Skip to content
Administrator David Fink meets with NYA officials, union leaders and customers to discuss the importance of rail freight in New York City and L.I.
GLENDALE, NY — August 7, 2026 — New York & Atlantic Railway (NYA)recently hosted Federal Railroad Administrator David Fink and other FRA officials including Drew Feeley, deputy administrator, and Russell (Rusty) Roberts, senior policy advisor, at NYA’s Fresh Pond rail facility and headquarters in Glendale, where the topic of a reliable, strong, and efficient rail freight as an important regional economic engine was discussed.
Also attending the discussion were representatives from the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and several NYA customers, including EWG Glass Recovery & Recycle Corp., Gershow Recycling, D&M Lumber, and WM. Representatives from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) were also in attendance.
Administrator Fink acknowledged the importance of rail freight as a key driver of the region’s economic growth and stability, reducing congestion on the area’s highways, lowering transportation costs, improving supply chain reliability, and increasing the efficient movement of goods throughout the region. He emphasized that a strong freight rail network enhances capacity, supports businesses and industry, and strengthens the region’s long-term economic competitiveness.
FRA Administrator Fink stated, “I appreciated the opportunity to visit with the New York & Atlantic Railway’s management, labor, and customers at their Fresh Pond headquarters and railyard. Short Line railroads like the NYA are critical links in our national freight rail network, carrying commodities that drive our economy while taking trucks off congested highways. Meetings like these are important to better understand the economic and operational challenges facing our rail industry. Thanks to NYA’s President, Marlon Taylor and the team.”
Marlon Taylor, president of NYA, led the group discussion and tour of the Fresh Pond yard, which handles 30,000 carloads of freight annually on tracks it shares with the Long Island Rail Road, the nation’s busiest commuter railroad. NYA is a vital regional transportation hub for building materials, bulk food products, construction and demolition debris, stone and aggregate, and recyclable products. NYA also transports essential energy products to homes, schools and businesses on the eastern end of Long Island.
“We are grateful to Administrator Fink and his team for taking the time to tour our facility, listen to our concerns and recognize the importance of strengthening the nation’s rail freight system, especially in a densely populated area like New York City and Long Island,” said Mr. Taylor. “It’s good to know that the railroad industry has such a knowledgeable and astute leader and advocate at the helm of the FRA.”
