Adirondack Railroad donates to MAC's Safe Ride
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.
At ASLRRA’s Annual Conference, several leadership changes took place as the Association welcomed a new Board of Directors chairman and vice chair and several new committee chairs.
During the General Session on April 14, ASLRRA held the ceremonial passing of the spike maul from outgoing board chair Matt Walsh, executive vice president of global corporate development at Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Services Inc., to Justin Broyles, president and CEO of R. J. Corman Railroad Group. Walsh’s three-year term expired this year.
The new vice chair of the Board of Directors will be Kristin Bevil, chief legal officer and general counsel at Pinsly Railroad Company. ASLRRA’s Executive Committee appointed Bevil to the role. She has served on the Association’s board since 2019.
Also during the conference, Broyles appointed several new chairs of ASLRRA’s standing committees. They are:
Outgoing ASLRRA board chair Matt Walsh (left) passes a spike maul to incoming chair Justin Broyles in a ceremony marking the leadership transition. The exchange took place during the Tuesday General Session at ASLRRA's Annual Conference.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has scheduled two informational events for those submitting Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant applications. Applications are due June 22, with over $2 billion available for qualifying projects.
ASLRRA will host a separate informational CRISI webinar with speakers from the FRA. It will also take place May 13, at 11:30 a.m. ET. Mark your calendars and look for an upcoming e-mail with information and registration links.
ASLRRA maintains a CRISI resources website with helpful information and links. There is also additional information for ASLRRA members when they log in to the site. In addition, the Association’s Member Discount Program includes grant writing Preferred Provider Colliers.
On the FRA’s CRISI webpage, there are resources for this year’s application including the fiscal year 2025-2026 fillable cover page, evaluation rubrics, form templates and examples, answers to frequently asked questions and more.
On Monday, ASLRRA filed comments with the Surface Transportation Board (STB) concerning Docket No. EP779 – Permitting Reform - Environmental Review Process. ASLRRA filed comments in support of this measure.
In its comments, the Association endorsed the STB’s efforts to align its rules with recent statutory amendments, CEQ regulatory changes and case law. ASLRRA views the proposed reallocations of authority to the Office of Environmental Analysis as a meaningful step toward more efficient decision making.
ASLRRA also generally supports other parts of the rule, including the expansion of categorical exclusions, incorporation of statutory deadlines and page limits, and more. From the short line railroad perspective, these changes could significantly reduce time and compliance costs, freeing limited resources for infrastructure investment.
There are two issues ASLRRA asked the STB to address in a final rule. The Association asks the STB to clarify whether the proposed exemption for “purely procedural” actions is intended to align with the existing “ministerial” exemption. It also asks for the STB to consider whether reduced agency workload from streamlined reviews could justify lower filing fees for projects that are categorically excluded or subject to abbreviated environmental review.
Overall, ASLRRA believes that streamlined permitting reform is critical to enabling timely, cost effective infrastructure development while maintaining reasonable environmental protections.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) published 11 final rules on April 28 covering a variety of topics including qualification and certification of locomotive engineers and conductors, freight car stenciling requirements, electronic posting of reportable injuries and more. These rulemakings are effective on May 28, 2026.
ASLRRA commented on two of the rules, listed below.
ASLRRA was generally supportive of three of the rules, though it did not comment on them.
ASLRRA did not comment on six other rules nor did the Association oppose them.
The push to garner congressional support for 45G short line tax credit modernization continues as ASLRRA’s government affairs team and other advocates encourage members of Congress to become cosponsors of H.R. 516 and S. 1532, the 45G modernization bills.
In the House, there are now 165 cosponsors of H.R. 516. In the Senate there are 42 cosponsors.
Seven states have their full House delegation on the bill as cosponsors and 14 states have both senators cosponsoring the bill. Five states, Arkansas, Kansas, Mississippi, North Dakota and South Dakota have 100% of their entire congressional delegations signed on as cosponsors.
For short line railroads, being able to upgrade track directly results in improved service and safety for customers and communities, and the credit is widely considered an effective and successful public policy The tax credit is a significant driver of private infrastructure investment. Over $8 billion has been spent since the credit was first introduced in 2005.
Upgrading 45G is a priority for short lines, as the credit cap has been frozen at $3,500 per mile since 2005, although inflation has driven up costs over the past two decades. The proposed bills would increase the cap to $6,100 per mile, allow the credit to be indexed to future inflation and make all short line track eligible for the credit. Currently only track owned by short lines in 2015 is eligible.
ASLRRA and its members continue to encourage support for 45G modernization. Engagement can occur in many ways, including making phone calls, writing emails, visiting lawmakers’ Washington, D.C. offices and hosting tours of railroad facilities for officials.
The Association’s government affairs team can help organizations and individuals connect with their elected officials to advocate for these bills. Find materials and information about 45G modernization on ASLRRA’s website.
The House and Senate are in session this week. Congress hosted King Charles III for a historic joint address on Tuesday. The House will try to pass a farm bill and a budget resolution to allow funding for the Department of Homeland Security, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Patrol.
Chesapeake Cooling Solutions LLC is a diesel engine heat exchanger and emissions specialty shop. Their team specializes in Oil Coolers, Radiators, Charge Air Coolers, After-coolers, Condensers, DPF Filters, DOC filters, SCR filters, EGR Filters and Fuel Tanks for all engines and manufacturers. For inquiries, contact nick@chesapeakecoolingsolutions.com. Thank you to Rene Langley with Kelvion Products for the recommendation.
Tunnel Vision Pipeline Services provides engineered, custom trenchless culvert and drainage rehabilitation solutions to rail clients across North America. Tunnel Vision’s low-impact, rapid solutions can save millions while keeping lines active. Please contact primary contact and President, Gabriel Kloet, at gkloet@tvpipeservices.com or (906) 786-0460. Thanks to CN for the recommendation.
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.
Attendees of ASLRRA’s 2026 Annual Conference in Minneapolis should have received an invitation to take part in a survey about your experience in addition to other post-conference materials. If you have not yet submitted your response, please take a moment to do so by 5 p.m. ET on May 1. Your feedback helps ASLRRA improve its events. If you have any questions or need a copy of the survey link, please contact Cameron Downs.
ASLRRA is once again delivering a full schedule of industry-specific training in 2026. These seminars focus on improving railroad safety and compliance with FRA regulations, fostering understanding and mastery of railroad operating practices and cultivating leadership skills through professional development activities and exercises.
Below is a list of training seminars with confirmed dates and locations. Click here to see additional upcoming seminars as well as event details and online registration and hotel booking links.
Several of ASLRRA’s in-person seminars are eligible for the Association’s scholarship program. The Doug Golden Scholarship awards up to $1,200 to small-railroad employees to cover registration fees and travel and lodging costs.
Scholarship applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year. Click here to learn more about the scholarship and submit an application.
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.
The Federal Railroad Administration has issued a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the fiscal year 2025 and 2026 Railroad Crossing Elimination Program. Applications are due June 8.
Although short lines are not directly eligible for this grant program, they can partner with eligible entities such as states, local governments and public port authorities to submit an application. Over $1.1 billion will be available for projects that improve highway-rail grade crossings. This can include building overpasses or underpasses to separate rail and car traffic, upgrading crossing safety technology, moving tracks to close a crossing or educating Americans about crossing tracks safely.
There will be two live webinars to help potential applicants. The NOFO webinar will take place April 30 at 1 p.m. ET, while the open office hours session will take place May 11 at 2 p.m. ET. Registration for these events is required. For more information about the Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program, view the program website.
The Maritime Administration (MARAD) has awarded close to $800 million in Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) grants for 37 projects, including some rail projects involving ASLRRA members.
The Alaska Railroad Corporation (AKRR) serves two ports receiving PIDP grant funding. The project at the Port of Whittier will upgrade the rail tunnel connecting the port to AKRR’s mainline track. The tunnel will be made taller to accommodate double-stack containers, and the railroad will purchase 30 railcars for container service.
At Alaska’s Port Mackenzie, grant funds will help construct a 110-acre cargo laydown area with a rail spur and rail loop and other improvements. AKRR also serves Port Mackenzie.
Yesterday, Chuck Baker (far right) participated in a panel discussion on rail safety moderated by FRA Administrator David Fink during the FRA’s Rail Tech Summit at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. Several ASLRRA staff members also attended the event.
Check out the following webinars in the Operations & Safety category addressing a range of railcar alerts, maintenance and billing issues. All four webinars are available to ASLRRA members online at any time in the Association’s On-Demand Webinar Library.
There are over 200 webinar recordings available in the Association’s library. Visit ASLRRA’s webinar homepage and log in to view these and other on-demand offerings.
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.
The Michigan Tech Transportation Institute’s Rail Transportation Program is still welcoming participants in its RailStory project, which will develop an interactive career exploration digital platform to highlight varied career pathways in the rail industry.
Participants take part in virtual interviews about their career paths and may also be asked to host a job site visit to gather more information for the RailStory platform. Click here to sign up to be considered for inclusion in the project.
The project will create virtual reality environments with virtual rail professionals to facilitate interactive career exploration. These efforts are funded in part by a Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant awarded to help a consortium of universities address the stability and growth of the railroad workforce.
Views & News is published by American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association.
Please contact Mariel Takamura, associate editor, with questions or comments.
