Short Line Safety Institute reflects on a decade of improving safety

The Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI) is reflecting on 10 years since it was established in February 2014.

The institute was formed originally as a 12-month pilot program with the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) in response to the rail disaster that occurred in Lac Megantic, Quebec, in 2013.

SLSI was incorporated as a nonprofit in September 2015. With members from the original SLSI pilot project team, ASLRRA helped identify the earliest safety culture assessment (SCA) participants and also recruited assessors to conduct the SCAs, including Sam Cotton, now SLSI’s director of safety culture programs.

SLSI seated its board of directors and advisory board in December 2015, which included ASLRRA President Chuck Baker, who advocated for congressional support of the SLSI pilot project in 2014 as a partner at government relations firm Chambers, Conlon & Hartwell, and current SLSI Executive Director Tom Murta.

“SLSI has continued to expand its program offerings to assist railroads in addressing opportunities identified across the industry and now provides safety culture assessments to passenger, commuter, tourist and historic railroads in addition to short lines,” SLSI officials said in a press release.

Other notable SLSI resources for railroads include its library of safety resources, hazmat and leaderships trainings, and assistance during the development of transportation emergency response plans.