Alene Tchourumoff will lead the Administration’s efforts to enhance rail safety across Minnesota
ST. PAUL, MN – Governor Mark Dayton today announced that he has appointed Alene Tchourumoff to serve as Minnesota’s new State Rail Director. As State Rail Director, Tchourumoff will lead the Dayton-Smith Administration’s efforts to enhance railway safety, pursue needed infrastructure improvements, continue training and support for first responders, closely monitor rail movements, and work with communities and railroad companies to ensure the safe and efficient operation of rail systems across Minnesota. Ms. Tchourumoff will begin her work with the State of Minnesota on May 2, 2016.
“Ms. Alene Tchourumoff is exceptionally well-qualified for this important position,” said Governor Dayton. “With more than 4,400 miles of rail routes used by more than twenty different railroads, Minnesota needs a full-time, highly-qualified leader devoting close attention to their safe and efficient operations. She will work out of my office to emphasize the importance I place upon her new role. I thank her for committing her service to the safety and wellbeing of Minnesotans.”
Currently, Ms. Tchourumoff serves as Director of the Planning Department for Hennepin County Public Works, where she has been leading the county’s freight rail planning efforts. In that role, Ms. Tchourumoff is responsible for coordinating the safe and effective movement of freight rail traffic throughout the County. Prior to her work with Hennepin County, Tchourumoff was a manager for Deloitte Consulting in Washington, DC, where she served as a financial and strategic policy advisor to the Federal Railroad Administration at the U.S. Department of Transportation, focusing on rail program implementation and financing. She also previously served as manager in the transportation and finance practice for Infrastructure Management Group, advising the Mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico, the California High-Speed Rail Authority, and Dallas Area Rapid Transit on rail policy and finance issues.
“Increased rail traffic in our communities will require careful, comprehensive planning and coordination with local governments, businesses, citizens, and railroad companies,” said Tchourumoff. “I am honored by the Governor’s appointment, and can’t wait to get to work leading this Administration’s efforts to assure the safe and efficient movement of rail traffic across Minnesota.”
In addition to her decade of professional experience in rail policy, planning, and finance, Ms. Tchourumoff has also served as an Agricultural Development advisor to the World Bank, and has worked extensively throughout China and Southeast Asia on policy, planning, and public health efforts – including efforts to combat HIV/AIDS in China and Vietnam. Tchourumoff earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from George Washington University School of Business, and a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School.
“With rail traffic continuing to increase across Minnesota, we need an experienced, committed professional like Alene Tchourumoff devoting full-time attention to the safety of Minnesotans,” said Lt. Governor Tina Smith. “I look forward to working closely with Ms. Tchourumoff to improve rail safety in Minnesota, and find safer and more efficient ways to move freight and other rail traffic through our communities.”
Dayton-Smith Administration Continues Efforts to Enhance Rail Safety
Governor Mark Dayton and Lt. Governor Tina Smith are continuing their efforts this session to enhance rail safety across Minnesota. After making important initial investments in training for first responders in 2013, Governor Dayton and Lt. Governor Smith have proposed additional, needed investments that will enhance safety at dangerous rail crossings, upgrade rail crossing warning devices, build highway rail separations, establish quiet zones, and provide additional training facilities for first responders who are tasked with responding to railway emergencies across Minnesota. The following a summary of what the Dayton-Smith Administration has proposed to the Legislature this session.
- Highway Rail Separations – The Dayton-Smith Jobs Bill includes $69.6 million for highway rail grade separations in Moorhead, Prairie Island and Coon Rapids.
- Quiet Zones Grants – To help improve safety and allow trains to run quietly, the Dayton-Smith Jobs Bill would invest $10 million in a quiet zone competitive grant program for local communities.
- Upgrade Crossing Warning Devices – The Dayton-Smith Jobs Bill would invest $5 million to replace obsolete railroad crossing signals across the state. These signals are 25 to 30 years old and frequently break down leading to major safety issues.
- Rail and Pipeline Safety Training – The Dayton-Smith Jobs Bill would allocate $3.5 million for the construction of an oil train derailment and pipeline safety training venue at the Camp Ripley Joint Emergency Response Training Center for large scale exercises for communities to train for response to potential rail or pipeline incidents.
- Minneapolis Emergency Training Facility – The Dayton-Smith Jobs Bill would allocate $2.5 million for the expansion of Minneapolis’s Emergency Operations Training Facility to provide repetitive training for first responders in rail, gas, and electrical emergencies.
- New State Emergency Operations Center – The Dayton-Smith Jobs Bill would invest $33.3 million to construct a new State Emergency Operations Center, to help to coordinate federal, state, and local response during disasters and other critical emergencies and serve as a training center for emergency operations.
- Additional, Ongoing Rail Safety Investments – Additionally, the Administration’s rail safety proposal includes an annual railroad assessment that would generate $33 million per year for essential rail safety infrastructure improvements statewide.
PHOTO: A photo of Alene Tchourumoff, Minnesota's new State Rail Director, is available here. [
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