January 9, 2024
R. J. Corman Railroad Services Awarded NRC's 2023 Small Project of the Year
R. J. Corman Railroad Services was honored to receive the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association's (NRC) Small Project of the Year Award (less than $10 million) for its work to construct a new test loop at MxV Rail's Facility for Accelerated Service Testing (FAST) in Pueblo, Colorado.
MxV Rail's FAST loop is a unique 5.4-mile state-of-the-art facility that allows vendors and suppliers to test their new railroad infrastructure and equipment components, maintenance practices, and detection technologies in a real-world environment before going to market.
The buildout was highly intricate and required great attention to detail and communication with various parties and stakeholders. Unlike typical standard track construction, this buildout required R. J. Corman Railroad Services to install several different products and materials throughout the construction of the three-mile section of the track, comprising more than 20 experiments and additional proprietary tests.
"R. J. Corman's dedication to the buildout was demonstrated on multiple occasions when they committed multiple crews to support 7 day-a-week construction during the entire length of the project," said Scott Cummings, assistant vice president of Research & Innovation at with MxV Rail. "R. J. Corman's ingenuity and commitment to make the FAST buildout success helped meet the aggressive construction schedule and complex track build. Overall, the R. J. Corman team exceeded our expectations by safely completing the project. While schedule delays occurred due to challenges related to weather, R. J. Corman looked at opportunities to optimize the schedule and was able to keep the build within budget."
The project team overcame weather challenges and an aggressive construction schedule to successfully complete the unique, five-month project on budget and with zero recordable safety incidents.
R. J. Corman Railroad Services was also part of another important aspect of MxV Rail's new testing grounds construction by building during 2022 a 5.8-mile Class 6 high-speed rail loop (HSL). A track specially constructed for testing freight and passenger trains traveling up to 110 mph. MxV Rail uses this loop for freight and passenger rail testing programs such as truck testing, performance testing for new rail technologies, and qualification testing for rolling stock.
Also, during this conference, R. J. Corman Railroad Services was awarded NRC's Safe Contractor of the Year – Gold Award. The award honors contractor members' commitment to safety and acknowledges their achievement based on six criteria:
- Workers' Compensation Experience Rating
- OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses
- OSHA Statistics Violations
- Roadway Worker Protection Training
- Safety Program Elements
- Company Vehicle Accident Score
This award recognizes R. J. Corman's unwavering dedication to safety through strict adherence to regulations, comprehensive training, and safe operations.
The National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association was founded in 1978 and has advanced the mutual interests of railway contractors and suppliers who construct, maintain, and supply railroads and rail transit lines. The association connects members with other railway industry professionals, government legislators, and policymakers.
