Re: FRA Par 213.9

During the years that I was managing shortline railroads, we strived to maintain ties and surface at Class 2 conditions, though we operated the railroad with a maximum speed of 20 mph. This kept the wear and tear on the equipment reasonable. In fact, we tried to maintain line and track surface to Class 3 specs for the same reason. The work underway on the C&TS will cut down on the long-term deterioration of the track while reducing everyday wear and tear on the equipment. It's not necessary to run the trains at 25 or 30 mph, but the ride for passengers will be improve.