Safety is critically important to the short line and regional railroad industry and ASLRRA’s Annual Safety Awards Program recognizes the contributions and achievements of short line railroads by awarding President’s Safety Awards. In an effort to recognize and bring greater visibility to our safest railroads, ASLRRA’s President's Awards are presented at the Regional Meetings.
ASLRRA's prestigious President’s Safety Awards recognize the outstanding safety records of railroads that have achieved either a 0.0 accident frequency rate, or the best safety rate as measured by the lowest accident frequency rate per person-hour of operation below the industry average. The President’s Safety Award winners in each region are selected based on the previous year’s performance, according to FRA accident / incident reporting data. This year’s award winners were determined based on 2023 FRA data.
| More than 500,000 Person Hours Worked |
Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad Co. |
| 250,000-500,000 Person Hours Worked |
Wisconsin & Southern Railroad Co. |
| 150,000 to 250,000 Person Hours Worked |
PSC Group |
| 50,000 to 150,000 Person Hours Worked |
Kiamichi Railroad Co. |
| Less than 50,000 Person Hours Worked |
Western Rail Road Company |
| More than 500,000 Person Hours Worked |
Consolidated Rail Corporation |
| 250,000 to 500,000 Person Hours Worked |
Union Railroad Company, LLC |
| 150,000-250,000 Person Hours Worked |
New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway |
| 50,000 to 150,000 Person Hours Worked |
Allegheny Valley Railroad Company |
| Less than 50,000 Person Hours Worked |
Livonia, Avon & Lakeville Railroad Corp. |
| More than 500,000 Person Hours Worked |
N/A |
| 250,000-500,000 Person Hours Worked |
Pacific Harbor Line, Inc. |
| 150,000 to 250,000 Person Hours Worked |
Terminal Switching Services (TSWS) |
| 50,000-150,000 Person Hours Worked |
Clarkdale Arizona Central Railroad, LC |
| Less than 50,000 Person Hours Worked |
Texas & New Mexico Railway |
| More than 500,000 Person Hours Worked |
Conrad Yelvington Distributors, Inc. |
| 250,000-500,000 Person Hours Worked |
Paducah & Louisville Railway, Inc. |
| 150,000 to 250,000 Person Hours Worked |
R.J. Corman Railroad Company/Memphis Line |
| 50,000 to 150,000 Person Hours Worked |
Railserve Inc. - Switching |
| Less than 50,000 Person Hours Worked |
Georgia Southwestern Railroad |
“The rail industry operates on a safety-first rule, and the Jake Awards are one measurement of the constant, daily focus the short line industry applies to operations in order to bring everyone home safely, every night,” said Chuck Baker, President of ASLRRA.
“In 2023, the short line industry average incident rate has dropped to a near-record low 2.38 reportable incidents per 200,000 person-hours worked. In other words, the bar is higher than ever to achieve a Jake Award, yet ASLRRA members are exceeding that bar at a record rate, including more members than ever before with zero reportable incidents.
Even with this best-ever performance, our industry will not rest – short lines continue to seek safety improvements with the help of the Short Line Safety Institute focused on safety culture, and with operating practices that drive improved safety performance and efficiency on our lines.”
