In this section, we showcase short line industry stories published in local media.
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.
On Monday, ASLRRA Senior Vice President, Law and General Counsel Sarah Yurasko joined five ASLRRA member short line representatives to testify before the Surface Transportation Board (STB) during a public hearing focused on growth in the freight rail industry. The hearing took place at STB headquarters in Washington, D.C.
The STB requested the attendance of executives from the six Class I railroads and invited and welcomed other stakeholders to participate, including short lines, industry analysts, rail customers, rail suppliers and more. Joining Yurasko for an hour-long short line testimony were Sierra Northern Railway President and CEO Kennan Beard III, R. J. Corman Vice President, Commercial and Industrial Development Shannon Drown, Iowa Interstate Railroad Chairman Henry Posner III, New York and Atlantic Railway President Marlon Taylor and Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Services, Inc. Vice President, Sales and Marketing Kimberly Thompson.
ASLRRA and the short line representatives participated in the first day of the two-day hearing. Their testimony offered a range of perspectives on freight rail growth, from family-business railroads to large holding companies.
ASLRRA and short line testimony focused on the diverse ways small railroads pursue business opportunities and increase carloads over time. This includes through a focus on customer service and meeting customer needs, partnerships with Class I railroads, economic development groups, local governments and community members and investment in infrastructure.
“ASLRRA was pleased to participate in the hearing, and the examples shared are replicated across the nation, day in and day out on more than 600 short line railroads,” said ASLRRA President Chuck Baker in a press release. “Short lines are a critical piece of the freight rail network and are unrelenting in their pursuit of growth – one carload, one customer, one market at a time.”
A recording of the hearing can be found on the STB’s YouTube page here. ASLRRA and the short line group comprised Panel V, which started at the 5:46:35 mark.
Individuals from ASLRRA and short line members, including (L to R) Marlon Taylor, Sarah Yurasko, Kimberly Thompson, Shannon Drown, Kennan Beard, Amy Krouse and Henry Posner, pose for a photo outside the Hearing Room at STB headquarters in Washington, D.C. Members of the group testified on Monday during a hearing on growth in the freight rail industry.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Transportation Research Board (TRB) announced that it has issued a new report on trains longer than 7,500 feet, based on data gathered from September 2022 to June 2024. Congress requested the study and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) sponsored it as a way to understand the safety challenges that arise from the operation of longer freight trains.
The report provides an overview of the safety and performance of long trains, examines technology used to control long trains and the crew operations involved, and looks at these trains’ impact on the public and the environment.
Recommendations offered in the report suggest Congress should do more to empower federal agencies like FRA to address issues arising from long trains. In addition, the FRA should take steps like surveying the railroad industry for best practices related to the safe operation of long trains and requiring railroads to identify, analyze and address risks arising from use of longer trains.
ASLRRA staff is currently reviewing the report. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) issued a statement in response to the report, noting in part that “ultimately, the TRB study does not demonstrate data supporting any claims that manifest trains exceeding 7,500 feet pose additional operational safety risks. Any effort to impose a prescriptive train length limit would be both irresponsible and unfounded.”
A study released by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), “Evaluation of Habituation to Alerts in Locomotive Cabs,” shows that locomotive engineers do not demonstrate habituation behavior while operating a locomotive, though further observation is recommended.
Habituation occurs when engineers become so used to a repeated alarm or alert they become less responsive to it. The FRA wanted to understand whether engineers experienced habituation, funding a pilot study that tested nine engineers in a rail simulator. In addition to recommending additional studies on the subject, researchers said future research should include evaluation of habituation in actual operational settings.
The FRA also published a technical report titled “Advanced Track Geometry Forecasting Methods,” which applied two different forecasting approaches to conduct time series-based forecasting of foot-by-foot track geometry data to try to predict future behavior of track geometry. Both methods, accompanied by measurements from Autonomous Track Geometry Measurement Systems (ATGMS), were shown to accurately predict track geometry behavior which helps railroads plan preventative maintenance. However, researchers pointed out that more work is needed to enable use of these methods in revenue service.
On Sept. 12, Representative Troy Nehls (R-Texas) introduced the Stop California from Advancing Regulatory Burden (Stop CARB) Act, which would prevent California from seeking waiver requests to enact emission standards under the Clean Air Act (CAA) and repeal CAA Section 177, which allows other states to adopt California standards for which waivers have been granted.
Accompanying Nehls’s bill, H.R.9574, was a companion bill, S.5038, introduced by Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) on the same day. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is currently seeking a waiver for its in-use locomotive emissions regulation from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a rule that ASLRRA opposes because its stringent requirements threaten the viability of short line freight railroads in California and would have a severe negative impact on the nationwide freight rail network and U.S. supply chain.
ASLRRA supports the Stop CARB Act, one of the many ways the Association has worked to express its opposition to CARB’s requested waiver and explain the dire consequences of allowing California’s rule to take effect, including its potential to put small railroads in California out of business completely. In April, ASLRRA submitted comments in response to CARB’s original waiver request. ASLRRA President Chuck Baker also testified at a U.S. House Committee on Science, Space and Technology’s Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight hearing on the CARB locomotive rule, and Dillon Olvera, president and CEO of ASLRRA member Modesto and Empire Traction Company testified on behalf of ASLRRA at a hearing on CARB’s rule held by the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.
ASLRRA and the Association of American Railroads (AAR) have also filed suit against CARB in the Eastern District of California on behalf of their members arguing that CARB lacks the legal authority to enact the locomotive rule because only the federal government has authority to regulate rail operations.
ASLRRA member New York & Atlantic Railway (NYA) recently welcomed Representative Anthony D’Esposito (R-N.Y.), who participated in a tour of a rail yard and locomotive shop and spoke with NYA executives about rail issues.
NYA President Marlon Taylor and Anacostia Rail Holdings Company Chief Financial Officer Bruce Lieberman showed D’Esposito around NYA’s Fresh Pond rail yard in Glendale, New York, and shared information about the operation and maintenance of NYA’s fleet when the group visited NYA’s locomotive shop. Emily Traiforos, New York state director for rail advocacy group GoRail, was also in attendance. Traiforos helped organize the meeting.
During their discussion of rail, Taylor and Lieberman talked to D’Esposito about the economic and environmental benefit of moving goods by rail and described how the advantages of shipping by rail have helped boost demand for services in the region. Taylor also emphasized NYA’s strong training and safety record and its work helping train area first responders in accident and incident response.
ASLRRA encourages its members to cultivate relationships with their elected officials, sharing with them the short line freight rail story and inviting them to tour facilities in their districts. ASLRRA members of all kinds who are interested in connecting with lawmakers but need assistance doing are encouraged to reach out to the Association’s Crystal Gitchell.
While the Senate and House Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations Subcommittees both passed their versions of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 transportation funding bill in July, neither bill has been scheduled for a vote on either the Senate or House floor.
Lawmakers will now need to pass a stopgap resolution or a continuing resolution (CR) before the Sept. 30 deadline to prevent a government shutdown. Congress also plans to recess from Sept. 30 through the Nov. 5 election, so action on any FY 2025 THUD legislation will likely be relegated to the lame duck session.
Every year, event scammers and hotel poachers try to deceive individuals attempting to register or book lodging for an ASLRRA event. This year, scammers have already started efforts to defraud those who may be planning to attend the Association’s 2025 Annual Conference next April.
ASLRRA reminds its members that the Association does not partner with outside groups to book registration or hotel rooms and does not authorize any individuals or companies to do so on ASLRRA’s behalf. ASLRRA will not contact you directly via phone or email to make hotel reservations.
The only way to register for events is through ASLRRA communications and its website. Likewise, the only way to book a hotel room in ASLRRA’s room block at special rates is by using links provided on the Association’s website or by contacting the hotel directly using information and codes from ASLRRA.
Members are urged to exercise caution in these months leading up to ASLRRA events. Anyone who receives solicitations from vendors saying they are “official ASLRRA partners” or “housing representatives” should contact Vice President, Meetings Amy Westerman immediately at awesterman@aslrra.org. Do not provide any sensitive information via phone or email to these individuals.
Railroad professionals still have time to register to join over 350 of their industry colleagues Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 in Jacksonville, Florida for ASLRRA’s Eastern and Southern Region Meeting.
Along with an opportunity to hear from short line leaders, Class I representatives and other subject-matter and industry experts, meeting attendees can participate in sandhouse sessions, multiple networking opportunities and more. Click here to view a full meeting agenda. ASLRRA will also honor the recipients of this year’s President’s Safety Awards for the Eastern and Southern regions, and the ASLRRA Safety Professional of the Year, Albert Manning of Florida East Coast Railway.
Over 200 people have already registered for ASLRRA’s Central and Pacific Region Meeting in Dallas, Texas, and only one week remains before registration rates increase. Hotel rooms in the Association’s room block for the event at the Westin Galleria in Dallas are already in short supply. The deadline for the discounted hotel rate ends on Oct. 7.
The General Counsel Symposium and the Finance & Administration Seminar, which will take place Oct. 28 to 29 and Oct. 29 to 30, respectively, are co-located with ASLRRA’s Central and Pacific Region Meeting. Attendees of the General Counsel Symposium can register to receive 6.25 or 7.50 continuing legal education (CLE) credit hours depending on their state.
Holland & Knight, a global law firm with more than 2,200 lawyers in 34 offices, features a Transportation and Infrastructure practice that is well-rounded, with strengths in the aviation, maritime, rail, transit, motor carrier, logistics and pipeline sectors. It collaborates across the firm to advise clients at nearly every point in the supply and distribution chains and deal with the myriad issues that have emerged in the industry. Equity Partner Charles Shewmake is our primary contact and can be reached at (214) 969-2122. Shewmake will be a featured speaker at next month’s General Counsel Symposium, addressing Railroad Law 101, Short Line Edition.
ASLRRA’s Director, Membership and Technology Danialle Lovik celebrates her fifth work anniversary this week. Lovik is responsible for managing staff and member engagement platforms and databases and plays a key role in supporting event management and analysis. The Michigan State University graduate has extensive experience in private sector and non-profit member relations, administration and events.
Many members might recognize Lovik as one of the friendly faces who helps them from behind the registration desk at many ASLRRA events. In honor of her anniversary, ASLRRA asked Lovik a few questions about how she got into the rail industry, what she enjoys about her work and her interests outside the office.
ASLRRA: How did you get your start in the railroad industry?
DL: I have always gravitated toward work in non-profits. I wound up in trucking, coaching franchises and franchise groups on their sales and employment practices. Upon relocating to [Washington] D.C., ASLRRA seemed to be the ideal organization to continue my journey. So, I made the leap [to rail] from the other side of transportation.
ASLRRA: What is the best part of your job? What is your favorite thing about the short line industry specifically?
DL: The best parts are the expertise of my colleagues and the Association’s dedication to our members. We’re part of an industry full of trailblazers and everyone has such a unique story to share. It’s a privilege to work for and be a part of this vibrant community.
ASLRRA: What is the most surprising thing about your job and/or ASLRRA?
DL: The sheer breadth of the work surprises me most. We wear many hats, so there’s always a new challenge or project. It has pushed me to step outside of my comfort zone and develop skills I wouldn’t possess otherwise.
ASLRRA: As you look to the rest of the year and beyond, what are you excited about for railroading and member engagement?
DL: Forming new connections and continuing to learn from industry leaders! The short line network is full of invaluable knowledge, and I look forward to gaining a deeper understanding of its challenges and opportunities.
ASLRRA: What would our members be surprised to know about you?
DL: I’m from the “Gravel Capital of the World.” Though I’m from a small town, I have a big appetite for adventure. Don’t tempt me with new food or music!
When not busy at ASLRRA, Danialle Lovik enjoys traveling and experiencing different cultures and foods. Here she celebrates her catch while on vacation in Costa Rica.
The Short Line Training Center, a collaboration between ASLRRA and Iowa Northern Railway Company, features an online Learning Management System (LMS) that simplifies the delivery of online, virtual training to railroad employees on site, while enabling railroads to track content completion and generate customized reports.
With the LMS, short line railroads can access a custom-built suite of industry training programs, including three newly added virtual reality courses. The LMS simplifies the training process, allowing companies to enroll employees, assign courses and track progress. Railroads can also upload employee on-the-job training records to take full advantage of the platform’s ability to facilitate a company’s record-keeping and reporting capabilities.
In addition to the virtual reality courses, railroads can access training on Part 214 roadway workplace safety, drug and alcohol reasonable suspicion training and post-accident toxicological testing training. There are also a variety of other programs on federal regulations including track safety standards, railroad operating rules and freight car safety standards. Click here to view a list of programs currently available in the LMS.
For more information or to schedule an online demonstration, please contact ASLRRA’s Sabrina Waiss.
ASLRRA’s Member Discount Program is open exclusively to Associate Members who are committed to providing exceptional service and volume discounts to short line railroads. Preferred Providers are vetted by the association and trusted by railroads to deliver quality products and services at negotiated discount rates.
ASLRRA’s Member Discount Program is highly rated as a valuable member benefit providing access to programs tailored specifically for the short line railroad industry and including exclusive offers, special pricing, and guaranteed exceptional service. Preferred Providers benefit from a broad range of marketing/promotional activities, including visibility on ASLRRA’s website and in print and electronic communications.
ASLRRA is actively seeking to expand program offerings and onboard new Preferred Providers for new and existing categories, including drug and alcohol programs and services, digital onboard data system platforms, background screening services, and payroll processing services.
Discount Program offerings currently include personal protective equipment plus safety eyewear and shoe programs from Würth; tie inspection services from Loram Technologies; grant writing services from Colliers Engineering & Design; electronic recordkeeping software and services from MaxAccel and employee health insurance from HUB International.
Preferred Providers must be an ASLRRA Associate Member in good standing. Interested companies may visit our website or contact Sabrina Waiss to learn more.
Chuck Baker traveled to several events this week. On Sept. 16 he attended the GoRail Presidents Club meeting in South Carolina, which was held in conjunction with the Association of American Railroads (AAR) Board Meeting. Then on Sept. 17 Baker was in Ponte Vedra, Florida to attend the CSX Short Line Conference. Attendees of the conference listened to keynote speaker Jon Gordon, and participated in breakout sessions, a trade show and speed networking.
This webinar discusses how railroads and railroad partners can better acquire and retain successful workers using pre-hire talent assessments. Success stories from Class I railroads and other industrial companies will be presented. Webinar attendees will learn what talent assessments are and how they are set up and used in practice; recommendations for implementing talent assessments in their recruitment processes; and what low-cost and no-cost tools and resources are available as well as what services Aon Consulting offers in this area.
Speaker:
Sponsored by AON
This webinar includes an introduction to Operation Clean Sweep (OCS), of which ASLRRA is an official supporting member. OCS assists companies in their goal towards achieving zero plastic resin loss during operations, thereby keeping plastic out of the environment and surrounding waterways. The session will also discuss the OCS Rail program that was launched in 2024 as a new category of the OCS program specifically for rail partners and their operations. Several current OCS Rail members will also share individual case studies for an inside perspective on the program.
Speakers:
Sponsored by the American Chemistry Council
Representatives from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) have often joined ASLRRA to present webinars discussing issues related to regulations and compliance. The below webinar recordings - and many more - are available any time in the Association’s On-Demand Webinar Library.
Visit ASLRRA’s webinar homepage and log in to view all the on-demand offerings in the Association’s webinar library.
Founded in response to the tragic 2013 Lac-Megantic rail accident in Quebec, Canada, the Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI) has been working tirelessly to improve safety culture at short line railroads throughout the United States. As SLSI enters its tenth year of operations, ASLRRA explores the history of the organization and the role the Association played in helping establish SLSI.
ASLRRA Senior Vice President, Safety, Regulatory and Environmental Policy Jo Strang and ASLRRA Senior Advisor Mike Ogborn, who was the Association’s immediate past chair in 2014, were among key players instrumental in developing the idea of a safety culture-focused program for short line railroads. Many others worked with them, including then-Chair Ed McKechnie and former ASLRRA President Richard Timmons.
According to Strang and Ogborn, soon after the Lac-Megantic accident, ASLRRA’s Executive Committee decided the Association should more strongly address safety issues at short line railroads. The Executive Committee directed ASLRRA’s Safety and Training (S&T) Committee to devise a solution, and the S&T Committee decided that improving safety culture should be a primary focus.
In September 2015, SLSI was incorporated as a non-profit organization. With members from the original SLSI Pilot Project Development Team, including Strang and Ogborn, ASLRRA helped with the earliest safety culture assessments (SCAs), identifying potential participants with a focus on member short lines that transported crude oil. ASLRRA also helped recruit the assessors who would conduct SCAs. Among the first group of seven assessors was Sam Cotton, who is now SLSI’s director of safety culture programs.
SLSI seated its Board of Directors and Advisory Board in December 2015. Included on the advisory board were current SLSI Executive Director Tom Murta and ASLRRA President Chuck Baker, who in 2014 advocated for congressional support of an SLSI pilot project as a partner at government relations firm Chambers, Conlon & Hartwell.
SLSI’s original team built a process that would ultimately be deemed “the most robust model of evaluating safety culture in the U.S, freight rail industry” by the FRA. An SCA is delivered at no cost to short line railroads, using assessments that are entirely confidential and non-punitive. Since those early days, word-of-mouth support and a quantifiable positive impact demonstrated by SLSI and FRA studies have resulted in the assessment of hundreds of railroads, many taking the option of a second assessment to measure progress.
SLSI has continued to expand its program offerings to assist railroads in addressing opportunities identified across the industry and now provides safety culture assessments to passenger, commuter, tourist and historic railroads in addition to short lines. The organization has also created a library of safety resources; offers hazardous materials (hazmat) training and leadership training; and can help railroads develop a Transportation Emergency Response Plan (TERP) or hold an Emergency Preparedness, Reporting and Response Exercise (EPRRE). And through a grant from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), SLSI offers hazmat safety training directly to first responders.
“They’ve done a really impressive job of expanding the mission without losing focus on the core competency,” said Baker. “Their work is showing up in industry performance, as evidenced by ASLRRA’s Jake Safety Awards. The number of Jakes awarded “with distinction,” noting zero safety reportable incidents based on FRA safety data, has risen since SLSI’s founding.”
Strang and Ogborn, who guided SLSI’s initial development and watched it grow over the past decade, agreed with Baker.
“From its beginning as a small pilot project in 2014, SLSI has evolved into a significant factor in helping short lines improve their safety culture and has added important training regarding hazmat, leadership, and other areas,” wrote Strang and Ogborn in an email. “The huge success of the program both with safety culture and hazmat training are our proudest moments.”
SLSI continues to build on this legacy and knowledge base gleaned from the more than 155 safety culture assessments completed to date.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the industry in advancing safety culture,” said SLSI Executive Director Tom Murta. “Our team is working every day to advance the mission, enhancing current programs and developing new resources for short lines to level-up their safety culture.”
For more on the Short Line Safety Institute programs visit www.shortlinesafety.org. Sign up for e-mail news on SLSI’s home page and follow on LinkedIn for more updates.
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.
