Abbreviation | AAR |
---|---|
Formation | 1934 |
Type | Trade Association |
Legal status | Active |
Purpose | Advocate, public voice, educator, research, testing, safety & efficiency of railroads |
Headquarters | 425 Third Street SW Suite 1000 |
Location | |
Region served
|
North America |
Membership
|
Railroads and associates |
Official language
|
English |
President & Chief Executive Officer
|
Edward R. Hamberger |
Affiliations | Railinc Corporation |
Staff
|
70 (DC office) |
Website | www |
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is an industry trade group representing primarily the major freight railroads of North America (Canada, Mexico and the United States).Amtrak and some regional commuter railroads are also members. Smaller freight railroads are typically represented by the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA), although some smaller railroads and railroad holding companies are also members of the AAR. The AAR also has two associate member programs, and most associate members are suppliers to the railroad industry.
AAR was created October 12, 1934 by the merger of five industry-related groups:
William George Besler was its first President.
The AAR is headquartered in Washington, D.C. not far from the Capitol. Its information technology subsidiary, Railinc, is based in Cary, North Carolina. Railinc IT systems and information services, including the Umler system, the Interline Settlement System and Embargoes system are an integral part of the North American rail infrastructure. Railinc delivers approximately nine million messages each day over its EDI network, including transportation waybills, advance train consists, blocking requests and responses and trip plans. Its applications support railroads, equipment owners and rail industry suppliers along every link of the supply chain. The company maintains the only industry-accepted version of the North American railroad industry's official code tables. Beginning as an information technology department within the Association of American Railroads (AAR), the company was established as a wholly owned, for-profit subsidiary of the AAR in 1999.