CSX Manager Receives AAR Environmental Award

A CSX manager has received the 2020 John H. Chafee Environmental Excellence Award from the Association of American Railroads.

Corey Davis, the director of fuel strategy and utilization at CSX, was honored for his work that saw the railroad reduce fuel use by more than 8 percent between 2012 and 2018.

AAR said in a news release that the savings have reduced fuel use by 32 million gallons, cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 332,000 tons in just one year.

Davis oversaw the integration of Trip Optimizer technology with positive train control interfaces, which have allowed the systems to automatically adjust to real-time changes in the network to optimize fuel efficiency. This has resulted in about 6 percent fuel savings, AAR officials said.

Initiatives implemented by Davis have reduced CSX’s fuel use by nearly 60,000 gallons per day.

He was also involved in developing CSX’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals that have been approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative, the gold standard for greenhouse gas goal-setting, AAR officials said.

It is the third consecutive year that a CSX employee has won the Chafee Award, which is named for a former senator from Rhode Island, who was a strong advocate of environmental causes and the eco-friendly benefits of rail transportation.

AAR said the award recognizes a railroad employee who has demonstrated the highest level of environmental stewardship and sustainability in the previous year.

Five other railroad employees were nominated for the award including Lynn Leibfried, assistant director of public projects at BNSF; Derek Maier, senior manager of equipment engineering at Amtrak; Jefferey Nantkes, manager of mechanical maintenance at Union Pacific;  Daniel Plonk of Norfolk Southern; and Anthony Roberts, director of fuel consumption at Kansas City Southern.

CSX Manager Wins AAR Environmental Award

A CSX manager was named the winner of the the 2017 John H. Chafee Environmental Excellence Award presented by the Association of American Railroads.

The winner, Charles Bailey, is a CSX director of design and construction engineering.

AAR officials said Bailey developed a culture at CSX in which design and construction methodologies benefit the environment and the railroad.

In a news release, the AAR said Bailey’s collaborative approach with environmental teams has had a significant impact on the environmental performance of CSX.

By modifying the design on two siding projects, Bailey helped reduce the amount of excavated rock, soil and debris going to landfills by more than 24,000 cubic yards.

His efforts also have helped protect several endangered plant and animal species, including the Northern Long-Eared Bat in Indiana and the Gopher Tortoise in Florida.

The award is named in honor of the late Rhode Island senator, who was a strong advocate for sustainability and rail’s environmental benefits.

The Chafee award recognizes a railroad employee who has demonstrated the highest level of environmental stewardship in the previous year.