On Oct. 15, 2015, U.S. Congressman Donald Norcross (D-NJ-01) joined National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association (NRC) member—the Railroad Construction Co. of South Jersey (RCCSJ)—for a tour of its facility and project at the Port of Paulsboro.
Attendees included James J. Daloisio, President of RCCSJ; Christofer Daloisio, Vice President of RCCSJ; James A. Daloisio, Director of RCCSJ and Vice President of Railroad Constructors, Inc.; Paulsboro Councilman and Incoming Mayor Gary Stevenson; New Jersey State Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney; Gloucester County Assemblyman John J. Burzichelli; and Lindsey Collins, Vice President of Grassroots Advocacy, NRC.
Daloisio gave an overview of RCCSJ and its current operations. RCCSJ offers a wide range of services to its customers including track design, drafting, and layout; emergency track repair; track inspection, maintenance, removal, and rehabilitation; high production tie and rail gangs; grade crossing installation and rehabilitation; and more. RCCSJ serves the Greater Philadelphia region, including New Jersey, Delaware, and Eastern Pennsylvania. RCCSJ has been family owned and operated since its founding in 1969.
The Congressman and guests went on a walk-through of RCCSJ’s facility, which has over 14 acres of storage yard, a 60,000-square-foot warehouse, a 13,000-square-foot mechanic’s garage, 20,000 square feet of covered storage, a fully equipped training facility, and a new office building.
At the Port of Paulsboro, Congressman Norcross and guests learned about the construction of a new marine terminal at which 14,000 feet of new track and nine turnouts are being built.
“This investment in infrastructure in South Jersey is an investment in our future. The trains that will travel these rails will literally deliver new jobs and economic growth to this region, and that’s something we all welcome,” said the Congressman.
Attendees discussed the importance of extending the Positive Train Control (PTC) deadline to avoid serious consequences and costs for not only companies directly affected by the railroad industry, but also for the local and national economies. In 2008, Congress mandated railroads to install PTC on lines that carry passengers and/or toxic by inhalation gas, such as chlorine and anhydrous ammonia. The deadline for installation is Dec. 31, 2015.
Attendees also discussed extending the 45G tax credit, which leverages private sector investment in rail infrastructure by providing a tax credit of 50 cents for every dollar spent on track improvements. The Short Line Railroad Rehabilitation and Investment Act of 2015, also known as H.R. 721, was introduced in February and already has over 50% co-sponsorship in the House with 243 co-sponsors. H.R. 721 would extend section 45G of the tax code, which expired at the end of last year.
Congressman Donald Norcross represents New Jersey’s First Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he sits on the Armed Services Committee and the Budget Committee. He previously served in the New Jersey State Senate and Assembly. An electrician by trade, Norcross is a former president of the Southern New Jersey AFL-CIO. He and his wife Andrea are the proud parents of three grown children and grandparents of two.