Contact: Jamie Foster, Chief Operating Officer
Phone: (805) 922-7941
Email: Jfoster@smvrr.com

Rail safety is a hot topic for San Luis Obispo County. Jamie Foster, Chief Operating Officer for the Santa Maria Valley Railroad, will be presenting a talk on rail safety and dispel some of the myths about the railroad industry at the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum, 1940 Santa Barbara Avenue, San Luis Obispo, on May 10, 2014 at 1:00 pm. The presentation is part of the San Luis Railroad Museum’s National Train Day Celebration.

Railroads are the safest mode of transportation for hauling bulk commodities. Every day commodities from food to building materials to industrial products are transported safely through the Central Coast. Locally rail freight service is provided by the Union Pacific Railroad and Santa Maria Valley Railroad.

Union Pacific Railroad is the largest railroad in North America and serves the Central Coast along the Union Pacific Railroad’s Coast Line. Union Pacific Railroad ranks safety as their top metric for operating performance. UPRR’s regulations and policies exceed state and federal rules and regulations. Also UPRR has spent and continues to spend billions of dollars to improve infrastructure for a safe and reliable railroad system.

The Santa Maria Valley Railroad serves the Santa Maria Valley and through its customers’ hubs and spurs, also with transload facilities serving customers throughout the Central Coast. The Santa Maria Valley Railroad has implemented new rules and regulations for safer operations and all employees undergo frequent training and testing for compliance. The SMVRR also has improved infrastructure and equipment and continues to do so by upgrading track and installing additional safety devices to locomotives and equipment.

Area railroads reduce truck traffic on the Central Coast, reducing wear and tear on the roads and decreasing traffic congestion, making our highways safer. Also reducing truck traffic and hauling more commodities on rail is more environmentally friendly as this reduces greenhouse gases.

Federal and State regulators as well as the railroad industry are quick to implement changes. The unfortunate accidents last year brought swift action by both federal and state regulators and the railroad industry.

The Santa Maria Valley Railroad offices and yard is located in the Betteravia Industrial Park at 2820 W. Betteravia Road, Santa Maria, California. The Santa Maria Valley Railroad is a locally owned 14 mile short line railroad interchanging with the Union Pacific Railroad at Guadalupe and serves the Santa Maria Valley. Transload facilities are also located at the Betteravia Industrial Park enabling Santa Maria Valley Railroad to serve customers in all of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties. Santa Maria Valley Railroad customers can ship or receive shipments anywhere in North America that is served by our national railroad system. For freight shipping inquiries contact our General Manager and Business Development Manager Al Sheff at (805) 922-7941 or visit our website at www.smvrr.com.