U.S. Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA) recently received the Railroad Achievement Award from the Association of American Railroads (AAR) and GoRail.
The award honors members of Congress who have shown leadership on policies regarding railroads. Denham, a senior member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, was recognized for understanding the role railroads play in the nation’s economy and that sustained investment makes safe and efficient railroad operations possible, the organizations said.
“California’s diverse and enormous economy remains closely linked to overall U.S. competitiveness, and freight railroads continue to provide a safe, reliable and sustainable form of transportation for getting goods to and from market,” Edward Hamberger, AAR president and CEO, said. “Chairman Denham has long understood this reality and, to the benefit of his constituents, he has legislated in a manner that allows for the industry to provide the greatest public impact. His leadership on landmark legislation, chiefly the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act of 2015, continues to serve Californians and Americans well through the presence of both privately financed freight railroads, as well passenger entities such as Amtrak.”
Denham was instrumental in the increased standard for tank cars carrying hazardous materials, Nate Kaplan, California state director for GoRail, said.