All aboard! Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad’s 2026 lineup includes new ride options, themed events
Narrow gauge, wide reach (Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad)
Rare-mileage excursion announced for Buckingham Branch Railroad
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.
Even with little more than a month to go until ASLRRA's Annual Conference and Exhibition, Association staff continue to unveil new perks for event attendees.
ASLRRA is now an authorized Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) recertification provider. Human resources (HR) professionals who attend the Annual Conference can earn Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for attending certain education sessions. This benefit is available at no cost to attendees and no separate registration is required.
Individuals can receive credits for:
This year, ASLRRA’s Young Professionals Committee is also offering Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI) authorized volunteer training. On Sunday, April 12, OLI will provide the in-person training segment to those wanting to become Operation Lifesaver Authorized Volunteers (OLAVs). Registration for this opportunity is limited and prework, taking approximately 20 minutes, will be required. Details will be communicated to all registrants. Click here to sign up and start the training process.
These new opportunities join the full slate of other conference happenings including
Do not miss this opportunity to learn and connect with colleagues at an event that celebrates the short line freight rail industry. Register today!
REMEMBER – Hotel Room Block Rates Expire Today for ASLRRA’s Annual Conference & Exhibition
Do not delay in registering and booking hotel rooms for ASLRRA's Annual Conference and Exhibition. The final day to reserve lodging under ASLRRA’s discounted pricing is today, March 11.
While very limited, there are still a few booth spaces and sponsorships available for ASLRRA members to purchase. Click here to learn about reserving a booth, or click here to learn more about sponsorships. Individuals can also contact the meetings team to ask a question about sponsorships or booth sales.
ASLRRA’s Veterans Engagement Award honors member railroads that go above and beyond to recruit, retain and support U.S. military service members. In addition to strong internal hiring and recognition programs, recipients must demonstrate meaningful, sustained engagement with veterans and military organizations in the communities they serve.
This year’s winner, North Shore Railroad, stood out in every category. The railroad pairs highly visible community engagement with an equally strong commitment to the veterans within its own workforce, showing appreciation through its actions.
In 2024 North Shore Railroad unveiled two locomotives honoring military service and sacrifice. The Veterans Unit, LVRR 9052, recognizes service members who have served in defense of the nation. Painted camouflage tan, it features the silhouettes of three soldiers saluting the American flag and bears the phrase “All gave some.”
The Memorial Unit, LVRR 9050, honors all service members who have lost their lives in the line of duty. It is painted battleship gray with the shadow of two soldiers paying their respects to a fallen comrade. Written on this unit is the phrase “Some gave all.”
The locomotives are more than symbolic. In 2025, North Shore Railroad held a fundraiser train ride using its military units, raising $12,000 for two nonprofit organizations benefiting veterans, Central Pennsylvania Wreaths Across America and Heroes & Horses. The year the military units were unveiled, North Shore Railroad donated all proceeds from its inaugural fundraising event to Expedition Orange and Lycoming County Hometown Heroes.
Overall, the railroad has raised $32,000 for veterans organizations through ticket and merchandise sales. To ensure these efforts continue to grow, North Shore Railroad has set up an application process for qualifying veterans programs to request train ride fundraising with the military units.
When not used in special events, the military units are deployed in regular freight service. Their visibility along North Shore Railroad’s routes turns everyday operations into a public reminder of the importance of recognizing the service of the nation’s military members.
That commitment to veterans is evident within the company as well. While North Shore Railroad does not operate a large-scale recruitment campaign due to its size, honorably discharged veterans who apply are automatically placed on a preferred candidate list. Today, veterans make up 15% of the railroad’s workforce, a significant figure for a small organization.
Retention tells an even stronger story. Veteran employees have tenures ranging from four to 23 years, with an average of 15 years of service. Seventy percent have earned at least one promotion, reflecting the company’s commitment to investing in growth and building from within.
Recognition is another cornerstone of North Shore Railroad’s culture. Before officially unveiling their Veterans Unit, North Shore Railroad dedicated the locomotive to its military veteran employees. Each person received a challenge coin and tactical jacket with custom patches, and they all signed an interior board of the locomotive that was sealed to remain on permanent display.
Every year, in honor of Veteran’s Day, North Shore Railroad President and CEO Jeb Stotter gives a gift card and note of thanks to each veteran employee. There is also a stop order on Nov. 11, with a minute of silence at 11 a.m. followed by one long horn blast.
Altogether, North Shore Railroad is an organization making recognition and support of military veterans a daily practice. Through visible community engagement and a workplace culture that values veterans as leaders and teammates, the railroad shows a sustained commitment to servicemembers that embodies the spirit of ASLRRA’s Veterans Engagement Award. With its actions, North Shore Railroad sets a standard for how short lines can meaningfully support those who have served.
North Shore Railroad will be honored at ASLRRA's Annual Conference and Exhibition, held April 12-14 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
North Shore Railroad's military veteran employees pictured with the company's Veterans Unit, LVRR 9052. The locomotive was dedicated to this group, and each person signed an interior board that was sealed to remain on permanent display.
The Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) discusses the importance of a current connection in the March edition of its monthly question and answer (Q&A) series.
One of the eligibility requirements for individuals to receive occupational disability and supplemental annuities is a current connection to the railroad industry. A current connection occurs when a person has earned 12 months of railroad service in a 30-month period.
The Q&A explains how a current connection is determined under the Railroad Retirement Act and how nonrailroad work can break a current connection. There is also information about a “deemed” current connection, how buy-outs affect a current connection and more.
The New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) released the 2026 State Rail Plan, detailing four years of rail investments and outlining a long-term vision for rail in the state.
The plan outlines New Mexico’s rail vision, which includes supporting economic growth and development; improving railroad safety and security; keeping assets in a state of good repair and promoting efficient and competitive passenger rail service.
According to a NMDOT press release, funding for major grade separation and freight connectivity projects is a priority. Aligning state priorities with federal investment criteria in the plan will strengthen New Mexico’s ability to secure federal funding for these projects.
On March 4, ASLRRA signed a coalition letter led by the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD) to several committee leaders in both the House and Senate, urging them to match or exceed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act investments for all transportation modes.
The letter points out that having “sustained, predictable federal support is essential to addressing aging infrastructure, modernizing critical assets, and ensuring communities and businesses nationwide benefit from safe, reliable, and efficient transportation.”
When funding levels are known, businesses like short line freight railroads can make longer-term plans for infrastructure projects and better secure private-sector investment. The letter asks members of Congress to support robust funding levels, including advance appropriations, in the next surface transportation reauthorization bill.
ASLRRA thanks all those who were able to participate in last week’s Railroad Day on Capitol Hill advocacy event. The day included over 330 meetings featuring 380 participants from across the freight rail industry. In addition to robust in-person engagement, ASLRRA also thanks those who joined the conversation online, posting updates and pictures from the day and interacting with the posts of others.
While Railroad Day has passed, the Association continues to build on the positive momentum generated by the event. There are many follow-up meetings scheduled with lawmakers and their offices, as well as meetings with members who were unable to participate on March 4. This continued outreach ensures the spotlight does not fade on important freight rail issues like modernization of the 45G short line infrastructure tax credit and robust support for rail grant programs.
All industry stakeholders can support these advocacy efforts, for instance by calling or emailing their elected officials. Railroads and suppliers can also start working now to invite lawmakers to visit their organizations during the summer. Elected officials appreciate the opportunity to meet with constituents and learn about those businesses in their districts. Contact ASLRRA’s Richard Sherman or Crystal Gitchell for help connecting with congressional offices.
CathWyl Industrial specializes in custom sensing and wireless telemetry through their LocoWatch™ and Sensalytica™ platforms, delivering real-time, user-friendly fleet insights for short line railroads. By transforming raw electrical signals into actionable data, they help operators make better maintenance decisions and reduce mechanical surprises. As a proud member of the ASLRRA community, they are dedicated to putting smart technology and railroading on the same track. If you’re looking to turn raw signals into better decisions (and maybe fewer surprises in the shop), they’re looking forward to the conversation. CEO and primary contact, Ryan Minnig can be reached at (720) 500-2214 or ryan.minnig@cathwyl.com.
Drawing on a 150-year global legacy, ROBEL North America provides a comprehensive suite of high-performance railway construction equipment and maintenance-of-way tools. Through strategic partnerships with brands like Husqvarna and Holmatro, they offer a vast range of specialized machinery and parts backed by expert onsite demonstrations. ROBEL’s sales team is available for onsite demonstrations and can be reached at (732) 662-5671.
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.
More small-railroad employees will receive up to $1,200 in scholarship funding thanks to another generous donation from the Douglas Golden-Mary Cullen Charitable Fund. To date, retired former ASLRRA board member Doug Golden has donated $72,000 to allow short line railroaders to take advantage of in-person training opportunities.
Doug Golden Scholarships help small-railroad employees attend industry-specific training to improve railroad safety and compliance practices and enhance overall operations. A longtime short line operator, Golden established the scholarship program to ease the financial strain training costs imposed on small railroads.
Since the program’s inception, nearly 50 railroaders from 21 states have benefited. The knowledge they gain has a further ripple effect in their organization, bolstering safety and compliance across the railroad.
Doug Golden Scholarship applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year. Awards are limited to those who work at ASLRRA-member railroads earning $10 million or less in annual revenue. Scholarships are capped at one per person and two per railroad.
Eligible training topics include track, bridge, and signal inspection and maintenance, locomotive and freight car inspection and maintenance, regulatory and compliance training and railroad safety and operations training. Up to $1,200 in can be applied toward event registration fees and travel and lodging costs.
Several of ASLRRA’s upcoming in-person training seminars are scholarship eligible, including
Other training programs commonly attended by scholarship recipients include some offered by the University of Tennesee-Knoxville’s Tennessee Transportation Assistance Program and some offered by National Railroad Safety Services, Inc. (NRSS). Contact Mariel Takamura with any questions about the scholarship program.
ASLRRA’s comprehensive General Code of Operating Rules (GCOR) training seminar will take place April 28-30 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Space is limited, so interested individuals are encouraged to register early to secure a spot.
This seminar is intended for railroads who have adopted the GCOR as their operating rules and may be used to meet operating rules training as required by 49 CFR Part 240, 242 and 214 Subpart C. Attendees must bring their ninth edition GCOR for reference; training will cover chapters 1-10, 14 and 15.
Speakers include ASLRRA’s JR Gelnar and Iowa Northern Railway Company’s Mark Vaughn.
Registration is also open for several of ASLRRA’s other in-person training seminars. Click here to view the current and planned 2026 training schedule. ASLRRA continues to finalize the 2026 training seminar schedule and will update its website with registration links and other details as they become available.
Employee recruitment and retention can be a challenge for small railroads, especially when it comes to filling key frontline roles. Fortunately, ASLRRA members have access to cutting-edge pre-hire talent assessments provided by Aon, a trusted ASLRRA Preferred Provider.
Years of analysis of candidate pre-hire assessment data and training and retention records demonstrate Aon’s proven ability to help railroads find and keep top talent, including in conductor positions. Aon has created optimal candidate profiles to predict short- and long-term success for conductor hires, helping identify those who not only excel in safety and performance but who also commit to long-term growth with the railroad.
Aon provides a significant return on investment (ROI) for its clients. Analysis has shown that those who score top marks on Aon’s conductor pre-hire assessment, known as high-fit candidates, qualify and stay with the railroad one year after being hired at a rate almost 20 points higher than those considered low-fit candidates based on the assessment. Two years post-hire, these high-fit candidates are still retained at a rate over 12 points higher than others.
These first-class hiring solutions are available to all ASLRRA member railroads through the Association’s Member Discount Program. To learn more, reach out to Aon's rail sector leader Michael DeNunzio at michael.denunzio@aon.com or log in to view Aon’s Member Discount Program page.
This section highlights ASLRRA members that have received Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grants, showcasing the importance of this funding and how benefits reach beyond the railroad itself.
If your railroad has received a CRISI grant and would like to submit information for this section please complete our online form.
Project Facts
Railroad: Louisiana and North West Railroad Company (LNW)
Fiscal Year: 2023/2024
CRISI Grant: $27,320,000
Local Match: $5,580,000 (17%)
Total Project Cost: $32,900,000
The project includes replacement of outdated rail and rehabilitation of track across approximately 44 miles of the Louisiana and North West Railroad (LNW) McNeil Subdivision between Magnolia, Arkansas and Gibsland, Louisiana. The project will enable the LNW to upgrade from the existing 263,000-pound railcar gross weight limit along the majority of its 62-mile network to accommodate the industry standard 286,000-pound railcars for continued transportation of essential products.
Notable Quotes
“Strong local freight options provided by short line railroads are critical for businesses in our region. To maximize the potential of the LNW, the 286K Upgrade Phase 2 will replace outdated rail and rehabilitate track across approximately 44 miles of the southernmost portion of the railroad to improve existing 263,000-lb railcar gross weight limit to the larger 286,000-lb (286K) gross weight capacity railcars. The LNW 286K Phase 2 project will preserve the national rail connectivity of the LNW, fostering competition and maintaining lower transportation costs for shippers.”
Arturo Garcia de la Riva, VP Commercial Development, Jefferson Energy Companies
In the ASLRRA Perspective column in Railway Age magazine’s March issue, Association President Chuck Baker highlighted the ways ASLRRA provides opportunities for growth in the short line industry, focusing on two signature events: Railroad Day on Capitol Hill and the Annual Conference and Exhibition.
For short line professionals, having the opportunity to engage with each other and the larger railroad industry is important, as is taking advantage of opportunities for education and training. Last week’s Railroad Day on Capitol Hill enabled these individuals to speak face-to-face with elected officials and their staff, telling them the short line freight rail story in a way that only railroaders can.
Similarly, ASLRRA’s Annual Conference and Exhibition in April will again bring the industry together for productive discussions and fruitful connections.
“This three day event is the most efficient and productive way to learn, to connect and to focus on understanding the forces driving change in our industry,” wrote Baker.
Baker also points out that the proposed Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern transaction application looms over this year’s meeting. With so many industry experts in attendance, the conference offers a unique opportunity for short line professionals to hear from others and share their thoughts about the potential deal.
Jo Strang traveled to Chicago, Illinois this week to attend a meeting of Operation Lifesaver, Inc.’s Board of Directors and National Advisory Council. Strang is chair of the board. The NAC assists the Operation Lifesaver National Office in creating programs and materials and helps establish priorities for developing new educational materials and programs.
This week, JR Gelnar met with other members of the Switching Operations Fatality Analysis (SOFA) Working Group in Phoenix, Arizona. At the meeting, which was hosted by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), the group reviewed one fatality and was briefed on the development of a new software program that will enhance case review.
Chuck Baker attended the Railway Age Next-Gen Freight Rail Conference and Railroader of the Year dinner, held at the Union League Club in Chicago, Illinois.
Join subject matter experts from the Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI), for a webinar that will explore the benefits of having a Safety Vision and provide steps on how to develop one. A Safety Vision is a slogan or statement of clear goals and aspirations for workplace safety that should be prominently displayed and understood by all employees. Whether you don't know where to begin or have already developed one and have specific questions, SLSI's "Ask the Experts" is here to be your resource to keep safety on track. Attendees will have an opportunity to participate in Q&A at the end of the presentation.
Speakers: Sam Cotton, Director of Safety Culture Programs; Julia Leone, PhD, Assistant Director of Research and Organizational Development; Karen Adams, Safety Culture Assessor; Trevon Matthews, Safety Culture Assessor, Short Line Safety Institute
The Short Line Safety Institute’s (SLSI) Ask the Expert: Safety Action Plans webinar is one of the over 200 recordings available to ASLRRA members at any time in the Association’s On-Demand Webinar Library.
The webinar explains the benefits of having a Safety Action Plan and provides steps on how to develop one. Find it and browse ASLRRA’s entire catalog of offerings by logging in here.
ASLRRA maintains an industry calendar featuring events that may be of interest to members. If you have an industry event you would like included on the calendar and possibly in Views & News, please send relevant event details and links to Mariel Takamura for consideration.
At its annual Short Line Conference in Jacksonville, Florida, CSX honored nine short line railroads for outstanding collaboration and commitment to service excellence.
According to a CSX press release, the railroads “were selected based on net carload growth, percentage carload growth, and switch road growth.” Eight of the nine winners are ASLRRA members. They are:
ASLRRA President Chuck Baker attended this year’s conference. He is a member of CSX’s Short Line Committee. Learn more about the event by watching a CSX-produced video here.
On March 31, Progressive Railroading magazine will hold a live webcast celebrating its 2026 Women of Influence in Rail award winners. One of this year’s honorees is ASLRRA Senior Vice President, Safety, Regulatory and Environmental Policy Jo Strang.
In addition to recognizing this year’s winners, there will be a moderated panel discussion with influential leaders in rail. Strang is one of the featured panelists, along with fellow honorees and ASLRRA member employees Erika Bruhnke of RailPros, Linda Laurello of Delta Railroad Services and Carol Rose of STV.
Click here to register to attend this free online event.
Railway Age magazine has opened up its nomination period for this year’s 10 Most Influential Industry Leaders.
Selected by Railway Age subscribers, these individuals are those considered to be the single-most influential active (non-retired) person in the industry. Follow the link above to learn more or access a nomination form.
Views & News is published by American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association.
Please contact Mariel Takamura, associate editor, with questions or comments.
