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Second Quarter 2021 All Aboard is a news bulletin for employees/retirees of the Alaska Railroad. The emailed version includes short briefs with links to longer stories or more information, most of which are posted on our employee website, Inside Track, https://insidetrack.akrr.com/. OUR BUSINESS Online booking sales set records in May and June May and June 2021 were spectacular months for selling passenger train tickets via our public-facing website, AlaskaRailroad.com. We launched the new website in January 2016, dramatically improving our online reservations capabilities. Data collected from online sales tells a remarkable story when comparing 2021 with pre-pandemic 2019. During the first half of 2021, people used our website to reserve more than 41,000 seats on summer trains. That’s only about 7,000 seats shy of the total seats purchased online during all of 2019. Moreover, the total online sales volume during the first half of 2021 almost equals online sales for all of 2019. While online ticket purchases during the first quarter 2021 were comparable (even a bit lower) to first quarter 2019, the pace of online reservations really picked up as we entered spring. For the first time, online sales activity generated more than $2 million in both May and June. We’ve only experienced a half dozen months with more than $1 million in online ticket sales: March, April, May and June 2021; and June and July 2019. We’ve seen tremendous growth in online reservations from “Direct Bookers” in particular individual travelers, as opposed to travel trade partners.. A train moves along Turnagain Arm and the Seward Highway. (by Ehren Rickman, a 2020 Catch the Train photo contest finalist)
Tool for determining availability
The growth in online booking is echoed by a marked increase in bookings made through the ARRC Reservation Call
Center. Higher demand, coupled with pandemic protocols that limit onboard capacity, means seats on our summer
passenger trains are filling up. Some trains are even sold out.
To help potential customers pinpoint dates with open seating, we introduced a new online Availability Calendar app
June 10, when it was added to the Ride-a-Train drop-down menu on AlaskaRailroad.com.
https://www.alaskarailroad.com/ride-a-train/availability-calendar
It’s become a popular tool, as evidenced by website activity monitoring. From June 10-30, the calendar web page was
visited nearly 18,000 times. During those 20 days, the app was used nearly 47,000 times to search for available
seating on specific dates.
OUR BUSINESS
Passenger schedule changes for summer and fall
“To say that the summer 2021 passenger season has been challenging to forecast is an understatement,” said VP
Marketing & Customer Service Dale Wade. Certainly, the peace of mind afforded by now widely available vaccines
has helped passenger demand rebound in a huge, if not entirely predictable, way.
The original 2021 summer schedule called for daily trains to begin May 29, and to To say that the
conclude by Sept. 6. In response to a sustained increase in demand and requests from
summer 2021
travel industry partners, the Coastal Classic and Denali Star will operate through Sept. 12.
The full schedule details for all trains can be found at: passenger
AlaskaRailroad.com/ride-a-train/schedules season has been
Despite strong bookings, we continue to operate at reduced capacity in order to deliver a challenging to
safe and quality onboard experience. Pandemic precautions and staffing challenges (both
for the railroad and our catering/janitorial contractor, ESS) are driving a cautious pace to
forecast is an
restoring passenger services. With slowed vaccination progress and emerging virus understatement.
variants contributing to the pandemic uncertainty, we will suspend several of our
Dale Wade,
traditional fall special event trains. The State Fair Train, HooDoo Choo Choo, Fairbanks
VP Marketing &
Family Fun Train, Great Alaska Beer Train and Halloween Train are not available for 2021.
Customer Service
We’ll keep you posted as we reach decisions on other special event trains.
A passenger train travels amidst stunning fall colors. (by Joanie Havenner, a 2020 Catch the Train photo contest finalist)
All Aboard – Alaska Railroad employee news bulletin — Second Quarter 2021 Page 2
OUR OPERATIONS Railroaders orchestrate multi-department repair Every so often, we catch wind of a story that showcases how remarkably well Railroaders meet operational challenges with our core values safety, teamwork, integrity and excellent service clearly at the forefront. One such tale took place just before spring officially arrived. As snow fell on a chilly evening in late March, a northbound freight left the Anchorage Yard, headed for Fairbanks. Forty miles into the journey, the train had just reached the Matanuska Siding’s south switch, when alarms went off, alerting the train crew to a problem with a locomotive on the back end. Engineer Gordon Larson and Conductor / Brakeman / Engineer (C/B/E) Steve Chapman immediately stopped the train, and checked Locomotive 4012’s onboard computer archive, which indicated a wheel lock / slide event. Sure enough, a physical check confirmed the wheel was locked up and sported several flat spots. To prevent further damage, the crew separated and staged Locomotive No. 4012 along with 15 tanker cars on the nearby siding. The only way to get No. 4012 back to the Anchorage terminal was to replace the wheel set on the siding. What came next was a symphony of response involving tightly coordinated teams from Mechanical, Maintenance of Way and Transportation. First order of business: Prep the site. Under the direction of District Roadmaster Richard Bush, Heavy Equipment Operators Andy Phillips and Joe Vickery cleared the area of snow, and Track Inspector Chris Moore greased the rail. Next up, Mechanical’s “Wrecking Crew” arrived on-scene to remove and replace the damaged wheel set. The crew included Carmen Peter Firmin, Martin Hupe and Allen Kinne; Carmen-in-Training Taylor Garner and Noah Gershmel; and Journeymen Mechanics Nate Crawford and David Woods. Just weeks on the job, new mechanic Travis Douglas came along to observe and learn. Operating the locomotive crane, Firmin maneuvered to lift the 4012 long enough to swap wheel sets. Mechanical Supervisor Jerry Mooney oversaw the operation. Phillips and Vickery then loaded the damaged wheel set and General Heavy Equipment Foreman Mike Manning hauled it away. The orchestrated activity concluded with Transportation’s terminal mechanical service (TMS) teams moving equipment back into the operational queue. C/B/E Chris Cramer and C/B Keith Webster moved No. 4012 to the crossing. Later, C/B/E David Bang and Bill Bivins brought 4012 back to Anchorage, where mechanics determined a seized bearing was the wheel-locking culprit. Meanwhile, C/B/E Scott Siegmann and Tom Green retrieved the segregated tankers, so they could join the next freight bound for Fairbanks. Soon, the crescendo of activity quieted, and all was well once again. The locomotive crane lift, wheel swap operation was impressively coordinated. (photos courtesy of Dennis Bouwens) All Aboard – Alaska Railroad employee news bulletin — Second Quarter 2021 Page 3
OUR ASSETS
Project fact sheets tell 2021 capital program stories
The Alaska Railroad’s robust $66 million capital program for 2021 is
humming along, as multiple projects are underway. Recently posted
project fact sheets illustrate the variety of infrastructure improvements
happening along our route, thanks in large part to funding from the
Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Federal Transit Administration
(FTA), and Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Fact sheets can be found on our AlaskaRailroad.com > CORPORATE >
Projects.
2021 Bridge Program – a $40+ million budget supports about a half
dozen rehabilitation projects and more than a dozen bridge
replacements. These include replacing:
• timber trestles at ARRC milepost 25.4 (Falls Creek) and MP 25.7
(Lower Trail Lake) near Moose Pass;
• a pony truss and two timber trestles at MP 86.6 (Bird Creek) near
Indian;
• the north end of the bridge over the Matanuska Flood Plain at
MP 147.4;
• the deck girder bridge just north of Willow at MP 190.5 (Little Willow Creek);
• and the thru-girder bridge at MP 422.0 (Little Goldstream Creek) north of Nenana.
2021 Track Program – a $19 million capital budget is underwriting rail and tie replacement, ballast resurfacing,
shoulder maintenance and embankment installation.
Communication infrastructure projects include the Talkeetna Fiber Optic Communications Upgrade, and replacing
south-end Communications Sites Power Generation.
Wayside projects include upgrading the Wasilla control signal into a Wasilla Control Point and installing a Wheel
Impact Load Detector (WILD) at Anderson.
An employee safety project involves replacing the Anchorage Car Shop Public Address System, which was damaged
in the 2018 earthquake.
OUR ASSETS
Surplus sales and disposal – a few telling scenarios
“When it comes to disposing of company assets, dumpsters and landfills are not our preferred solutions,” says Supply
Management Director Tom Erickson. Rather, several rules and realities figure into what happens to our surplus items.
• First, we follow the Surplus Materials and Equipment Disposal Policy located on Inside Track > REFERENCES >
Finance References > Procurement-Warehouse-Surplus page.
• As a state-owned entity, ARRC follows state ethics and procurement laws, rules, policies and other guidance.
• If an asset was constructed or purchased with federal grants, disposal must follow strict federal protocols.
Scenarios below illustrate some common surplus decisions:
(continued on next page)
All Aboard – Alaska Railroad employee news bulletin — Second Quarter 2021 Page 4
Scenario #1 – Replace and Donate When it comes
A manager in a department wants to replace the conference room chairs that the to disposing of
department bought 8 years ago. Can we donate the old chairs to another organization?
Maybe, but a few things must happen first. company assets,
Someone with the correct authority has to decide that the old chairs are no longer useful. dumpsters and
Our Approval Authority Guide spells out who can make disposal decisions — executive landfills are not
managers (CEO and division chiefs) and department heads (VPs, directors,
superintendents and department chiefs). The guide is located on Inside Track > our preferred
REFERENCES > > Finance References > Spending Approval page. solutions..
The “usefulness” determination should begin by offering the item(s) to other railroad Tom Erickson,
departments via a company-wide email. Director, Supply
Let’s say there’s no internal interest in the chairs, and your department’s director Management
agrees the chairs should be disposed of.
Next, our Supply Management Department must decide how to dispose of the chairs. Generally, we want to recoup
any remaining value, usually through a public sale. Depending on condition, used chairs might be sold via auction, or
through direct means such as Craig’s List.
Let’s say the old chairs are of so little value that we can’t find a buyer. Donation becomes an option.
Now what? Supply Management may seek an interested and eligible organization. We can donate to a 501(c)3
charitable nonprofit, such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, Salvation Army, etc.
Let’s say no nonprofits want the chairs; however, a Railroader in another department is interested.
Can we donate to the employee? No, for two reasons: 1) the employee is not an eligible nonprofit; and 2) donation
could be seen as providing an advantage or special treatment.
Can the employee buy the chairs? Yes, but only if: A) he/she purchases through a public sales event or process to
ensure the employee is treated the same as the general public; AND B) he/she had no input into the chairs
replacement / disposal / sale decisions. Since the interested employee is outside the department, and likely had no
input, he/she is eligible to purchase through a public sale.
Let’s say no eligible organizations or ARRC departments want the chairs. What happens then?
If no one eligible wants to buy or accept donation of the chairs, Supply Management would arrange for final disposal
to a scrap vendor or dumpster. If there is no scrap value in the chairs, they would be discarded into a facility dumpster.
Scenario #2: Replace and Personal Purchase
An employee decides they want a new office chair. The supervisor concurs and the department head authorizes old
chair disposal and new chair purchase. Can the employee buy the old chair for personal use? No.
Employees who are involved in a disposal decision (in this case, the requesting employee, supervisor and department
head), cannot purchase the disposed of item. This policy avoids the perception of an unfair advantage and/or access.
There can be an exception for employees who carry a company-issued smart phone that is also used incidentally as a
personal phone (for a monthly fee). When these employees leave the railroad and wish to keep their phone (and
phone number), their departments may allow departing employees to purchase the phone at a market value
established by an external valuation vendor (such as Clover Wireless, LLC).
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All Aboard – Alaska Railroad employee news bulletin — Second Quarter 2021 Page 5
Scenario #3 – Heavy Equipment Disposal
A MOW manager (MOW-1) and a Mechanical manager (Mech-2) agree that a decades-old piece of heavy equipment
is no longer reliable and costs more to maintain than it’s worth in terms of productivity. They recommend the
equipment be replaced. Can an employee purchase the equipment if it is sold? That depends on the employee’s role in
the equipment disposal decision.
Let’s say the Fleet Manager (the disposal authority) agrees the equipment is past its useful life, and will work with
Supply Management to sell the used equipment at public auction.
Can an employee bid at the public auction? Yes, as long as the employee was not involved with the equipment’s
disposal or sale decisions. In this case, MOW-1, Mech-2 and the Fleet Manager are not eligible to bid on or buy the
used equipment.
Let’s say the public auction or other sale avenues do not yield any buyers.
Can the equipment be donated to an interested employee? No. Again an employee is not an eligible nonprofit. In this
case, Supply Management would likely sell the equipment to a scrap metal dealer to recoup some value.
Scenario #4 – Obsolete Office Supplies
An employee finds a drawer full of unused and outdated office supplies – index cards, rolodex business card holder,
and several other items that are rarely, if ever, used by any employees. Can the employee throw the items in the trash
or recycle bin? Only as a last resort.
Let’s say no one responds to a railroad-wide email asking if employees might have a business use for the items.
Supply Management may look for a buyer via Craig’s List, or seek an interested and eligible nonprofit to donate to.
Barring that, the obsolete items may be discarded into the trash and paper products may be placed in recycle bins.
Key Considerations
In general, keep these things in mind when considering surplus disposal:
• An ARRC employee with disposal authority must approve.
• Supply Management will first try to recoup any value through sale.
• Donations can only be made to charitable nonprofits.
• Employees with any say in an asset’s disposal or sale, cannot purchase it.
• Avoid situations that could be seen as providing an unfair advantage to an employee, retiree, or member of
the public.
Questions? Contact Ron Lewis at 265-2507 or LewisR@akrr.com.
New wooden ties are staged in the area west of the Headquarters building. They’ll be replacing old ties along our tracks. Old ties
are surplused and sold (or donated) through periodic public sales during the summer. (by Stephenie Wheeler)
All Aboard – Alaska Railroad employee news bulletin — Second Quarter 2021 Page 6
IN THE COMMUNITY Next used ties sale slated for Saturday, July 24 There were no used ties sales in 2020 due primarily to a lack of inventory. This has created strong demand for used ties this year. During the first sale in May, ARRC sold nearly $10,000 in used ties. Just over 2,000 ties went to more than 200 individuals and groups, most of which picked up the maximum 50 ties. The next used ties sale is scheduled for all day Saturday, July 24 at the Birchwood Yard. Warehouse Supervisor Ron Lewis expects high demand to continue. In order to keep the line moving the maximum each party can pick up will be 30 ties. There may be a final sale in late summer. Life Scout Dillon Finn organizes an Eagle project in which he and fellow members of Palmer Boy Scout Troop 54 employ donated used ties to help construct a community pathway in Palmer. (photos courtesy of Dillon’s mother Jenn Finn) IN THE COMMUNITY Used surplus rail and ties benefit communities Ever heard the expression, “One person’s trash is another person’s treasure”? It often applies when the Alaska Railroad donates surplus materials that have little value to the railroad, but can be a perfect fit for projects that benefit communities and charitable missions. Used ties example: Donated used ties have become an essential building block for community improvement efforts. A good example is one of the more recent Eagle projects pursued by a member of the Palmer Boy Scout Troop 54. Dillon Finn recently requested just over three dozen used ties, which he collected during our May 2021 ties sale. Dillon, the troop leader and several fellow scouts spent several weeks in May and early June completing a safe 350-foot pathway from a residential area in Palmer to the Matanuska River. Used rail example: The Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game (ADF&G) marine mammal program uses heavy rail to anchor acoustic equipment that records sounds and noises at the bottom of Cook Inlet. ADF&G cuts old donated rail into 4-foot sections, each weighing 140 pounds, to keep the monitoring equipment under water. Photos at right courtesy of ADF&G. In a June 15 Facebook post (https://www.facebook.com/alaskafishandgame/), ADF&G explains, “the multi-year acoustic monitoring effort across Cook Inlet provides the most comprehensive description of beluga whale seasonal distribution and feeding behavior to date. This knowledge is critical for understanding and managing potential threats impeding recovery of this endangered population.” All Aboard – Alaska Railroad employee news bulletin — Second Quarter 2021 Page 7
IN THE COMMUNITY
Let’s talk about Trails
The railroad’s Real Estate VP Jim Kubitz, Facilities Director Paul Farnsworth, External Affairs Director Tim Sullivan and
ROW & Public Projects Manager Kate Dueber recently met with city and state officials to discuss proposals for
connecting the Coastal and Ship Creek trails. Officials included an Anchorage legislator, several legislative staff
members, Alaska Dept. of Transportation & Public Facilities staff, Anchorage Parks & Recreation leaders, Anchorage
Community Development Authority executive, and a satellite communications company representative.
The fact-finding group walked along Ship Creek behind the ARRC Headquarters and underneath the railroad and
road bridges, noting tidal and bridge related construction challenges. The walk-through concluded along the newly
constructed Depot Drive (pictured), where ARRC proposes to connect the drive with the Coastal Trail. While the group
generally agreed that both trail connections are necessary, the challenge remains funding. ADOT&PF estimates the
Coastal-Ship Creek trail connection to cost $10-15 million to accommodate tide changes and existing bridge grade.
IN THE COMMUNITY
Neighbors got questions? Give good answers.
Speaking of fact sheets, we’ve also updated those describing our company and business
lines. Railroaders can be an important link between what folks THINK about the railroad,
and what they may be interested to KNOW. When neighbors and friends quiz you about
railroad topics, refer to these fact sheets to help you provide accurate answers. Each
spring we update and post them on our external website.
Find fact sheets on the AlaskaRailroad.com > CORPORATE section page (scroll to the
bottom).
• Alaska Railroad At-a-Glance – a summary of key facts and figures about our
company origins, organization and businesss lines.
• Freight Service Fact Sheet – summary of freight services, equipment and hauled commodities
• Passenger Service Fact Sheet – summary of passenger services and equipment
• Real Estate Fact Sheet – summary of real estate leasing and permitting programs
• Safety & Security Fact Sheet – summary of real estate leasing and permitting programs
All Aboard – Alaska Railroad employee news bulletin — Second Quarter 2021 Page 8
IN THE COMMUNITY Railroaders pick ptarmigan as 2022 print The Alaska Railroad’s 2022 Art Print and Poster will be a summer scene featuring a The willow passenger train passing by a pair of willow ptarmigan, Alaska’s state bird. The idea is the brainchild of Seward artist Kwangsook Schaefermeyer, who garnered the most votes from ptarmigan are 80 Railroaders who took a late April survey to rank the three art print contest finalists. awesome! We Based on employee input, we've asked the artist to review the correct summer plumage for could ask the the birds, and to increase the size of the train. Scheduled for completion later this summer, the final painting will become the basis for the 2022 art print, posters, pins and other artist to make merchandise that goes on sale this fall. the train a little Thirteen ideas from 11 artists were submitted to this year's contest. Entries were reviewed bigger and the by our Marketing & Gift Shop staff who have experience with customer preferences in terms of previous ARRC art prints / posters that have proven most popular based on sales. ptarmigan a little In addition, the Gift Shop team considers how artwork may translate to other merchandise, smaller including lapel pins, mugs, T-shirts, etc. The entries were also reviewed by Alaska Railroad leaders and by Corporate Affairs which oversees our charitable giving program, including a comment from the donation of posters and prints. In narrowing the entries to three finalists, we also employee poll considered artist experience and qualifications, demonstrated by samples and body of work available online. Left: the painted “sketch” originally submitted by artist KwangsookSchaefermeyer from Seward. Right: The artist’s adjustments are illustrated in this rough sketch. OUR BENEFITS FSA and HSA administration changes vendors Railroaders with health savings accounts (HSA) or flexible spending accounts (FSA) will see a change in the account administration vendor. If you use the mobile app to access your account, it will change from myCYC to Optum Financial, but functions and features stay the same. Mobile app users will also need to create a HealthSafe ID with two-factor authentication for more robust sign-on security. CYC website changes will come later. There is no impact to your HSA or FSA payment cards. Details of the change are posted on Inside Track > BENEFITS page. This information mirrors recent emails from HR (at work) and from CYC (at home, if you have an account). All Aboard – Alaska Railroad employee news bulletin — Second Quarter 2021 Page 9
COVID-19 PANDEMIC Four out of 10 Railroaders are vaccinated About two dozen Railroaders and family members 12 years old or older took advantage of on-site walk-in vaccination clinics May 26 and June 23. This protects against COVID-19, including several virus variants (https://www.cdc.gov/ coronavirus/2019-ncov/variants/variant.html) that have gained a foothold in the U.S. and have been detected in Alaska. While the variants spread faster and more easily, vaccines remain effective in preventing illness most importantly, severe illness and death. As of the end of June, about 40% of Railroaders are vaccinated. According to the state’s COVID-19 online data hub, (https://alaska-coronavirus-vaccine-outreach- alaska-dhss.hub.arcgis.com/) about half of all Alaskans 12 and older are fully vaccinated, and 55% have received at least one dose, as of June 30. With 6 in 10 ARRC employees remaining vulnerable to infection, the railroad must continue pandemic protocols, including daily pre-work screening, and COVID-19 testing and quarantine for unvaccinated employees who travel or become exposed to the virus. The on-site clinics were offered following an early May employee poll to determine interest. EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION Spike Awards: Three earned during second quarter Mario Haywood, Track Laborer, was recognized in April for his stellar powers of observation and follow-through, which prevented what could have been a more serious fuel spill. While working in the Birchwood Yard, he noticed a drip falling from a diesel tank car, and investigated further. After notifying supervisors of the diesel smell, a cracked pump and leaking fuel were discovered on the other side of the railcar, where it could have easily gone unnoticed. Mario then helped with the clean- up, offering suggestions, encouraging others to share ideas, and raising spirits with grace and humor. These factors helped to foster a positive team-focused effort. Dawn Albright, Manager of North End Guest Services, was recognized in June for meeting every challenge associated with planning, scheduling and executing our 2021 pre-summer seasonal staff training program. Despite three unforeseen resignations in key management positions, Dawn made sure our training requirements were smoothly met by accepting out-of-her-box assignments. For example, despite the heavy workload that accompanies spring new hire training, she stepped up as an instructor for safety, ethics, ADA and customer service courses. James King, Conductor / Brakeman, was recognized in June by two Transportation colleagues for exceptional vigilance and situational awareness while responding to an incident. After a southbound freight train went into an emergency braking situation as it was leaving the yard, he helped investigate, discovering part of a railcar's cut lever had ripped off and become wedged in the mainline power switch. After notifying the right people to rectify the situation, he ensured no train movements proceeded through the switch until the problem was fixed. Any time during the year is a perfect time to nominate for a Silver Spike. And any Railroader can present a Bronze Spike, which requires no formal nomination or approvals. Check out the Spike Award page Inside Track > PEOPLE > Recognition > Spike Awards or contact Stephenie Wheeler, WheelerS@akrr.com, if you have questions or need assistance with a nomination. All Aboard – Alaska Railroad employee news bulletin — Second Quarter 2021 Page 10
EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION
Quarterly Milestone Recognition
• 2nd Quarter service awards are now posted on Inside Track > PEOPLE > Recognition > Service Awards.
• Quarterly updated list of newly hired / rehired railroaders posted on Inside Track > PEOPLE > New Employees
> Current Year New Hires.
• Quarterly updated list of retirees posted on Inside Track > PEOPLE > Milestones > Current Year Retirements.
DIALOG
Cultural & Engagement Survey coming up
Later this summer Railroaders will be asked to participate in the 2021 Alaska Railroad
Employee Cultural & Engagement Survey one of our most impactful surveys. Our first
cultural survey was in 2002, with repeats in 2004, 2008, 2013 and 2016. Data
collected over time helps identify trends, gauge where we’ve improved and pinpoint
areas that need more effort. Results have also been catalysts for change in our safety,
employee communications, engagement, training and management efforts
While we’ve historically conducted this survey very early in the year, this time, we’ve
picked August, so that we can capture input from seasonal employees as well.
In the coming weeks, you’ll hear more about what to expect, who should take it and
why. Employee input is so valuable, that we’ll be offering extra encouragement and
appreciation to promote participation. In the past, Railroaders have stepped up in a big way, with more than 400
surveys returned. We’re hoping to reach that milestone or better! again.
“Our periodic cultural survey has real value,” said President & CEO Bill O’Leary. “Past survey findings have helped us
tackle a number of specific and significant issues, and that makes it worth the effort.”
DIALOG
Spring Town Hall post-meeting survey results
After the Spring 2021 Employee Town Halls May 11-12, we asked Railroaders to share
their thoughts on this third series of virtual town halls – 58 responded to the post-
meeting survey. About three-fourths of respondents agree we need to offer a virtual
way to access town halls in the future, even when in-person meetings are again
advisable. This is underscored by greater attendance at the virutal town halls,
compared to in-person town halls. An estimated 305 employees participated in the
spring 2021 town hall, which is on par with the estimated 300 who tuned into to the
spring 2020 town halls. This compares to the 239 who attended the spring 2019
in-person meetings.
Other key takeaways… Participating employees said the 90-minute investment was
well worth their time, with a weighted average of 3.49 (good-plus) on a rating scale
of 1 to 5. Similar to spring and fall 2020 results, most respondents said they heard
about the town halls via email (46), followed by website (20), and supervisors (19).
A one-page infographic offers a visual summary of results highlights, and the full detailed results include answers to
open-ended questions. For this and more informaton, visit Inside Track > DIALOG > Employee Surveys.
All Aboard – Alaska Railroad employee news bulletin — Second Quarter 2021 Page 11IN CASE YOU MISSED IT – NEWS
Leadership Memos during second quarter
Sixteen memos from senior railroad leaders were emailed and posted during the second quarter. Employees can go to
the Inside Track > NEWS > Leadership News > 2021 Leadership News page to read the memos on these topics:
• President & CEO Bill O’Leary encouraged participation in town halls and clean-up, summarized board
meetings and board changes, addressed pandemic protocols and vaccination; and reaffirmed our EEO Policy.
• Chief HR Officer Jennifer Haldane provided pandemic protocol reminders; announced COVID-19 vaccination
clinics and encouraged vaccination; clarified mask order changes;.
• Chief Financial Officer Barb Amy recapped monthly and quarterly financial status.
• VP Marketing & Customer Service Dale Wade announced passenger services updates.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT – DIALOG
New inquiries and ideas posed during first quarter
Ask Our CEO – April – May - June
Visit Inside Track > DIALOG > Ask Our CEO > 2021 Answered Questions to see responses on these topics:
• Why isn’t ARRC offering the extended Familes First Coronavirus Response Act leave?
• What happened to our Easter Train?
• Does the railroad have any information or program to help employees with racism?
• Have we addressed the scope of Emergency Order 13991, which relates to FRA’s Emergency Order 32?
• Please brief employees on the COVID-19 shot and how it relates to the Nuremberg Code of 1947?
• Why aren’t we adding coaches to meet growing demand for our passenger trains?
Suggestion Box – April – May - June
Visit Inside Track > DIALOG > Suggestion Box > 2021 Suggestions to review the response to this topic:
• Offer fat bike riders transportation from Portage to Spencer Glacier during the winter and summer.
• Have we looked at constructing / operating our own dry cabins in our ROW near Spencer?
• Have we considered operating a remote hotel at Curry?
• Are there plans for an ARRC phone app?
• Can w set up electronic way for employees to get Friends and Family discount codes?
Great Shot! Photos for All Aboard
We’re always looking for photos that capture railroaders and railroading in
action. Got a great shot? Forward it to Stephenie Wheeler via email to
WheelerS@akrr.com. Similar to years past, railroaders who contribute
photos during the year will be included in an end-of-year drawing for a
$200 prize.
Pictured: Terminal mechanical service (TMS) crews take pride in getting the
locomotives ready for passenger season. In mid-May, Engineer Ron Polk is among
several Railroaders that hand wash the engines to remove the winter grime.
Locomotives are similarly cleaned all summer long. That effort is absolutely
appreciated, as evidenced by visitors who frequently comment about the beauty
and cleanliness of our locomotives.
All Aboard – Alaska Railroad employee news bulletin — Second Quarter 2021 Page 12You can also read
