For Immediate Release

Public Relations Division
Public Affairs Department
1170 Eighth Avenue
Bethlehem, PA 18016-7699
(610) 694-3711 - Phone
(610) 694-1509 - Fax

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 19, 1999 -- For the second consecutive year, Bethlehem Steel Corporation's Patapsco & Back Rivers Railroad (P&BR) has received a national award from the E.H. Harriman Memorial Awards Institute for exceptional rail safety performance serving, primarily, the steelmaker's Sparrows Point, Md., Division.

In ceremonies today, the P&BR was presented the Silver Award by the Harriman Institute, signifying the railroad's attainment as the second safest short-line railroad in the United States. In addition, the railroad was awarded a certificate of commendation for the most improved safety record over the past two years. Last year, the railroad received the Bronze Harriman Award as the third safest short-line railroad in the nation.

The P&BR, one of seven subsidiary railroads owned by Bethlehem Steel, won in the switching and terminal group for its service to more than a dozen industrial customers located on its lines. The P&BR handles a diverse range of commodities, such as finished iron and steel products, coal, coke, oil and other materials. The P&BR serves the Port of Sparrows Point and offers rail to truck transload facilities for use by customers of two Class I railroads -- Conrail and CSX Transportation. In addition, the P&BR prepares trains and delivers to Bay View Yard in Baltimore, and owns more than 130 railroad cars used in interchange service.

"Winning the Harriman Award is a product of our absolute and unified commitment to the safety process. The cooperation, sincerity and care exhibited by all of our employees have been the primary factors in keeping each of us safe throughout the workday," said Michael J. King, superintendent of the P&BR, who received the award with J. Michael Zaia, president of Bethlehem Steel's subsidiary railroads.

The Harriman Awards, presented based on the absence of accidents and the low incidence of injuries, were established in 1913 by Mary Harriman in memory of her husband, Edward Henry Harriman, a railroad financier and administrator who reorganized and consolidated railroads in the western United States. He is best remembered for his presidency of Union Pacific Railroad, which he developed into one of the nation's largest transportation companies.

In addition to winning a Silver Award for 1998 and a Bronze Award for 1997, the P&BR has also received a Bronze Harriman Award in 1976 and a certificate of improvement in 1987, all in the switching and terminal group.