NRC chairman's column: Don't miss out! It's time to act on these NRC member benefits

Sometimes I wonder if railroaders live in an alternate reality. It hits me about this time every year when summer is winding down. Many of our neighbors are relaxing, wrapping up vacations, squeezing in as much warm-weather fun as possible, and shifting their attention back to school and other fall activities.

Railroaders, on the other hand, may slow down a bit for family time but are always hitting it hard. We’re gearing up for peak shipping volumes and capacity train schedules. We’re making the most of the daylight hours to complete construction and maintenance projects. And we’re adjusting schedules and mobilizing equipment and materials to move on to other projects so we can finish them before the colder weather hits. Railroading doesn’t stop for a vacation!

While the NRC may not be top of mind during this busy season, I hope you know it’s always there for you. Your NRC is hard at work to provide more for our member companies and the industry as a whole. We don’t want you to miss out on key NRC member benefits, so here’s a brief list of some key action items.

Apply for an NRC scholarship — Since our scholarship program started in 2013, the NRC has awarded more than $300,000 in scholarships. This is a tremendous opportunity for employees of NRC member companies as well as their children and grandchildren to get money to help pay for undergraduate or trade-school education expenses. With two kids in college — trust me — every bit helps! Please spread the word within your company and your family. All the details and the application are on the NRC website. While you are there, see how these scholarships have helped past recipients launch their careers.

Check out the NRC’s new Learning Center — Safety managers and trainers, you won’t regret familiarizing yourself with the NRC’s online learning management system (LMS). This new resource gives NRC member companies convenient access to our safety training videos and a full library of safety training resources. Member companies that sign up can administer safety training with this functionality: assign training modules to specific employees, track participation and produce participation results, such as scores and certificates. The NRC wants all of us to be safe!

Register for the 2026 Annual Conference — Join more than 1,400 industry leaders in Hollywood, Florida, next Jan. 7-10 for the NRC Conference and NRC-REMSA Exhibition. Come January, you will be glad to escape the cold and attend the industry’s best networking event where you’ll get an inside look at the capital plans for Class Is, large short-line railroads and major transit lines. Registration is now open. Confirm your spot today for the conference, lodging, golf and more.

Commit to be a conference sponsor — Our conference sponsors are a big reason why the NRC can provide such compelling programming and appealing amenities. This year we are providing greater exposure for our sponsors. Don’t delay. The earlier you commit, the greater recognition your company will receive for your generous support.

Nominate your associates for NRC awards — One of my favorite parts of our annual conference is when we recognize members for their exemplary performance. I am proud to be part of this great industry and an association whose members accomplish so much. But often in life, our extra efforts and attention to details get overlooked. The NRC wants everyone to learn from and recognize our exemplary efforts.

Take a few minutes this fall to nominate your company, a project team or an associate for one of the NRC’s key awards: Large and Small Project of the Year; Field Employee of the Year; Innovative in Technology or a Process; and Hall of Fame, which recognizes members who’ve left a lasting impact on our industry and our association.

Please work safe, work smart and enjoy the last days of summer with your family.

“We aren’t just in this industry. We are this industry.”

Joe Daloisio, NRC chairman
The National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association Inc.
80 M Street, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
202-715-2920
nrcma.org info@nrcma.org