The E.H. Harriman Award was an annual award presented to American railroad companies in recognition for outstanding safety achievements.
The award was founded in 1913 by Mary Averell Harriman,[1] wife of the late Edward H. Harriman. After her death, the award was presented by her sons E. Roland Harriman and W. Averell Harriman. Today the award is sponsored by the E.H. Harriman Memorial Awards Institute.
On January 5, 2012, UP announced to its employees that for the first time in ninety-eight years the Harriman award would be retired after the 2012 award ceremony. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) made the decision to end the award presentation.[2] [3]
While the awards were intended to encourage safe operating practices and safety enhancements, the awards have also occasionally been the source of some labor disputes. Part of the award criteria has been a count of the number of reported workplace injuries as tracked by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA); this has led to disciplinary action and even dismissal for employees at some railroads.[4] Union Pacific Railroad (UP), in particular, was shown to have suppressed reporting of some accidents in the early 1970s, leading to their disqualification and withdrawal from consideration for the award over several years.[5] UP launched an intensive safety program and again earned a Harriman gold medal in 1984.
Several rail labor unions objected to the criteria, going so far as to picket the award ceremonies. Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes (BMWE) General Chairman Paul Beard created the "Harassment Award" as a satire of the Harriman Awards to raise awareness of management practices that bred intimidation and disciplinary actions against reporting accidents. In 1999 the FRA invited discussions with representatives of rail labor unions to discuss the problem.
The selection process included a rule that the same railroad company could not be selected for a gold medal in two consecutive years. This practice ended in the 1970s when Santa Fe Railroad was selected as the gold medal recipient for several consecutive years.
Railroad companies are grouped into one of four categories:
Historically, the award recipients were notified in May of the year following the statistics calculation with the presentation ceremony in September or October. Later the award announcements and presentations were made in May of the year after the award designation; for example, the 2004 awards were presented in May 2005. Past recipients of the E.H. Harriman Award were:
| Year | Group | Gold medal | Silver medal | Bronze medal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 | A | Southern Pacific[6] | ||
| 1914 | A | New York Central | ||
| B | Atlantic Coast Line | |||
| 1915 | A | Norfolk and Western | ||
| 1916[7] | A | Illinois Central (Illinois Division) | Long Island Railroad | |
| 1917 | ||||
| 1918 | ||||
| 1919 | ||||
| 1920 | ||||
| 1921 | ||||
| 1922 | ||||
| 1923 | ||||
| 1924 | A | Union Pacific[8] [9] | Chicago Great Western (Western Division) | Joseph Kragskow, UP Omaha shops (individual award) |
| 1925 | A | Union Pacific | ||
| 1926 | A | Norfolk and Western | ||
| B | Duluth, Missabe and Northern | |||
| C | Quincy, Omaha and Kansas City | |||
| 1927 | A | Union Pacific | ||
| B | Ann Arbor Railway[10] | |||
| 1928 | A | Southern Pacific[11] | ||
| 1929 | A | Union Pacific (OSL) | ||
| 1930 | A | Pennsylvania Railroad[12] | Union Pacific | |
| B | Gulf, Mobile and Northern Railroad[13] | |||
| C | New Orleans Great Northern Railroad | |||
| 1934 | A | Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad[14] | ||
| 1935 | A | New York Central[15] | ||
| 1937 | A | New York Central | ||
| 1938 | A | Norfolk and Western | ||
| 1939 | A | Union Pacific Railroad (south central district)[16] | ||
| B | Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway | |||
| C | Charleston and Western Carolina Railway | |||
| A special award was presented to New York Central Railroad to commemorate more than 16 years without any passenger fatalities as of 1939. | ||||
| 1940 | A | Union Pacific (South Central) | ||
| 1941 | A | Union Pacific Railroad (Eastern district)[17] | ||
| 1942 | ||||
| 1943 | A | Union Pacific (Eastern district)[18] | ||
| B | Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway | |||
| C | Charleston and Western Carolina Railway | |||
| 1944 | A | Michigan Central Railroad[19] | ||
| B | Ann Arbor Railroad | |||
| C | Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad | |||
| 1945 | A | |||
| 1949 | A | Louisville and Nashville[20] | Erie Railroad | |
| B | ||||
| C | Tennessee Central | |||
| 1950 | A | Union Pacific (Western District)[21] [22] | Eastern district: Reading Railroad Western district: Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad | |
| B | Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines | Western district: Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway | ||
| C | Cambria and Indiana Railroad | Western district: Colorado and Wyoming Railway | ||
| 1951 | A | Norfolk and Western[23] | Eastern district: Reading Railroad | |
| 1952[24] [25] | A | Missouri-Kansas-Texas | Eastern district: Baltimore and Ohio Western district: Union Pacific Southern district: Norfolk and Western[26] | |
| B | St. Louis Southwestern | Eastern district: Lehigh Valley Western district: Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Southern district: Central of Georgia | ||
| C | Texas Mexican Railway | Eastern district: Lehigh and Hudson River Western district: Lake Superior and Ishpeming Southern district: Atlantic and Danville | ||
| S&T | Chicago Union Station Company | Portland, Maine, Terminal Company | ||
| 1953 | A | Eastern district: Reading Railroad[27] Southern district: Nashville, Chattanooga and Saint Louis Railway[28] | ||
| 1954 | A | Norfolk and Western Railway[29] [30] | Eastern district: Reading Railroad[31] Western district: Great Northern Railway | |
| B | Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville Railroad | Western district: St. Louis Southwestern Railway | ||
| C | Texas Mexican Railroad | Western district: Texas Northern Railway | ||
| 1955[32] | A | Eastern district: Pennsylvania Railroad Western district: Union Pacific Railroad Southern district: Illinois Central | ||
| B | Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway | Eastern district: Western Maryland Railway[33] Western district: Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste Marie Railroad Southern district: Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway | ||
| C | Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad | Eastern district: Lehigh and Hudson River Railway Western district: Texas Mexican Railway Southern district: Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad | ||
| S&T | Portland (Maine) Terminal Railroad | New Orleans Terminal Railroad | ||
| 1956 | A | Union Pacific[34] | Eastern district: Erie Railroad[35] [36] [37] | |
| B | Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad | |||
| C | Bangor and Aroostook Railroad | |||
| S&T | Baltimore and Ohio Chicago Terminal Railroad[38] | |||
| 1957[39] | A | Nickel Plate Road | Eastern district: Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad Western district: Northern Pacific Railroad Southern district: Illinois Central[40] | |
| B | Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railroad | Eastern district: Wabash Railroad Western district: St. Louis Southwestern Southern district: Central of Georgia Railway | ||
| C | Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad | Eastern district: New York, Susquehanna and Western[41] Western district: Texas Mexican Railway Southern district: Clinchfield Railroad | ||
| S&T | Kentucky and Indiana Terminal | New Orleans Terminal | ||
| The Pullman Company was awarded a special certificate of commendation for working with the railroad companies to transport about 45 billion passengers with no fatalities from 1952 to 1957. | ||||
| 1958 | A | Eastern district: Nickel Plate Road[42] | ||
| C | New York, Susquehanna & Western[43] | |||
| 1959 | A | Atlantic Coast Line Railroad[44] [45] | Southern district: Illinois Central[46] | |
| B | Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad | |||
| C | Canadian Pacific lines in Maine and Montreal | Western district: Texas Mexican Railway[47] | ||
| 1960 | A | Nickel Plate Road | ||
| 1961[48] | A | Nickel Plate Road[49] [50] | ||
| B | Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad | |||
| C | Bangor and Aroostook Railroad | |||
| 1962 | A | Union Pacific Railroad[51] | ||
| 1963 | A | Nickel Plate Road[52] | ||
| 1964 | A | Illinois Central[53] [54] | ||
| B | Monon Railroad[55] | |||
| 1965 | A | Chicago and North Western[56] | ||
| 1966[57] | A | Union Pacific[58] | ||
| B | ||||
| C | ||||
| 1967 | A | Union Pacific | Southern Pacific Railroad | |
| B | St. Louis Southwestern | |||
| C | ||||
| 1968 | A | Southern Pacific Railroad[59] | ||
| B | St. Louis Southwestern | |||
| C | ||||
| 1969 | A | |||
| B | Western Maryland Railway[60] | |||
| 1970 | A | |||
| B | ||||
| C | ||||
| S&T | ||||
| 1971 | A | Santa Fe | ||
| B | ||||
| C | ||||
| S&T | Union Railroad of Pittsburgh[61] | |||
| 1972 | A | Santa Fe | Union Pacific | |
| B | ||||
| C | Delaware and Hudson[62] | |||
| 1973 | A | Santa Fe[63] | ||
| B | ||||
| C | Akron, Canton and Youngstown Railroad[64] | |||
| S&T | Philadelphia, Bethlehem and New England Railroad[65] | |||
| 1975[66] | A | Santa Fe | Seaboard Coast Line | Chessie System |
| B | Erie-Lackawanna | Denver and Rio Grande Western | Reading Railroad | |
| C | Delaware and Hudson | Monongahela Railway[67] | Florida East Coast Railroad | |
| S&T | River Terminal Railway, Cleveland | Union Railroad, Pittsburgh | Guyanoga Valley Railroad, Clevaland | |
| 1976 | A | Southern Railway[68] | Seaboard Coast Line[69] [70] | |
| B | Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad | |||
| C | Florida East Coast Railway | |||
| S&T | Philadelphia, Bethlehem and New England Railroad | |||
| 1977 | A | Missouri Pacific | ||
| B | ||||
| C | Florida East Coast Railway | Central Vermont Railway | ||
| 1978 | A | Southern Railway | Missouri Pacific[71] | |
| B | St. Louis-San Francisco Railway | |||
| C | Florida East Coast Railway | Central Vermont Railway | Alton and Southern Railway | |
| 1979[72] [73] | A | Santa Fe[74] | Southern Railway | Missouri Pacific |
| B | Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad | Boston and Maine | St Louis-San Francisco Railway | |
| C | Florida East Coast Railway | Central Vermont Railway | Ann Arbor Railroad | |
| S&T | Houston Belt and Terminal Railway | Philadelphia, Bethlehem and New England Railroad | Alton and Southern Railway | |
| The Bangor and Aroostook Railroad, Peoria and Pekin Union Railroad and the Lake Terminal Railroad were awarded special certificates for improvements in their safety records. | ||||
| 1980 | A | Santa Fe | Missouri Pacific[75] | Southern Railway |
| B | Denver and Rio Grande Western | |||
| C | ||||
| S&T | Houston Belt and Terminal Railway | Kansas City Terminal Railway | Alton and Southern Railway | |
| 1981 | A | Missouri Pacific | ||
| B | Denver and Rio Grande Western | |||
| C | ||||
| S&T | Philadelphia, Bethlehem and New England Railroad[76] | South Buffalo Railway | ||
| 1982 | A | Southern Railway[77] | Family Lines System (L&N)<ref name=TMP19820702 /> | |
| B | Denver and Rio Grande Western | |||
| 1983 | A | Union Pacific | ||
| B | Denver and Rio Grande Western | |||
| 1984 | A | Union Pacific Railroad[78] | ||
| B | Denver and Rio Grande Western | |||
| C | ||||
| S&T | Port Terminal Railroad Association, Houston | |||
| 1985 | B | Denver and Rio Grande Western | ||
| 1986 | A | Southern Pacific Railroad[79] | ||
| B | Denver and Rio Grande Western | |||
| C | ||||
| S&T | ||||
| 1987 | A | Southern Pacific Railroad[80] | ||
| B | Chicago and North Western | |||
| 1988 | A | Southern Pacific | ||
| B | Missouri-Kansas-Texas | |||
| 1989 | A | Southern Pacific | ||
| B | Denver and Rio Grande Western | |||
| C | ||||
| S&T | ||||
| 1990 | A | Norfolk Southern Railway | ||
| B | Chicago and North Western | |||
| C | ||||
| S&T | ||||
| 1991 | A | Norfolk Southern Railway | ||
| B | Chicago and North Western | Denver and Rio Grande Western | ||
| C | ||||
| S&T | ||||
| 1992 | A | Norfolk Southern Railway | ||
| B | Chicago and North Western | |||
| C | ||||
| S&T | ||||
| 1993[81] [82] | A | Norfolk Southern Railway | CSX Transportation | Amtrak |
| B | Illinois Central | Chicago and North Western | Northeast Illinois Railroad Corp. | |
| C | Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad | Kansas City Southern Railway | Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway | |
| S&T | ||||
| 1994 | A | Norfolk Southern Railway | Santa Fe[83] | |
| B | Chicago and North Western | |||
| C | ||||
| S&T | ||||
| 1995 | A | Norfolk Southern Railway | ||
| B | ||||
| C | ||||
| S&T | Belt Railway of Chicago | |||
| 1996 | A | Norfolk Southern Railway | Burlington Northern and Santa Fe | CSX Transportation |
| B | New Jersey Transit Rail Operations | Illinois Central | Kansas City Southern | |
| C | Texas Mexican | Providence & Worcester | New York, Susquehanna & Western | |
| S&T | Port Terminal Railroad Association | Belt Railway of Chicago | Houston Belt & Terminal Railway | |
| 1997[84] | A | Norfolk Southern Railway | Burlington Northern Santa Fe | CSX Transportation |
| B | Illinois Central Railroad | New Jersey Transit Rail Operations | Kansas City Southern | |
| C | Guilford Rail System | Gateway Western Railway | Texas Mexican Railway | |
| S&T | Port Terminal Railroad Association of Houston | Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis | Patapsco & Black Rivers Railroad | |
| Paducah and Louisville Railroad was awarded a certificate recognizing continuing safety improvements for at least two consecutive years as of 1997.[85] | ||||
| 1998 | A | Norfolk Southern Railway | ||
| B | ||||
| C | Montana Rail Link[86] [87] | |||
| S&T | ||||
| 1999 | A | Norfolk Southern Railway | CSX Transportation | |
| B | NJ Transit | |||
| C | Guilford Rail System | |||
| S&T | Belt Railway of Chicago | Patapsco and Back Rivers Railroad | ||
| 2000 | A | Norfolk Southern Railway | ||
| B | Kansas City Southern Railway[88] | |||
| C | ||||
| S&T | Belt Railway of Chicago | |||
| 2001 | A | Norfolk Southern Railway | ||
| B | Kansas City Southern Railway[89] | |||
| C | ||||
| S&T | Belt Railway of Chicago | Alton and Southern Railway | ||
| 2002 | A | Norfolk Southern Railway | ||
| B | ||||
| C | ||||
| S&T | ||||
| 2003 | A | Norfolk Southern Railway | Union Pacific Railroad | |
| B | Metra | |||
| C | Iowa Interstate Railroad[90] | |||
| S&T | Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis | Conrail | ||
| 2004 | A | Norfolk Southern Railway | Union Pacific Railroad | |
| B | Metra | Soo Line Railroad | Illinois Central Railroad | |
| C | Providence and Worcester Railroad | |||
| S&T | Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis | Conrail | Alton and Southern Railway | |
| 2005[91] | A | Norfolk Southern Railway | BNSF Railway | CSX |
| B | Canadian Pacific's U.S. subsidiary (formerly Soo Line Railroad) | Kansas City Southern[92] | Metra | |
| C | Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railroad | |||
| S&T | Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis | Conrail | Belt Railway of Chicago | |
| 2006[93] | A | Norfolk Southern Railway | CSX Transportation | BNSF Railway |
| B | Kansas City Southern Railway | Canadian Pacific Railway's United States subsidiary | Long Island Rail Road | |
| C | Florida East Coast Railway | Central Oregon and Pacific Railroad[94] | BNSF Suburban Operations in Chicago | |
| S&T | Conrail | Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis | ||
| 2007[95] | A | Norfolk Southern Railway | CSX Transportation | Union Pacific Railroad |
| B | Kansas City Southern Railway | Metra | Canadian Pacific Railway U.S. operations | |
| C | Iowa Interstate Railroad | Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway | Florida East Coast Railway | |
| S&T | Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis | Birmingham Southern Railroad | ||
| 2008[96] | A | Norfolk Southern Railway | CSX Transportation | Union Pacific Railroad |
| B | Kansas City Southern Railway | Canadian Pacific Railway's United States subsidiary | Metra | |
| C | Willamette and Pacific Railroad[97] | Florida East Coast Railway | Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway | |
| S&T | Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis | Birmingham Southern Railroad | Conrail | |
| 2009[98] | A | Norfolk Southern Railway | CSX Transportation | Union Pacific Railroad |
| B | Kansas City Southern Railway | Metra | Canadian National Railway U.S. operations | |
| C | BNSF Railway suburban operations | Paducah and Louisville Railway | ||
| S&T | Birmingham Southern Railroad | |||
| 2010[99] | A | Norfolk Southern Railway | CSX Transportation | Union Pacific Railroad |
| B | Kansas City Southern Railway | Canadian Pacific Railway U.S. operations | Canadian National Railway U.S. operations | |
| C | Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad | Paducah and Louisville Railway | ||
| S&T | Gary Railway | Port Terminal Railroad Association | Union Railroad (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) | Union Railroad |
| 2011[100] | A | Norfolk Southern Railway | CSX Transportation | Union Pacific Railroad |
| B | Kansas City Southern Railway | Canadian Pacific Railway U.S. operations | Metra | |
| C | Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad | Florida East Coast Railway | ||
| S&T | Union Railway | Belt Railway of Chicago | Birmingham Southern Railroad | |