Port Bienville Railroad Celebrates Rail Safety Week

September 22, 2020

Hancock County, MS (September 22, 2020) –  As Rail Safety Week moves into full swing, The Port Bienville Railroad (PBVR) and its crew continue to honor their ongoing safety campaign in an effort to maintain their culture of safety at the Port Bienville Industrial Park.

“Safety is first and foremost for our crew” said Shane LaFontaine, Port Bienville Railroad Manager.  “Safety is more important than anything we do – safety comes first, and efficiency comes after that”.

LaFontaine places a high value on his team and works hard to ensure that a culture of safety is well-known throughout Port Bienville.  “We spend a lot of time together during the week, and I want to make sure my guys know that they are top priority” he said.

Port Bienville Railroad began solidifying their culture of safety a few years ago when hosting the Washington D.C.-based ‘Shortline Safety Institute’ (SLSI) organization, which provides safety-based training and assessments to shortline railroads throughout the country. 

Since then, PBVR has employed a multitude of safety measures including a safety Rule-Of-the-Day (ROD), an ongoing poster campaign featuring PBVR employees, and daily morning stretches for the crews.   

“Every morning, our crew gets their ROD via their tablet, they answer 2-3 questions about the rule, and they may have a safety video to review” LaFontaine said.  “Safety culture has improved tremendously over the past few years because we ensure that each person knows they have ownership of creating the culture here”.

Over the next fiscal year, which begins October 1, 2020, PBVR will invest in lifecycle maintenance projects that aid in the safety culture of the railroad.  Nearly $1.5 Million in planned Capital Projects are directly related to ensuring a high-level of maintenance at Port Bienville Industrial Park.

Currently, PBVR is working on a Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) funded multi-modal project to place new signs at all of their rail crossings.  This includes all new signs, stop signs, and reflector requirements as required by MDOT.

To review all PBVR’s capital projects for the upcoming year, see Hancock County Port & Harbor Commission’s FY21 Operating & Capital Budget.  Port Bienville Railroad is owned and operated by the Hancock County Port & Harbor Commission.

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About HCPHC

The Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission was established in 1963 to lead the county’s economic development activities. Stennis International Airport and Port Bienville Industrial Park are home to 30 companies with more than 1,000 employees. For more information visit www.portairspace.com