Forget H.R. 25, the Fair Tax Act. 45G Is What Counts

FINANCIAL EDGE, RAILWAY AGE, MARCH 2023 ISSUE: Oftentimes, “Financial Edge” gets an earful from readers—sometimes congratulatory like a Home Depotesque slogan: “You nailed it.” Other times there’s criticism, like being too much in the railroads’ pockets in supporting the industry’s safety record.

White House Senior Advisor Mitch Landrieu (left) and former Administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration Howard R. “Skip” Elliott will speak at ASLRRA’s Annual Conference & Exhibition next month.

Now on the ASLRRA Conference Lineup: Mitch Landrieu, Skip Elliott

White House Senior Advisor Mitch Landrieu and former Administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) Howard R. “Skip” Elliott are featured speakers at the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association’s (ASLRRA) Annual Conference & Exhibition, to be held April 2-4 in New Orleans, La.

David Buccolo (left), former General Manager of the Central California Traction Company and Hazmat Instructor with the Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI), died Feb. 15. Andreas Lippert (center) and Andrew B. Fremier have been promoted at Cummins Inc. and Metropolitan Transportation Commission, respectively. (Andreas Lippert Photograph Courtesy of Business Wire)

People News: SLSI, Cummins, MTC

The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) reports the passing of David Buccolo, former General Manager of the Central California Traction Company and Hazmat Instructor with the Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI). Also, Cummins Inc. promotes Andreas Lippert to Vice President-New Power Engineering, and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) in San Francisco appoints Andrew B. Fremier as Executive Director.

"TSA should clearly articulate any problem with cyber risk it believes exists prior to resorting to regulation," AAR and ASLRRA wrote to the agency on Feb. 1.

AAR, ASLRRA to TSA: CRM Regulations ‘Not Necessary’

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) and the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) “believe regulation is not required, particularly considering the extensive efforts of the industry to mitigate risk, and the ongoing implementation of Security Directives (SDs) by industry,” the two associations wrote to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) on Feb. 1 as part of their submitted comments concerning the agency’s advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) focused on cyber risk management (CRM) in the pipeline and rail sectors.

Pictured: Richard Sherman, ASLRRA; and Lauren Skiver, Transdev U.S.

People News: ASLRRA, MDOT MTA, OCTA, Transdev U.S.

The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) hires a new Assistant Vice President of Policy and Industry Affairs. Also, the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) appoints its first Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Director; Transdev U.S. signs on a new Chief Operating Officer; and Orange Country (Calif.) Transportation Authority (OCTA) recognizes the OC Streetcar project lead as an Employee of the Year for 2022.

From Left to Right: ASLRRA Chairwoman Judy Petry; RTA CFO Kevin Bueso; and INRD Director, Safety and Training Austin Milton.

People News: ASLRRA, RTA, INRD

American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) Chairwoman Judy Petry retires from Farmrail. Also, Chicago’s Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) welcomes Kevin Bueso as new Chief Financial Officer (CFO); and Indiana Rail Road (INRD) promotes Austin Milton to Director, Safety and Training.

ASLRRA now offers an Advocacy section of its website with separate pages for important freight rail issues.

ASLRRA Promotes Advocacy Online

As part of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association’s (ASLRRA) mission to advocate on behalf of its members with regulators and legislators, it has unveiled advocacy pages on its website, covering the small-road position on a number of key topics.

Chuck Baker, President, American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association
Commentary

2023: A Milestone Anniversary Year

ASLRRA PERSPECTIVE, RAILWAY AGE FEBRUARY 2023 ISSUE: This year is the 110th anniversary of the founding of the American Short Line Association, our oldest predecessor.

Railway Age named Vermont Railway (left) 2022 Short Line of the Year; and South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad (right) 2022 Regional of the Year.

‘Short Line/Regional of the Year’ Nominations Due Today, Feb. 1

Railway Age is accepting entries for its annual Short Line/Regional Railroad of the Year competition. The deadline is today, Wednesday, February 1, at 5 p.m. ET.

ASLRRA: Navigating the Grant Process

New U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) tools, including RAISE webinars, are now available to help organizations navigate the grant process for railroad projects, according to the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA).

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