Capital Railroad Earns NRC Safe Contractor of the Year Safety Award for 7th Consecutive Year
Recognition highlights industry-leading performance across safety programs, training, and risk metrics
Columbia, MO | January 8, 2026 , Capital Railroad announced today it has received the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) “Safe Contractor of the Year” Safety Award for the seventh year in a row, recognizing another year of exemplary safety performance and a sustained, company-wide commitment to protecting employees, partners, and the communities where work is performed.
The NRC’s annual “Safe Contractor of the Year” Awards recognize contractor member companies with outstanding safety performance. Applicants are objectively evaluated across six criteria:
- Workers’ Compensation Experience Rating
- OSHA work-related injuries and illnesses
- OSHA statistics violations
- Roadway Worker Protection training
- Safety program elements
- Company vehicle accident score
Awards are presented each January at the NRC Annual Conference.
“Seven consecutive years is not a plaque on the wall, it’s proof of daily discipline,” said Aaron Vollrath, Co-Owner of Capital Railroad. “This award reflects the choices our people make on every job site: follow the plan, watch out for one another, and never cut corners when it comes to safety.”
Capital Railroad’s safety culture is built around proactive planning, continuous training, and accountability at every level of the organization. Participation in the NRC awards program provides a structured way to evaluate performance, keep safety programs aligned with evolving industry best practices, and reinforce safety excellence as a core operational standard. It also serves as a valuable business development and marketing tool, helping customers and partners identify contractors with strong, measurable safety systems.
“Safety is a value that shows up in the details,” said Bob Gerke, Co-Owner of Capital Railroad. “From Roadway Worker Protection training to vehicle safety performance and program elements that reduce risk before work begins, we treat safety as a system that must be inspected, improved, and lived every day.”