ASLRRA President Chuck Baker

Baker to Congress: Be Ready to ‘Step In’ and Avert System Shutdown

American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) President Chuck Baker on Sept. 10 sent a letter to Congressional leadership outlining the impact of a freight rail strike on the U.S. transportation network and the economy and urged Congress to “immediately step in and avert a system shutdown by legislatively implementing Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) recommendations,” should a voluntary agreement not be reached by the end of the Railway Labor Act (RLA) mandated “cooling off’ period on Sept. 15.

Association Briefs: SLSI, OneRail Coalition, ASLRRA

Limited spots available in Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI) leadership training. Also, the OneRail Coalition sends letters to lawmakers encouraging strong support for rail in appropriations packages; and American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) members receive preferred pricing on drug and alcohol testing services with Spark TS (previously Spark Training Solutions).

U.S. Army veteran Ken Killingsworth (left) is heading up Watco's Military Outreach & Hire (MOH) Program.

Small-Road Briefs: Watco, ASLRRA, Mississippi Export Railroad

Watco formalizes military outreach and hiring. Also, the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) looks back at Auburn’s “greasy railroad” prank; and the Mississippi Export Railroad (MSE) celebrates its 100th anniversary.

Anna May (second from right), a staff member from the office of Congressman Michael Guest (R-Miss.), and Missy Younger (third from right), a staff member from the office of Congressman Trent Kelly (RMiss.), joined Watco Assistant Vice President-Government Relations Ailsa von Dobeneck (second from left) for a tour of ASLRRA member and Watco company Mississippi Southern Railroad and a discussion of short line freight rail industry priorities.

Small-Road Briefs: Mississippi Southern Railroad, FRA

Mississippi congressional staffers tour Watco-owned Mississippi Southern Railroad (MSR). Also, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) could be opening the 2022 Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant program soon and is continuing its Office Hours webinars to discuss Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) grant program.

Desiree Miller of Atlantic Railways uses a track gauge to take measurements during a University of Tennessee rail inspection and safety course. Miller received a Doug Golden Scholarship through the ASLRRA Short Line Education Fund to help pay for her training.

Association Briefs: ASLRRA, LRW

The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) has expanded the types of training eligible for its Golden Scholarships. Also, the League of Railway Women’s (LRW) Board of Directors call for nominations ends Aug. 26.

Commentary

Our Industry Must Present a United Front

Recently, I was honored to receive the OneRail Coalition’s newly established Canby Award. Named for the Coalition’s founder and former director, Anne Canby, the award recognizes an individual’s “dedication to preserving and

First Look: Freight Rail Shipping Fair Market Act

Legislation to reauthorize the Surface Transportation Board (STB) and “create a fair marketplace” for railroads and shippers was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on Aug. 2. While the Association of American Railroads (AAR) called it an “untenable bill that could further exacerbate current supply chain and service challenges,” the American Chemistry Council (ACC) welcomed the “sensible legislative package.”

Commentary

‘Ill-Conceived, Ill-Timed, Unnecessary’

The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association is disappointed with the Federal Railroad Administration’s Train Crew Size Safety Requirements Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.   With no safety data to support its proposal, the

ASLRRA is offering a new scholarship to eligible railroad member employees to help them pay for training registration fees.

ASLRRA Offering Training Scholarships

The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) is awarding 10 railroad training scholarships of up to $425 each to employees of small railroads, defined as those with annual revenues of

The Jake Awards are named for the late Lowell S. "Jake" Jacobson, President and General Manger of the Copper Basin Railway.

ASLRRA Names 2022 Jake Safety Award Winners

The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) honored on June 29 364 member railroads with the Jake Safety Award for above-industry-average safety performance during 2021. Of the recipients, 20 are

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