In this section, we showcase short line industry stories published in local media.
Rail upgrades celebrated as next step in growth of Quonset
Railroad members! If you want to be featured in this section, please email us the link. You can also tag us (@ASLRRA) in your social media posts. Interested in seeing your railroad showcased in your local newspaper. Contact Amy Krouse for assistance.
ASLRRA and members Nebraska Central Railroad and Texas & Northern Railway Company have filed a brief in the United States Court Of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit requesting an oral hearing to set aside the portions of the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) minimum crew size rulemaking related to legacy operations of single-person crews on short line railroads.
The brief argues the FRA’s rule is arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedures Act and focuses on distinctions made in the rule’s short-line-specific provisions. In particular, the brief says there is no explanation for the two-year requirement for legacy operations; the rulemaking limits railroads subsequently required to handle hazmat from operating with a single person crew without prior approval of detailed petitions; and the rulemaking requires alerters on railroads that have operated a single person crew safely.
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) also filed a brief arguing the rule is arbitrary and capricious, focusing on the rule as a whole rather than the short line provisions.
Thanks to Esri for being a sponsor of this edition of Views & News.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has published an inaugural Climate and Sustainability Bulletin focused on resiliency planning.
The bulletin, developed as part of the FRA’s Climate and Sustainability Program, identifies current key risks to the railroad industry due to extreme weather events that can damage rail infrastructure, rail right-of-way and surrounding ecosystems. An overview of potential extreme weather includes heat and temperature, sea level rise, wildfires and other events like tornadoes and winter storms. Maps identify parts of the country likely to be affected by weather and climate change, how both can impact railroad infrastructure and the frequency of these events.
To aid resiliency planning, the FRA reviews Safety Advisory 2023-07, which focuses on helping the railroad industry reduce weather-related accidents and incidents and improve the efficiency of the national network during severe weather events. Also included in the bulletin are descriptions of the benefits of resiliency planning, a case study concerning flood-risk management and resources and tools to aid the planning process.
This is the first in a series of communications planned by the FRA. The agency will “tackle different climate and sustainability rail research and planning issues” in future Climate and Sustainability Bulletins, which will serve as a resource for rail project sponsors, rail researchers and those in the rail industry.
Two new technical reports are available from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), one discussing results of a study on modern rail and another that developed a way to estimate the transportation risk when moving hazardous materials (hazmat) by train.
The first technical report, titled “Defect Growth Characterization in Modern Rail,” examines modern head-hardened rail to determine a “safe and economically viable rail inspection interval.” Increasing hardness of rail improves wear resistance but can reduce toughness and fatigue life. While an inspection interval has been determined for legacy, or non-head-hardened rails, there is no such interval established for modern rail.
The study’s examination of three modern rails and two unused legacy rails showed no significant reduction in toughness or fatigue crack growth resistance for modern rails. With the head-hardening process having no significant negative impact on the fatigue life of rails, researchers determined that rail inspection and fatigue life assessment should be more highly emphasized when understanding the overall life of the rail.
In the second technical report, a team of researchers examined data and prior literature to develop a way to analyze the risk when moving hazmat, given different train types, train lengths, placement of hazmat cars and other variables. The study developed this methodology to evaluate trains transporting hazmat on mainlines and in yards or terminals, and results show that using the methodology to place tank cars in precise locations in the consist depending on the probability of derailment would result in the lowest risk. The report’s executive summary goes on to say that, given the number of factors affecting risk when transporting hazmat by rail, “the risk calculation should be performed for each type of train arrangement, as the risk analysis methodology can be tailored to fit various operational characteristics.”
On July 25, the Senate Appropriations Committee completed a markup of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 transportation appropriations bill. The bill would provide $110 billion in total funding for the Department of Transportation.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) would receive $3.46 billion and funding for the FRA’s Office of Safety and Operations would increase to $292.8 million. Funding for the FRA’s research and development would also increase to $54.75 million. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration would receive $401 million, with $235 million for pipeline safety and $87 million for hazardous materials safety. The committee report also directed the full requested amount of $2.75 million to go to the Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI).
For the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant program, the bill recommends $376 million, which would be in addition to the $1 billion in advance appropriations provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). For other grant programs, RAISE would receive $550 million and the Maritime Administration’s Port Infrastructure Development Program would receive $200 million.
In other Senate news, the Senate Commerce Committee held an executive session today to mark up a number of bills, including S. 3959, the Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act. The bill, introduced by Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.), would streamline the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening process to prevent certain transportation workers from having to incur extra costs to complete redundant background and security checks.
ASLRRA supports the bill, as does the Association of American Railroads (AAR), American Trucking Associations (ATA) and other transportation and shipping organizations.
Know a company that would benefit from joining and participating in ASLRRA? Please contact ASLRRA’s Senior Vice President of Membership and Business Development Kathy Keeney via email or on (202) 585-3439.
.png)
Opterra Solutions, based in Lexington, South Carolina, provides vegetation management services to railroad companies, power generating plants, and other industrial sites. Its hy-rail trucks and other equipment are specifically designed to solve any railroad right-of-way vegetation problem, weed control for lay down yards, aquatics and mechanical cutting. Business Development Manager Amy Owens is our primary contact and can be reached on (386) 481-7121.
Registration is open for all of ASLRRA’s fall events, namely two regional meetings and two focused educational events. Follow each of the links below for more information or to register.
The Eastern and Southern Region Meeting will be held Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 in Jacksonville, Florida. There will be a golf tournament at the Slammer & Squire Course and accommodations are available in ASLRRA’s room block at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville. The deadline for discounted hotel rates is Sept. 9.
The Central and Pacific Region Meeting will be held Oct. 28 to 30 in Dallas, Texas, with a golf tournament at the Luna Vista Golf Course. Early bird rates for the meeting and golf end on Aug. 20. Room reservations in ASLRRA’s room block at the Westin Galleria Dallas are still available, and the deadline for discounted hotel rates is Oct. 7.
The General Counsel Symposium takes place Oct. 28 and 29 held concurrently with the Central and Pacific Region Meeting in Dallas. The Finance & Administration Seminar takes place Oct. 29 and 30, also held concurrently with the Central and Pacific Region Meeting. Attendees must register separately for each event. The early bird rate for both events expires Aug. 15. Those who register for these events can also secure a room in the ASLRRA room block at the Westin Galleria Dallas.
A copy of the presentation from the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) July 25 webinar discussing the Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) grant program notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) is now available online.
Representatives from the FRA gave a general overview of the RCE program, the NOFO and how to apply. They also described how projects are evaluated and selected and reviewed best practices for writing a project narrative, demonstrating environmental readiness and drafting parts of the grant agreement including a statement of work, project schedule and budget.
A recording of the webinar itself will soon be uploaded to the FRA’s grant webinar website, joining the presentation file. Older webinars discussing the RCE program are also available on the website. The FRA’s RCE website provides more information about the grants, including details from previous funding rounds.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation’s (NCDOT) Rail Division awarded $1.8 million in grants to three ASLRRA members to help fund improvements to rail infrastructure. The awards are made through the Freight Rail & Rail Crossing Safety Improvement (FRRCSI) program.
Aberdeen, Carolina and Western Railway received $762,148 for track and bridge upgrades and to construct rail sidings and transloading infrastructure. Alexander Railroad Company received $338,320 for track upgrades on its mainline rail corridor and R. J. Corman Railroad Company received $666,764 to make corridor improvements to the Conway and Mullins branches of its Carolina Lines.
To pay the project balance, each of the railroads will provide matching funds equal to their grant awards. NCDOT previously awarded $10.2 million to 10 short lines and two port projects through the FRRCSI program in Dec. 2023. All 10 of those short line grant recipients are ASLRRA members.
ASLRRA member Indiana & Ohio Railway (IORY), subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming Inc., will receive a $1 million grant from the Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) to address vertical clearance concerns in Springfield, Ohio.
The project, which will cost an estimated $6.8 million total, will lower the IORY mainline at three locations to enable the railroad to provide double-stack intermodal service to the Central Ohio Logistics Facility. IORY also foresees being able to capitalize on future business opportunities if it can offer double-stack clearance.
As part of its efforts to facilitate the movement of goods and people by rail, the ORDC helps fund various rail projects, awarding grants to railroads and shippers. The ORDC also awards grants to improve safety at highway-rail grade crossings.
Analysis has begun on responses to ASLRRA’s industry survey. However, given the importance of having a robust set of data from members, the Association is continuing to accept survey submissions. Members are encouraged to complete their surveys as soon as possible, and anyone with questions can contact ASLRRA’s Cameron Downs or Fred Oelsner.
The Short Line Training Center’s online Learning Management System (LMS), a collaborative project between ASLRRA and Iowa Northern Railway Company, now features three new virtual reality (VR) training modules in addition to a Part 214 railroad workplace safety program, Part 243 model programs and drug and alcohol and post-accident testing training courses.
The three VR courses are Freight Car Familiarization, Locomotive Daily Inspection and Class I Airbrake Test and Inspection. Using VR technology offers several benefits for trainers and trainees, including enhanced engagement and motivation, improved safety and efficiency and increased accessibility and scalability. Watch a video demo of the new VR training courses by clicking here.
Nearly 350 employees from 12 ASLRRA-member railroads are currently receiving training through the LMS platform. The LMS allows railroads to assign courses and track progress, as well as manage team reports and employee training records. For more information about the LMS, including pricing and scheduling a demo, contact ASLRRA’s Sabrina Waiss. For questions about the training courses, contact ASLRRA’s JR Gelnar.
Würth is ASLRRA’s Preferred Provider of personal protective equipment (PPE) and related services and their customer-first approach to service and support has a long history. Since opening their doors, Würth has helped thousands of companies protect their employees and work with optimum efficiency for maximum output. Their team of railroad specialists currently supports nearly 200 short line railroads, rail industry contractors and Class I railroad companies.
ASLRRA members can depend on Würth for quality safety and industrial products and exceptional customer service, plus discounted pricing on a huge assortment of products and equipment needed to implement an effective and efficient safety program. Offerings include foot and leg protection, signs, ergonomic products, hearing and eye protection, clothing protection, lighting and electrical products, storage containment and environmental spill cleanup, traffic control and much more.
Visit the Association’s Member Discount Program page to view Würth’s complete product offering and suite of services and start saving today.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis appointed ASLRRA Senior Advisor Mike Ogborn to the recently created Colorado Rail Industry Safety Advisory Committee to represent the Class II and III railroads in the state.
Ogborn will be one of the nine people appointed to confer with the governor’s office, the Colorado General Assembly, the newly created Office of Rail Safety and other regulatory bodies in Colorado regarding the Colorado Rail Safety Act passed by the legislature in 2024.
This week, Fred Oelsner and Richard Sherman attended the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) 2024 Rail Program Delivery Workshop in Washington, D.C. The workshop was meant to foster workforce development and collaboration, describe updates to FRA processes and explore best practices in project delivery.
Chuck Baker traveled to Wisconsin this week for the combined Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association (REMSA) and National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) summer board meeting. Baker attended as a guest representing short line interests.
ASLRRA’s On-Demand Webinars resource library offers nearly 200 webinar recordings on a variety of topics, including innovative technology used in railroad inspection and maintenance. Look for these titles online, available at any time to ASLRRA members:
Visit ASLRRA’s webinar homepage and log in to view all the on-demand offerings in the Association’s webinar library.
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Rail Transportation and Engineering Center (RailTEC) is offering two online courses in August, Track Engineering Fundamentals held Aug. 5 to 8 and Railroad Project Design held Aug. 12 to 15. Registration for these courses ends today.
The track fundamentals course covers topics such as rail, crossties and fasteners, ballast, track structural design and maintenance and more. The project design course covers horizontal and vertical track geometry, project phasing and cost estimation and more. Attendees can receive 14 professional development hours for each course.
Railway Age and Railway Track & Structures (RT&S) magazines will host the second-annual Women in Rail Conference, held Nov. 5 and 6 in Chicago, Illinois. ASLRRA’s Sarah Yurasko and the Short Line Safety Institute’s Julia Leone will be speaking at the event.
The conference, which was expanded to two days this year, will feature panel discussions, an awards luncheon and a tour of Chicago Metra’s rebuild shop and training center. Some of the topics being covered include legislative and regulatory updates, industry inclusivity, innovations in technology and building a strong safety culture.
Several industry executives and federal agency leaders are expected to speak, such as National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Jennifer Homendy, Surface Transportation Board (STB) Vice Chair Karen Hedlund, Union Pacific President Beth Whited, Patriot Rail CEO Brandy Christian, Genesee & Wyoming Inc. CEO Michael Miller and Trinity Industries President and CEO Jean Savage.
Click here for more information about the event, including a conference agenda, and to register.
ASLRRA extends its condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of former president and CEO of Kansas City Southern (KCS) Patrick Ottensmeyer. He passed away on July 28 at the age of 67.
Ottensmeyer was the final president and CEO of KCS before its merger with Canadian Pacific in 2023. He joined KCS in 2006 as executive vice president and CFO before being named president in 2015. Under his leadership, KCS was an active supporter of ASLRRA and its work.
“The railroad industry lost one of its best leaders way too soon with the passing of Pat Ottensmeyer,” said Rick Webb, executive chair of ASLRRA-member parent company Watco. “Pat’s record of accomplishment speaks for itself, but I was always impressed with how he got things done. Pat made you feel like he was a good friend, who cared about and respected your opinion even if it was in conflict with his own. Pat will be remembered for his quiet but strong leadership style that was based on mutual respect and trust. Our industry was blessed to have Pat show us through his actions what it meant to be a truly respected leader and friend. May he have eternal rest as he earned it with his time on this earth.”
In addition to his work at KCS, Ottensmeyer served as U.S. chairman of U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s U.S.-Mexico Economic Council (USMXECO) from 2019 to 2023. He also received several industry awards including the North American Rail Shippers Association Edward R. Hamberger Lifetime Achievement Award, Railway Age magazine’s Railroader of the Year Award, which he won twice, and Progressive Railroading magazine’s Railroad Innovator Award.
In honor of Ottensmeyer, CPKC announced it would lower flags across its network to half-mast.
Click here for a calendar of industry events.
Views & News is published by American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association.
Please contact Mariel Takamura, associate editor, with questions or comments.
