The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) has selected Matthew Lane, general manager, Pioneer Valley Railroad (PVRR), as the 2025 Safety Person of the Year, and Herman Crosson, chief safety and compliance officer, Anacostia Rail Holdings Co., as the 2025 Safety Professional of the Year.
The awards recognize individuals who have demonstrated consistent and committed leadership in safety on their railroad,
“Operating safely, being your brother’s keeper, is a cornerstone of the short line railroad ethos,” said Chuck Baker, president of ASLRRA, in a release. “Making sure everyone gets home safely every night takes a concerted effort by railroad professionals to build a work culture that puts safe practices at the forefront of operations. Safety Person of the Year Matt Lane and Safety Professional of the Year Herman Crosson have consistently demonstrated this commitment. They are collaborative leaders who work with their teams to improve safety, emphasizing feedback, transparency and trust.”
In April, Lane and Crosson will be honored at the ASLRRA’s annual conference in Denver.
“Matt is a pro-active leader, always looking around the bend to identify issues before they arise,” said Ryan Ratledge, CEO of Pioneer Valley parent Pinsly Railroad Co. “Matt’s leadership style and focus on safety creates a top-tiered safety culture at PVRR.”
Lane holds monthly safety meetings with PVRR employees, focusing on the status of unsafe-condition reports, conducting root-cause analysis of issues and discussing industrywide safety alerts and safety preparedness. He recognizes employees for prioritizing safety and regularly seeks their input on safety-related topics.
Lane also helped organize emergency responder training across all Pinsly railroads that involved local fire and police departments and railroad customers and contractors. After that training, Lane worked to provide guidance and templates to benefit the entire organization.
As the chief safety officer at Anacostia Rail Holdings, Crosson is responsible for day-to-day safe operations, working directly with individuals on policies and processes, seeking continuous improvement in safety performance and safety culture across all of Anacostia’s properties.
As a veteran and career railroader who got his start as a freight conductor and moved up as engineer and later road foreman, Crosson holds periodic safety forums with Anacostia team members to discuss safety and safety success. To further encourage safe practices, Crosson has started the Safety Recognition Program to honor those who have demonstrated safety leadership at their locations.
“Herman is an excellent leader and communicator, traits that were honed during his many years of service in the military,” said David Hankins, senior director of human resources, Anacostia Rail Holdings. “This character trait drives positive relationships which enhances his ability to produce positive safety results for Anacostia and the industry as a whole.”
Crosson also received the Safety Professional of the Year Award in 2021.
Find more articles by Stuart Chirls here.
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