WASHINGTON — American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) president Frank K. Turner has announced his intention to retire in May, 2002. He and his wife Rosalie will be moving to Birmingham, Alabama.
“I have sincerely enjoyed my tenure with ASLRRA,” said Turner. “I feel satisfied that I have completed a number of the goals I set for myself, particularly with regard to safety issues, and that I leave the association in a strong position to aggressively represent the short line industry in the future. Rosalie and I look forward to spending more time with our family which has recently become much larger with the addition of triplet grandchildren.”
Under Turner’s leadership the association has installed a web-based safety training program that makes safety training for all short line employees more accessible, more effective and more economical. Turner also worked hard to improve the substantive communication between short lines and their Class I partners and is credited by the short line membership for significantly improving the processes the two segments of the industry use for building their relationships. Turner aggressively pursued federal infrastructure funding for short lines, and although he leaves the association before that job is done, the proposed legislation has advanced further than ever before under his watch.
Turner became ASLRRA president on January 1, 1999. Turner joined ASLRRA after a full and successful career in the railroad industry. He began his career at the Norfolk & Western in 1969 and worked his way up the ranks of the Norfolk Southern system. In 1988 he became VP and Chief Transportation Officer of the MidSouth Corporation and was President and COO of MidSouth when it was purchased by the Kansas City Southern. Immediately prior to joining ASLRRA, he served as the Vice President of Operations for CSX Intermodal.
ASLRRA has appointed a search committee of member railroads that will select and interview a group of final candidates to replace Turner. The association intends to begin interviews in March and make the final selection in early April.