Rep. Blum tours HiRAIL Corp.

Written by Mischa Wanek-Libman, editor
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Left to right, Sean Winkler, REMSA grassroots coordinator, Rep. Blum and Eric Schook, president of HiRAIL.

More than 20 Class 1 and shortline railroad representatives, local officials and other industry stakeholders joined HiRAIL Corporation Aug. 18 for a tour of its facility and discussion with Rep. Rod Blum (R-IA).

The Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association (REMSA) coordinated the event at HiRAIL’s Lisbon, Iowa facility.

The tour was led by Eric Schook, president of HiRAIL, and highlighted the company’s rubber grade-crossing systems, which are manufactured on site using recycled rubber from vehicle tires that otherwise would be destined for a landfill.

“We are honored to host Congressman Blum and demonstrate our commitment to environmentally-friendly products and manufacturing here in Iowa,” said Schook. “Our business and local communities rely on consistent freight and transit investments and grade-crossing safety programs to grow our local economy and protect our families. It is critical we highlight these pressing issues to our policy makers in Washington.”

Rep. Blum focused his remarks on encouraging economic development in Eastern Iowa, ensuring awareness and safety at rail-highway grade crossings and the need for a strong, efficient and safe freight rail system to connect Iowa’s agriculture producers to the global market.

“A strong and efficient railroad is crucial for Iowa farmers and agricultural producers in getting their goods to market,” said Rep. Blum. “I look forward to working with companies like HiRAIL to continue to create manufacturing jobs and promoting grade crossing safety here in Iowa.”

The rail stakeholder group highlighted Rep. Blum’s support for increased funding for the Section 130 Railway-Highway Crossing Program, as part of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. The Section 130 funds are used for the elimination of hazards at railway-highway crossings on state roads, while Iowa’s Highway-Railroad Grade Crossing Surface Repair Fund supports similar improvements on local roads. The group also discussed the recent bipartisan and bicameral introduction of the Building Rail Access for Customers and the Economy (BRACE) Act, which would make the Short Line Tax Credit permanent. This effort will allow the nation’s small, local freight railroads to increase their reinvestments to upgrade and expand the “first and last mile” of their transportation infrastructure. The bill has garnered 180 bi-partisan cosponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives, including Rep. Blum.

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