ASLRRA: Yurasko New General Counsel; Reilly Signs On For PTC

Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-Chief
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Sarah Yurasko (left) and Eileen Reilly

Two experienced railroad professionals—Sarah Yurasko and Eileen Reilly—have joined the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) in legal and technology consulting roles, respectively. Yurasko is the Association’s new General Counsel, replacing Keith Borman, who retired after 15 years. Reilly’s company, Global Train Services LLC, has signed on as a consultant for Positive Train Control services.

Sarah Yurasko

Prior to joining ASLRRA as General Counsel, Sarah Yurasko served as Association of American Railroads (AAR) Assistant General Counsel, representing railroad member interests before federal agencies and courts in addition to serving as counsel to numerous industry safety and operations committees. In that role, she interacted frequently with the ASLRRA and its safety and regulatory staff. Prior to AAR, she worked for Amtrak, where she led public outreach for the NEC Infrastructure and Investment Development Business Line and served as the Chief Administrative Officer for High Speed Rail. Prior to Amtrak, Yurasko worked for six years in the Office of Chief Counsel at the Federal Railroad Administration.

Yurasko has served on the Board of Directors for the League of Railway Women since 2017, currently as Vice President. She holds a BA and a BFA from Southern Methodist University; an MA from the American University School of International Service in Washington, D.C.; and a JD from American University’s Washington College of Law.

“Sarah Yurasko brings extensive experience in representing railroad interests, working for government, private entities and associations,” said ASLRRA President Chuck Baker. “We are thrilled to bring her aboard and are very confident that she will bring the breadth and the depth of her industry expertise and her passion for advocacy to the table in support of our members. I have had the good fortune of working with her on many issues during the past decade and have witnessed first-hand her attention to detail, constant professionalism, calm demeanor and wise counsel.”

“I have dedicated my career to working in the railroad industry,” Yurasko said. “I look forward to assisting ASLRRA and its members in telling the short line story, ensuring that regulators, legislators and policy makers understand the needs of small-business short line railroads and their suppliers. I’m eager to put my legal and regulatory experience to work supporting short lines, which are a unique and compelling American success story.”

Eileen Reilly

Global Train Services LLC (GTS) has become an ASLRRA Preferred Provider in the Association’s Member Discount Program. GTS will provide Positive Train Control (PTC) implementation and support services and grant writing services at a discounted rate to ASLRRA members. GTS Founder and CEO Eileen Reilly is well-known in the railroad communications and signals community as the former Vice President of Advanced Train Controls at the Alaska Railroad, where she oversaw PTC implementation.

For ASLRRA members planning to implement PTC, GTS will:

  • Support all testing, develop PTC operating rules, develop training plans, assist with interoperability, and troubleshoot and fix issues with the PTC system including issues with the locomotive, wayside segment and office segments.
  • Create and defend required Federal Railroad Administration PTC filings and amendments for Revenue Service Demonstration (RSD), Positive Train Control Implementation Plan (PTCIP) and Positive Train Control Safety Program (PTCSP) requirements.
  • Develop monthly tracking, configure management plans and write training aids.
  • Develop custom software tools for railroads to help generate efficiencies from client PTC systems.

“Our mission is to advance PTC operations for our clients while introducing software tools that leverage the PTC system to gain operational efficiencies for railroads,” said Reilly. “Whether looking for consultation with a PTC technology expert, or in need of an extra hand to supplement in-house PTC staff, GTS can provide specific, customized solutions for small business railroads. For railroads interested in applying for government grant programs, such as CRISI, BUILD or INFRA, GTS can provide expertise to write a grant in its entirety, develop the necessary documents through the lifetime of the grant or provide an experienced Program Manager to guide a railroad through the process.”

“GTS joining our Preferred Partner Program will benefit our members in multiple ways,” said Chuck Baker. “ASLRRA is fortunate to be able to pull together top-caliber expertise to assist our members in navigating grant writing processes and the complicated execution requirements of PTC. Eileen has been actively involved in our industry for a long time and is a world-class expert on PTC and related railroad technology issues.”

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