After earning recognition earlier this year from the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) for their outstanding safety record, a Watco short line has received an added honor.

The ASLRRA has named the Arkansas Southern Railroad (ARS) with its prestigious President’s Safety Award. It’s the top award of three ASLRRA safety awards that are based on injury frequency rates among member railroads.

“Annually, the President’s Awards recognize the best of the best of the nation’s 600 short line railroads in terms of safety performance,” said ASLRRA President Chuck Baker. “With freight rail safety performance at an all-time high, these awards have never been harder to win. The President’s Award winners showcase the results of the ‘safety first’ mentality of railroading, practiced relentlessly 365 days a year.”

What makes the honor even sweeter: As of October 1, the ARS achieved 21 years without a reportable injury.

“Reaching 21 years injury free is a tremendous accomplishment, especially in the railroad operation, and reflects the consistency and commitment of our entire team,” said General Manager Richard Prine. “The key is that safety isn’t something we focus on only when we’re approaching a milestone, it’s something we practice every day, on every shift, with every job task.”

In May, the ASLRRA announced its Jake Safety Awards and Jake with Distinction Awards. Thirty-one Watco railroads and Watco Switching were recognized. The Jakes are named for the late Lowell S. “Jake” Jacobson, longtime president and chief operating officer of Arizona’s Copper Basin Railway and a passionate advocate for railroad safety. The President’s Safety Awards were announced last month at the ASLRRA Fall Super Regional Meeting in St. Louis.

Safety Director Randy Burington attributed the team’s safety record in part to having worked together for about 10 years with little turnover. “It’s a very close-knit group,” he said. “They communicate well together and look out for each other like family.”

ARS Conductor/Engineer Scott Roop sees it the same way. “Our team understands that safety is everyone’s responsibility,” he said. “We look out for one another, communicate throughout the day, and don’t take shortcuts. Having a team that is willing to speak up and watch out for each other makes a big difference.”

The ASLRRA recognized a total of 16 railroads with President’s Awards. The ARS was one of five railroads recognized in the General Award category based on train miles, which is new this year. In the past, the President’s Awards used similar criteria as that for the Jake Awards. Railroads competed within four ASLRRA geographic regions and were grouped into five categories based on employee-on-duty hours. There was a significant imbalance in the number of railroads in each category. The new system removes the connection to a region and contains other changes to make the groupings more balanced and the process more competitive.