions to the nation’s transportation problem, and we have the opportunity to advance our nation in terms of sustainability and energy independence. The challenge is for us to stay focused on these strengths of our industry, as they are important competitive advantages that will help us prosper for years to come.
Nobody knows when the economy will get better, but it’s important not to just passively wait for it to improve. We must continue to focus on providing excellent service and respond to customer needs. I have enormous confidence in the soundness of rail as a transportation mode of choice for our customers.
I also remain optimistic that 2009 is the year we will achieve breakthroughs in the way public policy turns to the rail industry to help the nation’s infrastructure. Hopefully, we’ll see a lot of collaboration with public leaders at the state level, in Congress and in the new administration to foster more public-private partnerships to enhance rail transportation.