TNW Corporation Appoints New Director of Sales
OmniTRAX and BRG Railway Contribute $77,500 to Brownsville Community
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While many, many ASLRRA members are active in their communities throughout the year, the winter holiday season often turbocharges these efforts. Railroads and supplier companies plan a variety of events benefiting those in their communities, from toy drives to holiday excursions, and even giving Santa himself a ride to local celebrations.
Toys for Tots Collections
Sometimes family members bring children toy trains as gifts, while other times it’s the train itself that brings the toys. ASLRRA members nationwide support the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation by helping collect presents and monetary donations throughout the holiday season.
Florida East Coast Railway and Lake State Railway held their own events called, respectively, the Christmas Train and the Santa Train. Both railroads organized stops along a chosen route where families could come to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus and make donations to Toys for Tots. Other railroads like Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway Company and Madison Railroad set up toy drop off points for the foundation.
Madison Railroad set up their collection at the City of North Vernon, Indiana’s annual Christmas in the City event. Team members decorated a caboose, which was displayed downtown, and those who stopped by could walk through and enjoy hot chocolate and coffee.
Five ASLRRA members participated in Operation Toy Train, a series of toy collection trains that this year reached 48 cities and towns in five states. The Middletown & New Jersey Railroad, New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway, Dover and Rockaway River Railroad, Sierra Northern Railway and Naugatuck Railroad each operated a train that stopped along their respective lines to collect toys for Toys for Tots. Collections on the New York, Susquehanna and Western line on Dec. 14 set a single day record for Operation Toy Train, with the railroad making 11 stops and picking up 21,749 toys.
And in Pennsylvania, the Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad, North Shore Railroad (NSHR) and Union County Industrial Railroad (UCIR) hosted members of the North American Railcar Operators Association (NARCOA) for their Toys for Tots drives. Each year, NARCOA members decorate their railcars and caravan on host lines to collect donations at locations throughout Pennsylvania.
According to North Shore Railroad Company & Affiliates’ Loni Martz Briner, this is the 21st year NSHR has hosted NARCOA drivers and the sixth year for UCIR. Over the past five years, the group has collected more than 18,500 toys and $7,000 for the Susquehanna Valley, Pennsylvania branch of the Toys for Tots Foundation. Also, NSHR has been working to mentor members of NARCOA, enabling them to run similar toy drives on other Pennsylvania railroads.
Above left: Community members gather to greet NARCOA drivers and make donations during the group's annual Toys for Tots drive on the Union County Industrial Railroad in Pennsylvania.
Above right: Railcars are decorated and ready to collect toys during the annual NARCOA toy drive.
Supporting Community Events
ASLRRA members also spread holiday cheer in other ways, such as making donations to benefit different local organizations, and volunteering time and resources to participate in different community events, which often involved helping one of the season’s most recognizable figures arrive at local celebrations in style.
Supplier member Holland, L.P. collected toys for Alicia’s House, a food pantry in Illinois, and team members at the Watertown, New York office of fellow supplier member Bowers CPAs and Advisors bought and wrapped wish list items for 17 local seniors.
As part of ASLRRA member parent company OmniTRAX’s Good Neighbor Donation Campaign, Panhandle Northern Railroad donated $10,000 to the Hutchinson County United Way in Borger, Texas, which will help support the organization’s 16 non-profit partner agencies. At the Ports of Indiana-Mount Vernon, where OmniTRAX took over rail operations this year, the company donated $2,500 to the United Way of Posey County – Indiana to support their community work, and in Stockton, California, the Stockton Terminal & Eastern Railroad donated $5,000 to the Community Outreach Coalition. OmniTRAX’s Peru Industrial Railroad (PIR) also made a $2,500 donation to the Illinois Valley Public Action to Deliver Shelter (PADS) for their work providing shelter, meals, and services to those in need.
Out in Windsor, Colorado, OmniTRAX’s Great Western Railway brought Santa to the opening of the Windsor Wonderland holiday event on Dec. 7, where he participated in the town’s annual tree lighting ceremony and posed for photos with event attendees. A week earlier, Santa, Mrs. Claus and Santa’s top elf arrived at a Christmas celebration in Midway, Kentucky on one of ASLRRA member parent company R. J. Corman Railroad Group’s red engines.
In Indiana, Santa made stops in multiple towns on the Indiana Rail Road’s Santa Train. He and many of his friends, including Rudolph and the Gingerbread Man, got off at each stop to greet those who had gathered to see him. Meanwhile, in Pittsburg, Kansas, Santa, Mrs. Claus and an elf took an hour-long ride with nearly 500 local first grade students on member parent company Watco’s holiday train.
Santa also made it to Winterfest in Gonzales, Texas on Texas, Gonzales and Northern Railway’s (TXGN) Christmas Train. Two TXGN mechanics, father and son Danny and DJ Zaro, decked out Santa’s locomotive with colorful lights and inflatable decorations and capped it with a chimney and snow machine.
“We loved working together as a team to make this year’s display even better than last year,” said DJ Zaro. “Seeing the kids and families enjoy it so much was the ultimate reward.”
Before Santa even climbed aboard the TXGN Christmas Train, team members were busy preparing the railroad depot for his arrival. TXGN set up Santa’s Mailbox in the weeks prior to Winterfest for people to send letters to the North Pole, and every letter with a return address will receive a special reply from Santa, with help from TXGN elves.
Nearly 500 people were on hand to welcome Santa at Winterfest. After his arrival, he visited with families and everyone enjoyed hot chocolate, holiday music and gifts provided by TXGN. All children in attendance had a chance to win a ride with Santa on the Gonzales Christmas trolley from the depot to Independence Square for the Winterfest Christmas tree lighting.
“There is a magical connection between Christmas and railroads for children,” said TNW CEO Paul Treangen. “It was with great enthusiasm that our team worked to make Santa’s arrival a truly special event. TXGN is proud to be part of the community!”
Above left: Santa and his elf arrive at a Christmas celebration in Midway, Kentucky on an R. J. Corman Railroad Group locomotive.
Above right: Lake State Railway team members load toys on their annual Santa Train, which collected donations for Toys for Tots.
Above left: Representatives from the Stockton Terminal & Eastern Railroad present a donation to the Community Outreach Coalition in Stockton, California.
Above right: Santa arrives on a Texas, Gonzales and Northern Railway (TXGN) locomotive for the Gonzales Winterfest event. A father-and-son team of TXGN mechanics, Danny and DJ Zaro, decorated the locomotive for the event.
Above left: The Great Western Railway brought Santa to the Windsor Wonderland holiday event in Windsor, Colorado.
Above right: Madison Railroad decorated a locomotive and caboose and displayed them in downtown North Vernon, Indiana for the town's Christmas in the City event. Visitors could board the caboose, which was also a collection point for Toys for Tots donations.
ASLRRA has submitted comments to the Surface Transportation Board (STB) in support of SMS Rail Services concerning local jurisdiction over rail activities.
As background, SMS began freight service in 2022 over the Salem Branch Line in Salem County, New Jersey. In 2023, SMS started tourist and excursion services across the same line. Two municipalities in Salem County (Pilesgrove, and Mannington as intervenor) asked the Board to clarify whether structures and improvements placed upon the Salem Branch Line for purposes of “fun rides” fall within the STB’s jurisdiction when they are solely for purposes of entertainment.
ASLRRA’s comments support SMS’s position that the line is used for freight service and is therefore subject to STB jurisdiction and benefits from federal preemption. It was a good opportunity to echo comments that ASLRRA made at September's public hearing on Growth in the Freight Rail Industry that the smallest freight railroads often start very small but grow their business carload by carload.
Sierra Northern Railway, Mendocino Railway and the California Short Line Railroad Association also provided comments in support of SMS Rail.
The Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) reminds those who received benefits under the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA) in the past calendar year that they can access W-2 and/or 1099-G forms online.
The W-2 shows the total amount of sickness or injury benefits a claimant received during the previous year, while Form 1099-G reports the total amount of unemployment benefits paid. The RRB will begin mailing paper copies of these forms no later than the end of January, but those who opt to view their forms online can access them sooner. RUIA claimants can also choose to be notified by email when future RUIA tax forms become available online.
RUIA claimants can log in to myRRB to choose to view their documents online. The RRB notes those who received retirement and/or survivor benefits under the Railroad Retirement Act do not have the option to access their forms online and instead will receive mailed copies of their tax forms.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has published “The U.S. National Blueprint for Energy and Emissions Innovation in Transportation.” The blueprint is based on a document published last year by four federal agencies, including the DOE, that discussed transportation decarbonization.
Based on last year’s decarbonization document, “The U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization,” a group of agency and industry representatives and other stakeholders developed more detailed action plans to help each transportation mode spur energy innovation. Available online are an overview of the rail action plan, as well as the full rail action plan report.
The report examines seven strategies to help the rail sector achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. These include zero-emission rail yards, expanded access to passenger rail and fright rail system efficiency.
Other reports discuss decarbonization of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and maritime vessels and provide action plans for development of convenient and efficient transportation.
A report by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) on an evaluation of the Confidential Close Call Reporting System (C3RS) conducted by the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe) identifies program strengths and weaknesses and makes recommendations to institutionalize C3RS and make it sustainable.
The Volpe team used a mixed-methods approach to conduct the study, relying on focus groups, surveys, publicly available data and other information. Program strengths include training support to peer review teams, improvements to report processing and reduced barriers to reporting, while weaknesses include the makeup of and succession planning for peer review teams, lack of detail in event reports and delays to event analysis caused by report processing times.
The report notes that while the FRA has worked to communicate the value of C3RS and adapted it to meet stakeholder needs, and railroads have made an effort to participate in C3RS and implement its data, barriers to program sustainability include resource constraints and railroad staff turnover. Meanwhile, institutionalizing C3RS will require several improvements including more involvement from railroad management, more streamlining of FRA implementation processes, additional standalone resources to support training and outreach.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has published a report on the results of the third phase of a study examining catastrophic wheel failures and ways to minimize derailments due to these failures.
Phases 1 and 2 of the study were focused on what the FRA’s industry stakeholder working group identified as the prevalent cause of accidents due to broken wheels, namely vertical split rims (VSRs) and shattered rim failures. Phase 3 examined contributing factors to VSR failures.
Based on its Phase 3 study and prior research, the team identified several conclusions. For instance, the most important contributing factors to the development of a VSR are brake heating and subsurface crack size. Recommendations to prevent or mitigate the formation of VSRs include altering steelmaking practices to improve fracture toughness, improving steel cleanliness to minimize the formation of subsurface cracks and testing to a stricter ultrasonic standard to find more defects that could become VSRs.
Congress has come to an agreement on passage of another continuing resolution (CR) to prevent a government shutdown that would have started when the existing CR expires on Dec. 20.
A new CR would be in effect through March. Included with the CR is over $100 billion for disaster aid and a farm bill, though the disaster aid package does not include emergency relief funds for freight railroads.
Early this afternoon, the Senate passed the annual defense authorization bill. The defense bill includes the Railroad Employee Equity and Fairness (REEF) Act that would permanently exempt payments made from the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Account from sequestration and boost unemployment and sick benefits to eligible railroad workers by 5.7 percent.
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) issued a press release applauding passage of the REEF Act. ASLRRA President Chuck Baker is quoted in the release.
In other legislative news, House Republicans have announced the appointment of members to committees that have jurisdiction over policy and funding programs that are important to the short line industry.
On the House Appropriations Committee, which oversees grant funding for programs like CRISI and the Short Line Safety Institute, are representatives:
On the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which oversees surface transportation, are representatives:
On the House Ways and Means Committee, which oversees issues like the 45G short line infrastructure tax credit, are representatives:
The 2025 Annual Conference offers ASLRRA supplier members a once-a-year opportunity to make crucial business connections. Participation in the conference enables suppliers to generate leads, nurture prospects, build brand awareness, demonstrate products and enhance customer relationships.
Having a booth in the Expo Hall at this year’s conference, to be held April 6 to 8 in Denver, Colorado, is a cost-effective way to reach ASLRRA’s 520 Class II and III railroad members. Another way to stand apart from the crowd of conference goers is to purchase an event sponsorship. There are multiple sponsorship options to fit different budgets, and becoming a sponsor offers valuable exposure through dynamic marketing packages.
Click here to learn more about becoming a conference exhibitor, or click here to learn about conference sponsorships. Contact Kathy Keeney or Amy Westerman with questions about exhibiting or sponsoring.
There are now six locations included in ASLRRA’s hotel block. Click here to go to ASLRRA’s event lodging page for information regarding room availability, rates, booking deadlines and direct links to each hotel. Some hotels offer government rates, which can be booked by contacting Amy Westerman.
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.
RapidSOS, based in New York, is an Intelligent Safety Platform that connects critical data from over 540 million connected devices, apps, and sensors directly to public safety (over 5,700 911 centers covering 99 percent of the U.S. population and over 1 million first responders) to enhance situational awareness and reduce emergency response times. RapidSOS processes more than 175 million emergency incidents per year and can provide rail operators with greater awareness of incidents at crossings, yards, and along their track, and helps reduce time spent on non-emergency communications.
RapidSOS partnered with Norfolk Southern to provide first responders with real-time access to hazardous material details, incident locations, and response guides during rail emergencies, enabling compliance with PHMSA’s 2024 electronic consist final rule. Sam Potts, Senior Director of Business Development, is our primary contact and can be reached at (704) 964-1606.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is now accepting applications for grants under the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan. There are four open grants. The grant most directly relevant to Texas railroads is the Emissions Reduction Incentive Grants Program (ERIG).
The ERIG Program provides funding to repower or replace locomotives, marine vessels, stationary equipment or non-road equipment. Applicants with eligible projects can also request additional funding for on-site refueling infrastructure for alternative fuels like electricity, hydrogen and compressed natural gas. ERIG applications are due Feb. 14.
Other grants are the Governmental Alternative Fuel Fleet Grant Program (GAFF), the Texas Natural Gas Vehicle Grant Program (TNGVGP) and the New Technology Implementation Grant Program (NTIG).
The GAFF provides funding to state agencies, counties, school districts and similar entities to assist with the procurement of on-road vehicles that operate using alternative fuels. Private organizations are not eligible applicants. Applications are due Feb. 5.
The TNGVGP provides funding to replace or repower eligible medium- or heavy-duty motor vehicles with a vehicle or engine powered by natural gas. Applications are due March 4.
The NTIG provides funding to help organizations implement new technologies to reduce emissions from facilities and other stationary sources. The application deadline has been extended to Jan. 31.
What are the latest ways Association members can engage with ASLRRA? What is ASLRRA’s most recent call-to-action? Below are some of the different types of information the Association would love to gather.
In preparation for 2025 annual membership dues invoicing, the Association is reminding its freight railroad members to send in their gross operating revenue figures by Dec. 20. Those numbers for calendar year 2023 are used to calculate full member dues.
Please reach out to Senior Vice President, Membership Kathy Keeney if you did not receive earlier notices or need the form.
Retired former ASLRRA Board Member Doug Golden has pledged an additional $12,000 to support ASLRRA’s Golden Scholarship Program in 2025. With this new donation, a total of $60,000 will have been contributed to the Association through the Douglas Golden – Mary Cullen Charitable Fund to help small railroads and their employees.
In 2024 alone, ASLRRA awarded 20 scholarships worth $1,200 each thanks to Golden’s donations. These scholarships benefitted individuals from 14 states in all of ASLRRA’s four member regions, enabling them to attend crucial industry training that their railroads might otherwise have had difficulty affording.
Golden himself discussed his desire to establish a program that would help small-railroad employees attend training. He noted that his experience in the industry, particularly as the owner of a short line, helped him see that the ability to afford training was and will continue to be an issue for small railroads.
In post-scholarship interviews, recipients often discuss the benefit not just of the scholarship, but the quality of the training they were able to attain with the funding. In addition to gaining knowledge necessary to improve railroad safety and regulatory compliance, attending in-person training allows for valuable networking with other short line railroad professionals.
Employees of railroads earning $10 million or less in annual revenues are eligible for a scholarship. Scholarships provide up to $1,200 for registration fees, travel and lodging and may be used for industry-specific training that will help improve railroad safety and compliance practices and enhance overall operations. Applications are available online and processed on a rolling basis. Click here to apply now.
ASLRRA is saddened by the news of the passing of Robert Allen Grossman, who was inducted into the Short Line Railroad Industry Hall of Fame this year. The Association extends its condolences to Grossman’s family, friends and former colleagues.
Grossman was one of the founders of short line holding company Emons Transportation Group in 1971 and later joined the executive team at Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (G&W) when G&W acquired Emons in 2002. In 1996 Grossman helped start the Keystone State Railroad Association in Pennsylvania and served as the organization’s first president. He also helped establish the Railroads of New York and Oregon Rail Users League organizations.
Grossman was an active member of ASLRRA’s Board of Directors from 1999 to 2008 and served on the Association’s Legislative Policy Committee. He was instrumental in advocating for the short line railroad infrastructure tax credit. Grossman also helped plan many ASLRRA events at which his wife Gloria often volunteered.
After his retirement, Grossman remained active in a number of community organizations. He served on the board of directors of Aaron’s Acres, an organization providing recreational activities to children and young adults with disabilities, as well as the board of Prima Theatre. He also enjoyed powerboating excursions along the upper East coast with his family and friends.
Grossman is survived by his wife, his son Jeff and four grandchildren. Services and a burial were held over the past weekend. Those who may want to make a contribution in Grossman’s name are asked by his family to consider donating to Aaron’s Acres with a note that it is for the Robert Grossman Memorial Fund.
The wait is over for those planning to attend additional ASLRRA training seminars in 2025. Registration is open for seven seminars, the newest being FRA Locomotive and Car Compliance (Part 215), FRA Accident/Incident (Part 225) and ASLRRA Leadership Development – Regulatory Module.
FRA Locomotive & Car Compliance (Part 215) will take place June 3 to 5 in Cedar Falls, Iowa. ASLRRA and Iowa Northern Railway Company (IANR), in partnership with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), will provide two-and-a-half days of classroom instruction and a half day of hands-on field training covering Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 215, 229 and 232 from a mechanical employee’s perspective. Presenters will also discuss common defects found throughout the industry and recommended actions for compliance. This course is recommended for short line railroad chief mechanical officers, shop foremen, and inspectors.
FRA Accident / Incident (Part 225) will take place August 26 and 27 in Freeport, Maine. ASLRRA and FRA subject-matter experts will offer an in-depth review of Part 225 to ensure railroads have a complete understanding of the requirements, tools and resources related to accident/incident reporting, along with available templates, plans and policies.
ASLRRA Leadership Development – Regulatory Module will also take place in Freeport, on Sept. 9 and 10. This program will provide an overview of federal regulations, the federal agencies that regulate railroads, leadership qualities for managers, and CFR Parts 217, 218, 219, 225, 228 and 243.
The four other seminars already accepting registrations are
Those hoping to attend these seminars are encouraged to register soon, as they are expected to fill quickly.
To help employees of small railroads attend industry training, ASLRRA offers the Doug Golden Scholarship and the Jake Jacobson Memorial Scholarship. Both scholarships are meant for employees of railroads earning $10 million or less in annual revenue. Follow the links above for more information and to access an application form.
ASLRRA Member Discount Program Preferred Provider 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.
MaxAccel’s product offerings available as part of the Member Discount Program include all eight solutions on the AssetPro and SafeTrack Platforms. ASLRRA members can choose one application or several to make MaxAccel their single solution for electronic recordkeeping. MaxAccel also provides interactive infographic analytics capabilities for easy assessment of reporting and risk management.
Over 220 freight railroads, passenger operations and railroad contractors rely on MaxAccel’s electronic recordkeeping applications every day, making them some of the most widely used in the rail transportation industry.
Click here to learn more about ASLRRA’s Member Discount Program and view all of the products and services available from the Association’s Preferred Providers.
The ASLRRA Political Action Committee (ASLRRA-PAC) ensures that short line policy priorities are top of mind for elected officials. ASLRRA PAC is separately incorporated from the Association and raises funds from individuals interested in advancing our industry’s legislative agenda. Funds raised support candidates for U.S. Congress who align with initiatives such as modernization of the 45G railroad track maintenance credit, CRISI and Short Line Safety Institute funding, disaster relief and more.
Interested in learning more, such as the process for ASLRRA member firms to get involved in the ASLRRA-PAC, or how to participate in planned upcoming congressional fundraisers? Contact ASLRRA’s Assistant Vice President, Policy and Industry Affairs Richard Sherman.
ASLRRA is a member of the Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay program, which helps companies advance supply chain sustainability. ASLRRA has hosted several webinars on the SmartWay program, recordings of which are available at any time online. Look for the following titles in ASLRRA’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.
The Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI) has published its newest Safety Tip focused on effective communication. Having solid lines of communication between everyone on a railroad’s team is a critical part of a strong safety culture.
Effective safety messaging helps to promote trust on the railroad. SLSI’s recommendations include establishing a clear point of contact to address hazardous conditions and offering preventative actions to take if hazardous conditions are observed. By improving safety messaging, a railroad can foster open and effective communication across the railroad, which is number seven of the Ten Core Elements of a Strong Safety Culture.
Click here to view all of SLSI’s Safety Tips and Hazmat Tips.
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.
