Welcome to the American Railroading Podcast! In this, our first episode of Season 4, our host Don Walsh is our guest. Don takes us on a journey through 2025 and gives us a recap of each of the podcast episodes from Season 3 along with a look behind the scenes and shares his thoughts not heard before on the episodes themselves. Don also discusses audience feedback and his favorite moments from Season 3, after which he gives his thoughts on where the industry is headed in 2026 and some hints on where the podcast is headed in Season 4. Tune in to this episode to gain valuable insights and broaden your understanding of American Railroading! You can find this episode including episode videos and more on the American Railroading Podcast's official website at www.AmericanRailroading.net . Welcome aboard!

KEY POINTS:

1. The American Railroading Podcast remains in the Top 10% of all podcasts globally with a 300% increase in downloads in the last year!
2. The STB offers Stakeholder Committees including the Railroad Shipper Transportation Advisor Council, the Rail Energy Transportation Advisory Committee, the National Grain Car Council and the newly created Passenger Rail Advisory Committee.
3. President Trump’s proposed plan to improve the economy and reduce inflation is said to be like spokes on a wheel including reducing the cost of energy by increasing production, reducing government spending, reducing regulations and restrictions, reducing taxes and bringing manufacturing back to the U.S.
4. While intermodal railcars make up only 4% of the U.S. national fleet, 48% of all U.S. rail traffic is generally intermodal rail shipments.
5. Using Ai technology, the Duos Technologies - Railcar Inspection Portal (RIP) can inspect railcars at operating speeds from 3 MPH to 125 MPH, and report findings within 60 seconds.
6. Most new tank car builds (at this time) are due to replacement needs as tank cars age out.
7. Today there are approximately 2 million registered railcars in the U.S. national fleet, of which 22% (or 440,000) are tank cars, all of which require HM-216b qualification at regular intervals.
8. Founded in 1838, Galveston, an island port city in Texas, quickly became the major hub for trade and immigration for not only Texas, but the entire southwest United States, and was the home of the first operating railroad in Texas, founded in 1850.
9. The issue with tariffs isn’t whether they’re good or bad, it’s that they keep fluctuating, they’re not consistent, which makes it hard for businesses to plan.
10. While there are 6 Class 1 railroads in the U.S. (UP, BNSF, CSX, NS, CN, and CPKC), there are 603 short line railroads.
11. The AAR establishes safety, security and operating standards that provide seamless and safe operations across America’s nearly 140,000-mile freight rail network.
12. Don Walsh gives his opinion of the industry outlook for 2026!

LINKS MENTIONED:

https://www.americanrailroading.net

https://www.therevolutionrailgroup.com

https://www.youtube.com/@americanrailroadingpodcast

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dwalshX

https://www.enviroserve.com