Washington, D.C. — With the November elections solidly in the rear-view mirror, much about the 116th Congress is now known. For railroads, though, there are still significant unknowns about the infrastructure policy landscape they will face. Here’s a look at the current state of play and how the election may impact freight railroads.

Turnout and Turnover

A historic number of Americans voted in 2018. In fact, voter turnout in 2018 reached the highest level of any midterm election in a century. And in this case, massive turnout also means massive turnover. Democrats took control of the U.S. House of Representatives and Republicans expanded their majority in the Senate. There are 10 newly elected senators and 100 newly elected representatives. This huge new class of leaders comes with many firsts (the freshman class of 2019 is the most racially diverse and most female group of representatives ever elected to the House) and with many challenges (very few of these new leaders are familiar with railroads or with the details of transportation policy).

Who’s who?

Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA).

On the Senate side of Capitol Hill, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) will assume the chairmanship of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) will be the top Democrat on the panel. It has been announced that Senators-elect Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) will join the panel.

On the House side, committee assignments have not yet been made, though it is clear that there will be several new members of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. We also know that Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) will chair the committee and that Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO) will serve as ranking Republican. The chairmanship of the rail subcommittee has not yet been completely confirmed.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) has received some support for adding an infrastructure subcommittee to the Ways and Means Committee and Rep. DeFazio has said that he “strongly supports” the idea.

What will the current Congress do?

While most of the news coverage around the current Congress appropriately focuses on whether there will be a partial government shutdown (including the Department of Transportation, whose appropriations run out in a matter of days), a few items affecting railroads may still come up in 2018.

The Senate Commerce Committee has cleared three nominations for the Surface Transportation Board (STB), the agency responsible for railroad economic regulation, but the full Senate has not yet confirmed these nominees. Further, the term of one of the two current STB members, Deb Miller, expires at the end of the year with little indication that she will be re-nominated by the White House. If no action is taken, the STB will be left with a single member and the nomination process will start anew in 2019.

The “45G” short line tax credit expired at the end of 2017 and has not yet been renewed. The chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX) supports making a modified version of the tax credit permanent, but it remains unclear whether an extension of the current credit or a permanent version of the credit will be considered by the end of the year.

Senators continue to try and negotiate a final version of their bill to set a federal framework for regulation of “highly automated vehicles” (HAVs). The House has already passed its version of an autonomous vehicle bill. Automation generally is a factor in many issues facing the country currently and how Congress approaches the testing and deployment of autonomous vehicles on highways may impact railroads over the long term, as well.

Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO).

Where will they find the money?

After the election, infrastructure emerged as one of the issues that could unite the House, Senate and White House in 2019. There seems to be broad acknowledgement that the U.S. needs to significantly invest in maintaining and upgrading our infrastructure. There is far from consensus, however, on how much investment is needed and how to pay for such an investment.

The federal fuel tax — the primary source of revenue for the Highway Trust Fund — has long been inadequate for covering current transportation spending, let alone additional investment. But politicians on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers have shied away from increasing the fuel tax. In a change, both incoming Chairman DeFazio and Ranking Member Graves have expressed support for some form of vehicle mile tax (VMT), which could more accurately charge vehicles for their share of transportation spending. However, they disagree on the details of how to implement such a change.

The debate over infrastructure funding could have dramatic effects on railroads, namely how level the playing field is for competing transportation modes. A VMT, for instance, could support more equity among modes by ensuring heavy trucks pay their fair share for upkeep of taxpayer-funded roads and bridges.

With all of these open items going into the new year, 2019 should be very interesting in the transportation world. We look forward to working with each of you to navigate it successfully. Stay tuned!

Galesburg, IL — Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (D-Illinois) took a hands-on tour of a Koppers rail tie plant in Galesburg, Ill., on Monday. Joining GoRail, the Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association (REMSA), the National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association (NRC) and other officials, Rep. Bustos also participated in a discussion about the railroad industry’s top public policy priorities.

Congresswoman Bustos operates machinery that handles wooden railroad ties.

Last week, House Democrats elected Congresswoman Bustos as the next Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) for the upcoming 116th Congress.  As Chair of the DCCC, Bustos will be the fifth-ranking Democrat in House Leadership.

Koppers, an integrated global provider of treated wood products, wood treatment chemicals and carbon compounds, is the largest supplier of railroad crossties in North America to the Class I and short line railroads. They’ve been in the rail business for over 25 years and now have more than 1,800 employees. The Galesburg tie facility employs 66.

“I had a great time touring Koppers’ Galesburg facility and hearing, first hand, from the hardworking employees about Koppers’ commitment to our state and the Galesburg community,” said Congresswoman Bustos.

“As a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I have been a strong advocate for federal transportation investments, supporting our railroads and improving our nation’s infrastructure. I look forward to working in a bi-partisan way to pass a federal infrastructure bill that rebuilds our nation while creating more good-paying jobs across our region.”

First elected to Congress in 2012, Congresswoman Bustos has served as a Co-Chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC) and as a Senior Whip in the Democratic Caucus. She is also a member of the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, and sits on the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials, which has jurisdiction over the economic and safety regulation of railroads.

Congresswoman Bustos speaks with Cory Misiewicz of BNSF Railway.

“Congresswoman Bustos serves in a crucial role in Washington D.C. and we appreciate her leadership advocating for increased federal infrastructure investments,” said Jim Evans, Koppers Galesburg Plant Manager.

“The privately funded and maintained freight railroad network is one of the few bright spots in America’s infrastructure network.” He went on, “Koppers and our employees are extremely proud to create well-paying jobs in Illinois and we continue to spend the capital needed to improve our facility to provide railroads like BNSF with railroad ties that help their railroad’s infrastructure.”

Attendees thanked the Congresswoman for her support of H.R.721, the Building Rail Access for Customers and the Economy (BRACE) Act, which, if passed by Congress, would allow the nation’s small, local freight railroads to increase investment into their rail infrastructure and better serve their customers throughout rural and small-town America. The tax credit has helped small railroads invest more than $4 billion in capital infrastructure improvements since it was enacted in 2005.

“The short line railroad tax credit is an essential piece of the economic puzzle, allowing short lines to invest more of their own capital in rail improvements and maintenance to provide ever-safer and more robust service capabilities for their customers,” said Judy Petry, chair of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA). “ASLRRA thanks Congresswoman Bustos for her support on this important issue.”

In Illinois, 46 freight railroads operate and maintain over 7,120 miles of track, employing more than 13,150 people.

Ventura County, CA — Ventura County plays a pivotal role in the movement of goods and passengers by rail across densely populated Southern California. With Asia as its largest importer, agribusiness in Ventura and nearby Santa Barbara counties is a driver for the regional economy, generating more than $6 billion in annual economic activity and employing over 45,000 workers.

Darren Kettle is executive director of the Ventura County Transportation Commission, an organization that manages projects and operations to ensure everything runs smoothly in this unique jurisdiction (which also owns Hollywood’s favorite rail line, one that has been featured in scores of movies and television shows).

How does rail serve the Ventura County community (passenger and/or freight)? 

Kettle: Rail is a critical piece of Ventura County’s transportation network. Amtrak and Metrolink provide passenger service for the region’s residents, commuters and visitors. Metrolink’s Ventura County Line operates weekday commuter service between East Ventura and Los Angeles. Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner serves Ventura County with 12 daily round-trips between San Diego and San Luis Obispo and Amtrak’s Coast Starlight, with service between Los Angeles and Seattle, stops in Oxnard and Simi Valley once a day.

The Union Pacific Railroad is the Class I freight carrier on the coast mainline through Ventura County and all the way along California’s Central Coast. Freight rail provides a prime intermodal link between the Port of Hueneme, the largest California seaport between Los Angeles and Oakland, and markets throughout North America. A 12-mile near-dock rail loop, the Ventura County Railway, connects the Port, Naval Base Ventura County and the industrial areas of south Oxnard to Union Pacific Railroad.

The Ventura County Transportation Commission owns the Santa Paula Branch Line and leases the line to the Fillmore and Western Railroad, which runs tourism excursion trains and a variety of movie, television and commercial shoots for the nearby Hollywood entertainment industry.

Railroads invest heavily in grade crossing safety, spending hundreds of millions of dollars each year to maintain crossings and support programs and initiatives, like Operation Lifesaver, related to grade crossing safety. What are some of your biggest public safety obstacles?

Kettle: Like many communities in Southern California, at-grade rail crossings are a major public safety concern in Ventura County. Oxnard’s Rice Avenue grade crossing, the site of a fatal Metrolink-truck collision in 2015, is a particular local priority. Fortunately, with the Ventura County Transportation Commission as the funding plan architect and with cooperation between the City of Oxnard, the County of Ventura and the California Department of Transportation, and the political leadership from Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, funding has been identified to build the Rice Avenue Bridge over the Union Pacific tracks near East Fifth Street. This project will not only eliminate conflict between vehicles and trains at this critical location, it will also ease traffic and circulation issues that make this a challenging intersection.

How do you see both passenger and freight rail playing a part in Southern California’s Sustainable Community Plan?

Kettle: When it comes to achieving the greenhouse gas reductions outlined in SCAG’s Sustainable Communities Strategy, rail is an important tool in Southern California’s mobility toolbox. This is especially true in Ventura County where the low-density rural and suburban environment can pose challenges. Every local commuter who rides a passenger train to work is one less driver on the freeway. Every container of produce moved from the Port of Hueneme by rail means fewer trucks on the road.

“Every local commuter who rides a passenger train to work is one less driver on the freeway. Every container of produce moved from the Port of Hueneme by rail means fewer trucks on the road.”

To this end, VCTC recently worked with the Santa Barbara Council of Governments and the LOSSAN Corridor Authority to offer new commuter rail service on the Pacific Surfliner between Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. With thousands of Ventura County residents making the daily trek to work in Santa Barbara, commuter bus – and now rail – provide more sustainable commuting options.

The Port of Hueneme is an active and successful seaport serving Ventura County and the greater Southern California region. What role may freight rail have in the port’s continued and future growth and development?

Kettle: The Port of Hueneme occupies an important niche in the movement of goods within Southern California, the United States and the world. The Port specializes in fresh produce, automobiles, bulk liquids, fish and “general cargo,” large items that cannot be shipped in containers. Many of these products require expedited or specialized handling. Freight rail is the crucial connection that moves these items from the Ventura County coast to markets across north America. As congestion has impacted the Southern California freeway system, rail provides a strategic and efficient link to regional distribution and processing centers in the state’s interior as well as to long-distance national rail corridors.

Washington, DC — America’s rail suppliers — which produce everything from signals, track and ties to the advanced tech used for PTC — contributed $74.2 billion to U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) in 2017, according to a new study from Oxford Economics, an independent global advisory firm that specializes in economic forecasting and modeling.

The North American freight rail network is the backbone of our economy — driving growth for American communities and companies and connecting us to markets across the nation and worldwide. This study helps demonstrate the full depth and breadth of rail’s impact and how important railroads and their suppliers are to jobs and quality of life all across the nation.

In addition to supporting America’s railway system, “the railway supply and manufacturing industry is essential to the national economy — generating value for the economy, stimulating jobs, and contributing taxes,” the study says, citing a host of impressive new numbers based on 2017 data. Put into context, if the rail supply industry were represented as a U.S. city, it would rank 47th (between Louisville, KY and Jacksonville, FL) in terms of its annual GDP contribution.

Jobs are another area where rail suppliers have a significant national footprint. With more than 125,000 direct employees, the industry supports some 525,000 additional workers in the wider economy, “either in the supply chains of railway suppliers or through the wage spending of those employed by the firms themselves or their supply chains,” according to the study. In other words, every rail supply job supports 4.2 jobs across the economy.

The study was commissioned by the Railway Supply Institute (RSI), Railway Systems Suppliers, Inc. (RSSI), the Railway Tie Association (RTA) and the Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association (REMSA), which collectively represent nearly 4,000 rail supply companies.

“This study is the first of its kind to reveal the power and contribution of the railway supply industry that is driven by investment in our nation’s railroads,” said RSI President Mike O’Malley. “The results tell a powerful story highlighting the benefit of public policies that support continued growth in both the freight- and passenger-rail sector.”

While it demonstrates the broad impact of the rail supply industry across the U.S., the study also points to suppliers’ outsized impact in Southwest states ($18.1 billion), the Southeast ($15.9 billion) and the Great Lakes ($12.3 billion). Texas, California and Illinois take the top three spots for states impacted by the thriving rail supply industry.

The authors also underscore the economic imperative of “preserving free and fair markets” in a case study included in the report.

“One of the key drivers for this success has been the ability of companies and industries to integrate their supply chains across the continent to maximize efficiencies, costs, and access to resources — and railroads and rail suppliers have played an important role in this… Manufacturers of railway supply products — locomotives, railcars, maintenance of way equipment— often source components from all three NAFTA nations, sustaining thousands of job across the continent.”

Overall, this study is further confirmation of freight rail’s positive economic impact. Another wider analysis of the industry has shown that it supported 1.5 million jobs and generated $274 billion in economic in 2014.

Washington, DC — In the spirit of Halloween, we decided to compile a few spook-tacular facts about America’s freight railroads.

1). The rails have hidden eyes and ears.

Sounds spooky right? But these eyes and ears are there to detect the tiny flaws — imperceptible to the human eye — that can lead to accidents. The “eyes” of rail, smart sensors, ultrasound and other advanced tech, are able to look deep inside a track. Ground-penetrating electromagnetic radar, for example, helps railroads get a more complete picture of the health of ballast and detect any abnormalities, like water intrusion, which can cause erosion.

Rail’s “ears” are also listening. Trackside acoustic detector systems can track the energy that is transmitted from a train through the track and into the ground below — i.e. the track’s “acoustic signature.” By studying the acoustic signatures of healthy, broken and deteriorating tracks in a controlled setting, researchers are hoping to monitor tracks nationwide and detect flaws in real-time, preventing accidents before they happen.

2). Freight railroads spend more on maintenance and expansion each year than most state departments of transportation spend on highways. 

America’s freight railroads finance their own infrastructure maintenance and expansion — to the tune of about $25 billion annually over the last several years. This amounts to about 40 cents of every revenue dollar, and correlates with steady safety, efficiency and reliability gains.

In contrast — gather ’round for the scariest tale of all — the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) will be depleted by 2021, according to the Congressional Budget Office. While the HTF needs about $170 billion every year to improve roads, its gas-tax funding mechanism cannot keep up. That’s why railroads have advocated for a more sustainable solution that expands on the idea of a “user-pay” system. A Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) tax, one that charges drivers and truckers for the distance they drive, is a more sustainable funding model that accounts for changing fuel prices and more fuel-efficient vehicles

3). Trains are eerily efficient — four times more efficient than trucks. 

Picture a forest (haunted or not) of 400 million trees that reduces greenhouse gases by about 17 million tons annually. That’s the same outcome you would get — a 17-million ton reduction in greenhouse gases —  if just 10% of the freight that moves by big trucks moved instead by rail. Rail’s enviro credentials are frighteningly fantastic, from being able to move one ton of freight over 480 miles per gallon of fuel to accounting for less than 2% of all the emissions from transportation-related sources.

4). U.S. railroads support some 1.1 million jobs across the country.

This last fact is less spooky than it is impressive! According to researchers, every one of the 135, 000 rail jobs supports nearly 8 other jobs across the U.S. economy—nearly 1.1 million jobs in total. Class I railroad workers, 82% of which are unionized, on average receive compensation of  $130,000 per year, among the highest of any major U.S. industry. Railroads are also committed to veteran hiring — nearly 20% of current employees are veterans.

Updated 10/25/21.

Elkhart County, IN — Mike Yoder, president of the Elkhart County Board of Commissioners, recently took to the op-ed pages of Elkhart County’s local paper to discuss the harmful effects of tariffs for Indiana farmers, manufacturers and the freight rail sector.

“Between the swirling numbers and seemingly constant escalations, it’s easy to lose sight of what this all means. Make no mistake: tariffs are a tax on U.S. businesses and consumers.

Elkhart County provides a good example. We manufacture 80 percent of the recreational vehicles you see on the road today. Because of tariffs, raw materials are costing as much as 50 percent more than they typically would – resulting in higher prices for the buyer.”

He writes that in addition to the extra cost of tariffs, trade tension makes it difficult for businesses to make long-term plans.

“Another problem is the uncertainty created by escalating tariffs. Indiana is one of the top producers of corn, soybeans, hogs, poultry, popcorn and tomato products, and, in total, Hoosier products generate almost $6 billion in exports and support more than 100,000 jobs. But as many across the state face an uncertain future due to trade tensions, businesses large and small are finding it difficult to make decisions about the direction of their companies.

Freight rail operators have been left in a precarious position, as businesses that typically use their services are making important decisions that will affect how rail operations will be needed after crops are harvested. Without a clear direction on trade policies and their impact on farmers and manufacturers, railroads will find it difficult to properly allocate equipment, rail cars and personnel.”

Read the Full Story.

Tuscola, IL — Brian A. Moody, fire chief of Tuscola and secretary/treasurer of the Douglas County Firefighters Association and MABAS Division 26 (Mutual Aid Box Alarm Association), highlighted the innovative AskRail mobile app in a recent op-ed for the State Journal Register.

“AskRail is an application that first responders can download directly onto their mobile devices or access via desktop to provide access to the shipping manifests for freight trains passing through Illinois. This is particularly important in the case of trains carrying hazardous materials.

Although more than 99.99 percent of freight shipments carrying hazardous materials move without incident, in those rare cases when something happens, first responders can look to the AskRail app to quickly determine which rail cars are carrying hazardous materials. It also provides vital information about how to best handle and contain these materials, allows the first people at the scene to prioritize their next steps, and quickly make safe and informed logistical decisions.”

Read the Full Story.

Savannah, GA — This week the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) held its annual State of the Port – and there certainly is a lot of good news to talk about.

The port of Savannah experienced its second busiest month ever in July, with tonnage across all Georgia ports increasing by 10.5 percent. On August 22, Gov. Nathan Deal and other officials hailed Savannah’s latest connection, a 380-mile rail link to the brand-new Appalachian Regional Port in Murray County north of Atlanta.

These developments – which will spur growth and jobs across Georgia – are examples of the fruits of good infrastructure. And they demonstrate the economic power of ready access to the Southeast’s most extensive rail network. After years of record increases in the state’s imports and exports, investing in the infrastructure necessary to support this growing demand has never been more important.

In March, the Port of Savannah started construction on a $127 million rail terminal to accommodate longer trains that can take advantage of bigger cargo ships.

“It is no accident the GPA is constructing rail capacity as the demand for rail is growing… As Part of our strategic planning two years ago, our team identified the growing role intermodal cargo would play in GPA’s long-term success and put into place this plan for expansion,” said GPA Board Chairman Jimmy Allgood to the Savannah Morning News.

The mega-rail project – which will allow the port to load trains that are 10,000 feet long – will link Savannah to markets in Memphis, St. Louis, Chicago and the Ohio Valley, underlining Georgia’s significance to the national economy. Longer, more efficient trains will also reduce the need for trucks to haul cargo, taking about 200,000 tractor-trailers off of Georgia highways each year.

The success of Georgia’s rail system — which is vital for the state’s economy — is largely due to private investments from the state’s rail companies. The billions of private dollars spent each year by railroads sustains and enhances the network that Georgia businesses and consumers rely on. For example, the new Appalachian Regional Port, with its direct rail link to Savannah, “opens up a new door” and is already drawing interest from the industrial base nearby, according to the Georgia Ports Authority.

Georgia’s logistics industry makes up 18 percent of the gross state product, and freight rail comprises a significant portion of that. Railroads employ more than 7,000 workers to serve the more than 30,000 companies that rely on the logistics industry to move goods through supply chains. Georgia’s Class I railroads, which interchange with nearly 30 short line railroads operating in our state, offer three-day service to major cities like Chicago, Cincinnati and Dallas, allowing Georgia companies to reach nearly 80 percent of the U.S. market in that time.

Rail’s continued investment in infrastructure is crucial to Georgia’s growth in the 21st century economy.

The AgriTech Park is an industrial development located in central Montana (image courtesy of BNSF).

Great Falls, MT — Great Falls is located at one of the most impressive sections of the mighty Missouri. The river drops over 500 feet in elevation as it meanders through the community and its five breathtaking waterfalls — the great falls of the Missouri. Surrounded by productive farmland, Great Falls sits between the Rocky Mountains to its west and Little Belt Mountains to its east. Lewis and Clark explored the area in 1805 and were among the first to experience its logistical challenges when it took them nearly a month to portage around the falls.

Today, Great Falls is a bustling community known for art, quaint parks, riverscapes and city excitement with some mountain solitude. And thanks to an old rail line and new industrial park, logistics is now a big part of economic development in this community.

For decades, community leaders recognized the need for increased rail access. Partnering with a local farmer, they were able to acquire rail-served land next to the city. AgriTech Park has over 1300 acres available with shovel ready lots, Foreign Trade Zone accessibility, completed zoning and BNSF rail service. One of BNSF’s first certified, premier rail parks, it has allowed the city to relocate heavy industry away from the burgeoning commercial and tourist development along the river and attract new employers to the area. Existing and planned tenants include Pacific Steel & Recycling, Montana Specialty Mills, Montana Advanced Biofuels, Helena Chemical and FedEx.

“Creating a shovel-ready, rail-served heavy industrial park had been a goal of ours for years,” says Brett Doney, president of the Great Falls Montana Development Authority. “We see many opportunities, not just in agricultural processing, but in energy-related manufacturing, distribution and logistics.”

Montana Specialty Mills, for example, has invested $20 million into a new 20-acre processing facility expected to be complete in the fall 2018. The facility will add jobs to the company’s existing footprint in town and help it expand into the non-GMO and organic oilseeds markets.

Image courtesy of Great Falls Montana Development Authority.

Another example, Montana Advanced Biofuels plans to develop a $400 million wheat and barley ethanol plant. The facility will provide biofuels to West Coast customers. High quality, vital wheat gluten, a by-product of the manufacturing process, will also supply West Coast bakeries. Montana crops include wheat, barley, oil seeds and pulses. Currently, these commodities are moved out of state for value-added processing. AgriTech Park will allow area farmers to sell their crops locally, eliminating transportation cost, while creating additional local jobs.

In addition to several dozen construction jobs, 36 new jobs have already been created at AgriTech Park. Current rail service is provided 5-6 days a week and is expected to increase to daily service. Montana is ranked among the top states in the U.S. for low taxes and production costs.

“The creation of the AgriTech Park has not only allowed us to see existing companies such as MT Specialty Mills retool and reinvest in our community but has also attracted new business enterprises to our community.  Both local reinvestment and the attraction of new businesses are critical to moving Cascade County into a brighter future with a more diversified economy. The AgriTech Park is one of our greatest tools in this effort,” says County Commissioner Joe Briggs.

 

 

Washington, D.C. — Operation Lifesaver, a nonprofit public safety education and awareness organization dedicated to reducing collisions, fatalities and injuries at highway-rail crossings and trespassing on or near railroad tracks, is gearing up for its second annual Rail Safety Week (Sept. 23-29).

Believe it or not, a person or vehicle is hit by a train about every three hours in the U.S. The goal of Rail Safety Week is to raise awareness, encourage rail safety education and empower the public to make smart decisions near railroad crossings. That’s where you or your organization comes in — please consider sharing one or more of the sample messages below.

Content that can be shared ahead of Rail Safety Week (prior to 9/23):
  • Ahead of #RailSafetyWeek (Sept. 23-29), build your own awareness to help #STOPTrackTragedies. @olinational @GoRail http://bit.ly/USrailsafetyweek
  • We’re observing #RailSafetyWeek Sept. 23-29 to #STOPTrackTragedies because every 3 hours, a person or vehicle is hit by a train. @olinational @GoRail 

 

  • #RailSafetyWeek (Sept. 23-29) kicks off next week! Join us in spreading an important public safety message: stay off the tracks – it could save your life. @olinational @GoRail
Content for Rail Safety Week (Sept. 23-29):
  • It’s #RailSafetyWeek! Learn more from @olinational & get some tips for staying safe around the tracks. @GoRail http://bit.ly/2yBTOVs
  • Never try to beat a train. The weight of a locomotive to your car = that of a car to a soda can. #USRailSafetyWeek @GoRail https://vimeo.com/129562719
  • Here’s a tip for #RailSafetyWeek — this sign could save your life at a crossing. #STOPTrackTragedies @GoRail https://vimeo.com/222729263
  • #RailSafetyWeek tip via @olinational: ALWAYS expect a train. Here are some more #STOPTrackTragedies tips & facts: http://bit.ly/2wh9QCI @GoRail
  • Remember — during @olinational’s #RailSafetyWeek & every day — no photo is worth the risk. #STOPtracktragedies @GoRail https://vimeo.com/146932433
  • A train can extend 3 feet or more beyond the steel rail — no #selfie is every worth it. #RailSafetyWeek @olinational @GoRail https://vimeo.com/147888194
  • It’s #RailSafetyWeek — let’s help #STOPTrackTragedies across [state]! FACT: Trespassing on train tracks is the leading cause of rail-related death in North America. @olinational @GoRail 

 

  • For Tuesday 9/25: Law enforcement partners are conducting “Operation Clear Track” at crossings in [state] & across the U.S. today! #RailSafetyWeek #STOPTrackTragedies @olinational @GoRail