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Yesterday, the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) presented the 2010 President's Awards, Jake Awards with Distinction and Jake Awards — which honor small railroads’ safety achievements — during its annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas.

The ASLRRA presented three President's Awards to the Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad Inc. for the most hours of injury-free operations, for maintaining the best safety rate in the more than 250,000 manhours category and for the greatest improvement in safety vs. the prior year. The association also honored the Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad in the President's Awards' 150,000-to-250,000 manhours category; Bay Line Railroad L.L.C. in the 50,000-to-150,000 manhours category; and Keokuk Junction Railway Co. in the less than 50,000 manhours category.

The ASLRRA also bestowed Jake Awards with Distinction to 279 railroads that achieved a zero injury rate in 2010 and Jake Awards to 37 railroads that last year attained an injury rate equal to or better than the industry average. The Jake Awards are named after Lowell “Jake” Jacobson of the Copper Basin Railway, who created the short-line safety awards and has been a long-time advocate of short-line and rail safety.

In addition, the association presented the Safety Person of the Year Award to Alliance Terminal Railroad Superintendent of Operations Chris Barrett for "driving safety culture change" at the Texas railroad; and the first-ever Safety Professional of the Year Award to Watco Cos. L.L.C. Senior Vice President of Safety and Environmental Health Gary Vaughn for "taking a family approach to safety," according to the ASLRRA.

Norfolk Southern Corp. Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Wick Moorman and Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph Szabo — who delivered keynote addresses during the annual meeting's general session — helped ASLRRA President Richard Timmons and association officials hand out all the safety awards.

— Jeff Stagl