Is it time to nationalize the railroads?

The train derailment disaster in East Palestine, Ohio catapulted the degraded condition of the US's freight rail network into national consciousness. But workers have been sounding the alarm for years. Long hours, short staffs, poor sick leave, and dangerously extended trains have raised the risks inherent in railroad operations for workers and the public in order to fatten the profit margins of corporate rail carriers. While the Department of Transportation has called for stricter regulation in the wake of East Palestine and other recent disasters, rank-and-file workers say it's not enough. The problem is not simply one of inadequate regulation, but the power of private, profit-driven interests to shape what is ultimately public infrastructure. Thus comes the call to nationalize the railroads. But how might this be accomplished, and how effectively can it solve the problems plaguing the rail system today? Journalist and professor <a href="https://twitter.com/karilydersen1?lang=en" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Kari Lyderson</a> and former <a href="https://www.railroadworkersunited.org/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Railroad Workers United</a> General Secretary <a href="https://twitter.com/KaminkowRon" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Ron Kaminkow</a> join TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez to discuss current issues in the US rail system, and the potential solutions nationalization could offer.<br /><br />Kari Lyderson is a Chicago-based journalist, author and assistant professor at Northwestern University, where she leads the investigative specialization at the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications. She is the author of numerous books, including <a href="http://www.haymarketbooks.org/pb/Mayor-1" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Mayor 1%: Rahm Emanuel and the Rise of Chicago's 99%</a> and Closing the Cloud Factories: Lessons from the Fight to Shut Down Chicago’s Coal Plants. <br /><br />Until recently, Ron Kaminow served as General Secretary of <a href="https://www.railroadworkersunited.org/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Railroad Workers United</a>. Prior to hiring out as a brakeman with Conrail in 1996, he served as President of <a href="https://www.afscme.org/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">AFSCME</a> Local 634 in Madison, Wisconsin. In 2005, Kaminkow helped to found <a href="http://railroadworkersunited.org/about-rwu" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Railroad Operating Crafts United</a> (ROCU), an RWU predecessor. A former brakeman, conductor, and engineer for Conrail and later NS in Chicago, he formerly worked for Amtrak in Milwaukee and Chicago. He currently is working as an Amtrak engineer in Reno, Nevada, where he is the Vice President of BLET Local 51.<br /><br />Studio Production: David Hebden<br />Post-Production: Adam Coley<br /><br /><b>Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer: </b><br /><br /><b>Donate: <a href="https://therealnews.com/donate-pod" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">https://therealnews.com/donate-pod</a></b><br /><b>Sign up for our newsletter: <a href="https://therealnews.com/newsletter-pod" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">https://therealnews.com/newsletter-pod</a></b><br /><b>Like us on Facebook: <a href="https://facebook.com/therealnews" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">https://facebook.com/therealnews</a></b><br /><b>Follow us on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/therealnews" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/therealnews</a></b><br /><br />Become a supporter of this podcast: <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-news-podcast--2952221/support?utm_source=rss&amp;utm_medium=rss&amp;utm_campaign=rss">https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-news-podcast--2952221/support</a>.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-news-podcast--2952221/support" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.</a><br /><b></b><br /><b>Follow us on:</b><br /><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/therealnews.com" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Bluesky: @therealnews.com</a><b><br /></b><a href="https://facebook.com/therealnews" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Facebook: The Real News Network</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/therealnews" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Twitter: @TheRealNews</a><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/therealnews" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">YouTube: @therealnews</a><br /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/therealnewsnetwork/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork</a><br /><a href="https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-news-podcast--2952221/support" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"><b></b></a><br /><b></b><a href="https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-news-podcast--2952221/support" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"><b>Become a member and join the Supporters Club for The Real News Podcast today!</b></a>