Pictured above, NSHR is returning, by High Street in Selinsgrove, PA, on our maiden trip of the Selinsgrove Branch. Photo courtesy of our Treasurer/Controller, Diana Williams.

Feature from the President
Big News.. Big Accomplishments.. and We Aren’t Done!

We have a lot of great news to share in this issue of On Track.

In the 2022, 1st Quarter On Track, I mentioned, “taking on a new branch line.” As of April 28th, it became official – we assumed operations of the Selinsgrove Branch (a new addition to our NSHR line). Soon after this transition, our Maintenance of Way team made improvements on the branch that led to increased operational efficiency and expanded customer opportunity. You will read more about these topics in the Railroad Family and Notes from Maintenance of Way sections below.

On top of that important news, our Union County Industrial Railroad (UCIR) received well-deserved recognition on its extraordinary growth from the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA). I will hint here that UCIR does not appear to be slowing its growth any time soon – check the Notes from Marketing section to see why.

More good news from the ASLRRA - we just learned, all six of our short lines earned 2021 Jake Awards with Distinction. These awards are given to railroads that had no FRA-reportable injuries for the full, preceding calendar year.

And - I’m not done! With all of these good things happening and occupying time and energy, we continued to teach the public about rail safety on our Juniata Valley Railroad, Shamokin Valley Railroad, and North Shore Railroad. We were also joined by Norfolk Southern for first responder safety training on our Lycoming Valley Railroad.

Looking back on this past quarter, I am proud of everything our team has accomplished. They continue to excel and exemplify our company’s mission.

• To be the most customer focused and safest transportation system possible

• To conduct our business with the highest degree of integrity and professionalism

• To provide quality regional rail freight service to customers in Central Pennsylvania

• To be responsible civic partners with the communities we serve

Thank you to all of our employees who make each day a success at our company and achieve our mission.

Our Mission

Railroad Family
Welcome Customers of the NSHR Selinsgrove Branch!

In the second quarter of 2022, we began operating the NSHR Selinsgrove Branch!

We are excited to now be serving some amazing, new customers. Our Marketing team is already actively marketing the line, and our Maintenance of Way Department is already making big improvements to the line (more about that below).

This new branch adds 7.7 miles of track from Selinsgrove, PA, to Kreamer, PA, and 1.3 miles of track from Selinsgrove, PA, to Shamokin Dam, PA.

The addition of the line increases our overall network size to 256.2 miles of track.

Notes from Maintenance of Way
How MoW Helps Grow Business

When we began operating the Selinsgrove Branch, more work was added to the Maintenance of Way (MoW) crews. Without complaint, MoW crews embraced the new work, and they have already made improvements to the line.

When we assumed operations of this new branch, we had to use two engines, as there was no way to run around railcars when serving customers at the end of the branch. Within weeks, MoW solved that problem. Our MoW Department rehabilitated (and brought back into service) the Kreamer Runaround as well as the West WYE - installing around 300 new ties and 21 timbers. This represents a significant operational improvement AND, maybe more importantly, creates an accommodation for new customer traffic!

Kudos to our MoW crews who made these upgrades happen quickly and safely, and thank you to the SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority for providing the materials for these upgrades!

Union County Industrial Railroad
2022 Business Development Award

This year, the Union County Industrial Railroad (UCIR) was honored to receive a Business Development Award (formerly known as a Marketing Award) from the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA).

Why the ASLRRA gave UCIR this award:

The UCIR travels over 18.2 miles in Pennsylvania and serves only eight customers, but it has found a way to grow carloads by 300% over a ten year period, with zero FRA-reportable injuries. The UCIR drives growth by creating new, innovative methods of providing customer service. They customize business processes to meet the needs of each of their customers, fostering trust and deepening customer relationships. The relentless drive to be a better partner has opened the doors to a variety of new opportunities. In fact, UCIR maintains an inventory of the available properties along their line and marketing those parcels when the time and buyer is right - a practice that has proven to work.

The UCIR commitment goes beyond the businesses that they serve. They are an integral part of their community, donating to non-profits, serving on boards and committees of economic development groups, and assisting customers that are new to the area with hiring and connections to area services and businesses - ensuring their long-term success.

Notes from Marketing
Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign

No, this article is not about "long haired, freaky people" applying. This is about the signs all around us saying: More growth is coming!

More growth on our railroads is happening and it's exciting! Over the past two months, we've had announcements of two major developments on our lines that will be taking place over the next two to three years.

The first was the announcement from Encina. Encina will be investing $1.1 Billion into their new state-of-the-art facility that will take recycled plastics, many of which are currently going into landfills, and creating a "circular" stream of products. Basically, they are going to reverse the method of making plastic products into a raw, usable material. Not only is this project a huge win for our environment, it is also a huge win for our country as this plant will make the United States less dependent on foreign oil. It will also be a win for the 300 employees Encina will hire.

The second announcement was from Country View Farms. They will be developing a 100+ acre site to build a new $47 Million feed processing facility. The project will bring over 50 jobs and be a major rail user.

These two announcements and signs of continued growth were then topped off with the news of the ASLRRA Business Development Award to the UCIR and the addition of the Selinsgrove Branch (which you read about above).

On June 15th, Todd Hunter hosted a group tour of LVRR’s Newberry Yard with several senior Norfolk Southern (NS), Atlanta-based, personnel (Megan Achimasi, Director Chemicals Marketing; Ramone Richardson, Sand Marketing; and Kristian Staum, Director Sand Minerals and Waste Marketing). The tour gave NS a better understanding of how we work together, what customers we serve, and an overview of business development projects we are working on - and let's just say... These NS representatives see our signs of growth too.

While signs of a tightening economy are evident, so are the signs of post-COVID business expansions all around our network. There is a lot of pent-up development out there and our company has made a concerted effort to be ready to serve all our customers as they expand and develop more business.

Railroad crossing ahead… "Can't you read the sign?"

In the Community

Railroad Safety Promotions

This past quarter, we had great opportunities to educate hundreds of kids and members of the public about rail safety!

• Vehicle and Career Day at Oaklynn Elementary School (SVRR)

• Free Wheeling Day with the Juniata River Valley Chamber of Commerce Business & Education Committee (JVRR)

• Railroad Safety Tent at our office in Northumberland as a part of the Norry 250th Celebration (NSHR)

Also, we roped off our parking lot (for safety purposes - of course) and staged equipment for folks to take pictures of and pose with, as a part of the Norry 250th Celebration.

Tartaglia Railroad Services
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