August 2021






 Upcoming 
Industry Events

60th Annual RSSI C&S Exhibition
September 21st-24th


Virtual Engineering Career Fair
September 23rd


AREMA 2021 Virtual Conference September 26th-30th


ASLRRA Annual Conference & Exhibition
November 17th-19th


Eurasia Rail
November 25th-27th
 
South America Trade Mission and Business Conference
December 5th-10th

NRC - REMSA 2022
January 5th-8th

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REMSA Grassroots Program

Industry News

FRA: $362MM CRISI Grant Program



 

Member News

 

Having returned from its annual August recess, Congress resumed its work on the budget reconciliation package that currently sits in the House in several of its key committees. The reconciliation process, which is being paired with the bipartisan infrastructure bill, requires just 51 votes in the Senate rather than 60 and will include portions of President Biden's agenda that don't have bipartisan support.

Before the summer break the House self-imposed a deadline of September 27th to cast a vote on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. If the deadline gets pushed back, Congress will need to pass a short-term extension of the surface transportation provisions from 2015's FAST Act which has been extended for a year as a reauthorization was negotiated. Those provisions were rolled into the IIJA.

Amit Bose, currently the Acting Administrator of the FRA will receive a hearing in the Senate Commerce Committee on this week, likely moving him one step closer to confirmation as the agency's Administrator.

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If you are interested in learning more about REMSA's government affairs efforts, please reach out to Cooper Ehrendreich at ehrendreich@remsa.org.

show22Booth sales, registration & housing for the
2022 NRC Conference & NRC-REMSA Exhibition are now open!

 

The 2022 NRC-REMSA Exhibition will take place January 5-6, 2022 at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix, AZ in conjunction with the 2022 NRC Conference, which will run January 5-8, 2022. 

Less than half of exhibition booths are still available, reserve yours today!

For conference details, please visit the NRC-REMSA Exhibition page.

For questions regarding the NRC-REMSA Exhibition and reserving your booth, please contact Urszula Soucie at soucie@remsa.org or (202) 844-6026.

For questions regarding the NRC Conference, registration, hotel, sponsorship, etc. please contact Mike McGonagle at mmcgonagle@nrcma.org or (202) 975-0365.

cescholarshipREMSA announces 2021 Continuing Education Scholarship


REMSA is pleased to announce the availability of one continuing education scholarship for tuition assistance. This year REMSA is offering one Continuing Education Scholarship up to $10,000. The purpose of this scholarship is to positively impact the future of the rail construction and maintenance industry by supporting REMSA member employees' education. REMSA is seeking scholarship applications from employees who are pursuing additional education that would allow them to work successfully and grow within the rail construction and maintenance industry.  

To be eligible for consideration, an applicant must: 
  • be a full-time employee of a REMSA member company. An employee who is the scholarship applicant is required to be a full-time employee.  Part-time employees and interns are not eligible;
  • provide proof of enrollment in a college or university or a vocational or technical institution continuing education program at the time the funds are disbursed.
For more information on the REMSA Continuing Education Scholarship Program, please visit our website to view the full application.




What do you enjoy most about being on the REMSA Board? 
Working together with other industry leaders who are singularly focused on giving back to an industry that touches the lives of so many people has been rewarding. The opportunity to network with fellow board members and customers has been an added bonus. Serving on the REMSA Board has been a fantastic experience that I would highly recommend.
 

What has your experience on REMSA Board taught you and what is your vision for the future of REMSA? 

REMSA is a strong organization with a bright future. The one thing that I wasn't aware of, is how involved REMSA is, in advocating for our customers in Washington through our government affairs committee.

 

How did you get started in the rail industry? 

I am an Army veteran and left the Army in the mid-90's taking up a sales position selling industrial gas and welding supplies into the rail industry. Over time I caught the rail industry bug, and combining the leadership and sales skills acquired over my career, I have had the pleasure of working for some of the biggest names in the industry, and even spent some time developing my own business in the international rail market! 

 

What do you love most about your job/the rail industry? 

What I love most about my job is the people. I have had the pleasure of working and interacting with some of the most dedicated and passionate people you will ever encounter. The people in this industry are proud to be a part of it, whether you're a customer, competitor or a co-coworker at the end of the day you're a part of the railroad community.

 

What do you find yourself doing most in your downtime? Hobbies outside of work? 

Out-side of work, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, playing a little golf and riding motorcycles.

 

How do you define the "future" of rail? Where do you think the industry is headed?

The rail industry is and will always be the backbone of the country. While remaining strong, I think there will be fundamental change in the future. In my opinion the industry will become more focused on technology and sustainability. High Speed and expansion of urban transit systems across North America will be a big part of increasing sustainability, reducing private journeys and even challenging aviation. Working internationally, I see similar trends to those over the last couple of decades in Europe, with increased public funding underpinning projects, something with plenty of challenges! Whatever direction things go the industry is well set to meet it head on and deliver for our customers.


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Each month, REMSA features one of its members in the rail industry as our Member of the Month. If you are interested in participating or nominating someone your company, please email info@remsa.org.

RSWRail Safety Week 2021 is underway
 
Rail Safety Week 2021 is officially underway! From September 20th-26th, Operation Lifesaver (OLI), a nonprofit rail safety education and public awareness organization dedicated to saving lives, is working with counterparts in Canada and Mexico to observe Rail Safety Week by raising awareness of rail safety issues and helping the public make safe decisions around tracks and trains. 

Visit OLI's website for their 2021 Rail Safety Week page or take a look at their campaign to #STOPTrackTragedies

newmemberNew Member Spotlight



All Hands Fire Equipment LLC is a Family Owned Business that offers Fire, Rescue, Tactical, EMS, and Industrial Safety Products and Training Since 2001. All Hands has worked with NYCT, WMATA, FDNY, NYPD, State and Federal Agencies, to the smallest rural Departments, and everything in between. New York City Transit and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority has been purchasing Eflares from All Hands since 2012. Eflares are the GO TO light for Flagging, Signal, and Safety Applications for the Rail and Transit Industry.

surveyHelp REMSA represent suppliers by taking our brief policy survey

One of REMSA's goals is to effectively represent our membership and advocate for policies that support rail suppliers and the maintenance-of-way industry. Please take just a couple minutes to complete our survey so that we can ensure our advocacy efforts are up to date and in line with your needs by clicking here.




Register now for a virtual career fair for engineering professionals on Thursday, September 23rd, hosted by REMSA and Naylor's engineering partners. 

The fair will take place from 11:00am to 2:00pm ET. More information can be found at REMSA's jobseekers page

itaBusiness Opportunities in Central America webinar series

 

The U.S. Commercial Service, part of the International Trade Administration, will be hosting a series of webinars highlighting business opportunities in Central America including projects in a number of sectors including construction equipment and building materials, architecture and engineering services, and more. The webinars will cover opportunities in Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize, Nicaragua and Panama. Those interested can register for an individual webinar or the entire series here

GrassrootsREMSA Grassroots Program


The 117th Congress has more than 50 new members in the House of Representatives and 7 new Senators, making 2021 a terrific opportunity to host a REMSA grassroots event at your company.

REMSA has hosted 50 grassroots events with member companies since the program was launched in 2015. Press releases detailing past events can be found here.

REMSA's Grassroots Program connects our association's membership with members of Congress to host tours and site visits of company facilities and ongoing projects.  It's a terrific way to showcase the positive impact that your company has in the local community, while also building strong personal relationships with your elected representatives.  We will also take the initiative to engage with local and regional media outlets to highlight your company and maximize the visibility of the great work that you are doing.  

Are you interested in growing your network and highlighting your products and services to the rail industry? Please contact Cooper Ehrendreich at ehrendreich@remsa.org to get started.

IndustryNEWSIndustry News

in1FRA: $362MM CRISI grant program
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) on Aug. 31 will publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) that provides nearly $362 million to eligible projects under the FY 2021 Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement (CRISI) grant program, and to related railroad trespass prevention projects. (Railway Age)

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is seeking public comments on supply-chain challenges in the port, rail and trucking sectors. The department's request for information, posted yesterday in the Federal Register, is in response to President Joe Biden's executive order that federal agencies address transportation bottlenecks and other ongoing problems in the U.S. supply chain. (Progressive Railroading)

CN announced that Kansas City Southern has provided notice of termination of the previously announced May 21, 2021, definitive merger agreement with CN. The notice was provided after the KCS board determined on Sept. 12 that an updated acquisition proposal from Canadian Pacific was "superior" to CN's offer to merge with KCS. (Progressive Railroading)

in4Amtrak's plan to connect the U.S.
50 years since Amtrak was founded, the United States' federally owned passenger operator is arguably at the most exciting juncture in its history. William Flynn, Amtrak President and CEO, presented the company's ambitious plans for growth and development to International Railway Journal Editor-in-Chief Kevin Smith. (Railway Age)

in5RTA names new Executive Director
The Railway Tie Association (RTA) Executive Committee has named Nathan (Nate) Irby, Ph.D., as the association's next Executive Director. Since 2013, Dr. Irby has field managed the strategic sourcing wood tie program for Union Pacific, the nation's largest Class 1 railroad. (RT&S)
MemberNEwsMember News

mn1All Hands Fire Equipment LLC awarded contract by NYC Transit for new Flagging Lanterns
All Hands Fire Equipment LLC was awarded a 27-month contract started on January 18th, 2019 to provide New York City Transit with over 22,000 new NYCT approved Eflare Flagging Lanterns and Magnetic Bases. (Press Release)

mn2REMSA Members Industry-Railway Suppliers, L.B. Foster, and Loram featured in Product update: Rail lubricants and friction modifiers 2021
L.B. Foster Co. focuses on helping freight and transit customers maximize existing friction management programs by continually improving equipment, consumables and performance monitoring services. 
Adverse wheel and rail interaction pose one of the biggest threats to the life and performance of rail and rolling assets. Loram Technologies Inc. offers gauge face and top-of-rail (TOR) consumables in biodegradable, synthetic and water-based versions.
Industry-Railway Suppliers Inc. is the exclusive U.S. distributor of Slip Plate's OEM-8 lubricant, company officials said in an email. (Progressive Railroading) 

R. J. Corman Railroad Group LLC has appointed Justin Broyles executive vice president of commercial affairs. In his new role, Broyles will add responsibility of all Class I corporate relations for the R. J. Corman companies and will continue to lead the commercial efforts for the R. J. Corman short lines and Storm Team, according to a company press release. (Progressive Railroading) 

Stantec, as part of the Balfour Beatty Vision 2 Reality Team, has been selected by the Jacksonville Transportation Authority to design and build Phase 1 of the its urban circulator program, The Bay Street Innovation Corridor. The program will modernize and expand the downtown transit circulator to accommodate autonomous vehicles (AV) and enhance overall mobility. (Progressive Railroading) 

Swisspod, in partnership with the Transportation Technology Center Inc. (TTCI),  yesterday broke ground on construction and development of a hyperloop testing facility in Pueblo, Colorado. (Progressive Railroading) 

The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) has recognized Vancer as the 2021 Veterans Engagement Award winner for efforts to recruit and retain veterans, and for supporting skill development for military veterans and their families. (Progressive Railroading) 

mn7STANLEY Infrastructure, RailPod form alliance
STANLEY Infrastructure and RailPod Inc. have teamed to connect STANLEY's industrial tool and attachment customer base with RailPod's track inspection technology. RailPod vehicles can measure track geometry, rail wear, bridge and tunnel clearances, and catenary; detect rail flaws; and provide asset mapping for passenger, freight and transit systems. (Railway Age)