ASLRRA honors Lake State Railway for environmental efforts

The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) has named Lake State Railway Co. (LSRC) the 2026 recipient of the annual Green Spark Award, which was previously known as the Environmental Award.

The award recognizes efforts by a short line or regional to reduce locomotive emissions, ASLRRA officials said yesterday in Views & News online article. LSRC will be honored at the ASLRRA annual conference, to be held April 12-14 in Minneapolis.

"LSRC's accomplishments, both big and small, demonstrate a commitment to reducing the environmental impact of its operations without compromising service and growth. Their effort truly shows size is no barrier to impact," ASLRRA officials said of the railroad's work.

Based in Saginaw, Michigan, the LSRC and operates 375 miles of track. The short line recently purchased four SD70ACe-T4 locomotives from Progress Rail, enabling the short line to retire five locomotives that were more than 40 years old, ASLRRA officials said. The acquisition transformed LSRC's fleet into one of the youngest and most environmentally friendly in the short-line industry.

Additionally, LSRC has added automatic engine shut down/start up systems, auxiliary power units and plug-in technology to its fleet, all of which reduce fuel and engine maintenance costs, extend engine life and decrease emissions. The short line also uses its waste oil to heat its locomotive facility in the winter, has a recycling program for waste materials and disposes of used ties at a cogeneration facility.

Moreover, LSRC is an member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's SmartWay Program. Carrier partners of the program use special accounting and tracking tools to improve efficiency and environmental performance, ASLRRA officials said.

LSRC Chief Mechanical Officer Roger Fuehring works with the EPA to write regulatory compliance guides for railroads and advises the development of emissions regulations, helping to ensure they are effective and realistic for small railroads, ASLRRA officials said.