Railroads File Suit Over CARB’s New In-Use Locomotive Regulation (Updated with TD Cowen Commentary)

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) and the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) on June 16 filed a lawsuit, on behalf of their members, against the California Air Resources

ASLRRA President Chuck Baker

ISB Joins ASLRRA as Member Discount Program Provider

The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) on June 20 announced that ISB Global Services (ISB) has joined the association as its newest Member Discount Program provider to bring background screening and compliance services to members.

Part 271–Risk Reduction Program Available to ASLRRA Members

The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) is offering Class II and III members access to its new Part 271–Risk Reduction Program, which is described as “a complete, pre-approved program to help railroads improve safety and comply with federal requirements.”

Commentary

Good Hits or Bad Hits? The Determination is Ours

ASLRRA PERSPECTIOVE, RAILWAY AGE JUNE 2023 ISSUE: “And the hits just keep on coming” was a phrase popularized by 1960s radio announcers to boast that their radio station was going to play one beloved record after another. The 1992 movie “A Few Good Men” popularized a wholly different meaning of the same phrase when Tom Cruise (Lt. Daniel Kaffee) who, at the end of a litany of contentious disagreements with his unwanted co-counsel Demi Moore (Lt. Cmdr. Joanne Galloway), utters those words in a sarcastic response to her assertion that, like it or not, she is coming to Cuba with him for his meeting with Jack Nicholson (Colonel Nathan Jessup).

FRA Administrator Amit Bose

FRA to Review Class I Railroad Safety

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) over the next year will assess the safety of all Class I railroads.

Seminole Gulf Railway

Donalds Reintroduces Legislation to Secure Disaster Relief for Short Line Railroads as Hurricane Season 2023 Begins

Last week Representative Byron Donalds (R-FL) reintroduced H.R. 3782—The Short Line Railroad Relief Act—alongside Representatives Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), Randy Feenstra (R-IA), Mike Bost (R-IL), Mary Miller (R-IL), Jake LaTurner (R-KS), Tracey Mann (R-KS), Jack Bergman (R-MI), Brad Finstad (R-MN), Chuck Edwards (R-NC), Don Bacon (R-NE) and Troy Nehls (R-TX). This legislation authorizes the establishment of a disaster relief program to provide much-needed immediate financial assistance to our nation’s short line railroads.   

(Short Line Safety Institute Photograph)
Commentary

Safety Is Quite Good—But Not Good Enough

ASLRRA PERSPECTIVE, RAILWAY AGE MAY 2023 ISSUE: The question on the table is: “What is the biggest challenge facing the North American freight rail industry, and how can it be addressed?” The

ASLRRA on May 17 reported via Twitter: “Meeting Rep. @MikeKellyPA today was wonderful! We had the chance to talk with him about how providing robust funding for infrastructure investments for #ShortLines is a proven way to help improve the industry’s (already excellent) safety record. #ASLRRAAdvocacy” (ASLRRA Photograph, via Twitter)

Short Lines Gather for Inaugural ‘Advocacy Day’

More than 150 representatives from Class II and III railroads, suppliers and supporting associations participated in the inaugural Short Line Railroad Advocacy Day, which was held May 17 in Washington, D.C. They

The May 11 hearing, “Getting Back on Track: Exploring Rail Supply Chain Resilience and Challenges,” was led by Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Tex.), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.

For House Rail Subcommittee, an Earful on Supply Chain Improvements

The rail industry’s role in overcoming supply chain challenges was the theme of a May 11 hearing of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials. It was part of what the T&I Committee called its continued “focus on ongoing supply chain challenges throughout the transportation sector, with the goal of identifying potential legislative solutions.” Among the five witnesses was American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) President Chuck Baker, who urged Congress members “to wield their pen with precision.”

(Steve Halama, Unsplash)

CARB Passes New In-Use Locomotive Regulation (Updated 5/3)

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) on April 27 passed a new rule aimed at reducing emissions from locomotives when they operate within the state.

LOAD MORE