Surface Transportation's Regulatory Roller Coaster

This paper provides a brief historical perspective of where the regulatory state of affairs concerning the railroad industry has been, where it currently is situated, and where it is likely to go. The article is dived into five parts: the early years (1830-1918); the World Wars era (1918-1946); the postwar period (1946-1980); deregulation; death of the Interstate Commerce Commission; and the Surface Transportation Board and the future of regulation. This history can serve as a guidepost for future regulatory and legal policy directed toward the U.S. railroad industry.