advertisement

---

Yesterday, the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) named the Greenville & Western Railway Co. L.L.C., Lycoming Valley Railroad Co., and Reading, Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad Co. as winners of its 15th annual marketing awards.

The awards recognize regionals and short lines that best exploit a small railroad’s “unique, special and appropriate” role in developing new business; identify a customer’s needs and develop service to meet those needs; and successfully translate marketing concepts and proposals into new and/or expanded business opportunities, according to ASLRRA. Six judges — including Progressive Railroading Managing Editor Jeff Stagl — selected the winners from among 19 nominees.

“This year, we saw our most competitive pool of applications yet,” ASLRRA officials said in an award announcement.

The association honored Greenville & Western Railway (GRLW) for working with CSX Transportation and Lincoln Energy Solutions to develop a rail-served distribution facility in Belton, S.C., that can receive ethanol unit trains up to 96 cars in length. Greenville & Western also is spending $1.3 million to upgrade 10 miles of track to FRA Class I standards (which was competed) and seven miles of track to FRA Class II standards (to be completed in fall 2010). In 2009, the short line handled 1,872 revenue carloads, up 65 percent vs. 2008’s total and 130 percent vs. 2007’s carloads.

Lycoming Valley Railroad won the award for attracting four competing utility pole supply/distribution yards to its north-central Pennsylvania line the past few years. The yards — the fourth of which is being developed in Avis, Pa. — are located on surplus and odd-shaped properties along the railroad. In addition, the utility pole moves created a new line of business for the short line. Since Lycoming Valley began moving the traffic in 2005, it has handled 853 carloads of poles.

ASLRRA also honored the Reading & Northern for developing a transloading terminal in Pittston, Pa., for the state’s Marcellus Shale project. Working with Norfolk Southern Railway, D&I Silica and transload operator Myles Group, the short line late last year transformed its Pittston yard into a state-of-the-art transload center for frac sand. This year, the Reading & Northern plans to add several silos and bucket conveyors at the terminal to increase frac sand storage capacity, create 800 more rail-car spots, and clear 50 acres for future storage and laydown areas.

The three short lines will receive their awards May 4 during a closing banquet at ASLRRA’s annual convention in Orlando, Fla.