ARH’s Commitment to Safety Excellence: Railway Age CEO Perspectives on Safety

Peter A. Gilbertson, President and CEO, Anacostia Rail Holdings

In the dynamic and challenging world of rail transportation, safe operations are key to attracting and protecting employees, as well as earning the right to serve communities and customers. 

Anacostia Rail Holdings Company (ARH) has emerged as a center of excellence in safety, setting new standards and achieving durable success in some of the most complex markets in North America. Through a combination of strategic initiatives, technology, dedicated employees and continuous improvement, Anacostia has elevated safety standards and reaped measurable returns on its investments. Safety is paramount to ARH’s key strategies and actions that have propelled our success.

ARH railroads operate in demanding environments, including the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, shared freight-passenger corridors in New York City and Chicago, in military facilities and hosted Class I operations. Those operations present daily challenges for our employees and their dedication and expertise are key to our measurable safety improvements. 

Central to ARH safety achievements are its core values of Resources, Education, Belief, and Accountability. By investing in resources, providing comprehensive training programs, belief in safety principles, and holding each other accountable for our actions, ARH has fostered a strong safety culture that permeates the organization. New York and Atlantic’s industry leading safety training resulted in a 66% reduction of reportable injuries since leaving the pandemic and Northern Line Railroad has one reportable injury in 11 years.

A key Anacostia safety strategy is the implementation of localized safety action plans. Safety Action Plans are tailored to address specific safety risks and concerns in each operational area, ensuring that proactive measures are taken to prevent incidents. By working together and addressing safety concerns, ARH nips potential problems in the bud and reinforces its commitment to safety as a core value and provides measurable success. PHL received the ASLRRA 2021 and 2022 President Safety Award for railroads over 250,000 manhours. Chicago Southshore’s Track Team has not experienced a reportable injury in more than 13 years. 

The ARH Safety Process starts with safety culture assessments, which evaluate and improve safety practices. The assessments allow us to identify strengths and weaknesses, measure safety performance, and facilitate employee buy-in and engagement. Safety culture assessments pinpoint factors that may be contributing to incidents, allowing us to implement safety initiatives that reduce accidents and create a safer work environment. 

Safety assessments are conducted internally and externally. We rely on external auditors, from the ASLRRA Short Line Safety Institute to provide unbiased insight into Anacostia safety practices. 

Improving safety requires continuous education and training. This includes external outreach, such as hazmat training for first responders, internal training, such as our recent class on derailment prevention, and the use of Federal Railroad Administration subject matter experts as a resource for feedback and best practices.

A guiding principle for ARH’s safety efforts is the belief in the adage that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Through safety culture assessments, investing in preventive maintenance programs and technology, and exceeding the industry standards, ARH ensures that potential safety hazards are identified and addressed before they escalate into serious issues. These actions define roles and set expectations for leaders.

Leadership is crucial to Anacostia’s safety commitment. Leaders must lead with a consistent, company-wide, and plain-spoken safety message that defines who we are and what qualifies ARH managers to lead safety. By emphasizing the importance of follow-up, follow-through, and keeping commitments, ARH’s leadership team sets the tone for a culture of accountability and excellence in safety performance.

In addition to investing in people and processes, ARH prioritizes investments in infrastructure and technology improvements to enhance safety. From ergonomic switches and high stand operated derails, wayside detectors, to track integrity enhancements, remote metrics on locomotives, field-tested handheld radios, and PTC systems, we look for ways to make operations more safe, efficient, and reliable. By addressing critical areas, such as grade crossings and signal systems, we demonstrate our commitment to safeguarding our employees and the communities we serve. LIRC reduced crossing accidents from 15 in 2019 to two in 2022.

ARH’s achievements in safety stand as a testament to the power of strategic planning, employee engagement, and continuous improvement in complex rail environments. Prioritizing safety at every level of the organization, implementing targeted action plans, and investing in people and infrastructure has raised the bar for safety standards and reaped substantial returns in the form of enhanced operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.