The problem with your "basic econ" class, is that you don't seem to know the difference between deregulation of rates and pricing, and the deregulation of monopolistic/oligopolistic market controllng mergers (failure to enforce basic anti-trust, and/or to require sufficient competive access to captive markets).

And, you're apparently somewhat confused with your time line, as most the these "uncompetitive"" "divide up the market share" rail "mega mergers" have been allowed to happen since the Stagger's act was passed, and not before... When was the Stagger's act passed? When were the big series of mega mergers approved?

I hate to blow holes in a perfectly good narrative like that, which seems so ideologically coherent to the Ayn Rand crowd, and blaming that danged "gubmint" (never basic human avarice and the resulting "market failure" that you admit this has create, though?, with facts and real dates... Oh well...

What are the solutions? Will they start questioning these mega mergers and begin to impose aggressive competitive operator access/common carrier conditions on the new proposed and/or past merger abuses? Will the STB grow a sudden pair of actual "cojones", after the cow is long gone from the barn?

Unfortunately, I am not holding my breath.... But, as the Zen Master says: "We'll see"....