(The San Pedro & Southwestern Railroad issued the following on March 26, 2009.)
BENSON, Ariz. — The San Pedro & Southwestern Railroad (SPSR) has completed its tenth year of accident-free operations, setting a new safety record for the Benson, Ariz. based short line.
“Safety is paramount and we’re very proud of this record,” said SPSR General Manager Scott Parkinson. “Each of our employees is experienced, trained and tested regularly to ensure that our operations comply with very strict federal and state regulations.”
In addition to its accident-free record, SPSR employees have not had a reportable injury since 1999, making the railroad a nine-time recipient of the “Jake Jacobson Award,” which the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association presents annually to only those railroads that have not had an employee injury for the entire year.
“It’s important that our customers are confident that we will handle their shipments with the utmost safety,” added Parkinson.
SPSR’s chief sources of traffic are agricultural chemicals, feed grains and building products. The line recently upgraded its rail-to-truck transload facility at Benson, offering customers savings from lower rail rates and the convenience of truck delivery.
SPSR serves regional businesses in Cochise County from connections with Union Pacific’s Los Angeles-Chicago main line at Benson and Willcox, Ariz.
The San Pedro & Southwestern is owned by the Arizona Railroad Group, which acquired the line in November 2003 from RailAmerica, Inc.
SPSR’s oldest predecessor dates to 1888, when the Arizona and South Eastern Railroad built a 60-mile line from Benson to Bisbee, eventually becoming part of the Southern Pacific. It was successively bought by Kyle Railways in 1992, StatesRail in 1997 and RailAmerica in 2002.
The railroad is laid with heavy 112-to-132 lb. rail, accommodating today’s heavier 286,000-lb. gross weight cars. SPSR replaced 3,000 crossties in 2007 and bridges were strengthened.