WASHINGTON, D.C., July 9, 2024 — Dillon Olvera, President and CEO of the Modesto and Empire Traction Company (the MET), testified today on behalf of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA), before the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials in a hearing, “An Examination of the California Air Resource Board’s (CARB) In-Use Locomotive Regulation.” Olvera shared the potential catastrophic impact that the CARB rule will have on short lines in California due to the cost of compliance. CARB’s new rule would force railroads to set aside significant revenue in a ‘savings account’ to acquire low and zero-emission locomotives that are not commercially available and not viable at-scale for the industry. This ignores and upends the fundamental business model of short line railroads. Furthermore, the rule is illegal, pre-empted by federal law including the Interstate Commerce Commission Termination Act (ICCTA) and the Clean Air Act and the Locomotive Inspection Act, and evades any effort to recognize how it will uniquely impact small businesses.
View Olvera's written testimony here.
WASHINGTON, June 13, 2024 – Chuck Baker, President of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA), testified today before the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight in a hearing titled “Environmentalism Off the Rails: How CARB Will Cripple the National Rail Network.”
WASHINGTON, May 29, 2024 – The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) today announced a record number of member railroads (385) qualifying for a Jake Safety Award. Eighty-eight percent (340) of the awardees are noted “with Distinction” for zero reportable injuries in 2023. Nineteen member railroads will be further recognized by ASLRRA as President’s Safety Award winners for the lowest injury frequency rate in a variety of per personhour categories.
WASHINGTON, March 25, 2024 – The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association recognized career-spanning dedication to safety today at its Annual Conference & Exhibition. Sam Pederson, Railcar Repairman, Mission Mountain Railroad (MMR) was named Safety Person of the Year, and Albert Manning, Training Program Manager, Florida East Coast Railway (FECR) was named Safety Professional of the Year.
WASHINGTON, March 25, 2024 – Sierra Northern Railroad was honored today for its contributions to environmental sustainability and air quality improvements in central California, an area served by the short line’s intermodal port and transload facility. In 2024, Sierra Northern intends to be the first California short line to put a zero-emission hydrogen locomotive into full testing in revenue service, in a demonstration project funded by the California Energy Commission (CEC).
WASHINGTON, March 22, 2024 – ASLRRA today announced Watco as the recipient of the 2024 Veterans Engagement Award for their efforts to hire and retain employees that are veterans of any U.S. branch of military service, including spouses and family members. The company will be honored at the ASLRRA Annual Conference & Exhibition in Kansas City, Missouri on March 25.
WASHINGTON, March 22, 2024 – The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) has selected three short line railroads to honor for business development excellence, showcasing the heart of short line rail operations – commitment to solving customer problems, creating unique opportunities for growth, and ensuring the well-being of the communities that they serve. Indiana Rail Road, Indiana and Ohio Railway, and Mission Mountain Railroad each demonstrated innovative and successful business-building initiatives crafted to meet the needs of their customers, using the unique capabilities of their railroads. The awards will be presented at the ASLRRA Annual Conference and Exhibition on March 25, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri.
WASHINGTON, March 19, 2024 – Today, the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) announces its newest Member Discount Program provider, MaxAccel. MaxAccel offers a suite of software products available in web and mobile-based solutions to assist small railroads in driving safety, regulatory compliance, operational efficiency and return on investment. Over 220 freight railroads, passenger operations and railroad contractors rely on MaxAccel’s suite of AssetPro™ and SafeTrack™ electronic recordkeeping applications every day making them some of the most widely used in the rail transportation industry. ASLRRA members can choose one application, or several to utilize MaxAccel as their single solution for electronic recordkeeping.
WASHINGTON, March 7, 2024 – Chuck Baker, President of The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA), provided testimony in today's hearing, "Department of Transportation Discretionary Grants: Stakeholder Perspectives," convened by the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
"With the help of federal grants, short lines have revitalized significant sections of the rail network, allowing for greater service volume, elimination of bottlenecks, and reduction of congestion as well as harnessing the measurable environmental benefits of moving freight by rail. Perhaps most important, every dollar invested in improving rail infrastructure is a dollar invested in rail safety," said Chuck Baker.
WASHINGTON, D.C., January 31, 2024 — The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) has selected James A. “Jim” Bowers, founder of Bowers CPAs & Advisors, as the 2024 Schlosser Distinguished Service Award winner. Jim Bowers has spent decades serving the short line railroad industry through his work as a certified public accountant (CPA) in the accounting firm he founded – Bowers and Company CPAs, now called Bowers CPAs & Advisors, and in service to the ASLRRA, including chairing the Finance & Administration Committee, and many years of presenting at and supporting ASLRRA events. In addition, Bowers has encouraged employees of the firm to participate in the ASLRRA, with several chairing committees such as the Finance Committee and the Young Professional’s Committee, guiding the work of the association.
“Jim has followed the path of many a small railroader, persistently applying his talent, building a one-man shop into a sustainable enterprise that creates value for many,” said ASLRRA President Chuck Baker. “Alongside growing Bowers & Company, Jim has been a willing partner and friend to many in the industry, and most especially to our Association, where his measured counsel has been instrumental in many successful initiatives such as the 45G Tax Credit, to helping our members understand the tax impacts of their actions, particularly during COVID, and to the Finance & Administration Committee. Jim has also had an eye on knowledge transfer in our industry, actively supporting others in his firm in taking committee leadership positions at ASLRRA, ensuring the next generation of railroaders will be similarly well-counseled.”
James A. Bowers – Distinguished Service Award Winner
Before starting Bowers CPAs, Bowers earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from St. John Fisher University and started working as an accountant at Deloitte, where he eventually was named manager in charge. While at Deloitte Bowers also spent several years as an adjunct professor of accounting at St. John Fisher.
Bowers decided to forge a new path in 1980 as one of the founding partners of the accounting firm Bowers CPAs and Advisors. In the 44 years since its inception, Bowers CPAs and Advisors has now expanded to three office locations in New York and features a staff of over 130. The company’s railroad arm offers short lines assistance in financial reporting, mergers and acquisitions, grant administration, tax planning and compliance, and payroll.
Bowers has also been active with other railroad organizations, such as the Railroads of New York (RONY) where he serves on the Board of Directors as an associate member. He is a member of several professional organizations as well including the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA).
The Schlosser Distinguished Service Award, named for former ASLRRA Chairman Thomas L. Schlosser, is the highest individual honor bestowed by the ASLRRA, recognizing long-term, significant service to the ASLRRA and the short line industry. Bowers will be honored on March 25, 2024 at the ASLRRA Annual Conference and Exhibition in Kansas City, Missouri.
For a video on the background of the Schlosser Distinguished Service Award and past Award recipients, click here.
