New York & Atlantic Railway Holds Safety Training Program

Yaphank, NY; July 2, 2018 — New York & Atlantic Railway (NYAR), and its partner Paraco, a leading provider of liquid propane gas (LPG), recently assembled a team of nationally recognized railway safety experts to conduct a series of Tank Car Response Training programs for more than 100 first responders from across Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Attendees included personnel from the Suffolk County Police Department, Town of Brookhaven, Town of Islip, Long Island Rail Road, Brookhaven National Laboratory and Nassau County Office of the Fire Marshal, as well as other Long Island first responders.

The training, which has been conducted several times in the past, consisted of classroom instruction inside a specially-designed safety train boxcar classroom followed by a hands-on lesson. First responders received training on top of and around special Safety Train tank cars brought to Long Island specifically for these programs. Attendees learned how to operate hatches and valves, along with how to respond in the unlikely event of a tank car problem.

“Moving material over the rails is an extremely safe method of transportation,” said James P. Bonner, president of NYAR. “The safety training sessions we conduct help ensure that first responders are properly prepared in the very unlikely event of a breach or other problem.”

According to NYAR’s chief safety compliance officer Tom Leopold, “We have a highly trained staff of employees who are focused and dedicated to safety. For us, it is critically important that the first responders in the markets we serve know what we are transporting and how we would work with together in case of a situation. NYAR takes a proactive approach and makes this investment in order to offer some of the highest-level safety training in the nation for short-line railways. We featured the railway industry’s foremost safety experts to prepare first responders in the event of a problem and also help to ensure the safety of Long Island communities.

Suffolk County Legislator Rudy Sunderman, who is also Chief of the Mastic Fire Department stopped by to observe the training and commended NYAR for presenting a valuable instruction for the region’s fire and first response personnel.

NYAR transports approximately 30,000 freight cars across Long Island each year; less than two percent of these cars carry LPG to serve homes and business on the East End of Long Island which are not served by natural gas utilities.

NYAR will also be conducting a similar training at its Fresh Pond facility in Queens for members of the FDNY, NYPD and other departments.

New York & Atlantic Railway began operation in May 1997 as result of the privatized concession to operate freight trains on the lines owned by Long Island Rail Road. The railway serves a diverse customer base and shares track with the densest passenger system in the United States. New York & Atlantic Railway connects with CP, CSX, NYNJ, NS and PW. For more information about New York & Atlantic Railway please visit https://www.anacostia.com/railroads/nya.