March 2017

Current CSLRA News

Your Association has been busy preparing for our upcoming visit to Sacramento and the annual meeting in San Diego. Read on for details!

Sacramento Visit Only 3 Weeks Away

CSLRA’s annual trip to Sacramento is almost here, and the hotel room block closes tomorrow, March 14! This event will include important meetings with legislators in which we emphasize the importance of short lines in the CA economy and express our support for several freight transportation bills now before the legislature (follow the link below for details). Registration and hotel information may be found on our website. Register now at https://www.cslra.org/?p=77 !

Annual Meeting in San Diego to Include Federal Regulations Seminar

For the first time in five years, we’ll have a Federal Regulations Seminar on current rail operations topics as part of our annual meeting! The 1-1/2 day seminar will be held starting the morning of Monday, July 24 and ending at mid-day on July 25. CSLRA’s annual meeting will start the afternoon of July 25 and end with a golf outing the afternoon of July 26. Registration and hotel information for the seminar and annual meeting will be available soon.

CSLRA Launches New Web Site

The recently-formed CSLRA Technology Committee has been hard at work on updated website format and content. The new website has just launched and you are invited to check it out using the navigation link below. Many thanks to our Committee members, chaired by Phil Gilchrist (Antea Group), and to our hard-working webmaster Jamie Foster (Santa Maria Valley RR) for their work to develop the new site. Check out the new site now: https://www.cslra.org

CSLRA Coordinates with CA Railroad Industry on Key Issues

2017 is shaping up to be a busy year for legislation in California. As part of a California Railroad Industry coalition which includes CA Class 1 railroads and short line holding companies, CSLRA has been tracking legislative proposals and taking positions on bills when appropriate. For details, click to check the legislative page of the new CSLRA website: https://www.cslra.org/?page_id=69

The block of rooms set aside for CSLRA’s Legislative Day closes tomorrow, March 14th. All the details are here.

About ASLRRA – The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA), a national-level sister organization to CSLRA, is a non-profit trade association representing the interests of the nation’s 550 short line and regional railroads and railroad supply company members in legislative and regulatory matters. Short lines operate 50,000 miles of track in 49 states, or approximately 38% of the national railroad network, touching in origination or termination one out of every four cars moving on the national railroad system,
serving customers who otherwise would be cut off from the national railroad network.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 7, 2017 – On March 2, 2017 a record number of citizen lobbyist railroaders, suppliers and customers met with their Congressional leaders to identify legislative strategies to grow rail opportunity.

367 Congressional offices hosted meetings for 456 visitors – a record number of participants for the annual event which has been held since 1999.

“Hundreds of citizen-lobbyists advocated on issues from balanced regulation, to sensible tax reform including permanence of the 45G tax credit that spurs rail investment, to the holding of truck size and weight at current levels,” said Linda Bauer Darr, President of ASLRRA. “Short line railroads extend the national rail network by connecting rail service to local economies and building jobs in America’s industrial and agricultural heartland.”

The Building Rail Access for Customers and the Economy (BRACE) Act was a key point of discussion for short line railroaders, who noted close alignment with the Administration’s stated interest in spurring private investment in infrastructure through tax credits. Legislation supporting 45G has a 14-year track record, generating strong bi-partisan support. The BRACE Act was reintroduced in both houses in the 115th Congress (HR 721 and S407). Due to the efforts on Thursday, the BRACE Act now has 82 cosponsors in the house and 15 in the Senate as of Monday, March 6.

The BRACE Act removes the need to pass legislation every year in support of the credit, adding predictability to infrastructure investment planning. The 45G Tax Credit has been responsible for nearly $4Billion of private investment in short line and regional railroads since its inception in 2008. The 45G tax credit expired on December 31, 2016.

Contact:
Amy Krouse
akrouse@aslrra.org
(Cell) 312-371-6947
(Direct) 202-585-3438
50 F Street, NW, Suite 7020
Washington, DC 20001
aslrra@aslrra.org
www.aslrra.org

Don’t miss CSLRA’s Sacramento Visit on April 5th. Details…