September 2023 NRC Bulletin

September 28, 2023

Schedule-At-A-Glance

Wednesday, January 3, 2024

Registration: 8:00 am - 7:30 pm

Exhibitor Set-up: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm

Reception in Exhibit Hall: 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Thursday, January 4, 2024

General Session: 7:00 am - 8:45 am; 10:15 am - 12:15 pm

Exhibits: 8:45 am - 10:15 am, 12:15 pm - 1:45 pm; 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Seminars: 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Friday, January 5, 2024

General Session: 7:00 am - 11:00 am

Exhibits Tear Down: 7:30 am - 12:00 pm

Golf and Trap Shooting (additional registration required): 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Saturday, January 6, 2024

General Session: 7:30 am - 12:15 pm

Finale Reception: 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

L.B Foster Sports Party: 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm

A full schedule with confirmed and invited speakers will be made available shortly.

For the more up-to-date information on the NRC Conference, visit: https://www.nrcma.org/events/nrc-remsa-annual-conference

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: All Annual Awards Now Open!

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 due date for the Innovation in Technology Award is October 31.

The annual NRC Safety 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. Please click here to access and submit the NRC Safety Award. The due date for the NRC Safety Award is November 15.

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. Please click here to access and submit the NRC Railroad Construction Project of the Year Award. The due date for the Railroad Construction Project of the Year Awards are October 31.

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. Please click here to access and submit the NRC Field Employee of the Year Award. The due date for the NRC Field Employee of the Year Award is October 31.

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. The due date for the NRC Hall of Fame application is October 31.

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

NRC Welcome Marian Barreto as Operations and Meeting Manager

The NRC has named Marian Barreto as its Operations and Meeting Manager. In this new position, Marian will help manage NRC programs and events and support the association's annual conference. Marian will also collaborate with association leadership and members to manage the membership database and annual renewals, coordinate association committee work, and produce the membership newsletter.

"We are delighted to welcome Marian to the NRC,” says NRC President Ashley Wieland. “We’re confident she will be an effective team player who can juggle a lot of balls. We look forward to working with Marian to continue to enhance the quality and value of NRC programs and events for our members.” Marian brings to the NRC nearly 10 years of operations management experience. She most recently served as Chief Executive Officer for MAZ Management, a seven-location, multidisciplinary dental group in the Greater Washington, D.C. area. She has broad experience managing multi-faceted operations and coordinating events with venues, hotels, and restaurants.

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.

USDOT, FRA Announce $1.4 Billion in CRISI Grants

On September 25, The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced that it has invested more than $1.4 billion from President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) into 70 rail improvement projects through the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program. USDOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg said, "These projects will make American rail safer, more reliable, and more resilient, delivering tangible benefits to dozens of communities where railroads are located, and strengthening supply chains for the entire country.”

Projects will benefit every region of the country, with nearly two-thirds of CRISI funding flowing to rural communities and projects in those communities. While the majority of selected projects support freight rail safety and supply chains, CRISI investments are also helping to expand world-class passenger rail to more communities nationwide. “The selected projects will tackle issues facing communities and invest in a 21st century rail network yielding greater benefits – faster and more reliable deliveries of goods, safer communities, cleaner transportation, and more jobs and workforce development opportunities.” said FRA Administrator Amit Bose. To view a full list of FY 22 CRISI Grant winners, please click here.

Senate Introduces Stopgap Bill to Prevent Government Shutdown, DOT Outlines Shutdown Plan

On the evening of September 26, Senate leaders released a 79-page continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown that would start on October 1. The bill proposed by Senate leaders would fund the government until November 17, giving Congress some more time to debate a longer term resolution and bill.

While the Senate works on the aforementioned stopgap, on September 25, the House voted to advance four full-year spending bills for the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Department of State, and the Department of Agriculture. While that progress is helpful, these efforts would do nothing to prevent a government shutdown. Additionally, sensing a shutdown is increasingly likely, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) outlined an operation plan in the event the government is shutdown. Specifically, the Federal Railroad Administration identifies a sumary of significant agency activities that would continued during a shutdown. To view the operating plan, please click here.

NRC sends Truck Size and Weight Letter to Congress, More than 1500 Local Leaders Sign on to Letter

On September 11, NRC along with over 1500 local government leaders signed on to a letter, opposing congressional proposals to increase truck length or weight. The Coalition Against Bigger Trucks (CABT, which NRC is a part of) organized the letter, which maintains that longer or heavier trucks could damage local infrastructure and cost local governments billions of dollars. It also states that local and rural roads are not built to the same standards as interstates, meaning longer and heavier trucks could increase costs and make it harder to keep up with maintenance schedules.

The letter follows efforts over the month of August, where NRC and industry partners sent over a dozen letters urging lawmakers to oppose heavier trucks. In partnership with NRC, the Railway Engineering Maintenance Suppliers Association (REMSA), Railway Supply Institute (RSI), and the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) highlighted to Members of Congress the threats that heavier and longer trucks pose to the Nation's infrastructure. To read the NRC's letter, please click here.

STB Releases NPRM on Forced Switching

On September 7, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) issued a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) for reciprocal switching, also referred to as forced switching. The rule seeks to enable shippers to move cargo from one railroad to another under certain circumstances. This has long been an issue the freight railroads have opposed. AAR President and CEO Ian Jefferies said in a press release "The withdrawal of the ill-conceived 2016 forced switching proposal is a positive development, as the extensive record developed by this Board on that proposal clearly demonstrated that it was both unwise and unworkable...While the STB did not perform a cost-benefit analysis, any new regulation must be backed by data, narrowly tailored to address a specific and well-defined problem, and ensure benefits exceed costs. Any switching regulation must avoid upending the fundamental economics and operations of an industry critical to the national economy -- that Congress saved once by partially deregulating – and be subject to the highest level of scrutiny."

The proposed rule aims to allow companies that ship goods whose facility is served by only one railroad to switch their load to a different railroad at the first possible juncture. The STB says the rule will promote competition among the consolidated railroad industry. The rule would enable a reciprocal switching agreement when a railroad’s service fails to meet certain performance standards. Additionally, no rail customer has succeeded in obtaining a reciprocal switching order in the last 40 years and none have even been sought by a shipper since before 1990. Comments on the NPRM are due by Oct 23. For more information, please click here.

FRA Releases Safety Advisory on Roadway Maintenance Machines

On September 26, the Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) issued a Safety Advisory on the safety of roadway workers who operate or work near roadway maintenance machines (RMM). It emphasizes the importance of rules and procedures and recommends that railroads and contractors review and update their rules regarding those who operate or work near RMMs.

The safety advisory also recommends that railroads and contractors communicate those changes to their employees, and monitor their employees for compliance with existing rules and procedures and updated rules and procedures, if implemented. In addition, this safety advisory recommends that railroads and contractors conduct additional safety briefings to raise workers' awareness of the hazards associated with operating and working around RMMs. To view the safety advisory, please click here.

FRA Releases Safety Advisory on High-Impact Wheels, Publishes Hazardous Materials Compliance Manual

On September 12, the Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) released a notice of safety advisory recommending railroads utilize Wheel Impact Load Detectors (WILD) to properly identify and replace high-impact railcar wheels that could cause significant damage to rails and supporting track structures. FRA's preliminary investigation of a recent train derailment in Gothenburg, Nebraska, indicates that high-impact wheels damaged the rail the train was operating over and caused the derailment. The advisory states "Current industry practices for using WILDs to identify and replace high-impact wheels could prevent such incidents in the future." To read the safety advisory, please click here.

On August 29, the FRA's Office of Railroad Safety published its Hazardous Materials Compliance Manual online, with a link to updated guidance to replace outdated information in Appendix A. Information in the manual includes inspection and investigation procedures, field reporting procedures and forms, enforcement and compliance programs and tools and more. Appendix A comprises hazardous materials guidance notices, also known as HMG. To view the manual, please click here.

NS details plan to pay for lost home values in East Palestine

On September 18, Norfolk Southern Railway announced it would offer an interim value assurance program (VAP) to compensate East Palestine, Ohio homeowners for any loss in residential property value following the Feb 3, 2023 NS train derailment. The announcement comes as NS is working toward a long-term program as part of broader commitments the railroad made in March to help the East Palestine area recover from the derailment’s impact, company officials said in a press release. Through the interim VAP, homeowners can be compensated for any difference between their home's market value and its sale price. The program applies to residents in the defined area in and around East Palestine who’ve sold their homes since Feb. 3, currently have their homes on the market or who will put their homes on the market, NS officials said.

AAR: Railroads leverage emergency dispatch services to increase AskRail access

The Association of American Railroads (AAR), working with Norfolk Southern, recently integrated AskRail into emergency management agencies (EMAs) dispatching services in Columbiana County, Ohio, and Beaver County, Pennsylvania. The initiative marks a "major stride" toward enhancing rail emergency response by ensuring first responders can quickly access the information they need to plan a safe response to rail-related emergency, said AAR officials in a press release. By integrating AskRail into Emergency Communications Centers (ECCs), railroads ensure those forces have access to vital information via established communications channels. Additionally, according to AAR statistics, more than 2.3 million first responders nationwide have access to AskRail thanks to railroads’ partnerships with CHEMTREC, CANUTEC and Emergency Call Centers.

FRA completes environmental reviews of Brightline West HSR project

On September 18, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced it has completed the environmental reviews of Brightline West's proposed Las Vegas-to-Southern California high-speed rail (HSR) project. Brightline West has proposed offering a passenger rail service on a 200-mile corridor between Southern California and Las Vegas. The project calls for proven HSR technology and the construction of a grade-separated, dedicated passenger-only railroad predominantly in the median of or alongside Interstate 15, adding transportation capacity to the freeway corridor. The FRA, in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, STB, Federal Highway Administration and the National Park Service, initially prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) in 2009, a supplemental DEIS in 2010, and a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) in 2011. The FRA most recently completed reevaluations of the FEIS and Record of Decision (ROD) in September 2020, and September of 2022.

CTA’s Red Line Extension project in line for $1.97 billion FTA grant

On September 11, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) announced a Red Line Extension (RLE) Project on the far south side of Chicago from 95th to 130th St. is in line for $1.97 billion in critical grant funding from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The grant would be the largest transit infrastructure grant awarded to CTA in the agency's history.  “Today is a great day for the south side of Chicago,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. “The far south side has been promised for 50 years that the Red Line would be extended to the city’s southern border and, today, we can say that promise is significantly closer to being met." The Engineering phase of the project is expected to continue into 2024 and anticipates a funding award by the end of 2024 subject to federal review and approvals. The remaining project funding will come from a $950 million Transit Tax Increment Financing (TIF) approved by the Chicago City Council in 2022 and other sources. Following the news of the grant announcement, the CTA issued its request for proposals (RFP) to three contracting teams pre-selected by CTA earlier this year to design and build the project. CTA expects to award the contract in 2024 for the project. For more information on the project, please click here.

Amtrak awards contracts for Baltimore tunnel project

On September 11, Amtrak announced it had chosen Clark Construction and NRC member Stacy & Witbeck joint venture as the first of three major construction contractors for the "southern approach" construction phase of the Frederick Douglass Tunnel Program in Baltimore. The southern approach package is being delivered using a construction manager at-risk delivery method. The contract incudes: building a new ADA-accessible West Baltimore MARC station, constructing the southern approach from the south of the West Baltimore Station area and extending north to the new tunnel's south portal, replacing multiple rail bridges, and relocating and realigning utilities. The entire investment for the Frederick Douglass Tunnel is estimated at $6 billion.