Reconnect America

Reconnect America is the new podcast from Solutionary Rail that presents a creative yet common sense vision for U.S. railroads. It weaves together the genius of community and technical experts, workers and policymakers, advocates and scholars. Reconnect America reflects a decade of research, writing, and advocacy aimed at illuminating the ways in which the U.S. rail system can be harnessed to better service public interests and to address 21st century problems.Reconnect America is hosted by Bill Moyer, co-author of the book Solutionary Rail: A People-powered Campaign to Electrify America’s Railroads and Open Corridors to a Clean Energy Future.Please help us keep the podcast ads-free and without paywalls by making a tax-deductible donation at SolutionaryRail.org. solutionaryrail.substack.com

Reconnect America is a society podcast hosted by Solutionary Rail, with 35 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Solutionary Rail hosts Reconnect America, a society show with 35 episodes published.

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  Reconnect America

  Episode 5. Profitability at Any Cost: The Price We Paid to Rescue U.S. Railroads

  May 12, 202649 minS0

  <p> “In the 10 years from 1970 to 1980, America’s relationship to its railroads underwent a profound reorientation of purpose, a paradigm shift that—if we examine it carefully—helps us understand and interpret the circumstances we find ourselves in today.”</p><p>So begins Episode 5. </p><p>As we saw in Episode 4, this paradigm shift was meant to address a profound crisis within the railroad industry: faced with competition from other modes of transport—which, unlike railroads, were heavily subsidized by the public—the nondiscriminatory service and pricing that we had required of railroad corporations for almost a century was now driving several...

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  Reconnect America

  Panel Discussion: Solutionary Earth Day Special—Pivoting Rail From Problem to Solution

  May 2, 20261h 1mS0

  <p>The audio-only player above features a version of the discussion that has been edited for clarity and brevity. Watch the full, unedited video recording of the panel here:</p><p>Dear Friends,</p><p>Last week, Solutionary Rail welcomed a panel of environmental justice and labor organizers to discuss how we can shift U.S. rail from being a source of harm to an infrastructure that benefits us all.</p><p>Our friends at Pace e Bene were calling for Solutions Circles as part of this year’s Earth Week, and we were honored to collaborate by hosting such in...

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  Reconnect America

  Interview: Questioning Staggers—Greed without Guardrails? (w/ Arnav Rao)

  Apr 22, 202657 minS0

  <p>Dear Friends,</p><p>This conversation rounds out a trio of interviews that explore the 46-year aftermath of the deregulatory Staggers Act. Our guest is Arnav Rao, who serves as a transportation policy analyst at the Open Markets Institute, where he works with previous Reconnect America guest Phil Longman.</p><p>An astute student of the history of the U.S. railroad industry and a keen observer of the present moment, Arnav does an excellent job of weaving together the many threads we have been tracing in recent months. </p><p>Beginning with the Staggers Act of 1980, Arnav reveals...

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  Reconnect America

  Interview: How Deregulated Railroads Sacrificed Service in Pursuit of Profit (w/ Ken Kirschling)

  Apr 4, 20261h 2mS0

  <p>Dear friends,</p><p>We have been exploring the effects of the deregulatory interventions that the U.S. implemented from 1970 to 1980—extraordinary measures that aimed to rescue railroad corporations and keep the infrastructure they operate under private control. </p><p>As we continue this exploration, we wanted to share a perspective that vividly brings to life the significance of what happened at that time and in the years that followed—not just the harms that were inflicted, but also the opportunities that were missed, the potential that remains untapped, and the enduring urgency of attempting to turn things around.</p><p...

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  Reconnect America

  Interview: Origins of Precision Scheduled Railroading and the Financialization of U.S. Rail Transport (w/ John Strong)

  Mar 21, 202655 minS0

  <p>Dear friends,</p><p>As we gear up for the release of Episodes 5 and 6 of Reconnect America, we wanted to share some of the conversations that have been guiding us toward a deeper understanding of the last 46 years of U.S. rail transport and the evolving relationship between this critical national infrastructure and the businesses and communities that depend upon it.</p><p>My guest for today’s conversation is John Strong, professor of finance at the College of William and Mary. Professor Strong is the author of a handful of articles that have proven uniquely valuable in illuminating so...

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