Burlington Junction Railway marks 40th anniversary
Reading & Northern promotes Jeff Knadler to AVP of passenger department
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What do railroaders, first responders and members of the military have in common? Honestly quite a bit, especially as essential workers. But if we’re talking about these groups in relation to ASLRRA member Paducah & Louisville Railway (P&L), we are referring to recent events held by P&L and its team to benefit the latter two groups.
In May, P&L hosted hazardous materials training for 133 individuals in Paducah, Kentucky. The Chlorine Institute and Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response (TRANSCAER), along with P&L’s three Class I railroad partners, assisted with the multi-day event.
Participants represented 30 different organizations, including nine local fire departments and the Department of Homeland Security. Training focused on ways to safely respond to a hazmat incident on a railroad, especially those involving materials like chlorine that have special response protocols.
In addition to improving general hazmat and rail safety knowledge, the training event helped the railroads’ dangerous goods officers connect and collaborate with local emergency response teams. Building such partnerships is critical to enabling faster, safer and more effective response if an incident were to occur.
The May training event had a serious objective, but a month later P&L took on a more lighthearted task – hosting a military appreciation train ride in Fort Knox, Kentucky.
P&L welcomed over 300 soldiers and their families for the free excursion. The group rode on P&L office cars Bluegrass I and Bluegrass II through Fort Knox Garrison. Halfway through the ride, the train stopped to allow riders to take in the view from the railcar platforms. P&L also provided complimentary breakfast and lunch for all attendees, as well as railroad souvenirs.
Due to high demand, a second military appreciation ride is already scheduled for the fall. The P&L runs through and serves the Fort Knox military installation.
P&L regularly uses its office cars to benefit the community. Along with offering excursions to customers and first responders, P&L has held Operation Lifesaver train rides to allow law enforcement an up-close opportunity to see what train crews experience daily at grade crossings.
As essential workers themselves, those who work for freight railroads understand the importance of supporting key personnel in other industries. Whether such support is achieved through sharing information or providing recreational opportunities, both enable the kind of relationship building that short line railroads like P&L have made a core element of their organizations’ guiding principles.
Left: ASLRRA member Paducah & Louisville Railway (P&L) welcomed 300 servicemembers and their families for a military appreciation ride through Fort Knox Garrison, which the railroad serves.
Below: P&L hosted an incident training event for 133 participants from 30 organizations. Aiding P&L were its three Class I partners including CSX, whose unit is a tribute to 9/11 first responders and features the number 911343, which combines the Sept. 11 date with the number of first responders who lost their lives that day.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has updated three resources concerning post-accident testing, including an FRA Post-Accident Testing Guidance and Definitions document, a Post-Accident Testing Criteria Flow Chart and an FRA Post-Accident Training presentation. The official revision date for all resources is Jan. 1.
The guidance and definitions document reviews qualifying criteria that would necessitate post-accident testing and identifies testing exceptions. Also included is information about deciding who to test and when an employee must be recalled for testing.
The flow chart is meant to help railroads determine when testing is required. The chart is also included in the post-accident training PowerPoint presentation. Railroads and contractors can use the presentation to provide FRA-required minimum post-accident training to supervisors who are responsible for regulated service employees.
ASLRRA makes a number of resources related to 49 CFR Part 219 – Control of Alcohol and Drug Use available exclusively to members in the Compliance Templates section of its Safety and Compliance webpage. The FRA’s three updated resources can be found under Part 219.
ASLRRA has filed comments as amicus curiae with the Surface Transportation Board (STB) in support of member Mendocino Railway’s petition for declaratory order.
Mendocino Railway is seeking a declaratory order from the STB certifying the railroad as a Class III common carrier subject to the jurisdiction of the board and therefore entitled to protections of applicable federal preemption.
ASLRRA asks the STB to grant Mendocino Railway’s petition. ASLRRA also requests that the Board ask the California courts involved in ongoing proceedings between Mendocino Railway and other parties to pause those proceedings until the STB rules on the railroad’s status as a common carrier.
In the comments, ASLRRA says there is lack of established process, other than through the declaratory order procedure, for new rail carriers to prove their common carrier status to state and local agencies or courts of law. Without such a process, railroads like Mendocino Railway can be forced to incur significant time and money defending themselves against legal cases predicated on challenging their carrier status. When it comes to such cases, the ability of a state or federal court to decide on a matter often depends on whether the carrier is subject to the jurisdiction of the STB.
On July 2, the Federal Railroad Administration’s Switching Operations Fatality Analysis (SOFA) Working Group issued a new SOFA Alert concerning a serious injury sustained by a conductor during a coupling operation.
The conductor’s left foot was caught between two railcars as the individual was in the process of coupling a flatcar to a cut of cars on an adjacent track. Although the SOFA Working Group has not yet analyzed this case, the group reminds employees to remain vigilant during switching operations, especially when switching between adjacent tracks.
ASLRRA maintains copies of safety notices from federal agencies on its website. Find this newest alert and other recent notifications on the Association’s Safety Alerts, Reports and Advisories page.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has issued revised implementing procedures for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which will affect organizations that plan to apply for or have received grants from the USDOT or its agencies.
The revisions are meant to streamline the grant process and reduce chances for confusion and delays. According to a USDOT press release, the changes include combining six sets of procedures into one, creating a “one stop shop” for USDOT NEPA reviews. Other changes are meant to expedite the process for categorical exclusions (CEs) and allow adoption of other agencies’ CEs to minimize repetitive NEPA analyses.
With summer officially underway, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reminds employers and employees about working safely in heat. Railroad employees often work outdoors and are required to wear specific types of clothing and personal protective equipment, making awareness of heat injury and illness even more important.
OSHA recently issued an educational factsheet with information about preventing and identifying signs of heat illness. The brochure also identifies signs of a heat-related medical emergency and describes the appropriate steps to take in response to such an incident.
The factsheet is part of OSHA’s Heat Illness Prevention Campaign, which includes resources for employers and workers. Another resource for individuals is the OSHA and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Heat Safety Tool app. The app includes a visual indicator of the current heat index and associated risk levels specific to a person’s geographic location, provides an hourly forecast of heat index values and gives precautionary recommendations specific to risk levels.
On July 4, President Trump signed H.R. 1, the reconciliation bill, informally known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, into law. It is now officially Public Law No: 119-21.
There are hundreds of publicly available summaries of the legislation available. Some particularly good ones are available at:
The bill overall is a massive piece of legislation that will affect most individuals and businesses in the United States in many ways. Some of the major provisions include making the 2017 TCJA individual tax cuts permanent; temporarily raising the individual SALT deduction cap to $40,000 for those earning under $500,000; cutting Medicaid, Medicare and Affordable Care Act spending by over $1 trillion over ten years; tightening work requirements for Medicaid and SNAP eligibility; rolling back many IRA clean energy incentives particularly for wind and solar; adding temporary new tax deductions for tips, overtime earnings, auto loan interest payments; adding a new senior deduction meant to offset social security payments; creating new tax advantaged accounts for newborns; increasing the child tax credit; increasing the estate and gift tax exemption and raising the debt ceiling by $5 trillion which postpones the threat of a U.S. default on interest payments out into 2027.
As noted previously, there are several pro-business tax provisions, including a few that are expected to be beneficial for the rail industry, including making permanent the 100 percent bonus depreciation, i.e., immediate expensing and the 20 percent pass-through deduction; permanently reinstating the Section 163(j) EBITDA-based limitation on the deductibility of business interest expense, as opposed to an EBIT-based standard; and permanently restoring full expensing of domestic research and development costs.
In addition, in the section on green energy, the current special subsidy for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) was removed, which will even the playing field for all users of renewable diesel and biodiesel, such as railroads, instead of skewing production towards SAF.
Two potential provisions that had generated some concern among railroads, a new corporate SALT limitation and an increase in the corporate rate, were not included in the final legislation.
Also as noted previously, the 45G short line tax credit modernization was not included in the final legislation. However, the 45G tax credit is already permanent, which allows the credit to remain in place while we continue efforts to get the credit modernized for inflation at the next available opportunity.
With the help of ASLRRA’s members and industry stakeholders, the Association will continue to make progress gaining cosponsors for the House and Senate Short Line Tax Credit Modernization bills, H.R. 516 and S. 1532, and building strong support in Congress and among outside groups. Ongoing efforts include in-person meetings in DC and back in home states and districts, emails, phone calls, and having elected officials visit railroad properties.
For materials, see ASLRRA’s 45G position paper here, or reach out to ASLRRA’s government affairs team for assistance with these efforts. The next opportunity is a question of when, not if. There will be future tax bills – what is not yet known is when. There may be additional reconciliation bills or a bipartisan tax bill in this Congress, or there may be a bipartisan tax bill in the next Congress. Regardless, together we will make sure we are ready for the opportunity.
Another area beyond 45G that will need to be addressed in future legislation is the new tax deduction on overtime wages. This provision only applies to earnings under the Fair Labor Standards Act and does not encompass the Railway Labor Act, so many railroad workers will not benefit from this provision. Railroads will look to partner with rail labor unions to address this issue.
Know a company that would benefit from joining and participating in ASLRRA? Please contact Vice President, Membership Danialle Lovik via email or on (202) 585-3443.
Lanracorp specializes in vegetation management services tailored to the railroad industry, utilizing experienced crews and an effective, season-long herbicide mix. Their team members understand the demands of rail operations, focusing on minimizing disruptions while maximizing long-term maintenance value. Lanracorp helps railroads stay on schedule, ensure compliance and proactively address costly vegetation issues. They aim to be a reliable partner, large enough for any project yet small enough to maintain strong customer relationships.
NDC Railroad, an affiliate of Horwith Trucks, Inc. that’s based in Northampton, Pennsylvania, operates a three-mile short line. It connects with Norfolk Southern and carries commodities including aggregates, chemicals, intermodal, municipal solid waste and steel/scrap. General Manager Adam Horwith is our primary contact. Many thanks to the FRA for recommending that they join ASLRRA.
With ASLRRA’s Eastern and Southern Region Meeting meant for railroad professionals from specific geographic areas, and the General Counsel Symposium and Finance and Administration Seminar organized for individuals in specific organizational roles, the Association’s September meetings offer an opportunity to connect with and learn from a targeted group of industry associates.
All three meetings offer quality education provided by industry experts, and plenty of networking time. Eastern and Southern Region Meeting attendees can learn about roadway maintenance machine technology, economic development programs and working with state departments of transportation or hear panel discussions on procurement and transloading.
General Counsel Symposium attendees, who automatically receive continuing legal education (CLE) credits with their registration, can attend two different sessions on recent changes at the Surface Transportation Board. Meanwhile, Finance and Administration Seminar participants can learn about apprenticeship programs and attracting top talent. These are only a small portion of the sessions that will be held at each event. Click here to view an agenda for the symposium, or here for an agenda for the seminar.
The region meeting takes place Sept. 9 to 11, while the General Counsel Symposium and Finance and Administration Seminar, which are co-located with the region meeting, take place Sept. 9 to 10 and Sept. 10 to 11, respectively.
Individuals can book lodging for the events in the Association’s hotel room blocks. Follow this link to go directly to the event hotel page. The deadline for booking a room in the block is Aug. 22.
ASLRRA is also selling sponsorships for these events. Click here to view the sponsorship prospectus or contact the Association’s meetings team at meetings@aslrra.org with questions.
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.
Although ASLRRA’s DSLE and Railroad Operating Rules (Part 217) Training Seminar will be held next week, July 15 to 16, in Sacramento, California, those interested in participating can still register for the event.
Industry- and subject-matter experts JR Gelnar of ASLRRA, Mark Vaughn of the Iowa Northern Railway Company and Kevin Lewis of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) will lead the training, helping participants understand Designated Supervisor of Locomotive Engineer (DSLE) responsibilities and related regulations.
There are still two other training events being offered after next week’s DSLE seminar. They are FRA Railroad Accidents/Incidents (Part 225) Training Seminar, held Aug. 26 to 27 in Freeport, Maine, and the Leadership Program Professional Trainer Development, held Oct. 7 to 9, also in Freeport.
Register today to secure a spot in these valuable and popular training seminars.
Employees of small railroads are eligible for scholarships to help them attend important industry training. Click here to learn more about ASLRRA’s scholarship opportunities.
Aon, a trusted ASLRRA Preferred Provider and participant in the Member Discount Program, is revolutionizing the railroad industry with cutting-edge pre-hire talent assessments. For decades, Aon has partnered with railroads to tackle the toughest challenges in recruiting and retaining talent for key frontline roles. One of the biggest hurdles for railroads across North America is finding and keeping top talent for conductor positions — individuals who not only excel in safety and performance but also commit to long-term growth with the railroad.
Aon has been working closely with Class I railroads to create optimal candidate profiles that predict both short-term and long-term success for conductor hires. By analyzing years of candidate pre-hire assessment data and training and retention records for thousands of those who were hired, Aon has demonstrated significant returns on investment (ROI) for its clients.
Their findings are impressive. High-fit candidates, who score top marks on Aon's conductor pre-hire assessment, qualify and retain at significantly higher rates compared to those who fail the assessment but are still hired. Specifically, high-fit candidates qualify and stay with the railroad one-year post-hire at a rate almost 20 points higher than low-fit candidates. Moreover, top assessment scorers are retained at a rate more than 12 percentage points higher two years post-hire.
These aren’t just Class I solutions — they’re first-class solutions, available to all railroads and suppliers ready to elevate their workforce.
To learn more about this success story and Aon's talent pre-hire assessments for rail, reach out to Aon's rail sector leader Michael DeNunzio at michael.denunzio@aon.com. For additional information and materials available on ASLRRA’s website, click here and log in.
Fred Oelsner is attending the meetings of the Association of American Railroads’ Rail Security Working Committee and Police Committee at CN headquarters in Montreal, Quebec. As a part of the meetings, freight rail industry representatives will be hearing briefings from U.S. and Canadian security regulators as well as discussing rail crime trends.
Chuck Baker traveled to Chicago, Illinois to participate in the 2025 Rail and Maritime Summit held July 9 and 10 at the Union League Club.
The Trump Administration has rapidly unveiled a series of policy changes from suspensions of federal funding to tariffs that create potential disruptions for rail projects and could lead to disputes, renegotiated deals, terminated or suspended contracts, and potentially, litigation. These far-reaching actions will require short line railroads to react quickly to the changing landscape and to strategize in advance to protect their interests. Join legal experts from Steptoe LLP and ASLRRA for an engaging discussion of these challenges and strategies for addressing them.
Sponsored by:
Join Tony Hatch of ABH Consulting for insight into the current railroad market. Hatch will explore today’s industry, which is beset by issues related to labor dynamics, regulatory pressures, international conflict and supply chain instability, and provide his perspective on how shippers, investors and rail are affected. Join us for what promises to be an engaging discussion that will help railroad professionals understand these challenges and see the opportunities in them. This webinar is scheduled for 90 minutes to allow ample time for audience Q&A at the end of the presentation.
Short line railroads are seeing a major uptick in union activity on their properties and there appears to be no property that is "too small" for labor organization. What options do carriers have when union organizations approach their employees? And, once the unions have established the right to a union vote with the National Mediation Board, what is the role of the carrier? This webinar will provide answers to all your questions and allow for an open discussion for ASLRRA railroad members to ask questions and share their experiences.
Sponsored by:
The July issue of Railway Age magazine features an article on the Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI), describing SLSI’s work and sharing thoughts on the organization from railroads that have taken advantage of SLSI’s programs and resources.
The article gives an overview of SLSI’s history and explains how the organization conducts its signature safety program, the Safety Culture Assessment (SCA). Also included is information about other programs offered by SLSI, including leadership development and hazardous materials training.
SCAs, which include the opportunity for follow-up assessments of companies that have already done an initial SCA, are available to Class II and III railroads, as well as passenger and tourist railroads. Leadership training is available to railroads, while hazardous materials training is available to railroads and to first responders.
Also featured are thoughts on SLSI’s programs, shared by seven industry leaders whose railroads have benefitted from SLSI’s work.
“Employee engagement with SLSI programs has been exceptionally strong. Participation is full and enthusiastic,” said TNW Corporation COO Bobby Franklin. “Each class builds upon the prior one, with employees showing an increased eagerness to learn and contribute. As our workforce gains experience, their situational awareness and critical thinking around safety issues, including train movement and grade crossing protocols, have improved significantly. This growth reflects a behavioral shift in how our teams perceive and act on safety, making proactive safety thinking the norm rather than the exception.”
ASLRRA member Timber Rock Railroad (TIBR) is the newest member of Class I railroad BNSF’s Shortline Select program.
As a part of the Shortline Select program, TIBR will work with BNSF to combine the short line railroad’s top-notch customer service with the Class I’s broad network reach, expanding growth opportunities for both companies.
TIBR, a Watco railroad, joins five other short lines in the program, all of which are also Association members. They are Burlington Junction Railway, Red River Valley & Western Railroad, Genesee & Wyoming Inc.’s Alabama & Gulf Coast Railway and Portland & Western Railway and TNW Corporation’s Texas Northwestern Railroad.
Views & News is published by American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association.
Please contact Mariel Takamura, associate editor, with questions or comments.
