NRC Updates and Announcements |
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NRC 2022 Railroad Equipment Auction - April 22-28, 2022
The NRC is hosting our annual construction and maintenance equipment auction in-person and virtually from April 22nd through April 28, 2022 at the Delta Railroad Services location in Austinburg, OH. Haven't been or participated in an NRC Auction before? Check out the NRC 2022 Auction Video on what to expect.
Important Dates for sellers:
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The final date to get any items included in the auction brochure is Friday, April 1, 2022.
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Consigned or donated auction items must have pictures and product information submitted by Friday, April 15, 2022
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Submit this information via email to thomas@blackmonauctions.com.
Questions? Contact Thomas Blackmon of Blackmon Auctions at thomas@blackmonauctions.com or NRC staff at info@nrcma.org.
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Location: Delta Railroad Services, 2950 Industrial Park Drive, Austinburg, Ohio 44010
Events and other Important Information:
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Virtual “smalls” auction begins Friday, April 22nd. Bids will be accepted until Wednesday, April 27, 2022 at 5:00pm EDT Registered buyers will have an opportunity to bid virtually on smaller auction items like scrap metal, tools, etc.
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The NRC-hosted Happy Hour and viewing party will begin at 3:00pm EDT at The Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake and is open to all auction attendees and participants.
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Thursday, April 28, 2022 at 9:00am EDT - In-person auction begins. Registered buyers will have an opportunity to bid in-person or online for equipment at Delta Railroad Services yard in Austinburg, OH.
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Live Auction with Online Bidding - Begins on Thursday, April 28, 2022, at 9 am EDT . We will conduct the auction live at the Delta Railroad Services yard in Austinburg, Ohio. Registered buyers will have an opportunity to bid in-person or online. All of these large items will close as the auctioneer says, "Sold!"
Hotel Recommendations (for attendees):
Equipment and Bidder Registration: To register equipment for sale or donation, or to register as a bidder, please email NRC staff at info@nrcma.org and Thomas Blackmon Jr. of Blackmon Auctions at thomas@blackmonauctions.org.
Equipment Inspection: Contact Thomas Blackmon at thomas@blackmonauctions.com for equipment inquiries.
Shipment & Delivery of Equipment: The 2022 auction is virtual, to schedule shipment or delivery of equipment following the auction, please contact Thomas Blackmon Jr. of Blackmon Auctions at thomas@blackmonauctions.com
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Railroad Day on the Hill 2022 Recap
On March 9 and 10, NRC members and staff alike partnered with the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA), the Association of American Railroads (AAR), and several other rail industry groups for virtual Railroad Day on the Hill 2022. The event drew over 300 participants and interfaced with over 220+ Congressional offices, and was a great chance for stakeholders to tell the story and economic value of the railroad industry in the US and beyond.
With the 45G tax credit becoming permanent in 2020, participants this year called upon Congress to support full funding and streamlined implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to improve efficiencies, safety and environmentally friendly freight transportation, preserve the economic regulation and refrain from efforts that would adversely impacts the railroads' ability to invest now and in the future, and to oppose all efforts to increase truck length or weight limits.
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NRC 2022 Education Grant: Now Accepting Applications
The NRC is now accepting applications for its Education Grant Program. The Program awards an education grant to a college, university or technical school within the United States with a railway construction, railway engineering or construction management program. It is the only association grant program specific to the rail industry.
The deadline for receiving completed applications is April 29, 2022, at 5 pm EDT. Applicants will be informed of their application status after Memorial Day. Grant application materials can be emailed to info@nrcma.org, sent via Adobe PDF, Dropbox or similar program.
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NRC IIJA Resource Page, BIL Dashboard Available
Additionally, the BIL (Bipartisan Infrastructure Law) dashboard that came out earlier in February. In an effort to streamline and present critical information related to available discretionary grants, the agencies that are involved, and the important dates related to all applications, the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) created a comprehensive dashboard with all pertinent information. Please click here to view the DOT's comprehensive dashboard on BIL.
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Renew Your NRC Membership or Join Today!
It's time to renew your company's NRC 2022 membership. NRC staff has emailed your organization's primary contact for with all corresponding information for your organization's renewal. If your organization was a member in 2021, and you would like to renew or have any questions about renewing or joining in please contact NRC staff at info@nrcma.org
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USDOT Announce Three-Program NOFO for up to $2.9 Billion in Discretionary Grants
On March 23, US Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced $2.9 billion of funding now available for major infrastructure projects through a combined Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) under President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). According to Buttigieg, combining three major grant programs into one Multimodal Projects Discretionary Grant opportunity reduces the burden for state and local applicants and increase the pipeline of "shovel-worthy" projects now possible because of BIL.
"President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fix our outdated infrastructure and invest in major projects for the future of our economy...until now, we had limited ability to make awards beyond a certain level, or to support projects with funding from multiple federal grants programs. Under this approach and with a major infusion of new funding, we have the capacity to green-light more transformational projects that will create good-paying union jobs, grow the economy, and make our transportation system safer and more resilient." said Buttigieg.
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NOFO Details and Information:
The National Infrastructure Project Assistance (MEGA) program was created in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to fund major projects that are too large or complex for traditional funding programs. The program will provide grants on a competitive basis to support multijurisdictional or regional projects of significance that may also cut across multiple modes of transportation. Eligible projects could include highway, bridge, freight, port, passenger rail, and public transportation projects of national and regional significance.
The Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) program is an existing competitive program that will see a more than 50 percent increase in this year’s funding due to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. These grants advance the Administration’s priorities of rebuilding America’s infrastructure and creating jobs by funding highway, multimodal freight and rail projects that position America to win the 21st century. Projects will improve safety, generate economic benefits, reduce congestion, enhance resiliency, and hold the greatest promise to eliminate supply chain bottlenecks and improve critical freight movements
The Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program (RURAL) was created in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will support projects to improve and expand the surface transportation infrastructure in rural areas to increase connectivity, improve the safety and reliability of the movement of people and freight, and generate regional economic growth and improve quality of life. Eligible projects for Rural grants include highway, bridge, and tunnel projects that help improve freight, safety, and provide or increase access to an agricultural, commercial, energy, or transportation facilities that support the economy of a rural area.
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Jennifer Mitchell named FRA Deputy Administrator
On March 10, it was announced that Jennifer Mitchell, currently the director of the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, will step into the role of Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) deputy administrator in April. Mitchell has helmed the agency responsible for funding and overseeing Virginia's transit and rail systems since 2014.
Mitchell led the recently announced $3.7 billion deal with CSX to build the Long Bridge between Arlington, VA and Washington, D.C., the extension of passenger rail to Roanoke, VA and the opening of a new bus rapid transit system in Richmond, VA. The deputy position at FRA, which does not require Senate confirmation, opened up in January when Amit Bose, initially appointed as deputy administrator so he could start immediately, was confirmed by the Senate as FRA Administrator. "Jennifer has been a real credit to Virginia and we wish her well as she moves to this exciting and important position. We look forward to continuing to work with her in the future,” said Virginia Secretary of Transportation W. Sheppard Miller III
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FTA Standards Development Program: Rail Transit RWP Report Released
In late-February 2022, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) released its' report on transit rail Roadway Worker Protection (RWP) of the country's modern Rail Transit Agencies (RTA). The Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI), with support from the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) at the University of South Florida, was tasked by the FTA to research and review existing standards and best practices and develop use cases, a risk assessment matrix, and high-level concepts of operations for transit rail RWP.
The report found that 70% of respondent transit rail agencies are using, to varying extents, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) RWP regulations contained in 49 CFR Part 214, Subpart C - Roadway Worker Protection methods. Additionally, after a literature and database review, it was revealed there were several hazards that current rules and regulations do not fully address, and incident reports documented multiple instances in which roadway workers were struck by a rail vehicle. With that, the report also details ways that RWP at agencies could be improved. For example, available RWP technologies are designed to provide additional warning to workers and train crews, but they do not serve as primary protection; meaning that overlaying the technologies may enhance RWP. To read and view the full report, please click here.
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Tracks to the Future: Railroad Transportation and Engineering, Register Today!
NRC members and industry friends, after ten years of operating a successful summer program, Michigan Tech, in partnership with University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and Penn State Altoona are expanding the opportunities to learn rail transportation and engineering.
The program will explain and help attendees learn about the most energy-efficient transportation mode and how railroads are leading the charge in reducing transportation greenhouse gas emissions.
The program, running from June 26 to July 1, 2022 will be held at Michigan Tech University. Please be advised that the application deadline is April 10, 2022. For more information on how to register or the program itself, please click here.
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Industry News and Updates |
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Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) is recommending $4.45 billion both to advance new rail and bus rapid transit (BRT) projects for first-time funding and to continue funding for eight projects with existing construction grants in FY 2023. These projects, which require a local match, competed for funding through the Federal Transit Administration's Capital investment Grants (CIG) Program, and Expedited Project Deliver (EPD) Pilot Program. “Public transit creates jobs, reduces traffic and pollution, and lowers the cost of living for people in the community,” said Buttigieg. “With this funding made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we can help support transit projects all over the country that will improve the lives of millions of Americans.”
CSX, Norfolk Southern Railway (NS), the Alabama State Port Authority and its affiliated railroad are asking the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to order mediation with Amtrak over Amtrak's proposed Gulf Coast service. In a filing with the STB, the Class Is, port and Terminal Railway Alabama State Docks noted that, during a recent public hearing on the case, both sides expressed a willingness to discuss their difference over freight-rail service concerns that could occur if Amtrak reintroduces passenger-rail service between New Orleans, LA and Mobile, AL. Amtrak has not operated the Gulf Coast service since Hurricane Katrina struck the region in 2005.
The week of March 25, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) announced that it's allowing supplemental written comments and extending the period for ex parte communications regarding its proposed reciprocal switching rule. The follows a two-day hearing held the week of March 18 on the matter. The written comments are due April 4, while the period for ex parte communications will close April 22.
On March 21, NRC Member Hitachi Rail announced that Washington County, MD., will be the location of the organization's state-of-the-art $70 million factory. The factory will be used to build the new fleet of 8000-seriea railcars for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). The factory building will cover 307,000-square feet and includes a large production area, warehouse and main office, and will sustain a total of 1300 jobs. The manufacturing facilities will be built on a 41-acre plot, which will also be equipped with an 800-yard test track allowing dynamic testing of trains on site. “Having a global company like Hitachi Rail select Hagerstown as the site of a major U.S. expansion is outstanding news for Washington County and the entire state of Maryland," said Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan.
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The NRC is a trade association representing businesses from across the nation in the rail construction and maintenance field. NRC members range in size from small family businesses to the largest companies in the industry. NRC members perform work for transit, commuter, intercity passenger, industrial, and freight rail customers, with services including track construction and maintenance, grade crossings, signal and communications installation, bridge construction and repair, rail yard work, and many more. The NRC strives to put an emphasis on rail safety and quality while proudly serving the rail industry |
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