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The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) recently announced it will present 2005 Jake Awards with Distinction to 197 railroads and 2005 Jake Awards to 45 roads. But for the first time since Copper Basin Railway President and Chief Operating Officer L.S. "Jake" Jacobson created the awards in 1994 to honor small roads’ safety efforts, the Jakes have been revamped.

This year, the association changed the awards’ criteria and eliminated the gold, silver, bronze and copper levels, and man-hour requirements. To qualify for a Jake Award with Distinction, a member railroad now must have a Frequency/Severity Index (FSI) rate of zero, or no Federal Railroad Administration-reportable injuries or accidents in a given calendar year. To qualify for a Jake Award, a member railroad now must achieve an FSI greater than the industry average, or 4.46 for 2005.

This year, ASLRRA also is introducing the President’s and Most Improved safety awards. The President’s Awards recognize member railroads with the most consecutive years of attaining a zero FSI, most man-hours logged while maintaining a zero FSI, most man-hours logged while maintaining an FSI below the industry average and lowest FSI by a railroad in the 250,000-plus man-hours category.

The President’s Award winners are:
• the Delta Valley & Southern Railway Co., Hollis & Eastern Railroad Co., Louisville, New Albany & Corydon Railroad, and Omaha Lincoln & Beatrice Railway Co. for attaining a zero FSI for 31-straight years;
• the Missouri & Northern Arkansas Railroad Co. for logging the most man-hours while maintaining a zero FSI;
• Montana Rail Link for logging the most man-hours while maintaining an FSI below the industry average; and
• the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis for having the lowest FSI in the 250,000-plus manhours category.

The Most Improved Award recognizes a member railroad that has made the greatest FSI improvement, measured by percentage, from one year to the next. To be eligible, a railroad’s FSI rate must be below the industry average during the year of the award. The winner is the Thermal Belt Railway.

ASLRRA will present awards to all winners at its annual conference to be held April 23-25 in Orlando, Fla.