product · May 16, 2026

Retired Class I Executives Warn Failure to Grow Poses Threat to Railroads

Retired Class I executives D. Lynn Kelley, Clarence Gooden, Wick Moorman, and Beth Whited warned at the Rails to the Future conference on May 13, 2026, in Troy, Mich., that stagnant U.S. rail volume since 2014 threatens industry competitiveness. They highlighted the need for growth through better service, examining pricing to avoid pushing freight to highways, and investing in innovations like autonomous battery-electric container cars by Parallel Systems on Genesee & Wyoming short lines in Georgia. Moorman stated that the whole issue is around growth and the whole growth issue is tied with service. The executives also discussed the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger.