March 2024 NRC Bulletin

April 1, 2024

This springtime event brings together buyers and sellers of used railroad construction and maintenance equipment. All contractors, suppliers, and railroads are invited to sell, consign, or donate their equipment.  

In recent years, this events has featured in-person and online auctions. Proceeds from donated equipment supports the NRC’s safety training programs, including the ongoing safety training video series and FRA Part 243 templates.

A Special Thanks to our Night-Before-Auction Happy Hour Sponsors!

Who Should Attend?

Attendance is open to all Class I, II, and III railroad personnel, shippers, members from the supplier community and members of associations that represent the industry with an interest in furthering the policy priorities of the railroad industry.

Meetings will be scheduled on May 8, 2024 during the day from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with a reception open to all participants (requires a ticketed registration) and Congressional members and staff in the evening.

Registrants will be invited to attend a Zoom training session, available on the following dates/times:

• April 30 at 2:00 p.m. EDT
• May 2 at 12:00 p.m. EDT
• May 6 at 4:00 p.m. EDT

Click Here to Register

Schedule of Events

7:00 to 9:00 a.m. — Breakfast and Materials Pickup at the Monocle Restaurant, Capitol Hill, Senate Side, 107 D Street NE, Washington, D.C. 20002. Railroad Day on Capitol Hill will kick off with a Grab and Go event within walking distance of the Hill offices. Here you can meet up with your first appointment team members and pick up materials.

9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. — Congressional Office Visits. Each attendee will be scheduled according to individual information supplied when registering.

Lunch — Attendees are on their own for lunch; there are cafeterias on the House and Senate sides of the Capitol building. Details will be provided on the training calls.

5:00 to 7:00 p.m. — A Capitol Hill reception will be held at the Rayburn Building, 45 Independence Ave SW, Washington, D.C. 20515.

There is not an event hotel for Railroad Day on Capitol Hill 2024. Please make arrangements to stay at the hotel of your choice in Washington, D.C. Locations of hotels close to the Capitol can be found here.

Interested in supporting the event with a sponsorship? Click here for more information. 

NRC Chairman’s Column: The Challenge of Communicating Across the Generations

Chairman’s Daloisio’s column in the March issue of RT&S magazine highlights the NRC’s thirtieth safety training video. Entitled “Communications Across Generations,” the 20-minute video addresses the challenge of working together harmoniously with five different generations comprising the work force. Chairman Daloisio shares comments by NRC Safety Committee Chairperson Erika Bruhnke about why the NRC chose this topic and the value we expect it will bring to our member companies and their employees.

Click to read the column in RT&S: "NRC Chairman's Column: The Challenge of Communicating Across the Generations"

NRC Membership Renewals Are Here

The 2024 NRC Membership enrollment period began February 15, 2024. Your dues invoice are posted to your organization’s primary account-holder's account. To view your organization’s invoice when it’s processed, please visit www.nrcma.org and login with your username and password. Once you are logged in, you will see the invoice in the ‘my invoices’ section. The invoice will present your organization with a few options on how to renew your NRC membership.

We greatly appreciate your NRC Membership, and look forward to having you all re-join this year! If you have any questions at all or would like any other additional information, please do not hesitate to reach out to marian@nrcma.org.

FY23-24 Combined CRISI NOFO Released in Federal Register

On March 29, the FY23-24 combined Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) was released in the federal register. The total combined funding available under this NOFO is just under $2.5 billion.

The purpose of the CRISI Program is to invest in a wide range of projects within the United States to improve railroad safety, efficiency, and reliability; mitigate congestion at both intercity passenger rail and freight rail chokepoints to support more efficient travel and goods movement; enhance multi-modal connections; and lead to new or substantially improved Intercity Passenger Rail Transportation corridors. To view the NOFO, please click here.

U.S. Department of Transportation Announces $450M for Ports

For fiscal year 2024, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD), published a Notice of Funding for $450 Million through MARAD's Port Infrastructure Development Program.

MARAD’s PIDP grants help eligible applicants complete critical port and port-related infrastructure projects in urban, rural and tribal communities. The Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $450 million annually, from FY 2022-FY 2026, in funding for the Program. Please click here to learn to read this article from USDOT.

CRS Report: Freight Rail Safety Legislation in the 118th Congress

On February 6, the Congressional Research Service released report of bills introduced in the 118th Congress including concerns such as hazardous materials transportation by rail, derailment prevention, train length, crew size, and blocked crossings.

The report highlights that rail safety issues were raised after the February 3 train derailment and chemical spill in East Palestine. Meanwhile, railroad companies stress that more stringent safety requirements are unnecessary given the industry's decades-long record of safety improvement. To read more the CRS Report on Freight Rail Safety Legislation in the 118th Congress, please click here.

FTA Proposes Mandatory Minimum Standards to Protect Rail Transit Workers

For the first time, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is proposing mandatory minimum standards to protect those who perform track work for rail transit agencies nationwide. Under a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking transit agencies would be required to "create a protection program geared at personnel who work on or around the tracks, implement comprehensive training for workers, and ensure that unsafe acts and conditions are reported". FTA Acting Administrator Veronica Vanterpool said "This rule will ultimately save lives. Once this rule is finalized, it will support safer conditions for workers who perform critical tasks that keep transit operating efficiently and safely."

FTA says it is also seeking feedback on the level of participation that safety committees may have in the proposed rule. The FTA encourages members of the public, transit agencies, State Safety Oversight Agencies, unions and other interested parties to submit comments on this proposed rulemaking for the transit industry to the Federal Register comment docket, which will be open for 60 days until May 24, 2024. To read more regarding the FTA Proposed Mandatory Minimum Standards, please click here.

LeAnna Gutierrez Cumber Joins Herzog as Chief Strategy Officer

Leading rail and heavy/highway contractor, Herzog, announced it has welcomed LeAnna Gutierrez Cumber as Chief Strategy Officer to expand the organization's capabilities and reach. LeAnna Gutierrez Cumber comes with prior experience running a transportation consulting firm for over 14 years and has lead successful U.S. Department of Transportation grant and loan pursuits.

Herzog Chairman and CEO Brad Lager said "LeAnna's appointment a Chief Strategy Officer reinforces our dedication to understanding and advancing our customer's missions. Her expertise in securing funding aligns seamlessly with Herzog's mission to not only provide top-tier rail and highway solutions but to empower our clients in achieving their broader objectives." To read more regarding Herzog's new Chief Strategy Officer, please click here.

NTSB: Roadway Worker's Workload a Factor in Caltrain Accident

Early March, the National Transportation Safety Board issued a report on its investigation of a 2022 collision between a Caltrain train and hi-rail construction vehicles. The NTSB determined that the probable cause of the accident was that the roadway worker-in-charge (RWIC) released exclusive track occupancy protection, leaving construction equipment unprotected on the main track due to his degraded performance and excessive workload. Since the accident, Caltrain created a draft Fatigue Risk Management Plan to address fatigue risk associated with long consecutive work schedules imposed on all employees, including RWICs.

Statement by Secretary Buttigieg on the President's Fiscal Year 2025 Budget

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg released statement regarding the Biden-Harris Administration Budget for Fiscal Year 2025. Buttigieg shared that "President Biden's Budget allows us to continue advancing vital work underway across the country- making travel safer on every mode of transportation, strengthening supply chains to keep costs down, and modernizing our infrastructure to serve Americans for generations. Part of the Budget for FY 2025 includes increasing rail safety and improve passenger rail serves that keep America's freight and passengers moving.

President Biden Nominates Homendy to Continue as NTSB Chair

President Biden announced his intention to nominate Jennifer Homendy as the continuing chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Jennifer Homendy has presided as the board's 15th chair since August 13, 2021 and presided over numerous public meetings to deliberate and finalize NTSB investigations in all modes of transportation. Jennifer Homendy manages an annual budget of $140 million and oversees more than 440 full-time employees.

USDOT FLOW Program Allows for More Responsive Operations

USDOT's Freight Logistics Optimization Works (FLOW) program was developed for participants to develop more responsive operations using aggregated data. Participants of the program include cargo owners, ocean carriers, ports, terminals and railways. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics anonymizes, regionally segments, and aggregates the data to receive or view FLOW data for the purpose of providing a broad, daily view of current conditions of the overall logistics network. The FLOW program can help the industry mitigate bottlenecks and service-level volatility.