ASLRRA to honor Iowa Interstate Railroad with environmental award

The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association today announced Iowa Interstate Railroad (IAIS) as the recipient of the short-line industry's 2025 Environmental Award.

The award highlights the industry’s efforts to reduce the environmental impact of freight rail transportation, recognizing a short line or regional that has implemented programs that have reduced the railroad’s environmental impact or contributed to meeting sustainability goals for the railroad and/or their shippers, ASLRRA officials said in a press release.

"The IAIS has continually worked to reduce its environmental footprint in its railyards and in its offices, but the opening of the Renewable Energy Center catapulted their drive to be good environmental stewards to the next level," they said.

IAIS chose Newton, Iowa, as the best place to build a facility that would service the growth and repair of wind farms across the state. Newton is located in one of the best wind resource areas in North America, ASLRRA officials said. The Renewable Energy Center will enable IAIS to serve new construction and replacement programs, a fiberglass blade manufacturer and a turbines tower located within a mile of the new facility.

The center also will provide a custom transloading and storage solution for wind energy components and offer connections to all Class Is. Providing a rail shipping option for manufacturers and suppliers also reduces the dependence on trucks to move heavy goods over long distances and reducing congestion, particulate and emissions pollution, and taxpayer-funded roadway repair, ASLRRA officials said.

Groundbreaking on the center occurred in May 2024 and construction was completed in December 2024. The IAIS will be honored at ASLRRA’s upcoming Annual Conference and Exhibition to be held April 6-8 in Denver.