OmniTRAX: Exclusive Switching Partner for Tata Chemicals’ Wyoming Mine
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Registration is now open for ASLRRA’s Central and Pacific Region Meeting, being held Nov. 3 to 5 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The meeting will include panel discussions, keynote speakers, informative subject matter experts, and interactive breakout sessions is curated by the Central and Pacific Region vice presidents and elected board representatives to reflect the pressures, issues and latest trends in the areas in which they operate.
Special networking events at the Central and Pacific Region Meeting will include a golf tournament at the English Turn Golf & Country Club. ASLRRA will also honor the regions’ President’s Safety Award winners during the meeting’s General Session.
Click here to register for the meeting. The reduced early bird rate, which also applies to golf registration, will end Sept. 24. Attendees can also click here to reserve a room in the ASLRRA hotel block at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans.
Organizations interested in sponsoring the Central and Pacific Region Meeting can click here to view the sponsorship prospectus or contact the Association’s meetings team at meetings@aslrra.org with questions.
ASLRRA Discounted Hotel Rates Selling Fast for September Meetings, Sponsorships Still Available
Discounted hotel rates for September meetings, including Eastern Southern Region Meeting, ASLRRA’s focused industry events, the Finance & Administration Seminar and General Counsel Symposium, are selling out quickly. Do not delay in booking accommodations.
ASLRRA continues to sell sponsorships for its September meetings. Sponsorship puts your company in front of key decision-makers before, during, and after the event. Click here to view the sponsorship prospectus or contact the Association’s meetings team at meetings@aslrra.org with questions.
Join Short Line Colleagues in Hearing from the FRA’s Karl Alexy at the Eastern and Southern Region Meeting
The Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety & Chief Safety Officer Karl Alexy will be one of the General Session speakers at ASLRRA’s Eastern and Southern Region Meeting, which will take place Sept. 9 to 11 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Alexy is one of several rail industry heavy-hitters who will discuss topics important to those in the short line industry. Sessions include a Short Line Leaders Panel; Economic Development Programs and Working with Your State DOT; Transloading: Getting Started, Getting Profitable and more. View a full meeting agenda here.
The Finance & Administration Seminar and General Counsel Symposium are co-located with the Eastern and Southern Region Meeting and offer education sessions geared specifically toward short line professionals in the legal, human resources, financial and administrative fields. There are also multiple networking opportunities to further enable relationship building with rail colleagues.
This year, all those who register for the General Counsel Symposium will automatically be registered to receive continuing legal education (CLE) credits. There is also no additional charge for multi-state credit.
Compliance dates have been extended by 12 months for all classes of railroads in the emergency escape breathing apparatus (EEBA) final rule published Jan. 26, 2024 by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). The FRA extended compliance dates in response to a joint petition for reconsideration issued by ASLRRA and the Association of American Railroads (AAR) as well as information gathered through the agency’s own investigations.
The extension, which is scheduled to be officially published in the Federal Register tomorrow, now says Class I and II railroads subject to the rule must comply beginning no later than 12 months from March 26, 2025, i.e., March 26, 2026, while Class III railroads subject to the rule must comply beginning no later than 18 months from March 26, 2025, i.e., Sept. 26, 2026. The original deadlines were March 26, 2025 for Class I and II railroads and Sept. 26, 2025 for Class III railroads.
The FRA noted this extension is not a response to a separate petition for reconsideration filed by ASLRRA, which asks the FRA to create a de minimis exception to the EEBA final rule. The FRA has yet to respond to ASLRRA’s separate petition.
In investigating claims that market constraints significantly hindered railroads’ ability to procure the number of EEBAs required to comply with the final rule, the FRA found that only four manufacturers produce the appropriate product, and those companies could not produce enough EEBAs in time to ensure railroad compliance. It would take 12 months just to produce enough EEBAs for one Class I railroad, with Class II and III railroads expected to experience longer delays. Moreover, other entities also want to purchase EEBAs, which exacerbates supply limitations.
The FRA also notes that additional final rule requirements for railroads include producing a written program for EEBA inspection, maintenance and replacement and training employees on proper use of the devices, actions that would necessitate procurement of EEBAs.
ASLRRA has made an update to the Part 243 template program. This update, which affects the On-the-Job Training (OJT) Check Sheet under Part 236 (less subpart H and I), has been approved by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).
The FRA determined that the previous OJT Check Sheet was missing a recordkeeping task. ASLRRA has added the Part 236.110 Results of Test task to the checklist. Anyone who uses the OJT Check Sheet after June 25 should download and utilized the revised checklist dated June 17, 2025.
Find the OJT Check Sheet by logging in to the ASLRRA website and accessing Compliance Templates, clicking Part 243 (Training, Qualification, and Oversight for Safety-Related Railroad Employees), then Part 236 (less subpart H and I) and finally OJT Check Sheet.
ASLRRA has submitted comments in response to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) interim final rule (IFR) that modifies regulations concerning the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
The IFR makes several changes to NEPA implementation regulations issued by the Council on Environmental Quality and other rules as required by amendments to the NEPA statute included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 and the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.
The comments discuss how the NEPA process affects short line and regional railroads that have received federal grant funding, particularly through the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program. Although most short line grant recipients’ projects receive categorical exclusion (CE) designations, the lowest under NEPA, the process to receive a CE often takes longer than six months.
ASLRRA applauds efforts to reduce unnecessary delays for grant clearance. To help further streamline the NEPA process, the Association’s comments include additional recommendations such as expediting CEs through increased batch processing, updating existing CEs and clarifying existing CE documentation requirements and forms and more.
Joint comments submitted by ASLRRA and the Association of American Railroads (AAR) respond to an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) that asks for feedback on making changes to requirements in the Hazardous Materials Rulemaking Procedures and Program Procedures or the Hazardous Materials Regulations.
The ANPRM asked stakeholders to respond to specific questions concerning actions PHMSA could take to improve agency efficiency and reduce regulatory burdens. In response to these questions, ASLRRA and AAR identified special permits and petitions for rulemaking PHMSA should consider prioritizing, such as those concerning electronic shipping papers, light locomotive consists, buffer cars and tank car facilities.
The associations also responded to a number of other questions including those about the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the effect of HMR compliance on small businesses, HMR reporting and notification requirements and specific HMR rules at parts 172, 173, 174 and 179.
The Railroad Retirement Board’s (RRB) August edition of its Q&A series discusses the agency’s annual financial report.
Every year, the RRB must provide to Congress a report on the fiscal health of the railroad retirement and unemployment insurance systems. The report must also include recommended financing changes to ensure system solvency.
The Q&A describes the assets of the railroad retirement and railroad unemployment insurance systems, compares the 2024 and 2025 reports and notes the RRB made no recommendations concerning financing or tax rate changes.
In July, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) issued a request for information (RFI) soliciting the public’s input on ideas to consider when developing the next surface transportation reauthorization bill.
Although ASLRRA plans to submit its own comments in response to the USDOT request, the Association also encourages its members to weigh in. Comments on the RFI are due Aug. 20.
Current surface transportation authorization is set to expire Sept. 30, 2026. In the RFI, the USDOT says, in particular, it “seeks comments from entities significantly affected by administrative actions of DOT,” including small businesses. The agency further writes that the “reauthorization effort will focus on modernizing America's infrastructure by improving safety, streamlining Federal processes, promoting economic growth, and strengthening partnerships.”
The RFI lists the major policy themes important to the USDOT, which stakeholders are invited to comment on specifically. These themes include enhancing transportation safety; accelerating project delivery; increasing opportunities through investment in infrastructure; and strengthening partnerships with states and other stakeholders to improve outcomes.
ASLRRA members can consult the Association’s advocacy pages to learn more about the important issues facing short lines that could be discussed in RFI comments. ASLRRA also provides statistics and relevant industry information concerning these issues. Those who may need more information or assistance submitting comments should contact ASLRRA’s government affairs team.
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) has combined its two legal offices into one Office of Chief Counsel, effective Aug. 1. The move is meant to streamline and improve procedures to benefit the STB and the public.
The STB’s original two offices were the Office of Proceedings and the Office of the General Counsel. The Office of Proceedings drafted agency decisions, processed filings and administered the STB recordations database, while the Office of the General Counsel provided legal advice and defended the agency in court. Anika Cooper will be the STB Chief Counsel, which incorporates both the role of general counsel and the responsibilities once delegated to the director of the Office of Proceedings.
An announcement discussing the STB’s office consolidation decision also outlines interim delegations to the new Office of Chief Counsel and notes other changes. For example, the Office of Chief Counsel will now house the Chief of Passenger Rail and Investigations, and correspondence and filings once submitted to the office of proceedings should now be addressed to the chief of case administration in the Office of General Counsel.
Although the House and Senate versions of the short line infrastructure tax credit modernization bill have enough cosponsors to put them into the 97th percentile for bills introduced in this Congress, more support from lawmakers is needed to improve odds of the bill’s passage.
ASLRRA continues to encourage its members and other rail stakeholders to contact their representatives in the House and Senate to talk about the tax credit, also known as 45G, and how it helps make possible the critical infrastructure upgrades that can further improve overall freight rail safety and efficiency.
Two states, Arkansas and Kansas, have 100 percent of their congressional delegation signed on in support of H.R. 516 and S. 1532. The Association appreciates those whose efforts helped garner this support. Constituents of lawmakers who already are cosponsors can continue the short line dialogue by thanking them for backing the bill. Continuous communication with elected officials helps develop the kinds of relationships that can be beneficial to short line railroads.
Another way railroads and rail organizations can build relationships with elected officials is through site visits. ASLRRA encourages members to ask officials and policymakers to tour their facilities. For members of Congress who are currently at home for August recess, this is a particularly good time to issue an invitation.
ASLRRA offers a variety of resources to aid members’ advocacy efforts. The Association’s online advocacy pages give an overview of many short line industry priorities. Also available is a specific page focused on 45G tax credit modernization, which features regularly updated maps showing the number of 45G bill House and Senate cosponsors according to state.
Those who may need assistance contacting their congressional delegation or have questions about advocating for the industry can reach out to ASLRRA’s government affairs team.
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.
Only a handful of seats remain open in ASLRRA’s popular FRA Railroad Accidents/Incidents (Part 225) Training Seminar, which features speakers from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and ASLRRA Vice President, Safety and Compliance JR Gelnar. Interested individuals are encouraged to register soon to secure their spot.
This seminar, which takes place Aug. 26 to 27 in Freeport, Maine, will provide attendees with an in-depth review of the section of the Code of Federal Regulations dealing with accidents and incidents. Attendees will leave with an understanding of the requirements related to accident and incident reporting, along with knowledge of the tools, resources, templates and more available to facilitate compliance. The seminar also features robust classroom discussions of rule requirements and valuable networking opportunities.
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.
Würth is ASLRRA’s Preferred Provider of personal protective equipment (PPE) and related services and their customer-first approach to service and support has a long history. Since opening their doors, Würth has helped thousands of companies protect their employees and work with optimum efficiency for maximum output. Their team of railroad specialists currently supports nearly 200 short line railroads, rail industry contractors and Class I railroad companies.
ASLRRA members can depend on Würth for quality safety and industrial products and exceptional customer service, plus discounted pricing on a huge assortment of products and equipment needed to implement an effective and efficient safety program. Offerings include foot and leg protection, signs, ergonomic products, hearing and eye protection, clothing protection, lighting and electrical products, storage containment and environmental spill cleanup, traffic control and much more.
Visit the Association’s Member Discount Program page to view Würth’s complete product offering and suite of services and start saving today.
On Aug. 4, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) opened the application period for Rail Transportation Assistance Program (RTAP) and Rail Freight Assistance Program (RFAP) grants. Applications are due Aug. 29.
RTAP grants are available to eligible applicants and fund a maximum of 70 percent of project costs. RFAP grants are awarded to rail freight infrastructure projects and also award up to 70 percent of project costs, capped at $700,000.
View the rail grant website for both programs here. Also linked on the site are the PennDOT eGrants portal, additional resources for applicants and lists of previous award recipients.
In the August issue of Railway Age magazine, Chuck Baker’s ASLRRA Perspective looks at all the ways the Association and short lines have worked to advocate for the industry when faced with all the changes brought about by a new administration and new session of Congress.
Baker highlights the three times short line representatives have testified before Congress to discuss improving the CRISI grant process, modernizing the rail network and continuing federal infrastructure investment in surface transportation reauthorization. ASLRRA also hosted Railroad Day on Capitol Hill and six state-specific legislative fly-ins for its short line members.
Also mentioned are efforts to build support in Congress for the 45G short line infrastructure tax credit modernization bill and secure changes to Surface Transportation Board procedures and policies to improve the regulatory environment for small railroads.
Jo Strang, Sabrina Waiss, Sarah Yurasko, JR Gelnar and Fred Oelsner attended the joint committee meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana. ASLRRA member the Indiana Rail Road Company (INRD) hosted the event, which is an in-person meeting for members of the Association’s standing committees. The event included a whole-group general session and and individual committee meetings, as well as a train excursion offered by INRD.
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.
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The League of Railway Women (LRW) is accepting nominations for its annual Member of the Year Award. Nominations are due Sept. 19.
The Member of the Year Award recognizes an LRW member who has demonstrated incredible dedication and made outstanding contributions to the organization. The winner will be recognized during the LRW’s virtual membership meeting in December. Click here to complete 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.
