The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association has selected Edwin “Ed” McKechnie as the 2025 Schlosser Distinguished Service Award, honoring his decades of service to the short line industry and the Association.
Before he was active in the short line industry and helping guide ASLRRA member parent company Watco through a period of tremendous growth, Ed McKechnie spent years in public service, first in the Kansas Governor’s office, as a congressional staff member in Washington D.C., and then as a member of the Kansas Legislature.
While representing Watco as a member of ASLRRA, Ed McKechnie played a significant role in moving two short line industry-critical ideas forward – the Short Line Tax Credit, and the Short Line Safety Institute. Both initiatives would have far-reaching effects on the industry.
“Ed’s impact on the short line industry is legendary. His legislative and business career has been focused on driving transformational change in every organization he has been involved with,” ASLRRA President Chuck Baker said in a release.
“At ASLRRA, his leadership as Chair of our Board of Directors, and his steering of the Legislative Policy Committee led to two Congressional mandates that have been instrumental in assisting short lines in their relentless drive to improved safety – the Short Line Rehabilitation Tax Credit (45G), and the Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI),” Baker added. “The former has led to $9B of investment in upgraded rail and bridges to date, addressing the leading cause of derailments on short lines. The SLSI is focused on elevating safety culture, prioritizing safety on short line railroads over other competing demands. Our industry is certainly better as a result of Ed’s contributions and relentless drive to make it so.”
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