Me, doubting whether we can make #Staggers40 a thing — but being pleasantly surprised today... https://imgflip.com/i/4i0yoc 

It may seem like an abstract, 40-year-old policy (the latter is true), but #Staggers is important for a few reasons.

1) It saved the freight rail industry from collapse (quite literally, as under-investment in #infrastructure had made "standing derailments" a thing, see gif)

2) It was accomplished with broad, bipartisan support (passed the House 337-20 & Senate 91-4) — a quaint concept today — demonstrating one of the reasons, perhaps, that its legacy has been so lasting.

[Shout out to @CarterLibrary ]

3) It catalyzed sweeping change—at its core a healthy, reliable freight rail network—that wasn't just good for railroads.

Since 1980:
Shipper rates down 43% on avg (adj for inflation)
Rail productivity has doubled
a train today can move a ton of freight >470 mpg

4) Deserving of a separate tweet, #railsafety was also greatly improved through #StaggersAct.

The train accident rate has dropped 79% since 1980.

And RRs continue to close this gap: Since 2000 alone, train accident & hazmat accident rates 30% & 64%, respectively.

And while you may think, "that sounds great, but #freightrail doesn't really affect my life..." you may be wrong...

s take upwards of 120 million s off US roads annually, cutting congestion & taxpayer-funded roadway maintenance.

They also lower #greenhousegas emissions by 75% over trucks, which = cleaner air.

Plus, a bonus, trains are just really cool & v pretty. The end. #Staggers40