Small-Road Briefs: New York & Atlantic Railway, R.J. Corman, Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad
NY&A
BLET members on Aug. 6 ratified a new two-year agreement with Anacostia‘s NY&A, which operates more than 270 route miles throughout Brooklyn and Queens, N.Y. The new provides a $1.00 per hour increase to all pay grades effective June 1, 2025, followed by two general wage increases totaling 8% through the end of 2028.
The BLET’s Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) General Committee of Adjustment represents the NY&A membership. The negotiating team consisted of General Chairman Gilman Lang, previous General Chairman Kevin Sexton, 2nd Vice General Chairman Duane O’Connor, and National Vice President Jim Louis.
R.J. Corman
R. J. Corman Signaling Project Manager Shane Burks II has been selected to participate in the 2025-26 Leadership Lexington program, “marking a significant milestone not only in [Burks’s] professional journey but also in R.J. Corman’s continued commitment to leadership development and community engagement.”
Leadership Lexington has served as the premier leadership development initiative in the greater Lexington, Ky., area for more than four decades, the company noted. With a highly competitive application and selection process, the program admits only 50 professionals each year. Participants engage in 10 immersive day-sessions hosted by local leaders, gaining firsthand insight into Lexington’s community dynamics, signature industries, and public issues. Each class also completes up to four community-based projects, selected and led by the participants themselves.
“The program’s mission is to prepare emerging leaders to meet the challenges facing Lexington by fostering deeper understanding and collaboration across sectors. Through educational experiences and meaningful connections, Leadership Lexington empowers participants to broaden their perspectives and become catalysts for positive change,” R.J. Corman said.
“I am truly honored and privileged to be a member of the 2025–26 Leadership Lexington class. This opportunity is one I deeply value, and I am committed to challenging myself to grow both personally and professionally. I look forward to learning from and engaging with fellow leaders in our community, and I am excited to bring back invaluable knowledge and connections to R. J. Corman. Together, we will continue to foster growth and innovation within our organization and community,” said Burks.
Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad
Following a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 11, manufacturer of cast iron and plastic pipe and fittings Charlotte and Foundry Company’s new $80 million manufacturing facility is officially open in Maize, Kans.
The 134,000-square-foot plant has premier access to Watco’s Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad, “aiding in the company’s continued success and swift production of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes for plumbing and irrigation applications.” Watco, a single-source transportation and supply chain services company, was a pivotal partner in addressing Charlotte Pipe’s rail needs, according to Governor Laura Kelly.
The plant, which is located on the 5801 block of 119th Street West and is the company’s seventh plastics plant in the U.S., will provide 50 full-time jobs in the area, which the company has already hired for, according to a KSNW report. Plants are also located on the East and West Coast.
“It’s a great location, has a terrific workforce, a can-do attitude when it comes to business and it’s where we want to be,” said Hooper Hardison, Charlotte Pipe & Foundry CEO. “We don’t have a plant in this area to serve the central part of the country so being in Kansas and Maize is really going to help us ground out our footprint and serve our customers better.”
“Along with Sedgewick County, Maize, Kans., and the Greater Wichita Partnership, our team is excited to welcome the newest customer on the Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad,” Watco wrote in an X post.
