Lake State Railway

Michigan Technological University's Zach Stanchina (left) and Lake State Railway's Roger Fuehring work to collect data on locomotive emissions for a study conducted through a partnership with ASLRRA, Michigan Tech, Lake State Railway and Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad. The study is funded by a Federal Railroad Administration grant.

ASLRRA Advances Work on Grant-Funded Emissions Study

The American Short Line and Railroad Association (ASLRRA) is working with Michigan Technological University and members Lake State Railway and Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad to advance the “Evaluation of Non-traditional Methods of Reducing Locomotive Emissions for Short Line Railroads” project, which was funded through a Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) grant received last year, to study short line locomotive emissions and the use of fuel additives and fuel injectors.

Railway Age recognized the R.J. Corman Railroad Company/Memphis Line (RJCM; top left) as its Short Line Railroad of the Year, and Lake State Railway (LSRC, top right) as its Regional Railroad of the Year for 2021. The Belpre Industrial Parkersburg Railroad (BIPR, bottom left) and Grenada Railroad (GRYR) each earned a Short Line Honorable Mention.

RJCM, LSRC, BIPR, GRYR Accept Railway Age Awards

The R.J. Corman Railroad Company/Memphis Line (RJCM) and Lake State Railway (LSRC) accepted Railway Age’s 2021 Short Line & Regional Railroads of the Year Awards at the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) Annual Conference & Exhibition in Phoenix, Ariz., on Nov. 18; the Belpre Industrial Parkersburg Railroad (BIPR) and Grenada Railroad (GRYR) received Short Line Honorable Mentions.

Regional of the Year: Lake State Railway

Railway Age’s 2021 Regional Railroad of the Year is the Lake State Railway (LSRC), which won the Railway Age 2018 Short Line of the year award. During the presentation of that award, CEO John Rickoff ended his remarks by saying, “Now we need to come back and win it again as a regional railroad.” Here’s how LSRC achieved this goal, as told by Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Mike Stickel.

Commentary

Let Us Hope That Good Sense Prevails

ASLRRA PERSPECTIVE, RAILWAY AGE, OCTOBER 2021 ISSUE: In 2017, the previous Administration dubbed the week of June 5 as “Infrastructure Week” as part of an effort to promote its $1 trillion infrastructure plan. Seven times in the following three and a half years, that Administration declared that infrastructure would be the theme of the week, only to see those plans thwarted in one fashion or another each time.

Fourteenth MSU RMC program under way

The fourteenth group of North American railroaders, representing Class I, II and III railroads, the U.S. military and major industry suppliers from the U.S., Canada and Mexico, on April 16 began work in Michigan State University’s Railway Management Certificate program.