July 2023 NRC Bulletin

August 1, 2023

Policy on Entertainment - The NRC Board of Directors has adopted a Policy on Entertainment to provide all NRC Conference and NRC-REMSA Exhibition ("Conference") attendees an equal opportunity to participate in the entertainment of our railroad, transit, commuter, passenger and other customers, speakers, and guests.

The Policy applies to events in connection with the Conference. During this timeframe, private hospitality events on or off the Conference premises are not permitted and no organized private entertainment is permitted while conference proceedings or events are occurring. Attendees are encouraged to participate in the common hospitality events and may not organize events that compete with the conference program.

All Attendees are expected to comply with this Policy. By registering for the Conference, you are certifying that all representatives and associates who are attending the Conference on behalf of your organization have been notified of this Policy and will observe and abide by it.

‍Scam Alert -We ask conference attendees to be vigilant of scams, including any solicitations via email that offer hotel deals or registration lists on behalf of the NRC. These groups are not affiliated with the NRC. Please check the NRC website or email NRC staff directly for the most up-to-date conference information.

NRC Members: Innovation in Technology Award now open, The NRC Safety and Special Awards will open soon!

The NRC's annual Innovation in Technology Award is now open. This award honors and recognizes innovation and unique technologies, or technological services, created or implemented by an NRC member company. Eligible technologies or related services include grade crossings, RWP, contractor safety, freight rail, industrial track, rail transit, commuter rail, intercity passenger rail, rail on port facilities and rail on military facilities. To view the Innovation in Technology Award application please click here. 

The NRC Railroad Construction Project of the Year Awards recognize exemplary NRC member projects in two categories, the Large Project Category (projects with budgets over $10 million) and the Small Project Category (projects with budgets of $10 million or less). All types of rail construction projects are eligible for the awards and the purpose is to honor innovation, expertise, and quality project management. These award applications will be open to membership soon, and will be announced in the coming weeks.

The NRC Field Employee of the Year Award recognizes a field employee employed by a contractor member companies who exhibits exemplary performance during the year. The purpose of this award is to recognize and honor the rail contracting employee who has demonstrated the most dedication and excellence in his/her field. This application will be open to membership soon, and will be announced in the coming weeks.

The annual NRC Safety Award Award recognizes NRC member organizations and their continued commitment to safety and safe practices. The purpose of this award is to recognize and honor that safety commitment that NRC Members continually practice on a daily basis. This application will be open to membership soon, and will be announced in the coming weeks.

The NRC also encourages members to nominate individuals to the NRC Hall of Fame. The purpose of the NRC Hall of Fame is to recognize and honor those individuals who have made significant contributions to the NRC and the rail construction and maintenance industry. The criteria to be nominated is an individual must be a current or former employee or owner of an NRC member company is eligible for induction to the Hall of Fame. Members will be inducted according to the decision of the NRC Hall of Fame Induction Committee. To nominate someone for the NRC Hall of Fame, please click here. For more information or questions, please do not hesitate to contact Mike McGonagle at mmcgonagle@nrcma.org. 

All winners will be recognized at the NRC 2024 Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Questions? Please contact mmcgonagle@nrcma.org 

NRC 2023 Scholarship Program Application Now Available

New in 2023: The NRC has expanded its scholarship program. We're pleased to announce the following two changes:

1. Employees of NRC member companies are now eligible to apply for NRC scholarships. This expansion means that the NRC Scholarship Program is open to employees of member companies, their children and grandchildren.
2. The NRC has added one scholarship for trade school students. This addition means the program will offer a total of four scholarships: one trade-school scholarship and three undergraduate scholarships.



The NRC awards scholarships each year to provide higher-education and trade-school tuition assistance for employees and children or grandchildren of employees of NRC member companies. The scholarships were established by NRC members to honor the memory of two former NRC members –Vinnie Vaccarello (Co-President of All Railroad Services Corp.) and Patsy Crisafi (Executive Vice President of Roadway Worker Training, Inc.) – who were killed in a small plane crash. Since 2013, the NRC has awarded more than $150,000 in scholarships to eligible students.

‍Award Details - Scholarship funds in the following amounts are sent directly to the student winners at the beginning of the next term of study:

Undergraduate Scholarships:

• First-place award of $12,000
• Second-place award of $6,000
• Third place award of $3,000

Trade-School Scholarship:

• One $3,500 scholarship for a trade-school student - new this year

Eligibility - Applicants must meet these qualifications to be eligible for the scholarships:

• Be a full-time employee of an NRC member company (new this year) or a daughter, son, granddaughter or grandson of a current employee of an NRC member company.
• Be enrolled at the time of application as a full-time college student at an accredited two-year college offering an associate’s degree or an accredited four-year college or university offering a bachelor’s degree or a trade school, or a recent high school graduate enrolling at one of the institutions mentioned above.
• Must be enrolled at a qualified school for a full year following receipt of the award.
• Previous NRC Scholarship winners are eligible to apply for a scholarship if they still meet the requirements noted above.

Applications – Applicants should review all materials before submitting applications. Any application deemed incomplete will not be graded or considered eligible for an award.

• Application - Applicants must submit the following items in one PDF: 1) completed application, 2) reference letter on the member company letterhead, 3) office school transcript, 4) Essay on the following topic that is 500 words or less:
• Safety has always been the railroad industry’s number one priority. Outline three specific areas that could help drive further improvements of the rail industry and its public image. Provide examples for each.

Deadline - August 31, 2023

NRC Members: Publicize Your NRC Membership!

Now there’s a way to let others know that you and your company are NRC members. Here are four smart ways to show off your affiliation with the NRC, the U.S. trade association representing the interests of railway contractors and suppliers.

1.     Use it at the bottom of your email signature.

2.     Put it on your LinkedIn page in the interests/groups section.

3.     Print it on the back of your business card.

4.     Feature it on digital or electronic letterhead.

The graphic is available in three sizes to fit all the options noted above. Find the graphic on the NRC website in the member portal under “Membership.” You will have to log in and provide your membership credentials. Or simply email your request for the graphic to info@nrcma.org.

NRC Chairman's Column: Don’t Overlook Opportunities to Celebrate Exceptional Accomplishments

NRC Members, ICYMI: Check out NRC Chairman Steve Bolte’s column in the July issue of RT&S magazine. Chairman Bolte provides a timely reminder about all the NRC annual awards. He reminds readers that these are a tremendous way to draw attention to exceptional accomplishments by your company, your co-workers and yourself. To read the Chairman's Column, please click here.

Union Pacific names Vena as CEO, Whited as President

On July 26, Union Pacific Corp. announced that Jim Vena will become CEO, and Beth Whited will become President effective on August 14, as the duo will succeed current Chairman, CEO, and President Lance Fritz who announced earlier in 2023 that he would step down. Mike McCarthy will become the new Chairman.

As part of the transition, the company’s operations, finance, marketing and sales, supply chain and technology functions will report directly to Vena. Vena brings over 40 years of industry experience to the table, and is returning to UP after serving as COO from 2019 to 2020 and as a senior adviser to the Chairman in 2021. Vena also worked over 40-plus years at Canadian National Railway. Whited, who has been with UP for 35 years and held leadership roles across several departments, is the first woman to serve as the railroad’s president. Since 2022, she’s been the company’s executive vice president of sustainability and strategy, as well as chief human resources officer.

"One of the most vital characteristics we considered as we conducted the search to identify the next CEO was extensive railroad operating experience...Jim has that and more" said McCarthy in a press release. McCarthy continued "Beth has been key to Union Pacific’s transformation over many years across numerous functions. Her award-winning work driving sustainability and workforce development helped the company advance its culture and distinguish itself from peers."

Source: Union Pacific Corp, Progressive Railroading

DC Update: House and Senate Pass THUD Appropriations Bill Through Committee

On July 17, the House Appropriations Committee just voted to approve the FY 2024 THUD bill by a vote of 34 to 27. The Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies bill provides a discretionary total of $90.243 billion, which is $8.633 billion (8.7%) below the President’s Budget Request. In regards to the Department of Transportation, the Appropriations bill Provides a discretionary total of $21.574 billion to the Department of Transportation, which is $7.161 billion below the FY23 enacted level. Taken together with $79.342 billion in obligation limitation for highway trust fund programs, the bill provides $100.915 billion in total budgetary resources to our nation’s transportation system.

Following the House vote, on July 20 the Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously passed their FY24 THUD appropriations bill with higher funding levels than the levels passed by the House by a vote of 29-0. The Senate THUD Appropriations bill appropriates the overwhelming majority of public transit and passenger rail funding authorized by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The Senate THUD Appropriations bill, together with the IIJA’s advance appropriations, provides a total of $21.1 billion for public transit in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, a decrease of $103 million (-0.5 percent) from the FY 2023 enacted level and $2.2 billion more than the House THUD Appropriations bill. The bill, together with the IIJA’s advance appropriations, provides $4.05 billion for Capital Investment Grants (CIG), an increase of $240 million from FY 2023 enacted levels, and $2.1 billion more than the House THUD Appropriations bill.

The bills now will need to head to conference between the House and Senate, with a deadline of September 30 to finalize. Please see the below table that summarizes the House and Senate THUD Appropriations Bills:

FRA wants Class Is to Regularly Report Train-Length Info

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), in a follow-up to its recent safety advisory on train length, is calling on Class Is to report every month the number, length, and weight of trains operated on rail lines. In mid-July, the FRA announced in the Federal Register that it's seeking public comment on its information collection request (ICR) and comments are due September 19.

In the safety advisory that was released in May, it cited three significant incidents that have occurred since 2022, involving trains with more than 200 cars, 10,000 feet in length, and weighing more than 17,000 trailing tons. Train handling and train makeup are believed (by the FRA) to have caused, or contributed to, the incidents. In that advisory, FRA notes that operating longer trains presents challenges that are increased with heavier and longer trains. With that, the FRA recommends Class Is review their operating rules and programs. 

Source: FRA, Progressive Railroading

FRA Issues Safety Bulletin on June Fatality

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is investigating a fatality that occurred on June 26, 2023. The subject of the bulletin is: Trainee Switching Fatality Involving a Shove Movement in a Yard. Based on FRA’s preliminary investigation, a conductor and a conductor trainee (CT) were riding the point on an empty intermodal well car during a shoving move of a train consisting of two locomotives and 43 intermodal well cars. The CT was using a portable radio with a speaker microphone attached to his vest to communicate to the locomotive engineer. Preliminary findings suggest that, although the CT may have maintained three-point contact, his posture and position on the car were not stable enough to withstand the forces when the train slowed down and slack ran out. The CT lost his balance and fell forward into the gauge of the rail. The CT was subsequently struck by the rolling equipment, resulting in a fatality.

Derailment of Amtrak Passenger Train 7 on BNSF Railway Track

On July 5, The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a report on the September 25, 2021 derailment of Amtrak Passenger Train 7, the Empire Builder, carrying 149 passengers and 16 crewmembers, on BNSF Railway track near Joplin, Montana. Three passengers who were riding in the lounge railcar died, and 49 passengers and crewmembers were treated for injuries. The safety issues identified in this report include a combination of track conditions that, when combined, caused the train to derail. In the report, three recommendations are made to the Federal Railroad Administration, two recommendations are made to BNSF Railway, and one recommendation is made to all Class I and intercity railroads.