Railway Age February 2020

February 2020

w w w. r a i lwaya g e .c o m

AILWAY GE S e r v i n g t h e r a i lway i n d u s t r y s i n c e 1 8 5 6

Brad Robertson

Canadian Pacific

10

UNDER

40 The Next Generation Makes a Difference

BIG DATA TOOLS

Improving railcar management, utilization and profitability

TTCI R&D

railwayage.com

Assessment of service-worn August 2017 // Railway Age 1 M-976 trucks

Congratulations to our very own Justin Waldeck

The CN family congratulates Justin Waldeck for being honored as a Fast Tracker – 10 Rising Industry Stars Under 40. cn.ca

AILWAY GE

February 2020 FEBRUARY 2020

14 FEATURES

14 24 30

Shutterstock/ Mr.Suchat

32

10 Under 40 Railway Age’s “Fast Trackers”

Railinc Analytics Effective Use of Big Data Tools

TTCI R&D Evaluating M-976 Truck Wear

Understanding CPC-1354 Appendix B Revisions Explained

DEPARTMENTS 4 6 7 36 36 37 38 38 39

Industry Indicators Industry Outlook Market People Events Products

NEWS/COLUMNS 2 8 12 40

From the Editor Watching Washington Financial Edge ASLRRA Perspective

Professional Directory Classified Advertising Index

On the Cover: 10 Under 40 honoree Brad Robertson, Canadian Pacific.

Photo: CP

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February 2020 // Railway Age 1

FROM THE EDITOR

AILWAY GE Subscriptions: 800-895-4389

Rebadging NAFTA

T

he U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), essentially a reboot of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which has governed trade among the United States and its North American neighbors since 1994, is now in place. President Trump signed the agreement in a ceremony marked by “great fanfare,” as one news outlet described it, on the South Lawn of the White House on Jan. 29, with 400 invited guests.

The President has promoted the USMCA as a wholesale overhaul of the “NAFTA nightmare,” as he called it in his remarks at the signing ceremony. Let’s be clear: NAFTA never was a nightmare, and the USMCA, not to take away from its importance to the North American economy and the railroad industry, isn’t all that different from what it replaced.

The USMCA is sort of like the “badge engineering” that General Motors practices: Taking a Chevrolet Equinox, making a few tweaks to the front clip and tail lamps, changing a few interior fittings, applying badges, dressing it up with different wheels and calling it a GMC Terrain, Buick Envision or Cadillac XT4. It’s more luxurious, perhaps a bit more stylish and has more bells and whistles. But underneath the skin, it’s still a GM Theta platform-based SUV, basically the same car, with similar powertrain options.

Trade experts and economists say the President’s characterization of the USMCA

as totally new is inaccurate. “The USMCA is 95% of the existing NAFTA agreement,” says Peterson Institute for International Economics Senior Fellow Jacob Kirkegaard.

“There are provisions that cover things like e-commerce and digital services, but with regard to the manufacturing sector, for instance, there’s very little change. [Trump] didn’t get much; he got to rename it.”

The President says the USMCA will boost U.S. economic growth by 1.2%.

White House officials had previously estimated the economic boost at about 0.5%.

Both numbers are probably overstated.

Moody’s Analytics Chief Economist Mark Zandi describes the USMCA as a “tweak” to NAFTA. I call that rebadging.

Trade economists say a few economic sectors will see an incremental boost. Higher automotive rules-of-origin requirements will increase the percentage of components and sub-assemblies that must be sourced in North America, and improved labor and environmental standards will decrease the financial incentives automakers have to manufacture cars and components in Mexico, where labor costs are lower and environmental regulations more lax.

So, call it what you like: USMCA, NextGen NAFTA, Nuevo NAFTA, whatever.

Underneath the badge, it’s basically the same 25-year-old free trade agreement that our industry needs to grow and prosper.

WILLIAM C. VANTUONO Editor-in-Chief

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Industry Indicators “A Conclusion, or a Major Turning Point in 2020” “Pivotal economic shifts this year will set the scene for the decade to come,” AAR Senior Economist Luisa Fernandez-Willey noted last month.

“Although a new chapter begins, concerns we’ve seen building over the past several years will likely reach either a conclusion or major turning point in 2020—concerns including the ongoing trade disputes and currently unrealized recession predictions. By diving deeper into 2019’s rail traffic numbers, we can get a glimpse into how these disparate stories have converged to shape the broader economy. They also provide us with a better understanding as to the current state of the industry and a better sense of what 2020 may bring.”

Railroad employment, Class I linehaul carriers, DECEMBER 2019 (% change from DECEMBER 2018)

TRAFFIC ORIGINATED CARLOADS

Four WEEKS ENDING DECEMBER 28, 2019

MAJOR U.S. RAILROADS

by Commodity

DEC. ’19

DEC. ’18

% CHANGE

54,133 (-1%)

Grain Farm Products ex. Grain Grain Mill Products Food products Chemicals Petroleum & Petroleum Products Coal Primary Forest Products Lumber and Wood Products Pulp and Paper Products Metallic Ores Coke Primary Metal Products Iron & Steel Scrap Motor Vehicles & Parts Crushed Stone, Sand, & Gravel Nonmetallic Minerals Stone, Clay & Glass Products Waste & Nonferrous Scrap All Other Carloads

81,088 3,486 34,923 22,269 124,409 52,709 277,208 4,444 11,427 22,428 25,582 14,503 32,646 12,529 60,595 69,380 14,356 26,900 13,182 24,038

87,934 3,740 35,007 23,642 128,977 51,895 342,140 3,813 11,922 24,027 25,024 16,580 36,254 14,736 62,675 75,775 14,167 26,455 14,599 22,528

-7.8% -6.8% -0.2% -5.8% -3.5% 1.6% -19.0% 16.5% -4.2% -6.7% 2.2% -12.5% -10% -15% -3.3% -8.4% 1.3% 1.7% -9.7% 6.7%

Executives, Officials, and Staff Assistants

Total U.S. CarLoadS

928,102

1,021,890

-9.2%

323,964

326,538

-0.8%

1,252,066

1,348,428

-7.1%

Total employees: 131,486 % change from DECEMBER 2018: –1%

Transportation (train and engine)

7,622 (–1%)

CANADIAN RAILROADS

Professional and Administrative

total CANADIAN carloads

10,811 (-1%)

COMBINED U.S./CANADA RR

Maintenance-of-Way and Structures

30,780 (-1%)

Maintenance of Equipment and Stores

22,745 (-1%)

Transportation (other than train & engine)

5,395 (-1%)

Source: Surface Transportation Board

EMPLOYMENT decline “STATUS QUO” Figures released by the STB show Class I total railroad employment dropped 1% in December 2019, measured against December 2018, a figure that remained constant throughout the year. Again, all six employment categories experienced virtually the same percentage drop, 1%, when rounding is taken into account. This most certainly indicates headcount reductions attributable to PSR, but declining traffic most likely is a larger factor. Longer term, it appears this trend will continue, and it’s more likely that the decline will sharpen, given the rate at which traffic has been dropping.

4 Railway Age // February 2020

Intermodal

Four WEEKS ENDING DECEMBER 28, 2019

MAJOR U.S. RAILROADS

by Commodity

DEC. ’19

DEC. ’18

% CHANGE

Trailers Containers TOTAL UNITS

89,354 901,580

107,964

990,934

988,209 1,096,173

-17.2% -8.8% -9.6%

0 257,611 257,611

0 270,704 270,704

-4.8% -4.8%

89,354 1,159,191

107,964 1,258,913

-17.2% -7.9%

1,248,545

1,366,877

-8.7%

CANADIAN RAILROADS Trailers Containers TOTAL UNITS

COMBINED U.S./CANADA RR Trailers Containers

TOTAL COMBINED UNITS

Source: Rail Time Indicators, Association of American Railroads

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TOTAL U.S./Canadian CARLOADS, DEC. 2019 VS. DEC. 2018

1,252,066 DECEMBER 2019

AILWAY GE

1,348,428 DECEMBER 2018

Short Line And Regional Traffic Index CARLOADS

by Commodity Chemicals Coal Crushed Stone, Sand & Gravel Food and Kindred Products Grain Grain Mill Products Lumber and Wood Products Metallic Ores Metals and Products Motor Vehicles and Equipment Nonmetallic Minerals Petroleum Products Pulp, Paper and Allied Products Stone, Clay and Glass Products Trailers / Containers Waste and Scrap Materials All Other Carloads

ORIGINATED DEC. ’19

ORIGINATED DEC. ’18

% CHANGE

53,611 17,581 20,727 11,199 23,034 7,577 8,789 2,767 17,004 11,261 2,898 2,018 18,615 12,971 39,796 9,013 70,033

49,330 21,754 23,536 10,584 26,397 6,667 8,220 2,867 18,896 10,800 2,384 1,924 18,023 11,251 40,713 10,290 77,097

8.7% -19.2% -11.9% 5.8% -12.7% 13.6% 6.9% -3.5% -10% 4.3% 21.6% 4.9% 3.3% 15.3% -2.3% -12.4% -9.2%

Copyright © 2019 All rights reserved.

TOTAL U.S. Carloads AND INTERMODAL UNITS, 2000-2019 (year-to-date through DECEMBER 2019, in millions)

ARE YOU A RAILROAD OR SUPPLIER SEARCHING FOR JOB CANDIDATES?

Visit http://bit.ly/railjobs To place a job posting, contact: Jennifer Izzo 203-604-1744 jizzo@mediapeople.com

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February 2020 // Railway Age 5 RA_JobBoard_1/3Vertical.indd 1

9/30/19 3:16 PM

Industry Outlook

FTA: $1.4 Billion in 2020 Formula Funding for New York MTA The Jan. 15, 2020, New York MTA public hearing for its proposed federal fiscal year 2020 capital program of projects confirms there continues to be good news from Washington concerning real financial support. Several million commuters will see some of the benefits.

The MTA receives more than $1.4 billion annually from the Federal Transit Administration. These dollars are used to fund various capital improvement projects for NYC Transit subway and bus, Long Island Rail Road, Metro North Railroad, MTA Bus and MTA Capital Construction Company.

Most federal transportation grants require a 20% hard-cash local share. FTA accepted toll credits instead of hard cash for the local share. This saved the MTA more than $1 billion in the previous $32 billion 2015-2019 five-year capital program. The MTA will save $1.6 billion under the $51 billion 2020-2024 five-year capital program when applying for $8 billion in future FTA funding.

Washington will eventually make available more than $1.4 billion in 2020 FTA formula funding for the MTA. This helps 6 Railway Age // February 2020

pay for a significant portion of its capital program. This includes $28 million in Buses and Bus Facilities; $793 million in Section 5337 State of Good Repair; and $672 million in Section 5307 Urbanized Area federal funding. There are other opportunities for up to several hundred million more in discretionary competitive federal grants.

The MTA can also take advantage of FTA pre-award authority prior to grant approval. Use of pre-award Authority affords the MTA an opportunity to start projects months earlier and incur costs for reimbursement at a later date after grant approval and funding obligation. The MTA can also take advantage of the opportunity to use option clauses up to five years after award of base bids for the purchase of subway cars and buses.

This saves the MTA money and time by not having to start a new procurement from scratch.

The MTA currently manages an active portfolio of federally funded capital improvement projects and programs in open grants worth more than $12 billion in direct FTA financial assistance.

CSX’s first Train Inspection Portal (TIP), southeast of Waycross, Ga., aims to usher in a new era of railroad safety technology.

Equipped with ultra-high definition cameras and high-powered illumination, the automated system “produces 360-degree scans of railcars passing through the portal at track speed. Advanced machine vision technology and software algorithms identify defects and automatically flag cars for repair.”

Duos Technologies Group, Inc., through its operating subsidiary Duos Technologies, Inc., supplied the portal, which it calls a Rail Inspection Portal (rip®).

Completed in record time, the portal, which was the first full-scale rip® implementation for CSX, was recently featured in a promotional video published by the Class I railroad, highlighting its “renewed and expanded commitment to safety improvement and technological enhancements. This rip® installation and accompanying promotional effort underscore the increasing trend in the railroad industry of automating railcar mechanical inspections, which have historically been conducted manually.”

“CSX is one of the seven Class I railroads that own and operate a combined 140,000 miles of rail track, a significant and immediate growth opportunity for our company,” said Duos CEO Gianni Arcaini. “As an existing customer but a first-time buyer of our next generation rip® system, CSX has shown that they remain committed to working with cutting-edge technology providers like Duos to ensure the highest level of safety and efficiency. The next phase of this initial project includes the addition of artificial intelligence algorithms, which, when installed over the coming months, will mark the completion of the overall automation process.” railwayage.com

Joseph M. Calisi

From CSX, a Safety TIP

Market Tier 4 Power For NJT River LINE New Jersey Transit is upgrading its River LINE DLRVs (diesel light rail vehicles) with power plants from Cummins that adhere to current U.S. EPA Tier 4 emissions standards for non-road engines. The River LINE fleet consists of 20 Swiss-built Stadler Rail GTW 2/6 DMUs. The replacement engines are expected to reduce oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions by at least 57%, lower particulate matter (PM) by 90%, and result in fuel savings of 10% to 15%.

Cummins QSX15 (Tier 4/Final Stage IV), 675-hp/2,050-foot-pound-torque engines will replace the current 15-year-old Tier 1 engines.

WORLDWIDE

NORTH AMERICA

Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (G&W) U.K. subsidiaries Freightliner and Pentalver have selected Tideworks Technology® Inc. (Tideworks) for their rail and container network terminal operating system (TOS).

Freightliner and Pentalver are the U.K.’s largest intermodal rail freight provider and leading container logistics supplier, respectively. G&W will deploy the Tideworks Intermodal Pro® TOS and Traffic Control™ equipment dispatch systems across its U.K.-wide network.

CN has signed a new multi-year agreement with NorFalco Sales, a division of Glencore Canada Corp., to provide freight transportation of sulfuric acid from NorFalco’s rail-served production facilities in Sudbury, Ontario, and Rouyn-Noranda and Valleyfield, Quebec.

NorFalco, one of North America’s largest merchant marketers of sulfuric acid, is responsible for the marketing and distribution of about 2 million tons of sulfuric acid per year. Through parent company Glencore, NorFalco has exclusive access to sulfuric acid production from four major North American production facilities.

Glencore is one of the world’s largest global diversified natural resource companies and a major producer and marketer of more than 60 commodities. Its operations comprise around 150 mining and metallurgical sites and oil production assets.

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) has awarded Stadler a $112 million maintenance contract. With the deal, Stadler enters the Maintenance Services sector in the U.S. for the first time. The pact

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includes vehicle maintenance over a 15-year period of the previously awarded eight DMU FLIRT vehicles, as well as EMF maintenance services, and two options to modify the vehicles to add luggage racks, bicycle stands and wheel skirts. This is the last piece of an overall package to provide turnkey vehicles and maintenance services to DART, which Stadler said “had the foresight to include the vehicles, the design of the EMF in Irving, Tex., and now maintenance services together in one contract, to ensure that each piece is fully integrated and costs are adjusted to provide the most value to DART.” The vehicles and EMF are to operate DART’s Cotton Belt Regional Rail Silver Line Project.

Progress Rail has sold its Progress Rail Equipment Leasing (PRELC) subsidiary to affiliates of Paceline Equity Partners, a Dallas-based private equity manager. PRELC offers an extensive fleet of railway infrastructure maintenance equipment for tasks such as tie replacement, ballast adjustments, rail grinding and resurfacing, switch modifications, and bridge inspection and test work. Equipment leasing is complemented by an in-house maintenance operation. Terms were not disclosed.

February 2020 // Railway Age 7

Watching Washington

Nostalgia Not in Amtrak’s Future

S

pending others’ money as if it were one’s own isn’t successful politics. Yet notwithstanding Congress’ current appetite for trillion-dollar annual deficits, there are limits to federal spending—especially on Amtrak, which labors perennially for but a miniscule portion.

Presidents Reagan and both Bushes recommended zeroing-out Amtrak funding, Presidents Clinton and Trump sought 23% cuts, and Amtrak opponents in Congress are too numerous to list.

Amtrak Senior Executive Vice President Stephen Gardner is no novice to such reality, having been a senior legislative aide (2001-2009) to Senate Commerce Committee Democrats and Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), an Amtrak Board member from 1994-1998 (not to be confused with current Board member Thomas C. Carper of Illinois).

In his past Senate post, Gardner understood that to extract from Congress financial supplements to Amtrak’s fare box revenue requires demonstrating a relevance to constituent wants. His business acumen, honed since arriving at Amtrak in 2009, clarifies that if one cannot measure, one cannot manage.

His measurements are convincing that tomorrow’s Amtrak cannot be the image of its past if it is to continue coaxing from Congress and states scarce public dollars.

Of America’s 330 million population, some 66% (Generation X, Millennials and Generation Z) either were unborn or have no recollection of train travel before

of america’s 330 million population,

66% are Gen X, z and millennials

8 Railway Age // February 2020

airline deregulation and an Interstate Highway System forever changed American mobility and bled away most rail passenger traffic. Some 85% of Amtrak riders are from the 100 largest cities; just 15% choose long-distance trains; and, of those, but 3% ride end-to-end. The “vast majority” of Amtrak riders, says Gardner, book trips shorter than 250 miles.

While Amtrak decision makers may tolerate tiny doses of nostalgic recollections of dinner in the diner with Dinah, and “Sleeping Like a Kitten” (aboard Chessie), their Alka Seltzer-free forward focus is to deliver, as demanded by modern generations, convenient arrival and departure times between business centers, on-board virtual workstations, and lastmile connectivity to other public transit.

“This is not the America of 1971, when Amtrak began operations,” Gardner says.

“The sweet spot for passenger rail is the 350-mile corridor, connecting major metropolitan areas and communities around them, over which we can produce multiple trips per day at convenient arrival and departure times,” he says. While market research confirms a place for longdistance service, what is missing, Gardner says, is connectivity within those routes, such as corridor trains that eliminate 3 a.m. arrivals.

“Across the country, we could operate corridors within the long-distance routes that look a lot like our state-supported trains in California and the Northeast,” Gardner says. “An example is multiple-trip, convenient-time corridor service linking Chicago, Cleveland and Buffalo, building on the foundation of current long-distance service as we have in California, Downstate Illinois and the Pacific Northwest.

“We are striving for the same between St. Paul and Chicago; more trains feeding current routes; and corridors such as Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati, or Nashville and Atlanta,” he says. “Plus, new routes are in development, including Chicago with the Illinois-Iowa Quad Cities and Rockford, Duluth and Minneapolis; and, long term, in North Carolina.”

Of course, there are nagging on-time performance (OTP) issues over host

there are still states and population markets we don’t serve.” freight railroads, such as between Atlanta and Charlotte, Gardner says. But with freight traffic down and implementation of Precision Scheduled Railroading, which theoretically produces better freight train schedule certainty, he spots opportunity for OTP improvement.

“There still are states and population markets we don’t serve,” Gardner says. “We believe there is plenty of capacity across the host freight rail network; and where additional capacity is needed, Amtrak is ready to be an investor” (assuming, of course, congressional and state financial support, and willingness of freight railroads to host additional Amtrak trains).

“What Congress needs to do is to give us the right to ensure the law (as to preference and priority handling) is being met.

“If we provide trip-competitive times with driving, time-of-day options and reliable service as the population grows and airport and highway congestion increase, then the best decades for Amtrak are ahead,” Gardner says.

(Wilner is author of “Amtrak: Past, Present, Future,” available from SimmonsBoardman Books, 800-228-9670, www.transalert.com).

FRANK N. WILNER Contributing Editor railwayage.com

NE TGEN R A I L W AY A G E P R E S E N T S

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MAR. 10, 2020

Union League Club of Chicago

Financial Edge Why FAST Really is Not So Fast

T

he 2015 FAST Act is notable to most consumers of rail assets as being the legislation that established the tank car regulations and time frames for moving the tank railcar design from the DOT-111 (legacy or CPC1232 specification) to the DOT-117J (and 117R) design.

The FAST (Fixing America’s Surface Transportation) Act contained a host of other provisions, many of them road- and infrastructure-related that may have flown under the general radar. Unfortunately, while the FAST Act tank railcar requirements were landmark in scope and impact, overall it did not contain enough rail favorable provisions.

The FAST Act, as do many pieces of legislation, has an expiration date. It is due to expire in September 2020. Around the Beltway, the many industry groups in the Washington, D.C., trenches fighting for shipper rights, railroad equity and overall rail safety are spending time working to ensure that relevant provisions of the FAST Act remain untouched or improved upon as we move through the process of dealing with the FAST Act expiration in an election year.

The Railway Supply Institute (RSI) is one of the advocacy groups for the railroad industry working to preserve the integrity of the FAST Act and to improve the position taken in government as it relates to railroads and shippers. (Randy Thomure of RSI is also speaking at the Rail Equipment Finance Conference in March 2020 in LaQuinta; www.railequipmentfinance.com.)

Nicole Brewin, Vice President Government and Public Affairs at RSI, identified the current state of activity as it relates to the FAST Act. Since it is an election year, the FAST Act is more likely to be extended rather than to be reauthorized. That means that all rail-relevant positions of the FAST Act will remain in place as drafted during the renewal period.

This includes, for example, the entire road- and infrastructure-related appropriations that were subject to rescission at the expiration of the Act and the deadlines associated with implementation of all

12 Railway Age // February 2020

DOT-117J (and DOT-117R) tank railcars.

It also means that controversial items such as truck length and truck weight increases cannot be snuck into the Act at the last minute without allowing rail advocacy groups to explain the detrimental nature of such legislative changes.

That’s reasonably good news. On the other hand, a renewal of the current act prevents groups like RSI from advancing legislative progress for issues on which RSI has been working in preparation for a FAST Act reauthorization, or whatever other form some sort of transportation legislation might take. These issues may be connected directly to the FAST ACT or are being handled in other legislation at the present time.

Items such as Amtrak’s $4 billion appropriation (Amtrak has to provide justification to draw on those funds and generally does not draw anywhere close to the full amount) are handled in separate legislation. However, RSI is trying to advocate funding for technology for rail and muchneeded new investments.

The rail industry, consistent and steady, is traditionally a slow adopter of technology across all aspects of moving freight.

In the non-rail world, shippers and consumers, including those consumers involved in the business of moving freight by rail, see the Internet of Things (IoT) moving at a rapid clip to change the way the world banks, moves money, purchases and moves commodities.

These same shippers and consumers are seeing rapid application of IoT into logistics applications and into smart devices that are becoming more ubiquitous in companies and homes around the developed world.

Oftentimes, reticence regarding technology originates in our industry because of the size of the North American rail system.

How does a railroad effectively test a new technology on a system spread over more than 175,000 miles?

This is often where government can help, by allocating money to support investment and testing on technology to prepare North American rail for the next generation of moving freight. Improving

one hopes that all politicians can at least count to eight, can’t they?” wayside detection, predictive and preventive maintenance, and location tracking of equipment of all types are certainly three areas where investment in technology may ultimately prove to be of greater value than the cost.

An allocation from the government would certainly help in this arena.

While people spending their lifetime working inside the Beltway may see this as the ordinary course of business, those of a snarkier disposition might see a little too much cuteness in setting the FAST Act up for renewal in an election year.

(All politicians can at least count to eight, can’t they?)

With all of the other activities going on in Washington right now—approving and implementing USMCA (United StatesMexico-Canada Agreement), campaigning for the 2020 Presidential election, and everyone’s favorite game show, the impeachment of Donald J. Trump—RSI and other advocacy groups having another year to prepare a legislative agenda for what North American rail really needs can’t be a bad thing.

Got questions? Set them free at dnahass@ railfin.com.

DAVID NAHASS President Railroad Financial Corp. railwayage.com

KNOW A REMARKABLE ENGINEER in the rail industry?

Railway Track & Structures will bestow one industry leader with the newly instituted Engineer of the Year award. Candidates for Engineer of the Year will be judged based on individual accomplishment, contribution to the rail industry, dedication to their company and the rail industry and overall excellence. The Engineer of the Year will be featured in the September issue of RT&S. The Engineer of the Year will be recognized at the AREMA 2020 annual meeting, Sept. 13-16, in Dallas, Texas.

NOMINATE BY JUNE 26, 2020: http://bit.ly/engineer2020

10 Under 40

UNDER

40 14 Railway Age // February 2020

Dominik Browne

MSHRD, SHRM-CP, Director Training and Development Norfolk Southern Corporation

With 17 years in the industry, Dominik Browne continues to get things done at Norfolk Southern. He has designed a modern simulation to comply with 49 CFR 232 that has been purchased by other railroads; formed an industry training group for benchmarking industry training trends; served as member of the Industry 243 working group; filed the first training-related waiver for simulation on behalf of NS; and collaborated with multiple stakeholders—including operations, law and an outside vendor—to develop a waiver for simulation technology. Browne aims to continue to leverage transformational HR to drive productivity and engagement for all railroad employees. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Virginia Military Institute and a Master’s in Human Resource Development from Villanova University. railwayage.com

Shutterstock/ Pitsanu Kraichana

Railway Age and Nick Little, Director of Railway Education at Michigan State University’s Center for Railway Research and Education, have worked together to select the 2020 Fast Trackers—10 Under 40 honorees. Representing the “best of the best,” these rising industry stars are making an impact.

“This year was another strong field,” Little noted. “The breadth and depth of talent bodes well for the future. Though young by traditional railroading standards, this group demonstrated great leadership and people skills as well as industry and specialist subject knowledge. I was very impressed by the way many individuals have used their specific knowledge in new and innovative ways to help prepare today’s railways to face the future with confidence.”

10 Under 40

Jake Harrison

Lisa Karwoski

California Northern Railroad Company (Genesee & Wyoming)

Mott MacDonald

General Manager

Jake Harrison, a 15-year industry veteran, has directly helped make California Northern Railroad a safer place to work and do business.

He became General Manager in mid-2017, and, since then, the railroad has been injury-free and has gone without a reportable derailment. Earlier this year, Harrison oversaw the introduction of two new U.S. EPA Tier 4-compliant low-emission locomotives to CFNR operations.

Furthermore, in 2009, while working as a dispatcher for Genesee & Wyoming’s 13 Western Region railroads, Harrison was a key player on the team that successfully started up the first dispatch desk for the Portland & Western Railroad (PNWR)/TriMet regional/commuter rail service between Wilsonville, Ore., and Beaverton, Ore. railwayage.com

P.E., LEED AP, Associate Principal Engineer At Mott MacDonald, Lisa Karwoski has been a key player on two design/build transit lines that are shaping the future of Los Angeles— the Metro Crenshaw/LAX (Los Angeles International Airport) Line and the Metro Regional Connector. In addition, Karwoski has taken the initiative to immerse herself in Mott MacDonald’s Digital Delivery business to learn about new cutting-edge technologies and workflows that are being used in the company’s global offices. Her goal is to be a leader in this field and bring this knowledge to her local office region to provide her clients with advanced-level design capabilities through a streamlined and efficient workflow. A 13-year industry veteran, Karwoski holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Delaware.

February 2020 // Railway Age 15

10 Under 40 Nic Klein

P.E., Superintendent, Network Operations Kansas City Southern

Since he started at KCS in 2014, Nic Klein has been promoted three times and has been involved in a variety of key initiatives that have supported KCS, the rail industry, the communities in which KCS operates and the customers KCS serves. He’s worked on critical projects at the U.S./Mexico border to help reduce variation and improve the capacity and security of the Laredo gateway, and was a key member of KCS’s fuel efficiency program, providing analytical support and insights into how to improve locomotive fuel efficiency. It’s not just about his accomplishments, it’s about how he gets things done. He seeks input from others while creating team trust with a focus on improvement. Klein holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and two Master’s Degrees, one in Business Administration and one in Industrial Engineering, all from the University of Missouri. He and his wife are active in support of community service organizations, specifically with the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City, fundraising for Big Brother Big Sister of Kansas City and the Restart Institute.

Roadmaster

New York & Atlantic Railway

Throughout his nine years in the industry, Tim Lesniak has consistently demonstrated a keen focus on developing, training and inspiring his engineering team. He’s a highly focused team player who is committed to improving safety by ensuring that infrastructure is maintained beyond federal standards. He firmly believes in education and empowerment, and encourages team members to become qualified Part 213 inspectors so that each employee possesses the knowledge—and has the necessary support—to make safety-sensitive decisions in the field. An Operation Lifesaver Authorized Volunteer who serves on the board of the nonprofit Connecticut Electric Railway Association, Lesniak holds the following certifications: Train Accident Investigation and Prevention, GWRR; Target Zero Safety Training, GWRR; Leading Forward Leadership Training, GWRR; and Part 213 Track Safety Standards, National Academy of Railroad Sciences. A builder at heart, Lesniak’s goal at NYAR is to strive to develop and enhance an efficient, technically proficient and proactive engineering department, something he can look back on one day with pride.

Brad Robertson

Travis Rollings

Canadian Pacific

Herzog Technologies, Inc.

AVP Mechanical, Car

A 13-year industry veteran, Brad Robertson is the lead of CP’s Mechanical Car department and has been instrumental in improving overall car quality for CP and the industry. He was given a challenge in 2019 to improve the overall car and braking quality on CP’s grain fleet. Robertson, who is also a qualified locomotive engineer, personally rode many trains down Field Hill, interviewing locomotive engineers and seeking their feedback on how trains performed and what could be done differently to further eliminate risk. With this feedback, he developed, implemented and completed a significant capital program that vastly improved the overall quality of the grain fleet. Without his leadership and personal drive on this, the improvements would not have been made in such a short period of time. With the completion of the program, grain trains are now operating “like new” on CP’s mountain grades. Robertson holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Transportation & Logistics from the University of Calgary. He is actively involved with CP’s Spin for Veterans annual event, which helps raise funds and awareness for the Canadian Legacy Project to build new housing for military veterans. He’s also involved with the Calgary Corporate Challenge—the focus of which is participation, sportsmanship and team-building—representing CP, and getting his co-workers and colleagues to participate.

16 Railway Age // February 2020

Tim Lesniak

Director of Office Systems Travis Rollings has been, and continues to be, an outstanding leader within Herzog Technologies, Inc. His tireless service and progressive thinking drive much of the success that Herzog has experienced with the expansion of its PTC services. Rollings built the initial PTC concepts and business models, drove technology decisions and strategic partnerships, assembled the team of technology professionals, and eventually implemented the system that today supports nine different short line and commuter railroads. Because his job centers around making PTC communications reliable and secure, Rollings became a member of InfraGard, an alliance between government agencies and the private sector whose mission is to “protect and defend our nation’s critical infrastructures.” An AREMA member and a seven-year industry veteran, Rollings holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Arlington. His primary goals are to always understand the latest critical support requirements in the rail industry and grow the PTC group that he manages at Herzog. He continues to spot deficiencies and identify potential opportunities to develop new technology and services that increase reliability, improve productivity and create a safer work environment. In addition, Rollings was heavily involved with Boy Scouts of America for many years in Texas. railwayage.com

10 Under 40 Rajan Shah

Steve Vant

Parsons Corporation

Conrail

P.E., Task Manager Rajan Shah oversees multiple task orders for providing general engineering and architectural services to WMATA in support of the agency’s capital improvement program under a five-year, task-order contract. He was a project coordinator and structural engineer on design and construction of Phase 2 of WMATA’s Silver Line Extension to Dulles International Airport; was involved in the design phase of CSX’s Virginia Avenue Tunnel (VAT) Reconstruction Design-Build project; has worked on the TexRail Design-Bid-Build project for Fort Worth Transportation Authority (FWTA) as a Structural Engineer; and was involved in structural design of the CTA Substation Rehabilitation Design-Build project for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA). A 10-year industry veteran with a Master’s from Syracuse University in Civil Engineering, Shah was honored for numerous volunteer activities—and received the President’s Volunteer Service Award in April 2017—including participating on a team to prepare meals for 4,500-plus needy and homeless individuals in the D.C. metro area.

Signal Engineer Steve Vant is a multi-talented manager and subject matter expert in the areas of railway signaling and operating rules.

As an elected Vice Chairman of NORAC (Northeast Operating Rules Advisory Committee), Vant was an original member of and major contributor to the PTC subcommittee responsible for creating the very first NORAC PTC Operating Rules. He continues to be an avid NORAC participant, where he oversees Special Instruction conformance, helps lead and structure meetings, and is currently working on building the 12th Edition NORAC Operating Rules. Along with NORAC, Vant is a participant in the Eastern Signal Engineers and AREMA Committee 38 – Information, Defect Detection & Energy Systems. At Conrail, Vant has been a thoughtleader and driving force behind the implementation of many new signal technologies and the overall modernization of Conrail’s Signal Department. An 11-year veteran, Vant started in the industry at 19 and discovered a passion for the work that continues to this day. Having become an Eagle Scout in 2006, Vant continues to be an avid participant in Scouting along with his son Joseph.

The CP family congratulates Bradley Robertson for being named an Under 40 Fast Tracker.

Connect to an exciting career at cpr.ca/careers

railwayage.com

February 2020 // Railway Age 17

10 Under 40 Justin Waldeck Director, Marketing Supply Chain CN

Justin Waldeck is responsible for leading CN’s Transload, Warehouse and Distribution Services team. In addition, he leads CN’s Iron Ore Supply Chain team at the dock operations in Duluth, Two Harbors and Conneaut. Waldeck was a key member in the planning, execution and management of new intermodal terminals for CN at Chippewa Falls, Wisc., and Joliet, Ill. A 2012 recipient of the CN President’s Award in the People category for the Chippewa Falls project, Waldeck has a strong logistics background and work ethic. A 12-year industry veteran, Waldeck holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Illinois and an MBA from Penn State University, in addition to a Purple Heart Medal, a Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Valor, and a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal from his time in the reserves. When not spending time with his wife and their three young daughters, Waldeck is a volunteer with Home 2 Home, an organization that helps families in need transition into new homes by collecting and repurposing household goods.

Runners-Up/Honorable Mentions Nate Bailey, Senior Trainmaster (Rail Ops Manager), CN Jeffrey Bennett, Associate Director, Transit (Chief of Transit), Washington, D.C., Department of Transportation (DDOT) Ryan L. Breier, Director of Signals and Communications, Burns Engineering, Inc. Tomeka Watson Bryant, Manager, Operating Practices, New Orleans Public Belt Railroad Corporation Sabri Cakdi, Director of Product Development, Holland LP Edward F. Carruthers, Director of Vehicle Maintenance, Broad Street Line, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) David F. Casaceli, P.E., Railroad Safety Specialist Technical Training (Track), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Ricardo Chacon, Assistant Vice President, Yield Management, Patriot Rail & Ports

In recognition of his work toward achieving our Core Purpose —to be the safest and most respected transportation service provider in the world—

G&W is honored to congratulate

Jake Harrison, General Manager of our California Northern Railroad Company,

on being named one of Railway Age ’s 10 Under 40.

Genesee & Wyoming Inc. www.gwrr.com

18 Railway Age // February 2020

railwayage.com

10 Under 40 Runners-Up/Honorable Mentions Dustin Chester Tiedemann, Machinist (IAM), Union Pacific Railroad

Aaron Hale, Track Supervisor, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority

Kevin W. Christy, Assistant Controller, Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail)

Michelle Hartmann-Grippin, Senior Construction Inspector and Assistant Project Manager, Bergmann

Nicholas Clark, Superintendent, CN

Jacob M. Kabelen, Power & Way Supervisor, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority

Olivia A. Daily, Assistant Vice President, Network & System Design, Kansas City Southern Dean Del Peschio, Director - MARC Train Service, Maryland Transit Administration Craig Denny, Road Foreman of Engines, Pacific Harbor Line Kellen Desmond, President, A&K Railroad Materials, Inc.

Jordan J. Kajfasz, Assistant Vice President, Sales & Marketing, International Intermodal and Automotive, Canadian Pacific Railway Nick Kendall, General Manager - Rail Services, San Francisco Bay Railway, and Republic Services - San Francisco Bay Railway

Andrea Jean Dobbelmann, CFO, Progressive Rail Inc.

Thomas D. Kennedy, Assistant Manager, Marketing Support, BNSF Railway Company

Marcelo Dominques, Project Manager, RailWorks Track Systems, Inc.

Kyle Van Koughnett, Director, Transload, Canadian Pacific Railway

Arielle Giordano, Director, Federal and State Government Affairs, Canadian Pacific Railway

Jeremy A. Kramer, Vice President, Louisville & Indiana Railroad Company

railwayage.com

February 2020 // Railway Age 19

10 Under 40 Runners-Up/Honorable Mentions Sean McAuley, Locomotive Engineer, National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak)

Hani Moussa, Supplier Development Manager, Progress Rail

Karen McCash, Principal Marketing Manager, Collins Aerospace

Amanda Munson, Project Quality & Safety Manager, Alstom

3974LesniakAd-RA-JAN20-FINAL.qxp 1/24/20 12:49 PM

Nick Nagrodsky, Hardware Design Leader, Alstom Philip Michael Ogram, Director, Structures Inspection, Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Page 1 Maintenance Services David S. ONeal, General Manager, Kansas City Southern Railway

Anacostia Rail Holdings

Anthony D. Paul, Product Strategy and Foresight, Wabtec

10 Under 40

Congratulations to Timothy Lesniak Recognized by Railway Age for Industry Excellence

Martin Ritter, President and Chief Executive Officer, Stadler US Francisco Fabila Rubio, Gerencia de Relaciones Institucionales (Institutional Relations/Corporate and Government Affairs Manager), Kansas City Southern de MĂŠxico (KCSM) Lisa Michelle Santoro, Senior Analyst, LTK Engineering Services Drew Sisneros, Track Construction Manager, RailWorks Track Services, Inc. Timon Stasko, Manager, Data Research and Development, MTA New York City Transit (NYCT) Christopher Swoyer, Project Manager, Rummel Klepper & Kahl Emily Traiforos, State Director IL, WI, MN, IA, CO, GoRail

Timothy Lesniak Roadmaster New York & Atlantic Railway

Anacostia.com

20 Railway Age // February 2020

Connecting Industry—Delivering Value

Keith Wait, Principal Engineer for Train Driving Strategy, New York Air Brake, LLC Mohsedn Yazdi, Track Design Lead, Stantec Consulting Ltd. Sarah Grimmer Yurasko, Assistant General Counsel, Association of American Railroads (AAR)

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Railinc Analytics

Effective use of new tools can improve railcar management, utilization and profitability.

R

ail equipment owners and lessors—key users of railcar data—manage their fleets in a dynamic environment that fluctuates with changing market demands, railroad operating priorities and real-world conditions.

Relying on knowledge, experience and diligence, industry fleet managers keep things moving safely, reliably and efficiently.

Still, with the rise of Big Data, those responsible for railcar fleets know they must make effective use of the new tools for better management of their always-changing and 24 Railway Age // February 2020

sometimes-chaotic business. The question is, how?

Every minute of every day 1.65 million (according to Railinc’s 2019 North American Freight Railcar Review), revenueearning North American freight cars are moving, being processed through terminals or undergoing maintenance. Each of those cars is generating data from a variety of components including wheelsets, brake systems, slack adjusters, valves and more.

The result is billions of bits of data moving between shippers, railroads, repair shops and other supply chain stakeholders.

Facing such a monumental flood of information, fleet managers must assess the growing array of data management opportunities and develop analytics capabilities that will improve the management of their valuable fleet assets.

Meeting this challenge is critical if fleet operations are to realize potential benefits that include: • Safer operations.

• Enhanced reliability.

• Higher yields.

• Improved railcar management.

Harnessing the flood of component-level railwayage.com

Railinc

By Gregg Phillips, Product Manager, Analytics and Reporting; and Chuck Hieronymi, Director, Commercial Group, Railinc

Railinc Analytics then observe and analyze the performance of those components in real-world use.

Similarly, equipment owners can develop comparative analyses of the performance of specific manufacturers’ components on their equipment.

4. Helping to economically enable all of this are enhanced IT capabilities that are continuously providing improved hardware, bandwidth, throughput and demand surge capacity.

Fleet owners and lessors can benefit by applying their industry expertise to the task of strategically managing all aspects of these new data insights.

Big Data, Optimized Processes,

Analytics health data, location information and predictive failure reporting pays off with fewer equipment failures—even as the frequency of inspections and shopping are reduced.

What is the first step?

Understand What’s Driving The Data Revolution To lay the groundwork for future progress, it’s important to recognize what’s behind this data revolution. Four aspects have a significant impact on railcar owners and lessors: 1. More and better data is being generated.

Serialization of individual components by the industry’s Asset Health Strategic Initiative (AHSI https://public.railinc. com/about-railinc/aar-industry-projects), is providing a deeper level of data that is being used to reduce mechanical service railwayage.com

interruptions, improve inspection quality, and increase yard and shop efficiency.

2. Process improvements are being implemented for railcar data management.

Network participants are generally making strides in gathering, normalizing, validating and mining the growing data volume.

3. New tools are leading to innovations in how data is being used. At the top level is utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning for more accurate predictive data, enabling machines to identify exception conditions and in some cases take over certain decisions. Railcar managers are also using less sophisticated tools to create tests where utilization hypotheses can be analyzed. For example, the component serialization capabilities described above allow equipment owners to define, control, and test fleets that are configured with specific components, and

Leverage Data Strategically Internet of Everything (IoE) technology has been, and continues to be, incorporated in many parts of the rail ecosystem. Intelligent and passive devices on rolling stock and at wayside locations have added new streams of data and information. This has laid the foundation for a new generation of advanced algorithms and more capable data analysis software that will make it possible for railroads and equipment owners to further enhance safety, reliability and service to customers.

Railinc, for example, brings true aggregated rail network visibility from 570-plus railroads across North America to rail equipment managers and other industry stakeholders. In turn, this data can be used for enhanced operational and strategic decision-making across a number of software tools.

Every supply chain participant now has the potential to gain access to near/realtime shipment information, as well as to utilize automated intelligence and machine learning for more accurate predictive data.

This turbocharged stream of information empowers managers who work inside silos to make better-informed decisions and adapt to changing circumstances. In some cases, machines are making those decisions and will be doing more so in the future.

Because car f leets come in all types and sizes—from tens of thousands in some cases to scores of cars in others—there isn’t a one-size-fits-all data management solution. Holders of large f leets tend to have greater in-house data management capabilities, and many are actively investing in processes, technology and February 2020 // Railway Age 25

Railinc Analytics analytics designed for the particular needs of their operations.

Mid-size and smaller fleet owners and lessors often cannot justify the development of such systems. Nevertheless, the need for action is pressing.

Focus Data on Tactical Management The strategic benefits of leveraging big data, optimized processes and analytics to improve railcar management rapidly cascades to the tactical level. As a result, there are many ways users can realize tangible and relatively quick results, including: • Maintenance and repair.

• Fleet size optimization.

• Car storage.

• Utilization management.

• Lease management.

• Safety.

Maintenance of cars for componentrelated issues has traditionally been managed incrementally, moving through increasing alert levels starting with a

Level 1 “Window Open” that advises degradation has started, and moving up to Level 4 for mandatory and immediate action. These levels provide useful information to plan for removing cars from service for maintenance or repair.

At the earlier stages, they leave managers to decide if action should be deferred or made immediately.

In the case of one shipper car owner with whom we have worked, annual railcar maintenance expenditures total some $30 million, nearly half of which is spent on wheelsets—typically, the area where most maintenance dollars go. Comprised of wheels, bearings and axles, these component groups have a high value and are subject to significant wear in normal operations. Since a reduction of just 1% in annual maintenance costs translates to $300,000 for this owner, it makes sense to invest in better utilization of the data now being received from wheelsets from the industry’s Component Tracking program (https:// public.railinc.com /products-ser v ices /

component-tracking).

Such an owner could now benefit from the availability of historical AHSI data to develop predictive analytics on wheelsets and their components. Work is under way to use historical data about the wheelsets on a specific car and compare it with data about the behavior of all identical or nearly identical wheelsets.

This will allow predictions within a greater degree of confidence that a particular component can be operated for a range of additional miles. Managers will be able to develop methods for scoring each component and prioritizing individual cars for servicing.

Fleet maintenance and repair will be scheduled more precisely to improve asset utilization, customer service safety and reliability, while also better supporting business requirements. (Continued on p. 29) More Data, Fewer Repair Shop Trips Moreover, data that triggers a decision

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Railinc Analytics to move a car to shop for the replacement with a specific shop network, or even with of a wheel can also be accompanied by a the type of service the cars experience. review of the data arriving from different Fleet data analysis will also enable a more sources about the other components in that detailed understanding for the perforcar. This presents an opportunity to assess the need for additional repairs, preventing another shopping of the car at a later date.

For example, such a review could reveal a low-level issue with the brake system, not yet at the stage requiring immediate service.

Nevertheless, it might be worth resolving both issues at one time.

More accurate and more up-to-date repair data will also reduce the number of times cars are unnecessarily sent for service because a previous repair was improperly recorded and/or reported. This level of accuracy at the granular level will facilitate better strategic decisions, as well.

Fleet-level analysis will better identify chronic issues that are sometimes missed mance of specific car types within fleets, with more traditional manual report- of specific age groups, or other parameters, ing and analysis. Once such an issue is some of which might be unique to just one known, management can determine if the particular owner or lessor’s fleet.

As more available, it will become root problem is with the actual equipment,1 7/17/19 1_2pgHorzWrkStTraining2019.qxp_Layout 10:00data AM isPage 1

Detailed information can allow owners and lessors to handle demand with a smaller fleet.

an essential support for imagining and realizing new ways of doing business, new business relationships and new tools to plan fleet acquisitions, sizing and replacement.

Relationships and scheduling with contract shop networks could become nimbler when analytics and machine learning are deployed, allowing automated intelligence to direct the movement of cars for shopping in the most efficient way.

Boost Productivity, Safety With Better Data More detailed information about the expected service performance and life of components can allow owners and lessors to handle the same or heightened demand with a smaller fleet, because it will be possible to accurately predict equipment productivity. Not only would this conserve capital, it could also reduce car storage if fleets are more correctly sized.

Finally, and most important, are the opportunities for continued improvements in safety. Machine learning and AI

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Railinc Analytics supported by today’s robust data streams may better identify unusual patterns of failure. This information could then be seamlessly provided to industry committees and the experts who are responsible for monitoring specific components, allowing them to more accurately and quickly decide how critical a particular situation is and how to respond.

For rail equipment owners and lessors, the rise of big data and analytics has opened new opportunities for more efficient, reliable and safe operations.

Realizing those opportunities is taking focused effort and time, and the benefits are significant. Investing now will make the industry safer, more competitive and more profitable.

About Railinc Railinc (www.railinc.com) is the railroad industry’s innovative and reliable resource for rail data, IT and information services. The company deploys applications and data that help railroads, rail

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equipment owners and other industry participants manage their businesses more effectively and efficiently. Railinc is the largest single source of real-time, accurate interline rail data for the North American railroad system.

Railinc’s Advanced Analytics and Car Repair Management Solutions (CRMS) are applications, data and services that can be configured to specific needs and software environments. These platforms and services can help enable higher revenues, lower costs and more efficient operations. Railinc’s RailSight is a suite of applications designed to deliver rail shipment and equipment management data through a f lexible framework that can be adapted to support changing business needs. Its services are provided via RailSight Track and Trace, or the easyto-use hosted solutions RailSight Monitor and RailSight Demand Trace. RailSight is used by leading shippers, equipment owners, 3PLs and transportation management software providers.

Chuck Hieronymi

Gregg Phillips

February 2020 // Railway Age 29

TTCI R & D

assessment of service-worn M-976 Trucks Even though M-976 dynamic performance may degrade with age and mileage, they appear to be less likely to cause derailments than non-M-976 trucks of similar age.

I

n the years since Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) 2003 adoption of Specification M-976, hundreds of thousands of M-976-compliant trucks have been built. Some of them are now being taken out of service to be rebuilt under car owners’ planned maintenance programs. Transportation Technology

30 Railway Age // February 2020

Center, Inc. (TTCI) collaborated with several Class I railroads and a private car owner to identify a sample of service-worn trucks and perform measurements and tests to see how wear affects their dynamic performance.

Based on information from car owners, 26 railcars with gross rail loads (GRL) of 286,000 pounds were identified as candidates for this study. Based on their maintenance records, mileage and truckside wedge rise (a proxy indicator for overall truck wear), trucks from six of these railcars were selected for more detailed measurements.

These truck samples included models by two manufacturers; their service mileage ranged from 525,000 to 886,000 miles.

The 12 trucks from the six selected railcars were disassembled and examined for signs of wear or damage, and had detailed measurements of their components taken. Although only one truck had its wedge rise exceed

the prescribed limit, each of the 12 trucks had some of their components (such as the pedestal jaws, friction wedges or column wear plates) worn to prescribed limits. A majority of the 12 trucks had broken springs (which were replaced prior to testing). One truck had a cracked adapter pad, and two trucks were showing partial delamination of adapter pads (Figure 1).

Four of the truck sets (eight trucks) were then tested under selected M-976 testing regimes. None of them met all of the M-976 acceptance criteria in twist and roll, pitch and bounce, and hunting test regimes. For the dynamic curving test, one truck set did not meet the acceptance criteria, and testing of two more truck sets was interrupted because of safety concerns (significant wheel unloading or poor steering—the latter likely caused by the condition of a center bowl liner).

In addition to testing worn M-976 trucks, railwayage.com

William Beecher

By Alexander Keylin, Senior Engineer II; Russell Walker, Principal Investigator II; Chris Pinney, Senior Economist II; Tony Sultana, Principal Investigator I; and Ryan Alishio, Engineering Data Analyst, Transportation Technology Center, Inc.

TTCI R & D This study shows that even though the dynamic performance of M-976 trucks may degrade with age and mileage, they appear to be less likely to cause derailments than non-M-976 trucks of similar age.

The M-976 fleet is still relatively young, and truck-caused derailments are rare.

Therefore, this statistical analysis should be repeated in 3 to 5 years when more M-976 trucks acquire longer time in service and more data on derailments becomes available.

In addition, it is recommended to test several M-976 trucks with wedge rise over the prescribed limit, should they become available. This testing could help assess whether the current prescribed limits for wedge rise are appropriate.

This research was performed as a part of the AAR’s Strategic Research Initiatives program. Complete results of this study can be found in previously published TTCI/AAR Technology Digests and research reports.

Figure 1. (a) Worn center bowl liner; (b) cracked adapter pad; (c) delaminating adapter pad.

TTCI analyzed the data from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Accident/ Incident Database and UMLER® system to determine if derailment rates due to truckrelated causes (poor steering, defective snubbing, etc.) were different in cars equipped with M-976 trucks vs. non-M-976 trucks.

The data showed that from 2003 to 2017, 598,198 railcars with 286,000 pounds GRL were built—429,769 of them were equipped with M-976 trucks, and 168,429 with non-M-976 trucks. Within those car populations, four cars equipped with M-976 trucks were involved in truck-caused

derailments (two on main line track, one on yard track and one on industry track), compared to 20 cars equipped with non-M976 cars (seven derailments on main line track, 10 on yard track, one on a siding and two on industry track). The most common cause of truck-caused derailments in either group was improper truck rotation. A nonparametric survival analysis concluded that among the cars with a GRL of 286,000 pounds built between 2003 and 2017, cars with M-976 trucks had a statistically lower rate of truck-related derailments than cars with non-M-976 trucks.

References: 1. Keylin, A., Walker, R., Pinney, C., Sultana, T., and Alishio, R., “Assessment of Service-Worn, 110-ton M-976 Trucks,” Technology Digest TD-19-020, September 2019.

2. Keylin, A., Walker, R., and Tournay, H., “Condition and Performance Assessment of Four Service Worn 110-ton M-976 Approved Freight Trucks,” Report R-1020, AAR/TTCI, 2017.

3. Walker, R., Keylin, A., Pinney, C., and Alishio, R., “Condition and Performance Assessment of Eight ServiceWorn, 110-ton, M-976 Approved Freight Trucks,” Report R-1029, AAR/ TTCI, 2017.

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13:42:47 February 202021/01/2020 // Railway Age 31

CPC-1354

Understanding CPC-1354

O

n Jan. 1, 2020, Association of American Railroads (AAR) revisions to the requirements in Appendix B of AAR Manual of Standards and Recommended Practices (MSRP), Section C-III Specifications for Tank Cars (M-1002) and related changes to certain Chapter 1 definitions officially went into effect for the tank car industry (hereafter, “Appendix B”). These revisions were proposed Nov. 22, 2019, in Casualty Prevention Circular (CPC) 1353 and finalized on Dec. 20, 2019, in CPC-1354.

CPC-1354 revises the tank car facility certification requirements for companies

32 Railway Age // February 2020

that manufacture tank car closures, fittings and fittings assemblies, and any protective coatings applied to them, including any of the sub-processes that go into the manufacture of these components. The revisions to Appendix B ultimately adopted by the AAR are substantially different from the revisions that AAR originally planned to implement Jan. 1, 2020, identified in CPC-1338 and issued on Oct. 24, 2018.

As explained in more detail below, the final Appendix B revisions that went into effect on Jan. 1 fit more logically with the needs of improving safety and efficiency in the industry. Had AAR revised Appendix B as proposed in CPC-1338, the industry

would have faced a significant increase in the cost of rail transportation and increasingly complicated and onerous AAR facility certification requirements.

During the past three years, the entire tank car industry has experienced uncertainty and confusion related to the expansion of the scope of the term “tank car facility,” and the applicability of federal and AAR tank car requirements to facilities in the tank car component supply chain. As noted above, on Oct. 24, 2018, and in response to United States Department of Transportation (DOT) guidance articulating an overly broad interpretation of the term “tank car facility,” the AAR finalized revisions to the railwayage.com

Stephen C. Host

BY Tom DeLafosse, Vice President Technical Consulting, Salco Products

CPC-1354

What MSRP Appendix B revisions mean for the tank car industry.

technical certification requirements identified in Appendix B of the AAR MSRP and revised key definitions in Chapter 1 of the AAR MSRP to support the revisions to the Appendix B activity codes. Since then, Salco Products, along with its industry partners, have been working vigorously to modify the proposed Appendix B revisions.

Some History During the development of the proposed revisions to Appendix by the AAR Tank Car Committee Appendix B Task Force, two primary controversial issues emerged: (1) new subcontracting provisions for closures, fittings and fittings assemblies that would railwayage.com

require suppliers of items that are bolted to the car and have no moving parts to obtain AAR facility certification, thus requiring that the entire closure manufacturing process be performed by an AAR-certified facility; and (2) requirements that shipper facilities carrying out pre-trip maintenance would also need to become AAR-certified facilities to continue performing minor pretrip repairs required by federal regulations in 49 C.F.R. 173.31(d).

Recognizing the devastating effect these rules would have if implemented, several members of the Appendix B Task Force, including Salco Products, submitted a minority report (Appendix B Dissenting Report, T91.2.4, Task Force proposal, dated March 28, 2018) disagreeing with the Task Force’s direction on these items and other issues. Despite comments filed in opposition to this expansion of Appendix B, the proposed revisions were approved in October 2018 by the Tank Car Committee, where the Class I railroads hold the voting majority.

As adopted in 2018, the proposed revisions to Appendix B would have expanded AAR facility certification (i.e., M-1002 and M-1003 certification) to manufacturers of all tank car components, including closures and fittings, and imposed arbitrary constraints and limits around subcontracting of any service that went into the manufacturing process for those tank car components. Such an expansion would have forced small, loyal suppliers who have provided components to the tank car industry for years without a quality issue to invest a considerable amount of resources to obtain both an AAR M-1002 (Technical) and M-1003 (Quality Assurance) certification.

The majority of these suppliers already maintain quality certifications within their businesses, such as internationally recognized ISO 9000 quality assurance certifications that fit more appropriately with their overall business than the separate AAR certification.

Findings from a report published by the expert economic consulting firm GRA, Inc. in July 2019 indicated that developing and maintaining two quality assurance certifications would likely cause many component suppliers to exit the tank car supply chain due to the costs associated with obtaining

and maintaining dual quality assurance certifications. Many suppliers were concerned about the business case for developing a separate AAR-approved quality program if a company simply formed a plate, drilled holes or burned a shape from a plate where there had been no quality or safety benefit articulated by DOT or AAR. In its report, GRA indicated that if Appendix B revisions were to be implemented as proposed in 2018, an estimated 2/3 of the approximately 150 existing suppliers would have exited the rail component supply industry rather than undergo AAR certification, severely impacting the supply chain and driving up material costs.

These proposed new AAR certification requirements would also have applied to rail shippers, who up until this point had been able to perform basic repair functions such as eyebolt and rupture disc replacement as part of their loading and unloading process, in compliance with federal requirement (49 C.F.R. 173.31(d) Examination Before Shipment). Under the 2018 proposed Appendix B revisions, shippers would have been limited to using certified mobile units to perform these basic and standard functions during their loading process if they lacked an AAR-facility certification. The cost of hiring a third party to perform such repairs, and the massive delays in operations that would have ensued while waiting for these basic functions to be completed, would have adversely impacted tank car deliveries and imposed additional costs across the industry.

Salco, Industry Partners Take Action Over the past two years, Salco Products had pushed back against this unwarranted expansion of the term “tank car facility,” and worked closely with the Railway Supply Institute (RSI), shippers and tank car manufacturers to restore the scope of this term to its original meaning, consistent with existing federal regulations. One critical step was urging DOT to rescind and replace earlier federal guidance that expanded the term “tank car facility” to all component manufacturers. In engaging with DOT, Salco, together with its industry partners, emphasized the absence of data demonstrating a safety or quality issue that would justify DOT’s expansive February 2020 // Railway Age 33

CPC-1354 Materials for the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Lipinski was receptive to meeting with Salco and its industry partners to discuss these challenges. He, with Ranking Member, Congressman Rick Crawford, responded to our concerns with a bi-partisan letter to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) inquiring about the scope of the term “tank car facility” and urging DOT to provide clarify before the Jan. 1, 2020, implementation date.

Salco hosted Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.) at its headquarters.

interpretation and the agency’s application of the tank car facility requirements (including AAR-facility certification) to manufacturers of closures and fittings.

Salco Products was proud to have been one of the leaders in the effort to prevent the expansion of the “tank car facility” requirements and the needless expansion of AAR-facility certification requirements.

Thousands of hours were invested by Salco

Products and others in countless meetings and legislative advocacy trips to Washington, D.C., to meet with DOT personnel. In addition, Salco hosted Illinois Congressman Dan Lipinski at its corporate facility in Lemont, Ill., to keep him informed of this advocacy effort and the potential adverse impacts for the industry.

As Chairman of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous

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DOT Revises Guidance, AAR Changes Course On Oct. 8, 2019, the DOT issued new guidance that clearly limits the scope of entities defined as “tank car facilities” and supersedes the prior guidance that had improperly expanded this term. In a letter to the RSI, PHMSA makes clear that (1) tank car component manufacturers do not meet the definition of a “tank car facility” and

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CPC-1354 therefore are not required to have an AARapproved quality assurance plan (QAP); and (2) facilities that conduct pre-trip inspections are not “tank car facilities� and therefore do not need to maintain an AARapproved QAP. In response to this revised guidance from DOT, AAR initiated an effort to modify its proposed changes to Appendix B. In doing so, AAR, among other things, eliminated facility certification requirements for manufacturers and assemblers of closures and fittings, including the elimination of facility certification for companies that provide related manufacturing processes. It also did away with arbitrary subcontracting constraints. This culminated in the issuance of CPC-1354 and represents a huge victory for the entire industry. These changes improve safety by applying a risk-based approach to facility certification, ensuring that certified tank car manufacturing and repair facilities remain accountable for tank car component quality assurance.

Throughout this long battle, what is not

well-known is that many of the changes to Appendix B have enjoyed unanimous industry support since they were first proposed by the AAR-TCC Task Force. In fact, roughly 85% of the proposed Appendix B revisions were largely untouched throughout the process. Improving the safety of rail transportation has always been a priority for the industry. We are able to achieve this goal when regulators and industry stakeholders work collaboratively

to modify and improve the requirements for the tank car industry.

Salco Products is proud to be an industry leader, working with the RSI and other industry stakeholders on these critical issues. We are committed to producing quality products for our customers and will continue to advocate for fair and logical rules that promote safety without imposing unwarranted business disruption and costs.

Salco Products manufactures various tank car fittings.

GET THE INSIDE SCOOP ON & OFF THE TRACK

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Maplewood, NJ 07040 Phone: (800) 21RAILS Email: gburwell@railsco.com Web: www.railsco.com

Subscribe at: http://bit.ly/railbrief

February 2020 // Railway Age 35

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3/1/19 4:05 PM

People / Events March 4, 2020

E. JEAN SAVAGE

railroad day on capitol hill

Trinity Industries

High profile: Trinity Industries, Inc. has named E. Jean Sav-

age Chief Executive Officer and President, effective Feb. 17, 2020.

Savage, 55 and a member of the company’s board of directors since November 2018, comes to Trinity from the Surface Mining & Technology division of Caterpillar Inc., where she has been Vice President. She will remain a member of the Trinity board. From 2014 to 2017, Savage was Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Caterpillar’s Innovation and Technology Development Division. From 2009 to 2014, she held various leadership roles in Caterpillar’s subsidiary Progress Rail Services (PRS), including serving as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Locomotive and Railcar Services business unit from 2002 to 2013. Savage joined PRS in 2002 as Vice President for Quality and Continuous Improvement. She also served as Vice President of Progress Rail’s Freight Car Repair, Parts and Quality Divisions.

RSI

has named TrinityRail Senior Vice President Harry Zander as chairman of its Equipment Leasing Committee. Zander, a long-time railcar leasing professional, brings 29 years of railcar leasing experience to the role, beginning with Chrysler Capital and including stints at GE Capital, Mitsui and Macquarie.

Joining Zander as Committee Vice Chairman is Sean Hankinson, Vice President Sales for The Andersons. Both will serve a two-year term.

OmniTRAX, an affiliate of The Broe Group, has named rail industry veteran Rob Russell as Senior Vice President of Marketing and Commercial Strategy, reporting to Chief Strategy Officer Pierre-Luc Mathieu.

Russell, the company said, “will be a key leader supporting the continued growth and development of the OmniTRAX franchise.”

Russell comes to OmniTRAX with nearly 20 years of diverse rail experience, most recently as President of Progressive Rail, a short line holding company with 13 properties across the U.S. Prior to joining Progressive Rail, he spent 16 years at Union Pacific in the finance, operating and commercial departments. His final position at UP was Assistant Vice President of Network, Economic & Industrial Development, with responsibility for the Economic & Industrial Development, Short Line Railroad, Port and Commercial and Interline Strategy groups.

Kimia Khatami, Director of Customer Service for Pacific Harbor Line (PHL), has been named President of the Harbor 36 Railway Age // February 2020

Association of Industry & Commerce (HAIC), a commercial and industrial trade association representing the business community of Long Beach and Los Angeles harbors. Formed in 1975, HAIC plays a key role in advocating for its members on issues of trade, transportation, energy, environmental and land use. PHL is a subsidiary of Chicago-based Anacostia Rail Holdings and was organized in 1998 to provide railroad switching, track maintenance and dispatching services to the two ports, which together are the top intermodal gateways in the U.S. Khatami joined PHL in 2015 and was promoted to her current position in 2018.

Passenger rail veteran and former Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) official Jeff Schultz has joined David Evans and Associates, Inc. as a Senior Transit and Rail Planner and Project Manager, Seattle. Prior to becoming a consultant, Schultz served in roles of increasing responsibility with WSDOT, where he implemented the Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor (PNWRC) program and Amtrak Cascades service. His experience encompasses project management, agreement development, rail operations, rolling stock maintenance, railroad crossing upgrades and closures, rail construction planning processes, rail passenger equipment specification development and rail scheduling, simulation, and modeling. His planning expertise has contributed to the development of statewide freight, passenger, and high-speed rail, intermodal station projects, and studies.

Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill, Washington, DC https://www.aslrra.org/web/ Events/2020_Railroad_Day/

March 4-5, 2020

Southwest Association of Rail Shippers (SWARS) 2020 Annual Meeting Moody Gardens Hotel, Galveston, TX swars@swrailshippers.com https://www.swrailshippers.com

March 10, 2020

Next-Gen Freight Rail, presented by Railway Age Union League Club of Chicago conferences@sbpub.com https://www.railwayage.com/ngfr/

March 10-11, 2020

Southeast Association of Rail Shippers (SEARS) spring meeting The Westin Buckhead, Atlanta, GA sears@serails.org https://www.serailshippers.com/

March 10-11, 2020

Pacific Northwest Association of Rail Shippers (PNWARS) spring meeting Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront, Portland, OR browngn@comcast.net https://www.pnrailshippers.com/

April 22-23, 2020

LIGHT RAIL 2020, presented

by Railway Age AND RT&S Courtyard Boston Downtown conferences@sbpub.com https://www.railwayage.com/ lightrail/

June 17-18, 2020

Rail Insights 2020, presented by Railway Age Union League Club of Chicago conferences@sbpub.com https://www.railwayage.com/ insights/ railwayage.com

Products

ILLUMAGEAR HALO™: See and Be Seen, 360 Degrees A typical headlamp is not designed or intended to be used as a safety device; it’s only intended use is as a spot task light. The Halo™ from Seattle, Wash.-based ILLUMAGEAR, in contrast, is a personal active safety System that attaches to any hard hat and produces a ring of light around the wearer, enabling him or her to see and be seen in all directions at all times.

The Halo™ produces up to 202 lumens in 360-degree (Halo) mode, or 77 candela in Task mode. A typical headlamp produces only about 50-70 lumens in one focused direction.

The Halo™ actively illuminates the wearer in Halo mode at all times, making him or her visible more than a quarter-mile away, in all directions at all times. A headlamp, on the other hand, provides no safety visibility benefits, except from straight ahead. The Halo’s Task mode floods light across the wearer’s work area out to his or her visual periphery, eliminating shadows no matter where one moves, while a headlamp produces only a narrow beam of light.

The Halo™ has a unique, patented system that attaches securely to any hard hat without invalidating the ANSI (American National Standards Institute) rating. A headlamp, which is not designed to be worn on a hard hat and is often glued, duct-taped or zip-tied to a hard railwayage.com

hat, may invalidate the hard hat’s ANSI rating.

The Halo™ is powered by a single, on-board lithium-ion rechargeable battery that provides more than 5.5 hours on highest power and is certified for 500 charge cycles.

A headlamp, by comparison, is typically powered by AA or AAA batteries that last about three work days and then are disposed.

The cost of all those batteries quickly adds up. The Halo™, which retails for $99, includes a single 18650 rechargeable lithiumion battery. Batteries and chargers are also sold separately.

The unit is lightweight and cord-free, and is built tough to survive in rough work environments like railroad main lines and yards, and car and locomotive repair shops.

It features a powerful flood task light for improved work efficiency. There are four light modes: Halo, HI-Alert, Task and Dim. The Halo™ has a rechargeable battery runtime of 5.5 to 34 hours, depending upon which mode is used. It connects securely to almost any hard hat (MSA, Bullard, Fibre Metal, North, Jackson, Dynamic, ERB, 3M, PIP, ProChoice, Cordova, Skull Bucket, Unisafe, Condor, Centurion, Pyramex— several models from each manufacturer, with more types being added), and has an IP (Ingress Protection) Rating of 67 to protect

against dust, dirt and water penetration.

Featuring easy single-button functionality, it comes with a one-year warranty.

• Dimensions: 31 x 260 x 330mm • Weight: 284g • Battery Runtime: With a fully charged ILLUMAGEAR 18650 battery, runtime on a single mode will exceed, in Halo mode, 5.5 hours; in Task mode, 5.5 hours; in HI-Alert mode, 14 hours; in Dim mode, 34 hours.

• Illumination: In Halo mode, 202 lumens; in Task mode, 183 lumens, 77.2 candela; in HI-Alert mode, fluctuating luminosity; in Dim mode, 41 lumens.

• Power: 3.7V @ 0.6 amps • Safety Standards: UL 1638, CSA C22.2, UL 8750, IEC/EN 60598-1, IEC/EN 60598-24, IEC/EN 62031, IP Rating 67, dielectric strength of 30,000V minimum.

“I love the light,” says one customer. “I got a lot of ribbing from the crew when I showed up with a Halo! I do a lot of close-up work and wear bifocals. When I look down to use my bifocals, the light is focused a few inches above my view. It puts off so much light that this is not a deal breaker.”

For more information, visit https://www. illumagear.com, email sales@illumagear. com, or call (206) 973-4277.

February 2020 // Railway Age 37

equipment Sale/Leasing

RECRUITMENT EDNA A. RICE, EXECUTIVE RECRUITER, INC.

Available for Lease

The world’s most accomplished executive search firm specializing in the rail and transportation industries. With 31 years’ experience, we possess the industry-specific knowledge and expertise needed to consistently deliver the exceptional results one would expect for both our clients and our candidates.

3000 cu ft Covered Hopper Cars 4650 cu ft Covered Hopper Cars 4300 cu ft Aluminum Rotary Open Top Gons 65 ft, 100-ton log spine cars equipped with six (6) log bunks 60 ft, 100 ton Plate F box cars, cushioned underframe and 10 ft plug doors 50 ft, 100 ton Plate C box cars, cushioned underframe and 10 ft plug doors 26,671 Gallon, 263k GRL, NC/NI Tank Cars

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Ad Index Company Anacostia Rail Holdings–NYA

Phone #

Fax #

718-497-3023

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canadian pacific

URL/Email Address

Page #

www.anacostia.com/railroads/nya

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Jeremy_Berry@cpr.ca

17 C2

888-888-5909

cn

www.conrail.com

18

corpcomm@gwrr.com

18

Conrail 203-202-8900

Genesee & wyoming inc

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Herzog Railroad Services Inc

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iridium communications

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C4

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conferences@sbpub.com

22-23

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212-620-7205

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conferences@sbpub.com

10-11

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27

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Rail movement planner RAILs company railway educational bureau SALCO PRODUCTS INC

31

800-21-rails

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35

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34,C3

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sales@salcoproducts.com

3

The Advertisers Index is an editorial feature maintained for the convenience of readers. It is not part of the advertiser contract and Railway Age assumes no responsibility for the correctness.

Advertising Sales MAIN OFFICE Jonathan Chalon Publisher 88 Pine St., 23rd Floor New York, NY 10005 (212) 620-7224 Fax: (212) 633-1863 jchalon@sbpub.com AL, KY, Jon Chalon 88 Pine St., 23rd Floor New York, NY 10005 (212) 620-7224 Fax: (212) 633-1863 jchalon@sbpub.com CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, RI, SC, VT, VA, WV, Canada – Quebec and East, Ontario Jerome Marullo 88 Pine St., 23rd Floor New York, NY 10005 (212) 620-7260 Fax: (212) 633-1863 jmarullo@sbpub.com

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AR, AK, AZ, CA, CO, IA, ID, IL, In, KS, LA, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NE, NM, ND, NV, OK, OR, SD, TN, TX, UT, WA, WI, WY, Canada – AB, BC, MB, SK Heather Disabato 20 South Clark Street, Suite 1910 Chicago, IL 60603 (312) 683-5026 Fax: (312) 683-0131 hdisabato@sbpub.com The Netherlands, Britain, France, Belgium, Portugal, Switzerland, North Germany, Middle East, South America, Africa (not South), Far East (Excluding Korea /China/India), All Others, Tenders Louise Cooper International Area Sales Manager The Priory, Syresham Gardens Haywards Heath, RH16 3LB United Kingdom +44-1444-416368 Fax: +44-(0)-1444-458185 lc@railjournal.co.uk

Scandinavia, Spain, Southern Germany, Austria, Korea, China, India, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Russia, Eastern Europe Baltic States, Recruitment Advertising Michael Boyle International Area Sales Manager Nils Michael Boyle Dorfstrasse 70, 6393 St. Ulrich, Austria. +011436767089872 mboyle@railjournal.com Italy, Italian-speaking Switzerland Dr. Fabio Potesta Media Point & Communications SRL Corte Lambruschini Corso Buenos Aires 8 V Piano, Genoa, Italy 16129 +39-10-570-4948 Fax: +39-10-553-0088 info@mediapointsrl.it

Japan Katsuhiro Ishii Ace Media Service, Inc. 12-6 4-Chome, Nishiiko, Adachi-Ku Tokyo 121-0824 Japan +81-3-5691-3335 Fax: +81-3-5691-3336 amkatsu@dream.com CLASSIFIED, PROFESSIONAL & EMPLOYMENT Jennifer Izzo 800 Connecticut Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06854 203-604-1744 Fax: 203-857-0296 jizzo@mediapeople.com

AILWAY GE

February 2020 // Railway Age 39

Perspective: ASLRRA

Short Line Safety Institute Expands Training

T

he Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI), celebrating its 5th year of operation this year, was formed with a grant from the Federal Railroad Administration Office of Research, Development and Technology with the mission of enhancing the safety culture on short line and regional railroads. The vision of the SLSI and its programs is for the short line and regional railroad industry to perform at an increasingly high level of safety because of a focus on safety culture, defined as “the shared values, actions and behaviors that demonstrate a commitment to safety over competing goals and demands.”

The SLSI has grown its offerings over the past five years to a suite of training programs that include Safety Culture Assessments— initial and follow-up Assessments, Hazardous Materials Training, the Leadership Development Program, and technical assistance.

To date, the SLSI has completed 86 of its signature Safety Culture Assessments and has already scheduled the 100th Assessment in 2020. A Safety Culture Assessment is a voluntary, non-punitive and confidential process with a rigorous methodology.

In a report issued in June 2019 by the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, the Safety Culture Assessment model was determined to be “the most comprehensive and robust approach in the U.S. railroad industry” in evaluating safety culture.

The Assessment tools review the Ten Core Elements of a Strong Safety Culture, as defined by the U.S. Department of

40 Railway Age // February 2020

Transportation Safety Council. The results of the Assessment, including findings and opportunities for improvement, are shared with the railroad’s management team upon completion of the project.

According to the results of SLSI feedback questionnaires over the past year, 100% of railroads that participated would recommend an Assessment to other railroads and found the information they received to be valuable in strengthening their safety culture.

The methods applied in the onsite evaluations and throughout the Assessment process have identified key industry best practices, and have paved the way for the SLSI in developing the next wave of programs to assist short line railroads in continuously raising the bar on safety culture.

The tables show the most commonly reported improvements made at railroads after an Assessment, based on interviews with personnel from a sample of participating railroads.

Based on gaps identified, the SLSI has developed two programs—a Hazardous Materials Training Program, started in 2017 and supported with a grant from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), and launched in the second half of 2019, a Leadership Development Program focused on proven leadership qualities and principles.

The specialized hazardous materials training curriculum is aimed at ensuring trainees are conversant with the regulations regarding the transportation of hazardous

materials and emergency response procedures. The SLSI’s Hazmat Training Program offers three program types including direct training for railroad employees, instructor training for railroads that already have trainers in place, and tabletop exercises that are interactive, with hands-on problemsolving sessions designed to assist railroads in creating their own customized response plans for hazmat incidents.

To date, the SLSI has completed 26 training events for the Hazardous Materials Training Program, and four tabletop exercises. For some training sessions, SLSI has partnered with the Firefighter’s Education and Training Foundation, using its Safety Train classroom railcar and hands-on rail equipment.

To address some of the most common gaps found on short line railroads, including recognizing safe practices, coaching/mentoring/modeling and safety communications, the SLSI has developed, piloted and launched a new Leadership Development Program.

This program was designed to be interactive using a multimedia format, teambuilding exercises and group discussion, and is appropriate for new as well as experienced managers. Topics include effective communication, delivering constructive feedback, managing to agreement, coaching, building high-performing teams and giving credit. With three sessions completed in 2019, and six more planned for 2020, the SLSI anticipates that this will be a highly sought-after program.

SLSI Hazardous Materials Training and Leadership Development Programs can be customized to meet the needs of an individual railroad or can be tailored to a group of railroads. All programs are provided free of charge to short line and regional railroads.

Visit www.shortlinesafety.org or call (202) 628-4500 to learn more about scheduling an Assessment or Training on your railroad.

tom murta Executive Director Short Line Safety Institute

railwayage.com

We’re current, are you? FRA Regulations Mechanical Department Regulations

FRA News:

A combined reprint of the Federal Regulations that apply specifically to the Mechanical Department. Spiral bound.

Part Title 210 Railroad Noise Emission Compliance Regulations Updated 4-15-19.

215 Freight Car Safety Standards Updated 7-31-19.

216 Emergency Order Procedures: Railroad Track, Locomotive and Equipment Updated 7-31-19.

217 Railroad Operating Rules Updated 7-31-19.

218 Railroad Operating Practices - Blue Flag Rule Updated 7-31-19.

221 Rear End Marking Device-passenger, commuter/freight trains Updated 7-31-19.

223 Safety Glazing Standards Updated 7-31-19.

225 Railroad Accidents/Incidents Updated 7-31-19.

229 Locomotive Safety Standards Updated 7-31-19.

231 Safety Appliance Standards Updated 7-31-19.

232 Brake System Safety Standards Updated 7-31-19.

$29.95

Mech. Dept. Regs.

BKMFR

Order 25 or more and pay only $26.96 each

FRA Part #

209 211 BKTSSAF 213 BKTSSG 213 BKWRK 214 BKFSS 215 BKROR 217 218 BKRRC 220 BKEND 221 BKSEP

Update effective

7-31-19 7-20-09 7-31-19 4-3-17 7-31-19 7-31-19 7-31-19 7-31-19 7-31-19 7-31-19

BKHORN 222 7-31-19 BKRFRS 224 7-31-19 BKHS BKLSS BKSLI BKSAS BKBRIDGE BKLER

228 229 230 231 237 240

7-31-19 7-31-19 7-31-19 7-31-19 7-31-19 7-31-19

BKCONDC 242 7-31-19

RR Communications Rear End Marking Device, Passenger, Commuter & Freight Trains Use of Locomotive Horns Reflectorization of Rail Freight Rolling Stock Hours of Service Locomotive Safety Standards Steam Locomotive Inspection RR Safety Appliance Standards Bridge Safety Standards Qualification and Certification of Locomotive Conductor Certification

232 7-31-19 Brake System Safety Standards

BKBSS

BKCAD

Each

RR Safety Enforcement Procedures & Rules of Practice Track Safety Standards (Subpart A-F) Track Safety Standards (Subpart G) RR Workplace Safety RR Freight Car Safety Standards RR Operating Rules and Practices

FRA Part #

BKSTC

BKPSS

40 219 233 234 235 236 238 239

30.50

27.45

10.95 10.00 10.50 8.50 10.50

9.86 9.00 9.45 7.65 9.45

6.75 6.25

6.10 5.60

14.75

13.25

7.95 12.50 12.50 25.95 10.50 7.95 14.25

7.15 11.25 11.25 23.35 9.45 7.15 12.85

12.50

11.25

Each

25 or more

16.50

14.85

Combined FRA Regulations Each

4-23-19 Drug and Alcohol Regulations in 7-31-19 the Workplace

38.95

35.00

7-31-19 Signal and Train Control Systems 7-31-19 7-31-19 7-31-19 7-31-19 Passenger Safety Standards 7-31-19

21.50

19.35

25.50

22.95

Compliance Manuals BKINFRA18 BKTM

Track and Rail and Infrastructure Integrity Compliance Manual - Volume II, Track Safety Standards - Part 213 Technical Manual for Signal and Train Control Rules. - Includes Part 233, 234, 235, 236

Part 213: Track Safety Standards, Subparts A-F 49 Part 213, Subparts A-F. Classes of Track 1 through 5: Applies to track required to support passenger and freight equipment at lower speed ranges. Includes Defect Codes and Appendices A, B, and C to Part 213. Softcover. Spiral bound. 120 pages. Updated 7-31-19.

50 or more

25 or more

Update effective

DATES: This regulation went into effect on December 30, 2019.

BKTSSAF

Current FRA Regulations Item Code

49 CFR Part 243, Training, Qualification, and Oversight for Safety-Related Railroad Employees. In response to a petition for rulemaking, FRA is amending its regulation on Training, Qualification, and Oversight for Safety-Related Railroad Employees by delaying the regulation's implementation dates for all contractors, and those Class II and III railroads that are not intercity or commuter passenger railroads with 400,000 total employee work hours annually or more.

38.00 49.95

Updates from the Federal Register may be supplied in supplement form.

34.00 44.95

Track Safety Standards, Subparts A-F Order 50 or more and pay only $9.86 each

$10.95

Part 213: Track Safety Standards, Subpart G 49 Part 213, Subparts G. Classes of Track 6 and higher. Softcover.

Spiral bound. 88 pages.Updated 4-3-17.

BKTSSG

$10.00

Track Safety Standards, Subpart G Order 50 or more and pay only $9.00 each

Part 214: Railroad Workplace Safety The FRA's Railroad Workplace Safety standards address roadway workers and their work environments. Subparts A-General, B-Bridge Worker Safety Standards, C-Roadway Worker Protection, D-On-Track Roadway Maintenance, and Defect Codes for Part 214. Spiral bound.

74 pages. Updated 5-23-19.

BKWRK

$10.50

Railroad Workplace Safety Order 50 or more and pay only $9.45 each

Part 231: Railroad Safety Appliance Standards 49 CFR 231. General requirements for safety appliances including: handbrakes, brake step, running boards, sill steps, ladders, end ladder clearance, roof handholds, side handholds, horizontal end handholds, vertical end handholds, and uncoupling levers. 106 pages. Softcover.

BKSAS

$10.50

Railroad Safety Appliance Order 50 or more and pay only $9.45 each

800-228-9670 www.transalert.com

The Railway Educational Bureau 1809 Capitol Ave., Omaha NE, 68102 I (800) 228-9670 I (402) 346-4300 www.RailwayEducationalBureau.com

Add Shipping & Handling if your merchandise subtotal is: U.S.A. CAN U.S.A. CAN UP TO $10.00 $4.50 $8.75 25.01 - 50.00 10.78 16.80 10.01 - 25.00 7.92 12.65 50.01 - 75.00 11.99 21.20

Orders over $75, call for shipping

*Prices subject to change. Revision dates subject to change in accordance with laws published by the FRA. 2/20

CONGRATULATIONS TO KANSAS CITY SOUTHERN SUPERINTENDENT NETWORK OPERATIONS

Nicolas Klein for being honored by Railway Age as a FAST TRACKER 10 Rising Industry Stars Under 40

kcsouthern.com