VitalRail

What is VitalRail?

VitalRail brings together a diverse group of stakeholders who see unprecedented opportunities to boost efficiency in freight and rail transportation. We view rail infrastructure as the backbone of revitalizing North America’s essential industrial systems. Through continual dialogue among VitalRail’s organizing and facilitation teams and professional stakeholders, we identify breakthroughs, make them actionable and tackle industry challenges head-on.

VitalRail Organizing Work

This is the place where CAPSI Organizers and Facilitators work with VitalRail Stakeholders to bring forth major sustainable economic and environmental improvements in the North American freight industry.

How the Organizing Work Gets Done

We start with core dialogues on the subject of North America’s freight service. Dialogues are goal directed. They have been conceived by Leaders and Stakeholders. Using our IntelliConference and IntelliSynthesis events and methods, the dialogues will develop as we all delve deeper into the challenges of the frieght and rail industry of North America

• Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern Merger Our first IntelliConference
• Rail Growth Capitalization
• Rail Regulatory Excellence
• Rail Business Culture
• Rail Management – Rail Labor
• Containerized International Freight
• Rail Carload System Revitalization
• Rail Energy Efficiency
• Freight Transportation Land Use
• Rail Technology Adoption
• Rail Trucking Coordination

Your Time Commitment

To save you time, we use Action Buttons composed of Summaries, Digests and a few other key orientation features to help you stay up-to-date and, if you desire, make contributions. Summaries are what you need to know. Digests are deeper analysis linked to source content generated in InteliConferences and IntelliSynthesis events. The Action Buttons are located at the top of each Dialogue Page.

Join Us!

Go to Participation Options to enter this world of positive change collaboration. The OTNA staff and all our stakeholders look forward to meeting you. Make a donation

Why is VitalRail Needed?

Though North America enjoys perhaps the world's most productive freight rail system in the World, the industry’s $115 billion annual revenue is in stark contrast with the freight trucking industry’s $1 trillion yearly revenue.

Railroads offer irreplaceable space, energy, and capital efficiencies. Increasing freight rail service will contribute cascading benefits to all stakeholders:

• A one-mile-long train moves the same goods as a 27-mile convoy of trucks
• Its energy efficiency allows it to move that freight on one-quarter to one-half of the fuel required as well as the resulting emissions

VitalRail serves at the heart of CAPSI as a comprehensive strategy for enhancing the productivity of our industrial systems by expanding freight rail service.

There has never been a greater need or more opportunity for capitalizing railroad development to address transportation efficiency and environmental challenges. Rather than emotional critiques and general calls for a so-called rail renaissance, VitalRail is informed by the real challenges and benefits of growing an industry as integral as railroads.

At the same time, we need more from railroad companies than they can accomplish on their own. Fortunately, railroads do not need a government bailout, and they outperform many other industries. That stability—combined with rail technology’s inherent efficiencies—delivers a high return on investment when the involved stakeholder groups work together.

VitalRail Stakeholders

Collaboration among stakeholders is fundamental to achieving the tremendous growth opportunity for:

• Railroads
• Rail-related companies
• The industries and communities they serve

VitalRail engages 14 interdependent stakeholder groups:

• Class I, II, and III railroads
• Investors, banks, and economic developers
• Rail employees, customers, suppliers, and citizens
• Transportation planners, land developers, realtors, and site selectors
• Researchers, other transportation services and modes, and government leaders

Learn more about VitalRail Stakeholders.

VitalRail Value Proposition

Expanding freight rail service is crucial for sustainable industrial growth across North America.

As the continent pursues reshoring and reindustrialization, railroads need to serve as the backbone of supply chain transportation. Like high-speed internet, robust rail service is fundamental to community prosperity; its absence creates economic barriers and environmental costs. However, neither marketplace dynamics nor vested-interest lobbying lead to smart supply chains. For North America’s future prosperity, they must be reconceived with the thoughtful input of all stakeholder groups.

The challenge is not a lack of intelligence; there are many smart and committed people in industry, government, and the community. What we have been lacking are the effective forums and methods for gathering this intelligence into smart policy, programs, and marketplace improvements. CAPSI provides that platform.

Learn more about the VitalRail Value Proposition.

VitalRail FAQs

Go to the VitalRail FAQs page to get your early questions answered.