Transtar Railroads Reorganized Under ‘The Wheeling’ Brand
Seward Cruise Terminal Opens with Small Business Accelerator Award
Patriot Rail announces leadership roles for Katie Roller, Laura Mellem
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.
ASLRRA’s newest Short Line Carloads Report is now available. The report shows a modest 2% drop in total carloads handled in April 2026 compared to March 2026, but April’s volume still exceeded that of other previous months.
When examining year-over-year (YOY) data, all trip types were up compared to April 2025 except for bridged movements. In specific commodities, carloads grew the most YOY in agriculture, coal, mining and waste. The largest decrease was in lumber, paper and wood products. ASLRRA’s report includes a table depicting 11 commodity groups and the number of carloads moved by trip type in April 2025 and April 2026, with the percent change for each trip type.
Carload data is based on a custom short line carload report created in cooperation between ASLRRA and Railinc based on waybill data submitted by railroads. This work product may not be disseminated without permission granted by ASLRRA. For all inquiries, contact ASLRRA at foelsner@aslrra.org.
In the June 10 issue of Views & News, ASLRRA shared a 2023 version of the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Civil Penalties Schedules & Guidelines document. The 2023 version was posted on June 2, 2026, alongside the agency’s Fiscal Year 2025 Annual Enforcement Report.
Eagle-eyed Views & News readers contacted ASLRRA staff to point out the FRA has published more recent versions of the civil penalties document. There is a version posted on Aug. 4, 2025, Civil Penalties Schedules & Guidelines (August 2025). Individuals should use the most recent version of the document. ASLRRA apologizes for any confusion.
Yesterday, ASLRRA sent a letter to Rhode Island Governor Daniel McKee urging him to veto H7608 and S2913, which would require a minimum two-person crew on freight trains operating in the state.
ASLRRA notes that only one freight railroad serves Rhode Island, the Class III short line Providence & Worcester Railroad. As the Association explains, train crew size is regulated at the national level by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the current framework “allows regulators to evaluate operational safety based on actual risk assessments, technological advancements, and operational realities rather than imposing a one-size-fits-all mandate.”
The letter goes on to describe how imposing crew-size requirements that differ from surrounding states reduces interstate commerce efficiency and incurs additional costs, without considering “whether operating with a single crew member is just as safe as operating with multiple crew members, whether a railroad operates with a single crew member in adjacent states, or even whether the railroad had a collective bargaining agreement permitting single-person operations.”
Last week, the House Appropriations Committee marked up the Fiscal Year 2027 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies appropriations bill and the Homeland Security appropriations bill. In both are provisions relevant to railroaders.
In the labor, health and human services bill, the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) is funded at $126 million, consistent with funding in previous cycles. In the homeland bill, funding was set at $106 million for the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium, an organization working to reduce U.S. vulnerability to incidents involving weapons of mass destruction, terrorism and other high-consequence events. This is an increase from $96 million.
Also included in the homeland bill is language recommending seed funding for the establishment of an organized retail and supply chain crime section in the Cross-Border Financial Crime Center.
Lyle Signs, LLC provides a comprehensive range of railroad regulatory, operational, and safety signage, including crossing signage (crossbucks), FRA-compliant markers, yard warnings and facility and terminal safety signs. Lyle also produces fully custom signs to meet unique railroad and site requirements. Over the years, Lyle has supplied major North American operators, including BNSF, Genesee & Wyoming Inc., Patriot Rail, Union Pacific and Watco.
ASLRRA’s inaugural Fall Super Regional Meeting will combine all ASLRRA regions (East, Central, Southern and Pacific), while retaining the collegial, small-meeting feel for which regional meetings are known.
Held October 5-7 in St. Louis, MO, the Super Regional Meeting will provide many opportunities to broaden and deepen industry relationships, including:
Register today to take advantage of these networking opportunities. And don’t forget to book lodging in the Association’s hotel room block at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel.
ASLRRA welcomes organizations interested in sponsoring this year’s inaugural event. Visit ASLRRA’s website to learn more or contact meetings@aslrra.org to ask questions and purchase a sponsorship.
As a trusted partner to the rail industry, Würth delivers top quality products and personalized service day in and day out. ASLRRA members can expect exceptional customer service and exclusive discounted pricing on a huge assortment of products and equipment needed to implement an effective and efficient safety program.
Click here to learn more about ASLRRA’s Member Discount Program and view all available products and services, or contact ASLRRA’s Sabrina Waiss for more information about becoming a Preferred Provider.
The Short Line Training Center provides essential regulatory, compliance and safety training programs and materials to short line railroads throughout the U.S. The project combines an online Learning Management System (LMS), accessible at any time, with in-person classroom seminars and locomotive simulator training delivered on site to railroad employees.
The online LMS offers custom-built railroad industry training programs, interactive coursework, and assessment materials, including ASLRRA’s 22 Part 243 model programs and industry-developed training videos, plus additional technical training courses developed under the grant. The Mobile Technical Training Center, equipped with two FRA Type II locomotive simulators and classroom space for six students, provides in-person training.
Click here to learn more.
Room block expires June 22!
Leadership Program Professional Trainer Development
July 14-16, Charlotte, North Carolina
This interactive 2 ½-day seminar is designed for subject matter experts and trainers of all levels who want to expand and enhance their training skills.
Course content includes designing training using adult learning principles, managing participant engagement and the learning environment, enhancing personal presentation skills, and developing course materials using Bloom’s Taxonomy for Instructional Design and ADDIE methods.
Click here to see additional upcoming seminars as well as event details and online registration and hotel booking links.
ASLRRA has made social media resources available online for organizations celebrating short line railroads and America’s 250th anniversary. The Association is excited to shine a light on short lines’ contributions to America’s past, present and future.
This communications toolkit helps organizations share the short line story with a broader audience. Users are invited to use both the text and graphics on their own social media platforms.
The toolkit is part of ASLRRA’s effort to recognize all the ways small railroads both reflect and support the nation’s highest ideals, particularly as it relates to upcoming 250th anniversary celebrations. See the Association’s Short Lines Celebrate America 250 webpage here, and view members’ 250th anniversary tribute locomotives here.
This graphic is one of several available in ASLRRA's Short Lines Celebrate America 250 communications toolkit. The graphics and accompanying text are available for sharing on social media to help share the short line story with a wider audience.
A notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) has been published by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) for the Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight and Highways Projects (INFRA) grant program.
There is roughly $626.7 million available in this grant cycle, with $426.7 million from Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 and FY 2024 funds for surface transportation projects and $200 million in FY 2026 funds for commercial motor vehicle public parking projects. The FY 2023 and 2024 funds are designated as Track I and FY 2026 projects designated Track 2 with due dates of July 1 and July 15, respectively. Applications must identify which track they are being considered under.
Short line railroads are not directly eligible for INFRA grants but can partner with eligible entities such as a state or local government to apply. Eligible rail projects include highway-rail grade crossing or grade separation projects.
More information can be found on the USDOT’s INFRA Program webpage, including webinars, frequently asked questions and tips on how to apply.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear announced the latest round of railroad infrastructure funding awards under the Kentucky Industrial Access and Safety Improvement (KIASI) program. Five projects received $1.8 million in funding.
ASLRRA members will complete two of the projects. Paducah & Louisville Railway will receive $399,461 to replace five existing hot-box detectors with six new versions equipped with modern electronics. ASLRRA member parent company Progress Rail will use $470,000 to reactivate 7,895 feet of track by conducting targeted repairs, removing vegetation and more.
A previous round of KIASI funding awarding $3.1 million to four projects was announced in April.
Chuck Baker gave a presentation to students enrolled in the Michigan State University Railway Management Certificate Program during the program’s second module taking place in Washington, D.C. Module 2 covers safety and regulation in the rail industry. Students heard from speakers representing various federal agencies in addition to those from ASLRRA and the Association of American Railroads (AAR).
JR Gelnar traveled to Chicago for a meeting of the Federal Railroad Administration’s Switching Operations Fatality Analysis (SOFA) Working Group. Members reviewed multiple cases and entered them into the database. FRA representatives also provided updates on studies concerning shove moves and remote-control operations.
Fred Oelsner was also in Chicago this week. Oelsner attended the American Railway Development Association (ARDA) annual meeting. He and Cameron Downs also participated in the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) virtual town hall meetings to gather stakeholder input on the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act of 2022 (CIRCIA).
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.
Registration is open for the Short Line Safety Institute’s (SLSI) Leading Forward – Skills Development for Railroad Professionals course taking place Aug. 11-13 at the Oklahoma Department of Transportation Training Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
This is a special opportunity for railroaders from any company in the region to participate in SLSI’s popular leadership training. Attendees will also take part in a bonus hazardous materials training and incident exercise on Aug. 13 immediately following the leadership course.
There are only 17 spots available. This training is available at no cost, though registration is required.
To stay up to date with SLSI news and events, subscribe to the mailing list by completing the form at the bottom of the SLSI website.
Views & News is published by American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association.
Please contact Mariel Takamura, associate editor, with questions or comments.
