The Alaska Railroad dedicates coach to their longest serving Conductor
Reading and Northern offers excursions to Pittston Tomato Festival
Jaguar Transport Holdings Acquires Columbia Basin Railroad and Central Washington Railroad
Lake State Releases ‘Spirit of Pere Marquette’ Unit
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 members have been taking advantage of having elected officials back in their hometowns during the August recess, welcoming a number of their congressional representatives and other officials to their facilities. These visits are helping railroads build relationships with lawmakers and raising awareness of the ways congressional actions can be beneficial to railroads, their customers and their communities.
In Michigan, Rep. Hillary Scholten toured a railyard owned by Watco’s Grand Elk Railroad and a CSX terminal during a visit coordinated by the Michigan Railroads Association. Scholten learned about freight operations in the western part of the state and how the industry supports local businesses.
In Utah, Rep. Burgess Owens toured one of ASLRRA member parent company Savage’s short lines, getting a first-hand look at the railroad’s operations and discussing the many ways freight rail is a key part of the state’s economy.
Delaware short line Delmarva Central Railroad (DCR) received a visit from its entire congressional delegation. Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester and Chris Coons and Representative Sarah McBride went to DCR in part to highlight a Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant the railroad received that helps fund infrastructure upgrades over 120 miles of DCR’s main line.
And in Alabama, Cindy Pate, regional director for the office of Senator Tommy Tuberville, visited R. J. Corman Railroad Group’s Childersburg Line to learn about operations in the area. Pate participated in a tour led by representatives from ASLRRA member R. J. Corman and Childersburg Line Operations Manager Chet Oaks. Pate also had an opportunity to visit three of the railroad’s customers and speak with individuals from those companies, which helped her understand why having access to short line rail is critical.
In addition to visits with members of Congress, ASLRRA short line members have welcomed state delegations this summer. This includes Indiana Northeastern Railroad, which hosted a member meeting for the Railroads of Indiana. The Indiana Rail Road Company was represented at the event, as were guests from the Indiana legislature. State Senators Jim Buck, Blake Doriot and Sue Glick, along with Representative Craig Snow, were on hand to celebrate the establishment of an Indiana short line infrastructure tax credit that became law in May.
Although a visit by an elected official may last only a few hours, railroads can reap benefits from the visit well into the future. Long-term engagement is the key to encouraging rail champions in Congress.
Lawmakers will soon be returning to their Washington, D.C. offices, but that does not mean the conversation must end. ASLRRA encourages its members to continue communicating with their congressional delegation via phone or email about important short line freight rail issues, and even planning with staff for a future site visit. Contact the Association’s government affairs team for assistance with these advocacy efforts.
Delaware's entire congressional delegation, Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (top), Senator Chris Coons (middle, in suit) and Representative Sarah McBride (bottom) visited ASLRRA member Delmarva Central Railroad to highlight the CRISI grant enabling the railroad to make significant infrastructure improvements on its main line.
Photo courtesy of GoRail
ASLRRA has developed and obtained approval from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for Part 214 Supplemental Training, delivered through the Short Line Training Center. The course covers railroad-specific on-track safety procedures and rules that every roadway worker, roadway maintenance machine (RMM) operator, watchman or lookout and flagman must understand while on the railroad’s property.
The Part 214 Supplemental Training is available to railroads no matter the type of training program or system they utilize.
Current users of the ASLRRA-IANR Learning Management System (LMS) may complete a fillable form to have the Part 214 Supplemental Training course customized with their railroad-specific details and added to their Team Library for delivery through the LMS.
All railroads, even those not currently using an LMS, can now train their contractors on Part 214 Railroad Workplace Safety and/or the railroad-specific Part 214 Supplemental Training using the ASLRRA-IANR online LMS platform for as little as $50 per person.
Railroads using a third-party LMS can pay a flat fee to receive the customized course for delivery through their platform. The full Part 214 Railroad Workplace Safety course can also be delivered via SCORM Cloud through a third-party LMS for a flat fee based on the number of people trained.
Interested railroads may contact Sabrina Waiss for additional details and pricing or contact JR Gelnar to receive the fillable form for customized training.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has issued Safety Bulletin 2025-02 concerning a recent conductor switching incident resulting in serious injury to the conductor. This incident was also addressed by a recent SOFA Alert issued by the FRA’s Switching Operations Fatality Analysis (SOFA) Working Group.
The Safety Bulletin reminds rail employees and managers to review certain topics related to proper point protection when shoving equipment. This includes ensuring all employees who operate crossover switches are trained on proper correspondence of crossover switches and all railroad testing officers test for compliance with shove procedures and rules on hand-operated switches.
Find copies of these most recent safety notices and others from federal offices on ASLRRA’s Safety Alerts, Reports and Advisories page.
When lawmakers return from summer recess, they will have just four weeks to prevent a government shutdown, and there is still no clear path forward. If Congress doesn’t pass a spending bill or a continuing resolution (CR) by midnight on Sept. 30, the federal government will shut down.
Republicans are divided over the funding issue. Some support bipartisan spending bills, while others prefer a yearlong CR that would freeze current funding levels. Democrats are also discussing how they might net more tangible wins, such as extending health care subsidies which are set to expire at the end of the year.
In addition, to passing Fiscal Year 2026 spending bills, these are the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) nominees still awaiting floor action:
In the meantime, McMaster and Fink are both serving as advisers to USDOT Secretary Sean Duffy.
There has also been talk on Capitol Hill about another tax reconciliation bill. Republican lawmakers are said to be considering a second, narrower package of proposals, potentially focusing on areas like healthcare and restoring provisions that were excluded from the first bill due to Senate procedural hurdles. If this was to occur, the 45G tax credit would be a candidate for that larger tax package.
Finally, ASLRRA anticipates that both the Senate and House committees of jurisdiction will soon begin drafting the next surface transportation reauthorization bill, with a potential markup in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee expected in late fall or early winter.
ASLRRA’s government affairs team remains actively engaged on all fronts, including funding, nominations, tax policy, and reauthorization discussions. Please reach out to our government affairs team with any questions.
The Eastern and Southern Region Meeting and ASLRRA’s focused industry events, the Finance and Administration Seminar and General Counsel Symposium kick off in less than two weeks, meaning those interested in attending are running out of time to register online to join more than 250 short line rail industry colleagues for multiple days of educational and networking opportunities.
These events take place between Sept. 9 and 11 and are co-located in Charlotte, North Carolina, which offers attendees of all three meetings to meet and collaborate with each other. There is also a networking event at Bowlero on Sept. 10, which is free for all registered participants. Be sure to secure a spot at one or more of these September events.
Registration will be available on site.
ASLRRA’s Central and Pacific Region Meeting, taking place Nov. 3 to 5 in New Orleans, Louisiana, offers attendees a variety of engaging and informative education sessions.
This year, these sessions will focus on topics such as crisis communications, economic development and transloading. There will also be panel discussions featuring short line leaders and shippers and an “Ask a Regulator” segment with Federal Railroad Administration Acting Administrator Drew Feeley.
Networking events at this meeting include a golf tournament at the English Turn Golf and Country Club. Early bird rates for the meeting and golf expire Sept. 24.
Click here to register today. 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.
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.
ASLRRA has made it easier for Association newcomers or others who have never set up an online account to do so.
New Users – Those looking for website access or to be connected with their company’s account can now submit a request using ASLRRA’s revamped new-user form. The new-user form includes the ability to subscribe to the Association’s email communications including Views & News, event and education eblasts and legislative alerts. Users can also add areas of interest, ensuring they receive the most relevant content right in their inbox.
Current Users – Individuals with existing profiles would not make changes through the new-user form. Existing users can update their profile and subscription preferences through the Member Portal. After logging in to the Member Portal, individuals should click the View/Edit User Profile button on the right side of the page. They can review their profile information for accuracy and, if an update is required, click Edit at the bottom of the page. To select more than one subscription, please hold the CTRL key while choosing preferences.
Anyone needing help with profile or account updates can contact ASLRRA for assistance.
The Association would like to share news of railroads’ upcoming seasonal events in Views & News and on social media, but needs help from members to know what is on the horizon. All members are invited to share pictures, links, press releases and other information with the Association for publication. Please send details to Mariel Takamura, or contact her with any questions.
The Coalition Heath Plan is specifically designed for ASLRRA members looking for a solution to reduce their medical premiums and simplify the healthcare experience for their employees. As the fifth largest broker in the world with over 500 locations in North America, HUB International is well equipped to provide ASLRRA members with a vast network of benefits experts and best-in-class resources no matter where the member company is located in the US.
Partnering with HUB puts ASLRRA members at the center of a vast network of experts who provide risk services, claims management, and compliance support. Visit ASLRRA’s Member Discount Program page and select Employee Health Insurance to start saving today.
Thanks to the generosity of retired former board member Douglas Golden and the family of the late Jake Jacobson, ASLRRA is able to help its members’ employees attend important in-person industry training events through its scholarship program.
Employees of small railroads who attend eligible industry training classes could receive a $1,200 Doug Golden Scholarship or a $500 Jake Jacobson Scholarship. A small railroad is one that makes less than $10 million in annual revenue.
Scholarship applications are accepted on a rolling basis and can be applied retroactively to an eligible event that has already taken place this year. There are limited funds remaining for scholarships in 2025, so interested individuals are encouraged to submit an application soon.
Click here to learn more about ASLRRA’s scholarship opportunities and submit an online application.
Participants at ASLRRA's FRA Accident/Incident (Part 225) training seminar asked questions during the second day of training in Freeport, Maine. The event provided attendees with an in-depth review of the section of the Code of Federal Regulations dealing with accidents and incidents. Subject-matter experts from the Federal Railroad Administration discussed requirements under Part 225 and reviewed the tools, resources, templates and more available to facilitate compliance.
After the first day of training at the Part 225 seminar, attendees had an opportunity to network with colleagues at an evening reception sponsored by ASLRRA associate member MaxAccel.
This is the second year MaxAccel has sponsored the training seminar and hosted an evening reception for attendees. MaxAccel Senior Product Support Specialist Ginger Wilson was also on hand to chat with individuals about the company's compliance reporting system that facilitates Part 225 monthly submissions.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is now accepting applications for Rail Freight Assistance Program (RFAP) grants. The application period closes Oct. 10.
Through the RFAP, $25 million will go toward supporting rail freight improvement that helps meet the state’s clean energy, congestion mitigation and sustainable development goals. Awards will cover up to 90 percent of the estimated cost of eligible projects.
According to the NJDOT, an emphasis will be on projects that “are significant to port commerce connectivity; eliminate rail freight missing links to New Jersey’s port facilities; upgrade freight rail trackage to a 286,000-pound load carrying capacity and support a safe, efficient, and effective rail freight system in New Jersey.”
Click here to learn more about the RFAP. All applications must be submitted online through New Jersey’s electronic grant system, and entities must have an Eligibility Assessment Form approved through that system before they can apply.
Three ASLRRA members will make rail crossing upgrades after the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) approved over $1.4 million in funding for their projects.
The Ann Arbor Railroad, Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad and Indiana & Ohio Railway Company will make upgrades to one crossing each. All three will install flashing lights and gates at their respective crossings, while Indiana & Ohio Railway will also take care of needed surface reconstruction.
In this new section, ASLRRA will highlight its 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
Awardee: Sierra Northern Railway
CRISI Grant: $ 17,415,000
Local Match: $ 18,300,000 (51%)
Total Project Cost: $ 35,700,000
Sierra Northern Railway (SERA) was challenged to add and manage current customers along the 55-mile-long Oakdale Division excepted track, built in 1897, servicing Riverbank, California in the Central Valley to Standard, California in the Sierra Nevada foothills. As excepted track, freight could move at no more than 10 mph along the route, taking 5 hours to transport freight from one end to the other. The project included replacing 20 miles of track with 115-pound rail, 90,000 railroad ties, and rehabilitating ten grade crossings.
The CRISI Grant transformed the operation, adding a 116-acre transload site for building manifest unit trans without causing gridlock along the active line, and improving delivery time from end to end by 250%. The increased throughput has enabled SERA to:
View a video overview of the project here.
Notable Quotes
“This is a huge win – we’re talking about literally millions of dollars to build our infrastructure here in the Valley. Track improvements make our communities safer and create jobs in the process – we’ve been overlooked for years, but now that’s finally changing.”
California Congressman Josh Harder
“The project began in 2019, and was completed a year and a half later. It has achieved everything we had anticipated, and more for the region. It has allowed the Sierra Northern dramatically increase carloads by better serving current customers, and by attracting new business to rail. We are especially proud of how this project has served our local community – taking trucks off the road, especially on narrow mountain roads, reducing time spent at railroad crossings, and providing more well-paying railroad jobs in our region.”
Ken Beard, President, Sierra Northern Railway
Richard Sherman traveled to Texas to attend a ribbon cutting ceremony for TNW Corporation’s Texas North Western Railway (TXNW). TXNW is celebrating the completion of their 2019 CRISI grant-funded Etter Interchange Improvement Project.
JR Gelnar and Sabrina Waiss were in Freeport, Maine to present ASLRRA’s FRA Accident/Incident (Part 225) training seminar. Speakers for the sold-out seminar included Gelnar and the FRA’s Michael Wissman and Arnoldo Gonzalez.
ASLRRA is pleased to be able to offer its members access to over 200 recorded webinars covering a variety of topics, including human resources, safety and operations, business development and more. Many recordings also include copies of the presentations shown during the live webinar.
Members can log in to the On-Demand Webinar Library to view ASLRRA’s entire selection, including these most recent offerings:
Visit ASLRRA’s webinar homepage and log in to view all the on-demand offerings in the Association’s webinar library.
The Short Line Safety Institute’s (SLSI) August Safety Tip discusses the potential hazards posed by wildlife and offers some recommendations for avoiding interactions while working outdoors.
Railroad rights of ways, switches, derails equipment and rolling stock can be ideal habitats for a variety of animals. Bees, wasps and spiders can bite and sting, while mosquitoes and ticks can pass serious diseases like West Nile virus and Lyme disease. Venomous snakes can also be a danger in certain parts of the U.S. and rodents and other animals can spread illness like rat bite fever, leptospirosis and rabies.
The Safety Tip describes how to protect oneself from being bitten or stung, including wearing the proper clothing, using insect repellents and carrying a light to illuminate areas where animals may be living or hiding. Follow this link to view a downloadable version of the Safety Tip that can be shared in the workplace.
This August Safety Tip is the latest offering available in SLSI’s online resource library. These resources include Safety Tips and Hazmat Tips, research articles, templates and guides and more.
Interested in being informed of new Safety Tips and programs? Add your name to the mailing list by completing the subscription form at the bottom of SLSI’s homepage.
Class I railroad Union Pacific Railroad (UP) is expanding its work with short line railroads, with 12 of its 15 new Focus Sites connected through short line railroads.
UP’s Focus Sites are large-scale development sites suited for warehouses or industrial facilities. They are meant to allow businesses easier, more efficient access to UP’s rail network.
In a press release, UP quoted Matt Cundiff, president of ASLRRA member parent company Ironhorse Resources, who noted how including short-line-served properties in UP’s Focus Sites program helps promote local economic growth and benefits both short lines and the communities they serve.
ASLRRA associate business member TTX Company is the latest organization to join the RailPulse Coalition.
TTX is a railcar pooling company with a fleet of over 177,000 railcars. Its participation in RailPulse will enhance the coalition’s ability to achieve several objectives, including providing greater insight into railcar location, condition and performance.
RailPulse works to advance the use of GPS and other telematics technologies to improve service, visibility, safety and efficiency in the North American freight rail industry. It was formed in 2020 and counts several ASLRRA supplier and railroad members as subscribers and certified vendors.
Views & News is published by American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association.
Please contact Mariel Takamura, associate editor, with questions or comments.
