The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) has awarded two of its prestigious annual President’s Awards to the Alabama State Port Authority’s Terminal Railway at the Alabama State Docks (TASD).
The association awards these high honors to short line railroads across the nation that achieve exemplary rail safety standards.
John C. Driscoll, director and CEO of the Port Authority, commended the railroad’s management and personnel noting in a statement on Thursday, “This is a tremendous accomplishment signifying our railroad’s professionalism and commitment to safe operations.”
In earning the awards, TASD achieved both a 0.0 accident frequency rate (zero accidents) and the best safety rate as measured by the lowest accident frequency rate per person-hour. The Port Authority’s short line specifically won awards for “Most Hours of Injury-Free Operation” (zero accidents in a calendar year) and “Best Safety Rate for 150,000 – 250,000 Person Hours worked in Calendar Year 2019.”
“To be awarded two President’s Awards speaks to the safety culture developed and embraced by every member of the Terminal Railway,” commented Cliff Melton, general manager of TASD. “I am extremely proud of the prevailing good attitude found everywhere on our system and the hard work our people put forth every day.”
Additionally, to qualify for the ASLRRA President’s Award, a short line must have already earned the Jake Award, which recognizes outstanding safety achievements in the short line railroad industry and is presented to the ASLRRA member railroad that performs better than the Class II or Class III industry average injury frequency rate as reported by the Federal Railroad Administration in the prior year.
TASD has earned seven Jake Awards since 2007, including 2019 with the Distinction Jake Award as the railroad had both zero reportable injuries and zero reportable rail accidents.
In 2019, TASD serviced five Class I railroads, a Class II railroad and a Class III railroad handling 164,321 revenue rail cars through its interchange and terminal yards. The Terminal Railway is one of the nation’s largest port authority owned and operated railroads.
RELATED: Ivey appoints three to Alabama State Port Authority board, reappoints another
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
