The Staggers Rail Act of 1980, was signed into law by President Jimmy Carter on October 14. This law deregulated the railroad industry (to a significant extent) and replaced the regulatory structure that existed since the 1887 Interstate Commerce Act. This Act followed the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976. This act was established for the basic outlines of regulatory reform in the railroad industry. Staggers accompanied in a new era in which railroads could largely decide for themselves rather than have Washington decide for them. This entailed greater range for railroad pricing without close regulatory restraint, greater independence from collective rate making procedures in rail pricing and service offers, contract
