Port Bienville Railroad receives national safety award

July 26, 2022

KILN, MISS. – Port Bienville Short Line Railroad (PBVR) was recognized for its safety record by the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) for above-industry-average performance during 2021.

Port Bienville Railroad received a Jake Award With Distinction in recognition of reportable injury-free performance last year.

“The railroad industry is safe and getting safer. Our short line members are doing their part to continue to drive those statistics in the right direction, placing safety above all competing priorities,” said ASLRRA President Chuck Baker. “The short line industry average safety incident rate has dropped once again to 2.17 reportable incidents per 200,000 person-hours worked.”

Since its inception in 1995, the Jake Award program has distributed nearly 6,600 Jake and Jake With Distinction Awards to America’s small railroad community. The award is named for the late Lowell S. “Jake” Jacobson, President and General Manager of the Copper Basin Railway.

Connecting the port to CSX, Port Bienville Short Line Railroad boasts 17 miles of track and processes over 8,000 loaded railcars a year. The railroad is owned and operated by Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission.

CUTLINE – The Port Bienville Short Line Railroad staff, left to right, Matthew Marcukaitis, Norman Givens, Railroad Director Shane LaFontaine, Chief Operations Officer Blaine LaFontaine, Ryan Furey, Justin Stewart, Susan Garcia, Scott LaFontaine, Jason Oliver, Mike Skoros, Brennan Stieffel, Colton Penton and Kevin Krull.

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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.