RRIF Express 2.0: More Accessible to Small Roads
The U.S. Department of Transportation is expanding eligibility and providing more flexibility for the Railroad Rehabilitation and Investment Financing Express (RRIF Express) program.
American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association
TRRA ASLRRA Veterans Engagement Honoree
The American Short Line Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) has selected the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis (TRRA) as its 2020 Veterans Engagement Award winner for “focused and sustained efforts to recruiting veterans for employment, and for the railroad’s efforts beyond their workforce in supporting U.S. Veterans and their families in their community.”
Association News: ASLRRA Connections Convention a ‘Virtual’ Success; MARS Awards 17 Scholarships
The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association’s (ASLRRA) Virtual Connections Convention held earlier this month drew nearly 600 attendees with more than 130 speakers and 40-plus exhibitors. Additionally, the Midwest Association of Rail Shippers (MARS) has awarded scholarships to 17 college undergraduates as part of an annual program.
Staggers Act Lessons Remain Relevant in 2020
ASLRRA PERSPECTIVE, RAILWAY AGE OCTOBER 2020 ISSUE: This month marks the 40th anniversary of the passage of the 1980 Staggers Rail Act. It is an anniversary well worth emphasizing to the growing number of people who were not then in the industry and have little connection to that history. This landmark legislation literally saved the nation’s railroads from near total collapse. By the mid-1970s, many Class I railroads were in or near bankruptcy. Deferred maintenance was growing exponentially, and the “standing derailment” phenomenon had come to symbolize the sad state of the industry.
ASLRRA: Ensuring the Health of Member-Company Employees
The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) is offering a new health insurance program for its member companies with 20 or more employees.
U.S. DOT Awards $320.6 Million for Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement Projects (Updated)
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced that it is distributing $320.6 million to 50 projects that improve the safety, efficiency and reliability of freight rail and intercity passenger service in 29 states.
Safety Culture Assessments: Similar for Freight and Commuter Rail Operations, Report Says
The Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI) can expand its freight railroad Safety Culture Assessments (SCA) to another industry sector: commuter rail. A recent study shows that its multimethod assessment process, which has been conducted across 90 short lines to date, is transferable.
Aiming the Congressional Hammer
Congress is one of the American public’s least favorite entities. Recent polling data puts the approval rating of Congress at 25%. Gallup’s long-standing “Confidence in U.S. Institutions” polling shows that Congress has maintained the lowest confidence rating of the 15 institutions listed since 2010.
ASLRRA Honors Jimenez, Herod With Safety Awards
The American Short Line Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) has honored Jose Jimenez, Machinist, The Belt Railway Company of Chicago (BRC) as Safety Person of the Year, and Travis Herod, SVP of Environmental, Health and Safety at Watco Companies (Watco) as the Safety Professional of the Year.
What’s Changed? Just About Everything
ASLRRA PERSPECTIVE, RAILWAY AGE, JUNE 2020 ISSUE: National survey data indicate that 70% of Americans have not left their homes to visit family or friends, more than 50% have not gone into work, 20% do not leave their home to shop for the essentials of life, and 33% have someone in their household that has either lost a job or took a pay cut because of the coronavirus outbreak. A stunning 39 million Americans have filed for unemployment since early March.