LEXINGTON, KY - The line of people seeking 100 jobs being offered by RJ Corman Railroad Group on Saturday stretched as far as the eye could see. The first of some 2,600 applicants had arrived at the Corman rail yard off Leestown Pike at 2:00 p.m. Friday for a job fair that would not get underway until 11:00 a.m. the next day. Hundreds camped out overnight in the cold to ensure their spot in line. Observers said the long line reminded them of a scene from the Great Depression.
RJ Corman organized the job fair after Governor Steve Beshear announced in February that a project to rehabilitate short line railroads had received a $17,551,028 federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
The Kentucky portion of the project accounts for $12,964,443 of the TIGER grant and involves rehabilitation of 200 miles of aging track.
The Nicholasville-based company committed to hiring 100 employees for the project, targeting unemployed workers.
Kentucky was the lead state in applying for the regional TIGER grant, which will help rehabilitate short line railroads owned by Corman in Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia.
Short lines are smaller freight railroads that provide local businesses with a link to the national network of Class I railroads. These short lines allow businesses in Kentucky to access global markets in a cost effective manner. R.J. Corman Railroad Group operates short lines in Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
The State will provide a $200,000 grant toward the project and the R.J. Corman Railroad Group will contribute an additional $3.04 million, which together will meet 20 percent of the total $16.2 million Kentucky project cost.
Many of the job seekers who turned out on Saturday had been unemployed for months; some for more than a year. A former small business owner from Danville arrived at 7:00 a.m. with his son, who's also unemployed. The downturn in the economy killed the man's engine repair business and he said his son, who'd worked for the small company, had been looking for work since November. There were more than 500 people in line ahead of them when they arrived. He wasn't sure if he and his son would even get an application, and was relieved when they did. He and others commented on the well organized process that moved people quickly through the line.
The jobs pay $25 - $35 an hour, which was a huge draw for many job seekers. Even though most of the jobs are temporary and will be hard work done outside in all kinds of weather, applicants said being hired will help get them back on their feet.
The job fair brought out several politicians, including Governor Steve Beshear and Congressman Ben Chandler. The Governor, Chandler and others in the Kentucky Congressional delegation worked to bring the project to Kentucky. It is part of the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants program under the U.S. Department of Transportation. The workers hired will repair short-line railroads in Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia. In addition to creating jobs, the project will provide enhanced economic opportunities for the businesses and communities long the railroad lines.
RJ Corman Railroad Group will begin hiring next month and work will begin shortly thereafter.