NDTA honors Anacostia Rail for military support

Rail News Home Short Lines & Regionals 11/1/2019 Rail News: Short Lines & Regionals
Left to right, NDTA Chairman John Dietrich; Scott Lurkins, Anacostia Rail Holdings senior director of business development; NDTA President and CEO, William Brown.Photo – Anacostia Rail

The National Defense Transportation Association (NDTA) last month presented Anacostia Rail Holdings Co. (ARH) with the Corporate Distinguished Service Award.

The award recognizes NDTA corporate members who have provided “outstanding support” for the association’s goals and programs that facilitate an environment where government, military and private sector professionals can address challenges in logistics and transportation, ARH officials said in a press release.

"Anacostia is committed to our support of NDTA and working closely with our railroad partners and military leaders to further develop our military’s use of rail transportation," said Scott Lurkins, Anacostia Rail senior director of business development and a member of the NDTA’s Rail Subcommittee.

Anacostia Rail, which operates six U.S. short lines, has established a profile in military logistics through its subsidiary Louisville & Indiana Railroad (LIRC), which provides rail service to Camp Atterbury in southcentral Indiana.

LIRC began service to Camp Atterbury in 2017 with a National Guard training mission that simulated combat operations and involved 309 rail cars, 1,207 pieces of equipment and 6,000 soldiers.

The Illinois National Guard staged a similar deployment at the camp in 2018, and the Minnesota National Guard also conducted training at the site. In 2019, LIRC managed multiple rail deployments from the camp to Beaumont, Texas.