TXNW Railway completes $8.2M Etter rail interchange upgrade in Moore County
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 is committed to supporting its members and acting on behalf of their interests at the national level. This includes engaging in the federal rulemaking process and submitting comments as needed in response to agencies’ various filings.
Yesterday, in what was a record-breaking day for the Association, ASLRRA filed 11 sets of comments on notices of proposed rulemaking (NPRMs) published by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). Nearly a third of the 38 NPRMs published collectively by the two agencies had relevant impact to short lines. All 38 NPRMS, 21 for the FRA and 17 for PHMSA, were published on July 1 and had comment due dates of Sept. 2.
Of ASLRRA’s 11 sets of comments, five were filed jointly with the Association of American Railroads (AAR) in response to FRA NPRMs, four were filed by ASLRRA alone in response to FRA NPRMs and two were filed with AAR in response to PHMSA NPRMs.
Dockets on which ASLRRA commented are listed below, with a brief summary of the proposed rule and overview of the Association’s position on the matter. ASLRRA maintains a list of all comments and written testimony on its website.
Docket No. FRA-2025-0077: Prosecutorial Discretion of Enforcement Attorneys
This rule proposes to clarify that enforcement attorneys have discretion to dismiss a technical violation where the challenged conduct does not raise a practical safety issue, consistent with the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Memorandum on Procedural Requirements for Enforcement Actions. Our comments support FRA’s proposed change to clarify that FRA’s Office of Chief Counsel has discretion to decline or dismiss a violation, and we appreciate that the agency provided an opportunity for public comment. Additionally, ASLRRA encourages FRA to continue to improve its enforcement process by reviewing its civil penalty amounts, especially in light of the hardship they pose to small business railroads.
Docket No. FRA-2025-0119: Regulatory Relief for End of Car Cushioning Units (jointly with AAR)
This rule proposes to incorporate a longtime AAR waiver related to end-of-car (EOC) cushioning unit indicator. Current regulation states that a rail car may not continue in service if its end-of-car cushioning unit is leaking clearly formed oil droplets. The relief permits rail cars with clearly formed droplets to remain in service if the car’s cushioning unit is equipped with a UCI that indicates that the unit is not defective. Our comments support this long-justified update to the regulations.
FRA proposes repealing the requirement that railroads have a physical posting at their work establishment of the reportable accidents at such location. Currently, several Class I railroads have waivers to allow the use of electronic log postings of accidents/injuries. This NPRM would allow all railroads to post such accidents electronically. Our comments support the NPRM. This proposal makes practical sense because it uses technological innovation to advance safety and efficiency. Electronic posting provides at least an equivalent level safety as posting paper copies.
Docket No. FRA-2025-0124: Retiring Form FRA F 6180.107 and Form FRA F 6180.150 (jointly with AAR)
FRA proposes repealing the F 6180.107 Alternative Record for Illnesses Claimed to be Work-Related Form and the F 6180.150 Highway User Injury Inquiry Form. The 6180.107 is used rarely by railroads plus they already have the option of using their own form. This form has also proven to be burdensome to the extent that it is more stringent to use than completing the F 6180.98 Railroad Employee Injury and/or Illness Record. The 6180.150 is supposed to be sent by railroads to injured highway users. However, these forms are returned rarely, thus FRA proposes eliminating this requirement and getting rid of the form. Our comments support removing both forms, which do not serve a safety purpose.
Docket No. FRA-2025-0130: Amendments to Brake System Maintenance and Inspection Requirements
The proposed rule incorporates five longstanding passenger brake inspection and maintenance waivers:
Our comments support this change as it will reduce regulatory burden on our members.
FRA proposes to allow railroads to use three-dimensional simulation to satisfy the hands-on portion of periodic refresher training under 49 CFR 232.203(b)(8), consistent with waivers FRA has granted to date. FRA has found that virtual training provides students with randomized scenarios that may not be readily available for hands-on training and real-time feedback on performance. Our comments support this regulatory change, as it incorporates technological innovation and increases regulatory flexibility by allowing railroads to use an alternative method to accomplish the “hands-on” portion of the refresher training required by § 232.203(b)(8).
Docket No. FRA-2025-0126: Expanding Certain Locomotive Wheel Set Diameter Variations
FRA proposes to amend 49 CFR 229.73(b) to expand the maximum permitted variation in diameter for wheel sets using alternating current technology, based on a waiver FRA has granted previously. Our comments support this proposed change, as it will reduce regulatory burden on our member railroads.
FRA proposes to revise 49 CFR § 215.203, which currently restricts the operation of railroad freight cars that are more than 50 years old – however, the NPRM adds additional testing, maintenance and recordkeeping burdens, which do not serve a safety purpose. Our joint comments urge FRA to revise the NPRM to eliminate the unnecessarily burdensome proposed requirements before issuing a final rule amending § 215.203 (which would simply eliminate the restriction without conditions). In addition to the joint comments, ASLRRA filed supplemental comments that focused on how the agency failed to follow the procedures in the Regulatory Flexibility Act to minimize the impact of the proposed rule to small businesses.
PHMSA proposes removing the rule requiring special permit renewal applications sixty days before expiration. This would reduce paperwork and allow permit use provided the renewal is filed before expiration. Our comments support this action because it will reduce burdens on carriers without impacting the safe transportation of hazardous materials by rail.
PHMSA proposes allowing emergency response information (ERI) to be displayed electronically, removing the current requirement for printed copies and easing compliance for shippers. Our comments support this action because it would modernize existing regulations to allow for emergency response information to be maintained and provided electronically or by paper, and does not require shipments to be accompanied by both.
All railroad retirement annuitants have the right to manage their own benefit payments, but there are times when they cannot do so due to physical or mental impairment or other reasons. In these cases, a person or organization can be designated a representative payee to receive railroad retirement benefit payments on the annuitant’s behalf. The Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) discusses representative payees in the September edition of its monthly Question and Answer (Q&A) series.
The RRB explains that, under the Railroad Retirement Act, the board has the authority to determine whether an annuitant should have a representative payee. Moreover, the representative payee does not have to be the person’s legal representative and the RRB can make the designation whether or not there has been a legal finding of incompetence.
The Q&A also discusses how a representative payee is selected and describes that person’s primary duties and responsibilities. These duties include using benefit payments to take care of the annuitant’s daily needs and accounting for funds received on behalf of the annuitant.
This morning, the House Transportation & Infrastructure (T&I) Committee convened a full markup hearing where, alongside other legislative items, members considered the fiscal year (FY) 2026 Views and Estimates document.
The Views and Estimates document is the T&I committee’s formal input in the congressional appropriations process. It outlines the committee’s priorities, recommended funding levels and policy expectations for the FY 2026 federal budget, helping shape how transportation and infrastructure programs will be funded and managed.
Discussions at this hearing could provide insight into the committee’s spending priorities for certain programs, including grant programs, and what the committee hopes to accomplish for the rest of this year and early into next year. Surface transportation reauthorization is likely to be a topic of discussion.
Included in a draft of the document, on page nine, is a brief section on the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) pipeline safety programs. The document says the T&I committee will discuss oversight and review of funding authorized for Amtrak and rail infrastructure and safety programs through the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act (IIJA). The document expresses support for reauthorization of PHMSA’s programs.
In Washington, D.C., ASLRRA and its members are continuing to gain traction on the legislative front in an effort to build more support for the 45G short line infrastructure tax credit modernization bill.
Both the House and Senate versions of the bill, H.R. 516 and S. 1532 respectively, enjoy bipartisan congressional support. There are currently 102 cosponsors for the bill in the House and 14 in the Senate.
ASLRRA hopes the bill can be included in any upcoming tax legislation that will be considered on Capitol Hill. The bill seeks to increase the per-mile cap of the 45G tax credit, index it for inflation, and expand eligibility to newer lines not previously covered. The credit is critical to short lines, which depend heavily on it and related programs to help fund infrastructure maintenance that is key to furthering operational safety and efficiency.
Any short line industry stakeholder can become involved in the effort to increase knowledge and support of the 45G tax credit and the modernization bill. There are several ways to help, including contacting elected officials by phone or email or even engaging with the individuals on social media. ASLRRA’s government affairs team can offer guidance to anyone eager to participate. Contact them to learn more.
ASLRRA is looking forward to welcoming attendees to its Central and Pacific Region Meeting, taking place Nov. 3 to 5 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
This year’s meeting offers a full slate of enriching activities for attendees, including education sessions presented by industry- and subject-matter experts, multiple networking events and a golf tournament, awards ceremonies recognizing winners of the President’s Safety Award and more.
Click here to register today. Early bird rates for the meeting and golf expire 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.
Those still hoping to attend ASLRRA’s Eastern and Southern Region Meeting and focused industry events, the Finance and Administration Seminar and General Counsel Symposium, can still register online or onsite. These events take place between Sept. 9 and 11 and are co-located in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Those who have already registered should look for a Know Before You Go email, which will be sent later this week. The email will include important information for all event attendees.
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.
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.
Only five seats remain in ASLRRA’s ninth and final in-person training seminar, the Professional Trainer Development workshop, being held Oct. 7 to 9 in Freeport, Maine. Register today to secure one of the final open spots in this seminar.
Designed for trainers of all levels and subject matter experts who want to expand and enhance their training skills, attendees will learn how to design training using adult learning principles, manage participant engagement and the learning environment, enhance personal presentation skills and develop course materials using proven instructional design methods.
As a reminder, employees of eligible small railroads can receive a $1,200 Doug Golden Scholarship or a $500 Jake Jacobson Scholarship to help offset attendance costs at this and other ASLRRA and industry training events. Scholarship applications are accepted on a rolling basis and can be applied retroactively to an eligible event that has already taken place this year. Click here to learn more about ASLRRA’s scholarship opportunities and submit an online application.
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: 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.
Maryland and Kentucky have announced the recipients of rail grant funding made possible through each state’s respective freight funding program.
The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) will award $1.2 million to five projects through its inaugural Freight Rail Grant Program, which was launched earlier this year. ASLRRA member Maryland and Delaware Railroad will receive $500,000 to rebuild and upgrade three and a half miles of state-owned railroad track to modern standards. Two awards will help a shipper and a tourist railroad improve their rail facilities, while the other two grants will help fund a rail-trail feasibility study and a floodplain study.
In Kentucky, Governor Andy Beshear announced $7.5 million in funding for six rail infrastructure projects, awarded through the Kentucky Short Line Infrastructure Preservation (KSLIP) Program. All grants will go to ASLRRA members or member parent companies.
Louisville & Indiana Railroad will receive $1,083,184 as a state match to a CRISI grant for the Clagg Bridge Lift Span Operations Project. This project will replace all four sheave, trunnion, and bearing assemblies on the Clagg Lift Span of the Fourteenth Street Bridge that connects Louisville, Kentucky and Clarksville, Indiana.
Paducah & Louisville Railway will receive three grants at $1,999,700, $1,999,800 and $202,310.50 each. One project will rehabilitate 53 miles of mainline track, another will replace 30 turnouts and over a half mile of track structure in an industrial complex and the third will replace 21 miles of rail with continuous welded rail.
ASLRRA member parent company R. J. Corman Railroad Group will also receive two grants. A grant of $834,193 will go toward rehabilitating 19 miles of track in the Russellville subdivision, while $1,380,812.50 will allow R. J. Corman’s Central Kentucky Lines to rehabilitate three portions of rail lines by replacing crossties and switch ties and installing switches.
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: Winchester & Western Railroad
Fiscal Year: 2023/2024
CRISI Grant: $22,796,000
Local Match: $5,699,000 (20%)
Total Project Cost: $28,495,000
PRIDE will rehabilitate segments of the Winchester & Western Railroad mainline in West Virginia and Maryland to eliminate all remaining legacy rail and old tie structure. The project enhances safety, efficiency, and resiliency as the project will return the line to a state of good repair. PRIDE will eliminate 391,000 hours of car transit time over 20 years and reduce derailment incidents by almost 70 percent over the same period while reducing locomotive run-time and utilization by 19,000 hours.
Notable Quotes
“This project will materially improve and harden the mainline of the Winchester & Western, which carries most of the traffic on the railroad. We rely on the W&W to maintain a safe and efficient operation that will have future capacity and resiliency as our traffic needs change in the future.”
Brad Gammill, Director of Logistics, U.S. Operations, CMC Steel
ASLRRA’s in-house subject-matter experts including Senior Vice President, Safety, Regulatory and Environmental Policy Jo Strang, Vice President, Safety and Compliance JR Gelnar and Senior Vice President, Law and General Counsel Sarah Yurasko have presented a number of live webinars on important topics related to safety and regulations. Recordings of these webinars are available under the regulatory category in ASLRRA’s On-Demand Webinar Library. Members can log in to view ASLRRA’s entire selection, including the following titles.
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 (SLSI) has promoted Julia Leone, PhD, to assistant director, research and organizational development.
Leone will be responsible for leading SLSI’s research efforts. She will also work to improve delivery processes and outcomes for all of SLSI’s programs. Leone’s work has already had a significant impact at SLSI. Her development of a systematic approach to evaluating the outcomes of completed Safety Culture Assessments (SCAs) has ensured the fidelity of the SCA process and led to insights that have driven the introduction of new SLSI programs.
“Our program expansion has come as a direct result of research led by Julia Leone. Improvements to processes leading to improved training outcomes have also been identified and implemented through her analysis and in-person observations,” said SLSI Executive Director Tom Murta. “Julia will continue to assist the SLSI in identifying and developing the next generation of programs, while ensuring that current programs deliver on their objectives, and support our mission to continuously increase Safety Culture on railroads across the country.”
Views & News is published by American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association.
Please contact Mariel Takamura, associate editor, with questions or comments.
