Now Accepting NRC Scholarship Applications 

The NRC Scholarship Program application period is open to children or grandchildren of NRC members. The tuition assistance scholarships are in Memoriam of Vinnie Vaccarello  (formerly an NRC Board Member and Co-President of All Railroad Services Corp.) and Patsy Crisafi (formerly an NRC Safety Committee Member and Executive Vice President of Roadway Worker Training)

AMOUNT OF AWARDS: three scholarships will be awarded as follows: the first place applicant will receive $8,000, the second place applicant will receive $4,000, and the third place applicant will receive $2,000. 

Scholarship funds will be sent directly to the student at the beginning of the next term of study. Students must be in attendance for a full year following receipt of the award.

To be eligible for consideration, an applicant must:

• be a son, daughter, grandson, or granddaughter of a current employee of an NRC member company; and
• be enrolled at the time of application as a full-time college student at an accredited two-year college offering an associate's degree or an accredited college or university offering a bachelor's degree

APPLICATION DEADLINE - August 30, 2014

A complete application and all accompanying materials must be sent via email no later than August 30, 2014 for consideration for the following academic term. Click here to download and view the NRC Scholarship application and criteria.

To make a donation to the NRC Scholarship Program in Memoriam of Vinnie Vaccarello and Patsy Crisafi, please make checks payable to "NRC Scholarship Fund" and send to: NRC, 500 New Jersey Ave, NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20001

The NRC thanks past contributors to the Scholarship Program:  

ARS Corp.

Richard J. Zemencik & Nancy L. Zemencik (ARS Corp)

Land Clearing Specialists, Inc.

Roadway Worker Training

Van R. Sorrells (Dixie Precast)

William E. Tarvin & Karen L. Tarvin  

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NRC Continues Contributions to Rail Education Programs

Over the past four years, the NRC has had the privilege of making financial contributions to a variety of University rail education and training programs in an effort to support up-and-coming professionals seeking careers in the rail industry and to help develop a well-qualified workforce for our member companies. In 2014, the NRC has made contributions to the South Dakota State University Construction and Operations Management Program, the Penn State Altoona Rail Transportation Engineering Program, and the Michigan State University Certificate Course in Railway Management.

The South Dakota State University (SDSU) Construction and Operations Management Program prepares graduates to manage construction projects in the commercial, residential, and heavy-highway-utilities sectors. The program prepares students for topics in business management, technology applications, supervision, and project management. The NRC's contribution to this specific program was a result of the high-demand for well-prepared construction and project managers in the rail industry. SDSU selected their top two students to receive complimentary registrations to the 2014 NRC Conference in Palm Desert, CA. The students had an opportunity to network with representatives from NRC member companies, and participate in the general sessions, exhibition hall, and seminars to gain further insight into a career in the rail contracting industry. For more information on the SDSU Construction and Operations Management Program, visit: www.sdstate.edu/com

The Penn State Altoona Rail Transportation Engineering Program has a curriculum based in Civil Engineering with added courses related to transportation and rail. The program offers training in business fundamentals to enable students to see how railroads connect with society at large and how and why railroads are useful. The students take courses in the history and regulatory structure of railroads, accounting, and project management. Woven into these courses will be units on Labor Relations, the relationship between railroads and the federal, state, and local governments, and an introduction to the real estate issues affecting railroads. For more information on the Penn State Altoona Rail Transportation Engineering Program, visit: www.altoona.psu.edu/academics/rte_default.php

Michigan State University's Certificate Course in Railway Management offers a comprehensive course for railroad employees to grow professionally and increase their management capabilities. The course was developed and evaluated by the Railway Management Program Staff, working closely with Class I and Class II railroad education and training directors, as well as the AAR, ASLRRA, and FRA decision makers, and other transportation industry leaders.  For more information on Michigan State University's Rail Transportation Program, visit: www.raileducation.com

Over the past four years, the NRC has also made financial contributions to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Railroad Engineering Program, the Michigan Technological University Rail Transportation Program, and the University of Tennessee Knoxville Center for Transportation Research.

The NRC is grateful for the opportunity to contribute to these fine educational institutions and hopes that with support from its growing membership it will be able to continue to support rail education programs in the future.

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The NRC Joins GoRail and U.S. Congresswoman Cheri Bustos for a Tour of Koppers' Galesburg, IL Facility

On July 1, NRC Members Colo Railroad Builders, RAILCET, and Trackmasters attended a GoRail-organized event hosting U.S. Congresswoman Cheri Bustos at Koppers for a tour of their facility in Galesburg, Illinois.  The event consisted of remarks from and a Q&A session with the Congresswoman and a meet-and-greet with community leaders from the Galesburg Chamber and the Galesburg Regional Economic Development Association.  

Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-East Moline, prepares to address the media following a tour of the facilities at Koppers, Inc.

NRC member Koppers has 9 wood plants, all ISO 14001 and AAR M1003 certified, in the United States and employs 1700 people worldwide, approximately 100 of which are located in their Galesburg, IL facility.  

GoRail is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to educating the public about the benefits of moving more freight by rail. Congresswoman Bustos serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and Agriculture Committee. The NRC organized the event. 

WisDOT Signs Acquisition Agreement with UP

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) has signed an acquisition agreement with UP to purchase a 70-mile rail line between Madison, Reedsburg and Cottage Grove, which includes a bridge over Lake Wisconsin in Merrimac, for $30m. The purchase price includes $25m for land and $5m for track improvements. The transaction, which must be approved by the Surface Transportation Board, is expected to be completed by late 2014.   

WisDOT plans to purchase the line jointly with the Wisconsin River Rail Transit Commission (WRRTC) with funds from the state's Freight Rail Preservation Program. Service on the line will continue to be provided by the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad (WSOR) under a lease agreement with the WRRTC. Last year, WSOR moved 5,070 cars on the line, which serves 23 customers that transport grain, chemicals, polymers, paper, food products, lumber, aggregate and metals.  

Herzog, Lilee Form PTC Partnership

 

Herzog Technologies announced it has formed a partnership with Lilee Systems to provide innovative positive train control solutions. The parties reached agreement last month, integrating Lilee's hardware and software components with Herzog Technologies' service based Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) solutions.

Herzog Technologies' PTC Commercial Hosted Services utilize products and solutions from both companies, such as Interoperable Train Control Messaging (ITCM), Wayside Status Relay Service (WSRS), Network Monitoring Systems (NMS), GIS data collection, GIS database management, Configuration Management, Software Management, Network and ITC Systems Management, ITCM Image Management, Laboratory Integration and Regression Testing, Test Lab Support, Call Center Support, and Disaster Recovery services.