Railway Age February 2023

Cassandra Rintoul CSX Transportation

Vance Batchelor General Manager, Signal

WE CONGRATULATE VANCE AND ALL THOSE RECOGNIZED BY RAILWAY AGE AS 2023 “FAST TRACKERS” AWARD WINNERS.

We keep you rolling.

Solution in Search of a Problem

here are a few observations my predecessor, Luther Miller, used to make when he came across language or statements that he deemed served little purpose: “Making the obvious less obscure.” “The Pope is a Catholic.” “A solution in search of a problem.” “Add that to your treasure trove of useless information.” I think he’d probably say the same thing about most of the statements the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) made in two filings about the pending merger of the Canadian Pacific (CP) and Kansas City Southern (KCS).

DOJ had a lot of things to say about the merger, most of it basically (and repetitively) reminding the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to perform the job that is its primary function—namely, ensuring that competition is maintained in the rail industry. An example:

For an STB Sept. 28, 2022 hearing it did not attend in person, DOJ’s Antitrust Division wrote, “The applicants [CP and KCS] argued that the Board should infer that the Antitrust Division does not believe the transaction has the potential to cause harm. No such inference should be drawn. In its initial comment [on the merger submitted to the STB in April 2021], the Antitrust Division encouraged the Board to ‘thoroughly examine the competition concerns raised by commenters.’ That filing made clear, among other things, that the Antitrust Division shares the Board’s serious concerns about increasing consolidation in the industry. The consolidation of Class I railroads presents substantial concerns, including: (i) lessened competition among Class I railroads to attract new industry locations; (ii) reduced incentive to invest in

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Tresearch and implementation of important new technologies such as Positive Train Control; and (iii) the danger of industry-wide understandings and agreements that become more likely as the industry becomes more concentrated. The Antitrust Division emphasizes that the Board should not interpret the Antitrust Division’s absence from the Board’s September 2022 proceedings to imply otherwise.”

Well, duh, fellas! Or, as we used to say in high school in the 1970s, “No s__t, Sherlock!”

Wait, it gets better:

The transaction “may divert ‘significant volumes of traffic’ to ‘longer, less efficient routes, and without reducing rates.’” There is “the potential that the merged entity may divert traffic ‘to its own network by using its control over the Mexican portion of the movement.’” The transaction could “give the merged firm additional leverage over competitors by allowing the merged firm to foreclose competition from other railroads, exert more extensive power over bottlenecks, and threaten the commercial viability of interchange rates.”

Marty Oberman and his STB colleagues are quite capable of figuring this stuff out, don’t you think? The DOJ has better things to do with its time, like prosecuting white-collar criminals and rooting out terrorists, than trying to tell the STB how to do its job, right?

Say, if you folks at the DOJ are looking for something fun to do, there might be a few non-classified papers stuffed into the unlocked glove compartment of my car, sitting outside my house (I don’t have a garage). Go for it!

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Industry Indicators

‘SINCE 1988, ONLY 2020 HAD FEWER TOTAL CARLOADS THAN 2022’

“In 2022, U.S. railroads originated 11.98 million total carloads, down 0.3% (34,001 carloads) from 2021 and up 6.2% (697,444 carloads) over 2020,” the Association of American Railroads commented last month. “Since 1988, when our U.S. rail data began, only 2020 had fewer total carloads than 2022. In 2022, six of the 20 carload categories we track saw carload gains over 2021. Coal led the way, with carloads up 2.7% (90,709 carloads). U.S. intermodal originations in 2022 were 13.45 million, down 4.9% (686,580 units) from 2021 and down 0.02% (3,131 units) from 2020. U.S. intermodal volume in 2022 was the sixth most ever, but also the lowest since 2016. In 2022, containers accounted 93.7% of U.S. intermodal shipments, a record high.”

Railroad employment, Class I linehaul carriers, DECEMBER 2022 (% change from DECEMBER 2021)

TRAFFIC ORIGINATED CARLOADS

FOUR WEEKS ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2022

(+0.07%)

and Structures

(+2.64%)

of Equipment and Stores 17,810 (+3.00%) Transportation (other than train & engine)

(+2.71%) Source: Surface Transportation Board

FOUR WEEKS ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2022

Source: Rail Time Indicators, Association of American Railroads

TOTAL U.S./Canadian CARLOADS, DECEMBER 2022 VS. DECEMBER 2021

1,128,6901,157,162

Short Line And Regional Traffic Index

TOTAL U.S. Carloads and intermodal units, 2013-2022 (in millions, year-to-date through DECEMBER 2022, SIX-WEEK MOVING AVERAGE)

STB Denies Request to ‘Stay’ Requirement that Class I’s Commit to Arbitration Program

CSX, NORFOLK SOUTHERN (NS), UNION PACIFIC (UP) AND THE U.S. OPERATING SUBSIDIARIES OF CN on Dec. 29, 2022 requested that the Surface Transportation Board (STB) stay its requirement that the Class I railroads commit to a new arbitration program for small rate disputes. STB on Jan. 23, 2023 denied the request.

STB on Dec. 19, 2022 adopted two final rules establishing new “rate reasonableness procedures” it said to provide “two streamlined approaches for shippers and railroads to resolve smaller rate disputes (RA, January, p. 6).” The two rulings are Final Offer Rate Review (FORR) Docket No. EP 755, and Joint Petition for Rulemaking to Establish a Voluntary Arbitration Program for Small Rate Disputes, Docket No. EP 765.

STB described FORR, effective March 6, 2023, as “a voluntary arbitration program and an entirely new procedure for rate challenges. Either rate review mechanism will substantially improve shippers’ access to rate reasonableness reviews for smaller rate disputes.” STB added that the Voluntary Arbitration Program will become operative “only if all seven Class I carriers commit to participating in the program for five years,” and that “if all Class I carriers do so, they will be exempt from the FORR procedure.”

Both review mechanisms are limited to rate disputes worth up to $4 million in relief over two years. Under the new FORR

procedure, if STB finds a rate to be unreasonable, the Board “will decide the rate by selecting either the complainant’s or the defendant’s final offer, subject to an expedited procedural schedule that adheres to firm deadlines. Under the arbitration program, Class I rail carriers would commit for a period of five years to arbitrate rate disputes, under a similarly expedited schedule.”

According to CSX, NS, UP and the U.S. operating subsidiaries of CN, “There is no justification for a Pre-Review Opt-In Requirement forcing railroads to commit to the arbitration program before knowing what its final content will be, including ultimate resolution of reconsideration petitions and appeals, and this aspect of the December 19 [2022] Decision should be stayed pending resolution of reconsideration petitions and appeals ... Asking railroads to commit to the Arbitration Program before such petitions for reconsideration and appeals are ultimately decided—as the Pre-Review Opt-in Requirement does—would risk eviscerating railroads’ rights to seek agency reconsideration and judicial appeals of final STB decisions and contradict the Board’s holding that it would ‘not require carriers to commit to participate in the arbitration program before knowing the content of the final rule being adopted.’”

In its Jan. 23 decision, STB wrote that under 49 U.S.C. § 1321(b)(4), it “may issue an appropriate order, such as a stay, when

necessary to prevent irreparable harm. In deciding a request for stay, the Board considers: (1) whether the party seeking a stay is likely to prevail on the merits, (2) whether the party seeking a stay will be irreparably harmed in the absence of a stay, (3) whether issuance of a stay would substantially harm other parties, and (4) whether issuance of a stay is in the public interest. … The party seeking a stay carries the burden of persuasion on all of the elements required for such extraordinary relief. … The threshold consideration in deciding whether a stay is appropriate in whether the moving party will be irreparably harmed without it. … As to irreparable harm, the party seeking a stay must show that the injury claimed is ‘imminent, certain, and great.’”

STB said that the four Class I carriers “have not shown that they are likely to prevail on the merits” for these reasons:

“The Board cannot make the requisite finding that the four Class I carriers are likely to prevail on the merits because [their] petition fails even to identify any meritsbased argument for why the Board or a court would make a change to the program ... Despite their contrary assertions, [they] do know the content of the rule to which the opt-in requirement would apply: Should they decide to opt in, they would be committing to the rules set forth in Arbitration Final Rule ... [They] argue that requiring them to decide whether to commit to the arbitration program before appeals and reconsideration petitions have concluded deprives them of their ability to appeal or seek reconsideration. But [they] articulate no reason why they would not be permitted to continue their appeals of the Arbitration Final Rule once they have opted into the arbitration program and the program has become effective ... [They] have not shown irreparable harm [and] have not articulated any reason why they would forgo their right to seek administrative or judicial appeals by choosing to participate in the arbitration program ... [They] have also failed to establish that the balance of equities and public interest favor a stay ... A stay would therefore harm shippers and the public by depriving them of the arbitration program benefits that the stay petition champions. Because a stay would harm shippers and the public with no articulable benefit to the four Class I carriers, these factors also weigh against a stay.”

STB Chairman Martin J. Oberman

Amtrak: New L-D Cars

Ten manufacturers have submitted ideas on replacement Amtrak railcars, marking the “first formal step to completely reequip the Long-Distance Network that provides vital service on 14 overnight routes from coast to coast.” Last month, Amtrak sent an RFI (Request For Information) to potential suppliers “defining and describing the scope of the railroad’s overnight train fleet,” including Superliner I and II, Viewliner I and II and Amfleet II railcars, and solicited input from manufacturers regarding replacement equipment. As part of this effort, Amtrak says it is also researching design elements and customer amenities. The railroad plans to issue an RFP (Request For Proposals) later this year. Funding for the future purchases is being provided to Amtrak through the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

WORLDWIDE

LE TRAIN, which in December 2022 received its operating license to become the first private high-speed rail operator in France, has signed a contract with Spanish manufacturer TALGO for supply of 10 Avril single-deck high-speed trainsets. The contract with Talgo is believed to be worth around US$325 million and includes 30 years of spare parts and maintenance. It follows Le Train’s failure to secure secondhand TGV Atlantique trainsets from FRENCH NATIONAL RAILWAYS (SNCF) and a subsequent EU-wide tendering process for new trainsets undertaken during 2022. The trainsets will be built at Talgo’s plant at Rivabellosa in northern Spain, with options for additional equipment over a 10-year period. The deal also covers creation of a joint R&D unit.

NORTH AMERICA

DUOS TECHNOLOGIES, an automated railcar inspection portal (rip® or RIP) supplier, in 2022 achieved a 100% renewal rate of its recurring revenue contracts; a $2 million cash inflow from those contracts is expected to be received during first-quarter 2023. According to Duos, in the past 24 months, it “has focused on improving its service delivery and customer satisfaction by standardizing and upgrading its integrated Centraco Command & Control Software (centraco®) across all sites,” and in 2023, it will begin support contracts for four new RIP installations. Duos added that it is in “active discussions with a number of railcar owners” regarding its new subscription offering providing near real-time data from RIPs that it builds, owns and operates at strategic North American locations.

Under contract with SIEMENS MOBILITY, ONDAS NETWORKS will design and develop a software-based network controller that it said will allow Class I railroads “to optimize the use of their FCC-designated licensed frequencies within and across multiple frequencies, networks, railroads and applications.” The contract was announced Jan. 19 by Waltham, Mass.-based ONDAS

HOLDINGS INC., a provider of private wireless, drone and automated data solutions, whose wholly owned subsidiaries include Ondas Networks and AMERICAN ROBOTICS. It was signed by Siemens Mobility on behalf of Pueblo, Colo.-based MXV RAIL, formerly known as Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) and a wholly owned subsidiary of the ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN RAILROADS (AAR). According to Ondas Holdings Inc., the new network controller software “is an expansion of the previous capability delivered to MxV Rail by Ondas Networks and Siemens Mobility. It will be developed according to MxV Rail’s requirements, which will serve as the basis for a new AAR standard.”

CONRAIL SHARED ASSETS LLC has contracted with Cloud-hosted software provider COMPLY365 to roll out a content management system and mobile app for train crews, eliminating the need for paper rulebooks. The move will allow Conrail “to better enhance safety and compliance, and provide new efficiencies” as train crews can access and search documents through a mobile app on tablet computers.

Jaspreet Pannu Assistant General Manager

Railway Age is honoring 25 “Fast Trackers” from a pool of strong nominations for this year’s 25 Under 40 awards program.

Established in 2016, the annual awards are presented to railroaders under the age of 40 in the United States, Canada and/ or Mexico for making an impact in their respective fields or within their company. is year’s honorees were selected from freight and passenger railroads; government entities; and the supplier, contractor and consultant communities. ey were required to be under 40 as of Jan. 1, 2023, and were judged on criteria that included industry experience and education, leadership skills, industry contributions, and community service involvement.

“Once again, a strong, strong field of tremendous experience and variety across the depth and breadth of the railway industry across North America,” said Michigan State Center for Railway & Education Director Nick Little, who again served as program judge and selected the winning 25. (His biography is below.) “This year, I detected a shift away from technical expertise and data provision toward the ability to ask the right questions of the data. These are all very bright, capable and dedicated people.”

NICHOLAS (NICK) C. LITTLE Director, Railway Education Michigan State University Center for Railway Research and Education Broad College of Business, Lansing, Mich.

While in high school in Britain, Nick Little started his career with clerical and operating internships at Plymouth on British Rail’s Western Region in the early 1970s. He won a scholarship program with the British Railways Board that gave him a supply management degree plus training in all aspects of BR’s organization. Little then spent 15 years with BR in many locations, including Derby and London. In 1995, Little came to Michigan State University, initially for one year on loan to work on a research program, but he stayed to follow his passion of helping to develop future generations of railway industry expert managers and leaders with deep business knowledge and experience. He took charge of MSU’s Railway Management Certi cate Program at the Broad College of Business in 2013.

VANCE BATCHELOR General Manager–Signal, North America Progress Rail, a Caterpillar Company

An 18-year railroad veteran, Vance Batchelor got his start as a signal engineer, rising through the ranks to become General Manager–Signal North America at Progress Rail in 2016. In 2022, he added to his responsibilities the company’s Signal Wiring and Structures businesses. With the mandate of Positive Train Control (PTC), Progress Rail’s signal engineering business saw substantial growth—from roughly 30 people in 2009 to more than 100 in 2011. Batchelor was part of a team that streamlined the on-boarding and training processes for employees and subcontractors, allowing the company to keep up with customers’ aggressive project schedules. He was also part of a team that implemented new quality processes that helped to improve metrics by a factor of 10, minimizing changes that needed to be made in the field, preventing delays/cancellations in cutovers due to design errors, and ultimately reducing costs in design work through gains in efficiency. Through Batchelor’s leadership, Progress Rail was instrumental in helping its Class I customers meet their mandated deadlines for PTC. Batchelor has worked to develop new partnerships, extending the company’s reach into new markets, including transit, and growing the Class I market share; to improve the customer focus; to increase efficiency; and to develop the engineers around him. Outside of work, he serves as a Boy Scout troop leader.

DR. ANANYO BANERJEE Principal Investigator II and Manager of NDE–Metallurgy Team

MxV Rail, a subsidiary of Association of American Railroads (AAR)

Dr. Ananyo Banerjee manages the ongoing AAR-funded research projects on rail performance, integrity and rolling contact fatigue mitigation. He has published more than 50 AAR technology digests, magazine articles, domestic and international conference papers, and articles in peer-reviewed journals, and his research work has been frequently referenced, quoted and discussed by other scholars in the field. In September 2017, Dr. Banerjee’s work was recognized by the Board of Directors of the International Heavy Haul Association (IHHA) when he was presented with the Oustanding Young Engineer Award. Dr. Banerjee loves to educate kindergarten- and elementary-age children about the basics of railroad engineering and safety on railroad tracks, and enjoys teaching students about physics to nurture their interests in STEM for future career interests. Dr. Banerjee’s research has a huge significance in the freight railroad industry and his goal is to “spearhead more challenging roles.”

LUCAS CZERKAWSKI Trainmaster

Georgia & Florida Railway, LLC, OmniTRAX

Lucas Czerkawski ensures proper movement of freight to service 55 customers on 200 miles of track, and coordinates with Class I partners Norfolk Southern and CSX at four interchange points to reduce congestion. He has been assigned as a fuel champion every year to reduce fuel costs and manage usage on locomotives. In this role, he monitors locomotive use in Wi-Tronix and constantly seeks new ways to optimize trip plans and reduce fuel use. He was also assigned as Safety Champion in 2022 and 2023, where he is responsible for supervising 15 train and engine employees to ensure customer needs are fulfilled. Czerkawski started as a management trainee with NS and had no previous rail experience. Forced to adapt quickly and learn to manage railroaders with more than 30 years of experience, his humble attitude and respect for others has helped him thrive in this environment. In 2020, when Georgia & Florida Railway faced many challenges with manpower due to illness from COVID-19, Czerkawski, who holds a conductor certification, was able to work in train service when needed to ensure no customers ran out of product. Czerkawski’s goal is to become a General Manager and a locomotive engineer. He strives to work on safety measures and for work to be injury free. He achieved his state firefighter certifications and has served as a volunteer firefighter with Sumter County Fire Rescue since 2018.

Dr. Ananyo Banerjee has published more than 50 AAR technology digests, magazine articles, domestic and international conference papers, and articles in peer-reviewed journals, and his research is frequently referenced, quoted and discussed by other scholars in the field.

Going further. Powering change. That’s Thoroughbred leadership.

Congratulations, Will DeShazor, on being named one of Railway Age’s 2023 ‘Fast Trackers’ 25 Under 40.

Will DeShazor has come a long way in 17 years – and he has helped Norfolk Southern do the same. As the assistant vice president terminal operations for intermodal, Will’s leadership continues to enhance terminal e ciency and push our commitment to customer service further. From the development of a virtual crew room strategy to the launch of a real-time mobile operational platform, Will’s passion for technology has accelerated our progress toward becoming a digital-first railroad of the future. We are proud to recognize Will for his accomplishments as well as all the leaders at NS who keep America running strong.

JEREMY DARK Director, Operations Performance Greenbrier Rail Services

William DeShazor supported the service transition from Amtrak to Keolis on Virginia Railway Express for passenger service operating on Norfolk Southern’s lines, and assisted with the implementation of Amtrak’s Washington, D.C., to Lynchburg service.

WILLIAM DESHAZOR

AVP Terminal Operations

Norfolk Southern Corporation

William DeShazor achieved success with several important assignments early in his career with Norfolk Southern. As Road Manager on the Washington District, he supported the service transition from Amtrak to Keolis on Virginia Railway Express for passenger service operating on NS’s lines. He also assisted with the implementation of Amtrak’s Washington, D.C., to Lynchburg service. Most recently, DeShazor led a two-year project to launch a real-time mobile operational platform designed to improve information delivery. He played an active role in the design of the platform and relied on previous experience working in the eld to provide perspective of what was needed by those who would use the technology. DeShazor also played a direct role in the development of a virtual crew room strategy that has helped NS to become a digitalrst railroad. A er 17 years in NS’s Transportation department, DeShazor accepted a new role as AVP of Terminal Operations for Intermodal in November 2022 and is “laser-focused” on helping NS to achieve its goal of signi cantly growing its Intermodal franchise by providing leadership to operational practices and strategic capital investment. He is passionate about technology, and last August, he supported the rollout of yard management so ware at NS’s Norris Yard in Birmingham. DeShazor is also an active member of NS’s Good Government Fund.

Jeremy Dark has contributed to the digitization and e ciency of the rail industry, and throughout his career has assisted in developing several e cient and reliable key performance indicators (KPIs). He has taken part in several new so ware development programs across multiple companies, helping to drive the rail industry toward automation. Dark has also collaborated with various engineering partners to minimize the total cost of equipment ownership, and his e orts have enhanced operating e ciency and modernized processes across the sector. Dark also participates in multiple AAR committees, including the Car Repair Committee, where he assisted in rewriting Rules 5 and 6 in the eld manual to allow for proper eld repairs to be made to end-of-car arrangements. His past experience as Greenbrier’s Car Repair Billing Manager provided insight into IT system improvements. Dark participates annually in the Be the Fight Foundation, which raises more than $100,000 annually for families of children ghting cancer. To further his success, he also recently started an MBA program at Butler University.

MOHAMMAD EL HOCHEIMI Project Manager RailPros

Mohammad El Hocheimi is a licensed civil engineer in California, Texas and Guam. He has worked on projects for a variety of agencies and districts in California, as well as the federal government through projects with NAVFAC. Most recently, El Hocheimi worked on project management/construction management for the Emerging Technology Tunnel to Ontario Airport SBCTA as the Utilities Lead and Program Management Consultant for LOSSAN Agency, assising with a variety of projects along the 351-mile coastal corridor from San Diego to San Luis Obispo. RailPros is a major subconsultant on the project. El Hocheimi has also worked on projects that included stakeholders from BNSF Railway, Union Paci c, Amtrak, LA Metro and other large transit agencies. He is passionate about getting young engineers interested in careers in the railroad industry and serves as Director of Younger Member Forums for ASCE Los Angeles. He is also the Vice President for ASCE San Bernardino and Riverside Branch and was President of ASCE San Bernardino Riverside’s Younger Member Forum in 2020-21. El Hocheimi also speaks with the ASCE student chapter at California Polytechnic–Pomona about railroad engineering and careers in the industry. In 2021, he received ASCE’s Outstanding Younger Civil Engineer Award from the Los Angeles Section and the San Bernardino and Riverside Branch.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ADAM SEVERINSEN ON BEING SELECTED AS ONE OF 25 FAST TRACKERS!

We are proud of Adam and the 3,500 Services team members he represents, who serve our customers with passion and dedication. We put the passengers’ experience at the heart of what we do, making us the #1 private rail operator in North America.

© ALSTOM SA.

CAMERON GINTHER Project Manager for Divisions I and II Watco

Cameron Ginther is responsible for the $40.6 million investment to upgrade portions of the South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad (SKOL), one of Watco’s largest railroads and one that interchanges with three Class I’s. He supports Watco’s Divisions I and II, comprising 26 railroads, and directly supports the SKOL and Kansas & Oklahoma (KO) railroads’ federal- and state-funded capital projects. Since 2020, he’s supported six statefunded projects on those two railroads and currently is working on six more, as well as a privately funded infrastructure upgrade project. In addition, he has assisted with startups for railroads, such as Fox Valley & Lake Superior Rail System in Wisconsin, Ringneck & Western Railroad in South Dakota and Iowa, and Texas Coastal Bend Railroad. Ginther also oversees Watco’s nearly 11,000 grade crossings that feed into the FRA’s Grade Crossing Information System (GCIS) database. Since 2020, he has helped to ensure that Watco’s database is accurate and up-to-date with new crossings and that the information is provided to the FRA on schedule. Ginther has earned multiple quali cations through Watco’s training and development programs, including Foundations of Leadership and the Team Safety & Improvement Committee class, as well as annual maintenance-of-way, Roadway Worker-in-Charge, and derailment prevention and mitigation training.

GREGORY GADOMSKI PATH Superintendent, Power, Signals and Communications (PSC)

PATH, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ)

Gregory Gadomski’s leadership authority extends from technology implementation and data management to systemwide maintenance and power sourcing, project scoping and review, to devising and executing budgets on behalf of PANYNJ, which operates PATH. With a sta of 196 railroad professionals, he is charged with signals and communications, eld and technical engineering, a complex enterprise data network, and oversight of PATH’s 20-plus power substations to ensure turnstiles, station equipment and facilities run smoothly. Formidable operational challenges are a way of life in the transit industry, but none matched those Gadomski and the PATH team faced during the pandemic. His leadership and administrative skills shined—from patching together a roster of employees that kept trains running on time to serving as part boss and part therapist for a worried team. Gadomski blends professionalism, technical ability and a personal touch. He also volunteers up to 40 hours per month as Deputy Chief Coordinator for the O ce of Emergency Management in Carteret, N.J.

ANDREW KASPER Director of Program Management

Wabtec

Andrew Kasper is responsible for support and coordination for numerous commuter lines to implement Wabtec services and products. He is leading the Wabtec support for the implementation in Denver for RTD and DTO. is support includes the onboard so ware, eld communication and signal system, back o ce, and CAD. e NRMX PTC implementation in New Mexico was also supported by Kasper and his project management team, which had “one of the smallest windows to meet the PTC deadline for the contract execution.” e NRMX system is being further enhanced with the Rajant Passenger WiFi system, which is expected to be completed in rst-quarter 2023. Kasper and his team are collaborating with Amtrak on one of the rst non-obligatory Wabtec safety systems by leveraging existing equipment to improve safety in non-PTC territory. e Caltrain implementation of crossing optimization is also supported by Kasper and his team to coordinate across the Wabtec segments to deliver new onboard so ware, eld implementations and system integration. In 2020, he led the coordination between the internal experts for Wabtec writing updates to PTC Safety Plans, railroad agency leadership teams, and FRA, helping railroads to meet the PTC certi cation deadline. Kasper’s goal is to target project implementation to improve commuter/rail performance, leverage existing safety con gurations and integrate new technology.

In 2020, Andrew Kasper led the coordination between the internal experts for Wabtec writing updates to PTC Safety Plans, railroad agency leadership teams, and FRA, helping railroads to meet the PTC certification deadline.

PATRICK LARM General Director Health Services Union Pacific Railroad

Patrick Larm has helped to lead and work on several cross-functional teams and initiatives, including Union Paci c’s current hiring initiatives to on-board new hire candidates safely; the Employee Assistance Program Mental Health yearly campaign; and the COVID-19 Pandemic Response. He previously worked on initiatives to assist with the Customer Safety Reference Guide and the Industry Derailment Prevention team. Larm has also served as a member of the Industry Mutual Response and American Red Cross. He actively supports and promotes UP’s diversity and inclusion e orts, and is a member of each Employee Resource Group, including the Asian Employee Resource Organization, Black Employee Network, Women’s Group, Latino Employee Network, and Disability Impacted Employees, among others. In 2019, Larm completed UP’s Leadership Development Program and recently obtained an Advanced Certi cate for Executives in Management from MIT. Larm has also received multiple awards from AAR for submissions to the Don Lord Essay Competition.

MATTHEW LAWSON Engineer (Transit) Hatch

Matthew Lawson brings many strengths to projects at Hatch, including critical thinking, team building and mentorship, client relationship management, and contract writing and interpretation skills. In his role as Design and Construction Management Compliance Manager for the Rutherford GO Station and Grade Separation project in the city of Vaughan, Ontario, Lawson led a team of 27 professionals through the review and assessment of $237 million worth of infrastructure and construction deliverables. Lawson is also the Program Manager for Barrie Corridor GO Double Tracking in Ontario, which includes eight kilometers of track expansion through Toronto’s downtown core. Lawson is a champion for young people pursuing STEM careers. rough these relationships, he has secured interns to participate in Hatch’s co-op program leading to a more than 80% success rate in new graduate conversions. Lawson also volunteers within Hatch as a mentor to new graduates, and is a founding member and key organizer of Hatch’s participation in the Great Cycle Challenge in support of SickKids Canada and its ongoing battle against childhood cancer.

CSX congratulates Cassandra Rintoul on being named a Railway Age 25 Under 40 honoree. In her time at CSX, Cassandra has become a strong leader, committed to delivering innovation and exceptional service to drive company growth. A key player on the Sales and Marketing team, Cassandra has utilized data analytics and emerging technology to help both CSX and our customers reach new levels of success.

Director of Marketing, Forest Products

Cassandra Rintoul

RENEE LOSAPIO General Manager

Chesapeake and Delaware, LLC

Renee LoSapio brings integrity, accountability and creativity to the industry. Not long a er becoming General Manager of Chesapeake & Delaware, she took time to meet one-onone with each of the railroad’s operations employees to discuss their career goals. She has also streamlined numerous internal processses that help the company save time and other resources. Immediately a er joining C&D, LoSapio helped to implement an entirely new operating plan, which came with numerous challenges. A er just a few months, the railroad was running more e ciently than ever. She was also instrumental in the near-seamless startup of C&D’s newest rail line this past summer. LoSapio, whose goal is to “make the railroad an accessible and intuitive mode of transportation for shippers and receivers,” is also a longtime contributor to the Bike the U.S. for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) organization. She has raised money for MS research and completed two cycling trips (one across the U.S. in summer 2013 and one across the UK in 2014). LoSapio also volunteers to teach swing dance classes in the her local community and supports employees in their event coordidination, including Toys for Tots, veteran events and engagement with the railroad. In 2018, LoSapio was awarded the CP Initiative Award from the Marketing & Sales Team for commercial work in bringing on incremental fuel/oil/gasoline/re ned products business in North America.

NATALIE LIGGETT Senior Director of Finance, Customer Service North America Siemens Mobility, Inc.

Natalie Liggett began her career in the U.S. on the rail automation side of business. She was an important part of the Siemens Mobility team that worked to integrate a major acquired company (Invensys Rail) in 2012 and went on to manage many projects in New York. During her time with the Rail Automation Group, Liggett was the Finance Manager overseeing development of the next-generation gate crossing controllers and LED signal developments Siemens Mobility has in operation today. Now on the customer side of the North American business, Liggett and her team work with Amtrak technical support services and maintenance for the historic $3.4 billion order placed in 2021. A rm believer that women are the future of the rail industry, Liggett championed the creation of the Women’s Impact Network at Siemens Mobility chapter to ensure the company’s women are “given a seat at the table and a place to network with fellow colleagues.” Liggett is also a mentor of 10 young professionals both in and out of the business and a vocal ambassador of Sacramento’s natural beauty.

PHIL MARTIN Passenger Conductor (Certified)

Amtrak

Phil Martin has worked in many capacities in the railroad industry, including as an Amtrak corporate photographer and Chairperson of the Employees with Disabilities Resource Group, which continuously educates and guides Amtrak for planning and improving disability accessibility on trains, beyond ADA guidelines. In this role, Martin’s leadership and advocacy directly impacted the improvement in Amtrak’s Disability Index score. With more than 40,000 followers on various social media platforms, Martin makes it a goal to educate the public on the railroad industry via advocacy, photography and continuous engagement on his platforms. Over the past 10 years, Martin has been a leader with Autism Speaks, presenting to Congress, the White House, and other governing agencies in e orts to support and enhance the life of autistic individuals and others with disabilities. In 2022, Martin was also a key participant in making a terminally ill child’s wish of being a train engineer come true through the Make A Wish Foundation. No stranger to overcoming challenges, Martin always knew he wanted to be a conductor and explore the railroad industry. He submitted more then 20 applications, studied countless hours, and overcame social anxiety and many other communication challenges that autistic people face to start his career in the railroad industry. Martin has now been with Amtrak for three years.

Jaspreet Pannu is responsible for the inception and implementation of “point and call,” which helped to reduce run-through switches by more than 90% in the first year within the trial terminal, and is now a best practice across the majority of Class I railroads.

RAUL STEPHEN PAEZ Cost Estimator Trinity Rail

In his current role, Raul Stephen Paez inspects inbound cars and sends them for approval. Once that task is completed, he lls in as a production supervisor for employees in Trinity Rail’s manufacturing facility, and trains new employees and mentors other supervisors. Paez is a leader of employees by example, in knowledge, and in compassion and empathy. He not only accomplishes his daily duties, but also helps the rest of the facility accomplish theirs. When Paez applied for his current position right out of high school, there was a back log of about 230 cars for inbound inspection. He organzied his and a co-worker’s case load, made a plan to accomplish the task, and kept himself and his co-worker motivated to accomplish the goals. As a result, the project was completed in short order, and Paez continues to prioritize all inbound inspections for the company. Paez is making strides toward becoming a Production Superintendent and hopes to continue to climb the promotion rankings at Trinity Rail. In his free time, Paez coaches youth sports and participates in the company’s United Way outreaches.

JASPREET PANNU Assistant General Manager Kansas City Southern

Jaspreet Pannu began his career with Kansas City Southern as a conductor, quickly transitioning into management and progressively acquiring more responsibility over a steadily increasing footprint. In his current role as Assistant General Manager, Pannu is responsible for more than 1,400 miles of territory, comprising 18 yards and hundreds of dedicated men and women. One noteworthy contribution to the railroad industry has been Pannu’s inception and implementation of “point and call,” the physical act of pointing from the switch being thrown along the route to be used and verbally stating what your intended actions are out loud. is initiative reduced run-through switches by more than 90% in the rst year within the trial terminal and is now a best practice across the majority of Class I railroads and several commuter railroad lines. Pannu was also involved in a project that reformed the KCS Training Center during a critical time coming out of COVID-19 labor shortages and prior to the railroad’s merger with Canadian Paci c. A “life-long learner,” Pannu has elected to return to university to receive an Executive Masters of Science.

CARY PICKERELL

AVP of Engineering–South

R.J. Corman Railroad Company

Cary Pickerell has been part of R.J. Corman for more than 10 years, and his career has inspired many of his peers. He has held numerous key positions in the company’s Engineering Department with increasing responsibility, including Assistant Track Inspector, Track Inspector, Track Superintendent and Production Engineer. In his current role as AVP of Engineering for the company’s Southern Region, Pickerell manages and consults with the Engineering Department for di erent projects, and leads customer relations across Southern Region railroads and industrial facilities owned or operated by the company. Pickerell constantly strives to learn the complexities of an ever-changing industry. He helped to lead the R.J. Corman Carolina Lines (RJCS) project awarded a TIGER grant, quickly learning how to navigate this new speciality e ciently for his team and developed crucial relationships with federal, state and local o cials, as well as third-party suppliers. Pickerell is actively involved in his community and participates and supports di erent non-pro ts and organizations in the Pulaski County, Ky., area.

Cary Pickerell helped to lead the R.J. Corman Carolina Lines project awarded a TIGER grant, quickly learning how to navigate this new specialty with federal, state and local officials, as well as third-party suppliers.

We at R. J. Corman are grateful for your leadership, knowledge, and dedication to the company!

Cary Pickerell AVP of Engineering-South

BRANDON J. PREGLER Eastern District Superintendent Iowa Interstate Railroad

Brandon J. Pregler is instrumental in faciliating interchange at various junctions, including Chicago, one of the most challenging locations. Iowa Interstate has a small footprint in Chicago with very high volume, and Pregler’s “ nd a way to say yes” mentality in regards to new business/customer requests has elevated the level of service provided on his territory and keeps the overall network owing smoothly, ensuring the railroad’s customer tra c does not get delayed. Pregler embraces an engaging approach with the railroad’s employees and advocates for their safety, day in and day out. As with most railroads, sta ng is a challenge, and Pregler has redesigned operations on multiple occasions to meet the customer demands to overcome sta ng challenges. He identi es where the excess capacity is and structures the operations to meet those challenges. He also continues to self educate, broadening his knowledge and experience base. Pregler seeks increasing responsibilities and has been eager for opportunities to become a more well-rounded railroader.

ALEXANDER RICCI Rail Engineer/ Crossing Specialist AECOM

A rising track design engineer, Alexander Ricci has served as lead on both freight and transit projects including design development for BNSF’s Colton Intermodal Yard, nal design for OmniTRAX’s Brownsville Yard, and preliminary and nal design for Delaware River Port Authority’s Camden-Glassboro Light Rail extension. For the past year, he has also been primary negotiating agent for Norfolk Southern’s (NS) Public Crossing Closure Program, leading a team of engineers and contract administrators that has helped close 450-plus crossings throughout the network. Ricci identi es crossing closure candidates, negotiates with roadway authorities and presents at public forums. “Beyond his work ethic, reliability and professionalism, what is most intriguing about Alex, to me, is his curiosity about a niche of the business that so few are able to learn,” says NS Public Safety Director William Miller. “He has been quick and eager to learn the skills needed to be adaptive in varying public environments, all while producing positive safety results.” Ricci also works with future railroaders through AREMA and as an alumni mentor for the Penn State Railroad Transportation Program.

Railway Age 2023 Fast Tracker

Cameron Ginther Project Manager

Asking questions,

Congratulations on this honor.

jumping in, and taking ownership. These are only a few of the traits that have led you to excel at Watco and make valuable contributions to our company and industry.

CASSANDRA RINTOUL Director of Marketing, Forest Products CSX Transportation

Cassandra Rintoul helps customers extend their market reach by providing warehousing solutions and by developing opportunities to land new rail locations on CSX. She has performed market studies that evaluated macro-eeconomic considerations and competitive transportation options of CSX’s railcar eet, ensuring optimized data asset deployment across the CSX network. Rintoul also identi ed the capital and service improvements necessary to achieve growth for customers and for CSX. She has been part of a team working to advance rail market share through data analytics and technology improvements. Rintoul strives to be a leader who makes people feel good in her presense, and has been a mentor to several women at CSX across multiple departments. Her current mentorships focus on professional presence and navigating corporate America as a young woman. She is a Board Member for the Business Analytics, Information Systems and Supply Chain (BAISSC) at Florida State University and a volunteer for a not-forpro t animal hospital in Jacksonville, Fla.

The breadth of Jessie’s railroad experience, coupled with his personable nature and passion for supporting the communities around him, inspires others to bring their best self to work every day.

Cassandra Rintoul strives to be a leader who makes people feel good in her presence, and has been a mentor to several women at CSX across multiple departments. Her current mentorships focus on professional presence and navigating corporate America as a young woman.

Congratulations to Jessie Ugaitafa, General Manager of San Joaquin Valley Railroad (SJVR), on being named a 2023 “ Fast Tracker!”

CHRIS SANFORD General Director, Transportation BNSF Railway

Since 2011, Chris Sanford has held eight di erent roles of increasing responsibility, all in the Transportation Department at BNSF Railway. In 2020, he helped to lead the Kansas Division network operations team through a fourth “perfect peak” season in a row, delivering 80 million packages, a 30% year-over-year increase. In his current role, Sanford’s focus is on safely delivering coal from BNSF’s Power Rail Division to meet the increased U.S. energy needs for coal. In 2022, Sanford and the Power River team helped to deliver millions of tons of coal and worked hard to overcome challenges, including adjusting the necessary resources to strive toward meeting the coal demand. During the historic ice storm of 2021, Sanford was Corridor Superintendent of BNSF’s Kansas Division. He stayed on the front lines with his team as they navigated the storm to keep high-priority trains moving, and assisted in keeping the dispatcher desk’s sta ed, worked closely with dispatchers to remedy service interruptions, and helped to coordinate the logistics of hotels and food to keep the operation functional.

ADAM R. SEVERINSEN Roadmaster, Sun Rail Alstom Transportation

Adam R. Severinsen is a team player, leader, coach and co-worker. He helped SunRail achieve several “defect free rides” of the entire territory with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Geometry Car DOTX 221.

Severinsen has earned several Employee of the Month Awards as a Track Inspector and Roadmaster, four Safety Star Awards as a Team Member skilled in all rail resource management, and teaches/ coaches team members. Under his leadership, SunRail’s team has gone more than two years free of FRA-reportable injuries. He helps the team reach its production goals, sets expectations and holds the team accountable for their actions. Severinsen comes from a railroad family: His father is a former Union Paci c (UP) Roadmaster and his mother, a UP Claims Agent. He began his railroading career at SunRail as an Equipment Operator, and was promoted to Production Foreman, then Section Foreman, Track Inspector, and nally to Roadmaster in 2018. Severinsen aspires to become Chief Engineer. In his free time, Severinsen and his wife help the local animal shelter with pet adoptions, fundraising and maintenance.

We want to congratulate Mohammad El Hocheimi, Project Manager, on being a Railway Age “2023 Fast Tracker” honoree. Mohammad is a key member of our engineering team. In addition to his excellent work for our clients, he is also heavily involved in efforts to bring young engineers into the railroad industry. Thanks for all you do, Mohammad!

REBECCA STEPHEN Director Investor Relations, Canadian Pacific

A year into her Investor Relations role, Rebecca Stephen in March 2021 received news that Canadian Paci c was about to announce a merger with Kansas City Southern (KCS). Soon a er, she helped to develop and deliver an investor engagement plan. A month later, when CN o ered a competing bid for KCS, she worked to support senior executives in articulating why CP’s proposal was superior. In December 2021, CP completed its acquisition of KCS, with KCS shares being placed into a voting trust, pending merger approval by the Surface Transportation Board. Stephen has played an integral role managing multiple investor calls and preparing speaking notes and presentations, and has been active in shareholder and equity analyst engagement. She was recently seconded to the integration team in support of the merger. For co-creating a program to drive inclusion at CP, Stephen earned the company’s CEO Award in 2022. Also in 2022, IR Magazine recognized CP’s excellence in investor relations, due in part to Stephen’s contributions. Community-minded, Stephen has been a Board Member for the Sagesse Domestic Violence Prevention Society since 2014; she now serves as President.

In 2022, Rebecca Stephen was seconded to the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger integration team, and received CP’s CEO Award for co-creating a program to drive inclusion at the Class I railroad.

MICHELLE STEWART Senior Manager, Special Projects–Locomotive Fleet and Facilities Metrolink (SCRRA)

In her current role, Michelle Stewart serves as Chief Strategic Advisor to executive leadership on transitioning a eet of 55 locomotives to zero- and low-emissions for Metrolink’s passenger rail operations. Stewart was a key strategist on a team that secured more than $50 million in grant funding to replace Tier 2 locomotives with the cleanest-burning Tier 4 locomotives, and transitioned the diesel locomotive and non-revenue eet to 100% renewable diesel. She is acknowledged as Metrolink’s subject-matter expert on zero-emissions operations, resulting in invitations to serve on zero-emissions consultant review panels for commuter rail agencies in California and to present on zero-emissions initiatives at a conference organized by the Argonne National Laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy. Stewart is now develolping a strategy to use $10 million in state funds for a zero-emissions pilot along Metrolink’s Antelope Valley Line. Additionally, Stewart mentors students through the USC Price School of Public Policy Professional Mentorship Program.

JESSIE UGAITAFA General Manager

San Joaquin Valley Railroad Company (SJVR), a subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming Inc.

In nearly a decade with Genesee & Wyoming, Jessie Ugaitafa has held roles of increasing responsibility at several of the company’s railroads, including Conductor, Engineer, Dispatcher, Trainmaster, Director of Operations, Assistant General Manager, and now General Manager. In his management roles, he has helped to make freight railroads safer and more e cient, attracting and retaining both employees and customers to the industry along the way. In his rst year as a General Manager of SJVR, Ugaitafa increased carloads by 9%, decreased the railroad’s voluntary turnover rate by 8% year-overyear, and reduced reportable injuries by 50%. With his leadership, such improvements have led to a major culture change that has strengthened morale among the railroad’s 85 employees. Ugaitafa serves as a mentor with American Corporate Partners, a Special Olympics volunteer, and a peer fundraiser for the U.S. Marine Corps’ annual Toys for Tots drive. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army, where he served as a Human Intelligence O cer for eight years.

In his first year as SJVR General Manager, Jessie Ugaitafa increased carloads by 9%, decreased the railroad’s voluntary turnover rate by 8% year-over-year, and reduced reportable injuries by 50%. These improvements led to a major culture change.

MORE BUILDING, MORE OVERSIGHT

“M ore building, more oversight” will drive rail policy in Washington in 2023. With the enactment of the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in 2021, the rst

tranche of $66 billion in new IIJA rail investment has started owing through the U.S. Department of Transportation to rail projects. A new Congress with a House Republican majority will oversee the Biden Administration across all dimensions, including transportation. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg faces scrutiny

over recent aviation service failures, and the Federal Railroad Administration and Amtrak can expect Congressional crosshairs too. Meanwhile, the independent Surface Transportation Board will continue to review freight railroad service performance, signaling new regulatory postures that may rebalance customer

2023

BY DONALD M. ITZKOFF, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

going—for the next hundred years.”

But why did this rail investment make big news? Highway and transit interests with dedicated federal funding routinely implement multibillion-dollar projects.

e $9 billion in IIJA funding for the NEC in FY 2022, out of $66 billion for rail in total from the IIJA over ve years, re ects a necessary and more equitable federal attention to rail investment.

Devon Barnhart, Director of the OneRail Coalition, notes that diverse rail projects across the country seeking to capitalize on this new funding must forge multi-layered state and local relationships. “We’ve seen successful projects advance around the country when states, advocates and communities work hand-in-hand with rail partners to bring projects to fruition,” said Barnhart. “ ere is an opportunity to bene t tremendously from the infrastructure pipeline we’re building.”

Chuck Baker, President of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association, underscored the urgency of making the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements funding in the IIJA count. “Congress approved $1 billion guaranteed annually for CRISI, plus the ability to get up to $1 billion more annually through the discretionary appropriations process,” said Baker. “But the IIJA only lasts for five years—and short lines and other eligible applicants for CRISI and other IIJA programs need to show the public benefits derived from sustained investment in our rail system to ensure these programs continue well into the future.” ASLRRA will also look to the “Farm Bill” to consider providing funding for improved rail access for agricultural shippers. On the tax policy side, modernizing the 45G rail infrastructure tax credit to account for inflation since the credit was first enacted in 2005 is another legislative goal.

and railroad interests. Altogether, rapidly evolving 2023 Washington dynamics will challenge rail stakeholders to navigate policy course changes and build on pivotal funding opportunities.

MORE BUILDING

In December 2022, the USDOT announced

nearly $9 billion in IIJA funding to modernize the Northeast Corridor, aimed at revitalizing a “major backlog” of century-old rail assets that e Washington Post said, “reads like a history of American infrastructure greatness frozen in amber.” FRA Administrator Amit Bose declared, “ ese projects have been waiting, waiting to get

Rail advocates know the urgency of ensuring that the historic IIJA funding represents the start of dedicated and sustained federal appropriations for rail, not just a one-time boost. Infrastructure investment still draws bipartisan support, showcased in early January when President Joe Biden joined with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and senators and governors of both parties to celebrate

Washington dynamics will challenge rail stakeholders to navigate policy course changes and build on pivotal funding opportunities.

$1.63 billion in federal funds for upgrades to an aging Ohio River bridge. Now, the 118th Congress will test whether dedicated federal infrastructure investment, including for rail, can remain “purple” in a red vs. blue world—an early indicator of whether such spending will continue or expire when the IIJA ends in 2026.

MORE OVERSIGHT

With thousands of Southwest Airlines ights cancelled over the holidays and the FAA’s NOTAM pilot advisory system failing two weeks later, aviation will be a 2023 priority for Congress. e Biden Administration’s nominee for FAA Administrator remains uncon rmed. FAA reauthorization will draw razor attention, but rail and other modes will come under Congressional scrutiny, as well.

Deployment of automated track inspection (ATI) technology may lead rail issues for review. Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ariz.), formerly lead Republican on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, and, as late January, set to be a senior T&I subcommittee chair, wrote in June 2022 to FRA Administrator Bose to “express deep concerns about recent policy changes by the FRA that likely limit the use of ATI technology.” Bose’s response in December that “[r]ailroads can utilize ATI technology while complying with the visual track inspection frequency” regulations without further FRA approval, and that FRA has “tasked the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC) to consider alternative track inspection methodologies

and to examine if they meet or exceed the minimum levels of safety currently established . . .” is unlikely to resolve the matter.

“Responsible bipartisan action that enhances safety and empowers e cient, reliable transportation solutions should be a top priority for House T&I leadership,” said Adrian Arnakis, Senior Vice President of Government A airs at the Association of American Railroads. “Congress need look no further than automated track inspections, where the FRA has dug in against the broad deployment of an e ective, proven safety innovation without any

reasonable defense of its actions.”

With Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) now chairing the House T&I Committee, expect Congressional hearings on ATI, FRA’s train crew sta ng notice of proposed rulemaking, and other issues where Congressional Republican authorizers (and separately appropriators) will question FRA’s regulatory direction, performance, and expenditures.

At the same time, in 2023 the STB will continue its oversight of freight rail service. STB Chairman Martin J. Oberman has made clear his view that Class I pandemicrelated workforce reductions correlate with freight rail service declines. In 2022, the STB centered on Class I service impacts with a major hearing in April on “Urgent Issues in Freight Rail Service,” heard testimony on Union Paci c embargoes in December, and twice compelled rail service to shipper Foster Farms.

ese and other actions amidst a full regulatory agenda—including completing review of the Canadian Paci c-Kansas City Southern merger—herald the STB’s heightened focus on rail service to shippers. Chairman Oberman expressed his core philosophy this past November:

“ e obvious reason for why the public interest requires the existence of the railroads is that, unlike many other parts of the private sector, the country’s economy cannot thrive without the railroads functioning at a robust level, functioning in my view at what ought to be their optimal potential. . . .

“And the obvious reason that the STB exists is that these railroads have become e ective monopolies, or at best duopolies, under the present legal structure.

“[A]s the railroads have proven to us, monopolists cannot be expected to serve the best interests of the economy and therefore the public—as distinguished from serving solely the pro t interests of their owners—without oversight by a public agency whose job it is to ensure that the public interest is protected.”

Railway Age Capitol Contributing Editor Frank Wilner’s excellent overview in the December 2022 issue documents the STB’s pursuit of this public interest goal. In 2023, the STB will continue its assessment of how and under what circumstances, if any, service embargoes should be

“The country’s economy cannot thrive without railroads functioning at a robust level—in my view, at what ought to be their optimal potential.”

– Marty Oberman

implemented, further evaluate a proposed reciprocal switching rule that would establish a process for shippers to secure dual rail access at single-served sites, address appeals of the adoption in 2022 of an arbitration rule and nal o er rate regulation providing greater opportunities for more access to rate relief, and weigh a host of other regulatory policy questions that Chairman Oberman’s public interest framing presents.

ese and other pending STB initiatives go to what may be ahead this year: an exploration of what exactly are the common-carrier responsibilities of U.S. freight railroads. In other words, what do “provide the transportation or service” and “reasonable” mean pursuant to 49 USC § 11101(a): “A rail carrier providing transportation or service subject to the jurisdiction of the Board under this part shall provide the transportation or service on reasonable request. . . .”

Chairman Oberman told the Midwest Association of Rail Shippers in January

that there are matters pending before the STB that implicate a railroad’s commoncarrier obligation. As Oberman pointed out, the vast increase in the use of “congestion” embargoes and two pending shipper complaints, for example, could involve the STB assessing the application of the common-carrier doctrine in these contexts.

LOOKING FORWARD

Segmenting Washington rail policy themes into two buckets of course overlooks unforeseen developments, uncertain economic headwinds, and obscures other currents. As just one question, what are the implications for railroads of an increasing emphasis on transportation electri cation (e.g., the 2022 DOT Climate Action Plan for Resilience), if this policy accelerates deployment of electried and ultimately autonomous trucks? And if trucks become electric, will heavier trucks with heavier batteries be permitted? Going one step further, at what point will

the environmental advantage of railroads erode, if locomotives generate greenhouse gases and other pollutants at the source while trucks draw their energy from a grid increasingly powered by sustainable fuels?

E ectively addressing these and other policy challenges underscores the universal application of the Hippocratic Oath: “First do no harm.” at means a constant and aggressive pursuit of zero incidents and zero casualties in railroad operations, making good on projects funded with taxpayer dollars, and exceeding customer expectations. As Gentry Locke partner John Scheib, formerly Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy O cer for Norfolk Southern and earlier a chief of sta to an STB chair observed in this space a year ago, railroad performance “will a ect how actively regulators and other government actors are involved in the supply chain.”

Good thoughts for all in the rail sector to consider in 2023.

Don Itzko serves as Chief Policy O cer for Patriot Rail Company.

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SO-CAL RAIL RENAISSANCE

BY DAVID PETER ALAN, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

PASSENGER RAIL FOCUS

On an unusually hot day at the end of March 2015, the Rail Users’ Network (RUN) held a conference in downtown Los Angeles. I moderated a panel, and as part of my remarks, said something like this: “When I rst visited this city in 1979, Metrolink and Metro Rail did not exist yet. ere were only buses, which seemed to take forever to go anywhere. If anybody had told me then that I would be speaking at a rail conference 36 years later in this city, talking about all the rail transit the area has o er and how it was making downtown popular again, I would have told them they were crazy!”

Yet, not only the City of Angels, but also San Diego and the LOSSAN Corridor in between, have seen a dramatic rebirth of trains and local rail transit.

Once upon a time, the Paci c Electric system of interurban and streetcars was one of the biggest anywhere. At the end of Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988), which was set in 1947, one of the characters remarked that L.A.’s transit was some of the best in the world. at might have been an exaggeration by then, but Paci c Electric’s red cars and the Los Angeles Railway’s yellow cars moved millions of Angelinos around the city and into the suburbs. e decline was under way, though, and the cars were all gone by 1963.

All the while, the environment declined, along with the transit. A popular joke heard on radio and TV in the 1950s went: Q: How do you know when it’s morning in Los Angeles? A: When you wake up and hear the roosters coughing! I personally found it somewhat di cult to breathe during my rst visit there in 1979 but, clearly, the air is better now. en, a generation later, things began to change. e rst light rail line opened between downtown and Long Beach, a town on the water south of the city. It was the start of Metro Rail, which has grown for the past three decades and has plans to keep growing for at least the next three. Mayors Antonio Villaraigosa (2005-13) and Eric Garcetti (2013-22) pushed hard for more rail transit and got it, despite a requirement in California that new tax-supported public expenditures must be approved by a two-thirds vote. Transit advocates and many Angelinos hope that the new mayor, Karen Bass, will continue the trend toward more rail transit. One of those expansions, the Downtown Connector, is under construction and

Whoever thought that Southern California, which decades ago ripped up much of its extensive passenger rail network, would become a rail transit mecca? Agencies like Los Angeles Metro Rail, NCTD, Metrolink and Amtrak are returning the region to its glory days.

PASSENGER RAIL FOCUS

scheduled to open later this year.

e Metro Rail system currently consists of seven lines. e B Line (Red Line) is an underground subway line, the type New Yorkers would recognize. It goes from Union Station northward and westward to North Hollywood, where it connects with a busway that might be converted to rail someday. e station at Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street is noteworthy for its cinematic motif, complete with 35mm lm reels on the ceiling.

e D Line (Purple Line) shares track with the B Line downtown and as far as Wilshire Boulevard and Vermont Avenue, when it turns le onto Wilshire and continues for two more stops. An extension is under construction, and plans call for the line to continue under Wilshire all the way to Santa Monica, to be completed in three stages by 2027.

and service is sparse at other times. e sort of robust “o -peak” service found on the legacy systems in the New York (including New Jersey Transit), Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago areas does not exist on Metrolink. Most lines have a small amount of service on weekends, but service is limited to as few as two or three trains in each direction, and no more than eight.

Some of Metrolink’s lines are among the longest in the country, extending to Ventura (on the way to Santa Barbara), Oceanside (on the way to San Diego) and San Bernardino.

e longest is the Inland Empire/Orange County line, running between Oceanside and San Bernardino through Orange County and bypassing Los Angeles. Some runs on that line are scheduled to take as long as two hours, 40 minutes.

survived, and now the buildings have been restored to o ce and residential use.

ere is also a line under construction in Santa Ana, south of Los Angeles and served by Amtrak and Metrolink. It’s Orange County Transit Authority’s OC Streetcar, scheduled to open in 2024. It will be 4.15 miles long, mostly in downtown Santa Ana, and terminate in nearby Garden Grove.

e historic Santa Fe Surf Line between Santa Barbara and San Diego has become one of the busiest rail corridors outside the Northeast, at least under normal operation. At this writing, there is an ongoing track outage between San Clemente and Oceanside (some freight at restricted speed, but no passenger trains). Metrolink is not running there, and Amtrak is running limited service with a bus bridge between Oceanside and Irvine, but

e A Line (Blue Line) was the rst light rail line in the city’s transit revival, heading south from downtown, through Watts and Compton, to a street-running loop in Long Beach. e C Line (Green Line) runs south of downtown, on an east-west alignment. ere are plans to extend it to Los Angeles International Airport. e E Line (Expo Line) runs from downtown to Santa Monica, close to the famous Santa Monica Pier. It passes several museums and the campus of the University of Southern California on the way. e L Line (Gold Line) runs outward in two directions from Union Station: toward East L.A. to the southeast, and toward Citrus Community College to the northeast, through Pasadena and Azusa. ere is a plan to go further, on the Foothills Extension, to Pomona. e newest line is the rst operating segment of the K Line (Crenshaw Line), which opened on Oct. 7, 2022. It will be extended on both ends eventually, with a bus connection to the airport. For riders going further than the reach of Metro Rail, there is Metrolink, a regional rail system with eight lines; all except two of which radiate from Union Station. Metrolink is geared toward peak-hour commuting,

e newest is the Arrow Train between San Bernardino and Redlands, a college town east of there, which began running Oct. 24, 2022. e San Bernardino County Transit Authority built the line. Trains run more frequently than on the line between San Bernardino and downtown Los Angeles, usually as a shuttle. Although operated as part of Metrolink, the Arrow service runs with Stadler DMU equipment. Plans call for a unit powered by hydrogen fuel cells to begin running in 2024, and we at Railway Age are looking forward to experiencing it.

Union Station, where Amtrak trains stop and most of Metrolink’s trains originate, is again a living monument to rail travel, with its grand Spanish Revival architecture and some art deco and a bit of kitsch thrown in. It was almost dormant during the 1970s and ’80s, but Metrolink and increased Amtrak corridor service brought it back. It’s also a hub for tourism, with the historic Plaza, Olvera Street and Chinatown within a few blocks, and such attractions as Gri th Park and Hollywood Boulevard easily accessible on transit. Downtown was scary and almost deserted in 1979, but the neighborhood’s attractions have

that situation is temporary. Normally, there are ve daily trains in each direction between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, and two go further north to San Luis Obispo. e corridor between the City of Angels and San Diego hosts a dozen or more daily trains in each direction under normal operation, with di erent schedules on weekdays and weekends.

Oceanside is a busy transit center, with two rail services run by the North County Transit District (NCTD) in San Diego County. One is the Sprinter, running with Siemens DMU units (NCTD calls it a “hybrid rail service”). It runs eastward to Escondido, with a running time of 53 minutes, on a half-hourly schedule with some hourly service periods on weekends. e service day ends in mid-evening on account of a temporal separation for freight, but there are later runs on Friday and Saturday nights.

ere are also Coaster trains making local stops along the Surf Line between Oceanside and San Diego. Trains take 62 minutes for the full run and operate hourly with some longer gaps on weekdays. On weekends, they run at alternate 80- and 100-minute intervals. Service ends in mid-evening, later on Friday and Saturday nights.

Union Station, where Amtrak trains stop and most of Metrolink’s trains originate, is again a living monument to rail travel, with its grand Spanish Revival architecture.

Traveling between Los Angeles and San Diego on Metrolink and Coaster with a change at Oceanside is nothing like riding between New York and Philadelphia on NJ Transit and Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority with a change in Trenton, N.J. The robust service that allows connections at most times in Trenton does not exist on Coaster and Metrolink. There are no feasible connections on weekdays, and only a few on weekends. Same-day roundtrips are not feasible on weekends, either. A trip like that requires Amtrak.

San Diego boasts the first modern light rail system in the United States, with three long lines. It is known as the “San Diego Trolley,” though the cars are long Siemens articulated units with pantographs to collect power from the overhead wires. Actual PCC-type “trolleys” with trolley poles were gone by 1949. The first segment of the current system opened in 1981, running on the South Line between downtown and the Mexican border. That 26.3-mile original segment is part of today’s Blue Line, which extends between San Ysidro

at the border and UTC, a collection of highrise buildings north of the University of California San Diego.

The Orange Line, running east from downtown and northeast to El Cajon, opened in 1986. The Green Line, running east from Old Town through El Cajon and to Santee, opened in 2005. Those lines share track along the northeastern part of their routes. There is also the Silver Line, which runs on weekends on a loop through downtown, with historic cars: two vintage PCC cars painted in historic San Diego livery. They once ran in San Francisco and now operate with pantographs, along with the first light rail car purchased by San Diego’s Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) in 1979.

For 32 years, like Los Angeles for 27 years, San Diego had only buses for transit. Today’s “trolley” system serves downtown, as well as areas within and outside the city. Those include such scenic and historic neighborhoods as the Gaslamp Quarter, Balboa Park and Old Town, where the city got its start and which has a station where Amtrak and

PASSENGER RAIL FOCUS

Coaster trains stop today.

Transit is not what it used to be in Southern California, but it’s coming back. So is downtown Los Angeles, along with other neighborhoods and points of interest in the city. Some Angelinos choose to live an autofree urban lifestyle today, which would have been nearly impossible a half-century ago.

One of famous voice actor Mel Blanc’s many characters on the old Jack Benny Show was a train caller at Union Station. Blanc would always call: “Train leaving on Track 5 for Anaheim, Azusa and Cucamonga.” There was never such a physical train because those places are on different lines. Today, though, it is possible to take Metro Rail’s L Line to Azusa, leaving on Track 1 or 2. Anaheim is on Metrolink’s Orange County Line, and Cucamonga (officially Rancho Cucamonga) is on Metrolink’s San Bernardino Line. None of those places had any passenger rail service for decades, but now it’s possible to visit Anaheim, Azusa and “Cucamonga” by rail from Los Angeles Union Station, even though the trip takes almost all day.

RIGHT DECISIONS, RIGHT TIME, RIGHT AUTHORITY

PART 3: ESSENTIAL SUCCESS FACTORS

BY SONIA BOT, SHEPPARD NARKIER AND DAVID SHERR

This is the conclusion of a three-part series based upon our new book, Dynamic Multi-Level Decisioning Architecture: Making the Right Decisions, at the Right Time, with the Right Authority for Sustained Competitiveness and Relevance. It’s about how all industries, including the rail industry, its partners and adjacent competitors, are evolving in the throes of digital disruption and other external forces, and emphasizes the role all employees play in decision-making at all levels of an organization. Decision-making needs to ow better upwards and downwards, tying the boardroom to the railroad yards, transloading facilities, tracks—the whole rail network and transportation ecosystem.

ere are several essential factors for success in evolving into a dynamic multilevel decisioning architecture, which translates to making it easier for anyone in an organization to make decisions more consistently and timely, with more con dence and knowing their impact. is evolution manifests itself in a Business Environment as a Service platform, which we covered in Part 2. It’s a transformational journey. You set your strategy and then you increment

toward achieving it in value-added steps, pivoting as needed.

OT-IT CONVERGENCE, A TRANSFORMATIONAL JOURNEY

OT (Operational Technology)-IT (Information Technology) convergence is the cornerstone of the decisioning architecture that enables making the right decisions at the right time with the right level of authority and scope. It is the most promising factor for maintaining sustainable success. It di ers from OT-IT integration, which is a tactic and manifestation. OT-IT convergence is the goal, strategy and outcome.

Organizations are starting to learn the complexity involved when integrating traditional IT and corresponding business processes with OT operational processes and technologies, which o en involve legacy hardware that isn’t easily changed or con gured on the y. is e ort must include OT and IT sta collaboration, which involves breaking down the silos that have traditionally divided them.

OT-IT convergence is a transformational journey with many moving parts. ere is no standard roadmap, organizational structure or template. It is up to each company to nd its right solution and ensure that it aligns with

the ecosystems they connect into. Any de ned roadmap should only act as a framework. It cannot be considered set in stone.

Digital disruption shortens the decisionmaking timeframes in all industries. e needs of each division in an organization must be tailored to some core principles in this new sensor-driven decision-making process.

ese principles mostly focus on operational requirements and constraints, and the design principles and opportunities related to business needs and requirements.

ere are several success factors in this transformational journey. Here we highlight three of them: (i) culture and governance, (ii) cyber security, and (iii) system safety.

CULTURE & GOVERNANCE

e challenge with OT-IT convergence is overcoming cultural and governance issues.

e most signi cant impediment to advancing collaboration resides in addressing the two di erent cultures and their respective characteristics, which embody di erent value systems, language, behavioral norms, management styles, and employee personas.

e underlying principle for working motivational currency is trust, with three aspects: (i) trust in one’s ability to have agency over the

scope of control, (ii) trust in the data, knowledge and information that decision-makers rely upon, and (iii) extending trust through working across the OT and IT silos.

For example, change for an OT person would mean a modi cation to a design, whereas change to an IT person would suggest a modi cation to the management environment. Powering on/o a chassis that hosts WIU (wayside interface unit) functionality during a C&S maintenance operation would not be considered a change by C&S (OT), but is de nitely a change in the eyes of IT because it impacts service.

Addressing these real decisioning concerns requires a signi cant evolution in culture because culture drives the value system, which in turn drives the behavior from the boardroom through all the management layers and then to the railroad yards, transloading facilities and the right-of-way, for example.

What we need are Industry 4.0-savvy leaders that will encourage OT and IT to understand each other’s challenges, objectives and particular language through, for example, a detailed walkthrough of their processes or job shadowing so that internal silos can be broken down to facilitate the seamless achievement of collective outcomes. As well, executive sponsorship is a critical success factor in any change engine process. Executives must balance competing needs and spheres of in uence.

Our collective experience has been that corporations are more than willing to buy technology but consistently undervalue the need to enhance the needed technical skills of their employees. Worse, they do not feel comfortable ripping apart key legacy processes, which in turn will limit the value the new technology can bring. e skills upgrade is not just for local operators but employees at all levels of the organization. No matter how much technology you buy, the need to completely reassess your processes and skills will become apparent if you proceed without a clear understanding upfront. You will discover this painfully.

We describe how important this is in the book. We created context and ow diagrams showing the many layers involved in decisionmaking from the rail yards and loading docks to the boardroom. Now, as streaming sensor data travels up the stack, getting cleansed and re ned into knowledge and then sent back to devices in the form of commands to

take, it becomes very clear how important it is to focus on culture and governance as one invests in processes and skills to constantly improve cyber security and system safety.

CYBER SECURITY

Cyber security takes on heightened need as organizations embrace this journey towards a dynamic multi-level decisioning architecture. Mainly because all aspects of process and technology are becoming distributed. is creates a larger vulnerability footprint for bad actors to generate threat attack-surfaces.

For example, take OT hijacking or data and IP leakage. System compromises spring from three main factors: (i) a growing profusion of inexpensive, unprotected sensors in OT, (ii) more distribution of data, and (iii) more diverse network tra c. ese factors provide opportunities for compromises at all levels of the organization and its systems. erefore, there is a greater need to deploy data leak protection capabilities in remote sites and in clouds.

Distributed operations make the e ort of providing a secure environment more challenging. But in the entire data stack, positive exploitation of protection opportunities through knowledge becomes a valuable and monetizable advantage. It would be easy to focus the security lens only on sensors or mobile or phone or tablet access, which are essential. But this would only address surface symptoms. Deeper root causes of security failures must also be addressed to avoid OT and IT stepping on each other’s toes. ese root causes are primarily human error combined with the siloed systems, processes, and skill sets.

e establishment of a zero-trust architecture is considered a complex mature initiative. As an example, it is created in increments by combining advanced technology with new processes and improved employee skills.

SYSTEM SAFETY

System safety is the elephant in the room, especially for industries where it is becoming a new reality. Design discussions are emerging amidst this reality. For example, how do we know that new solutions and systems are safe and that there are no lurking issues? How do we know that integrating multiple components from vendors, partners, and even within existing systems meet safety objectives? How do we know if integrity is preserved a er a change is made? How do we shi the legacy

status where safety moves from a cost center to a value-added business driver?

ese concerns are real.

e good news is that well-established system safety and system reliability methodologies exist. ey can elegantly t into system development and integration lifecycles, such as V-model, Disciplined Agile and DevOps.

ese methodologies address the various levels of safety and reliability: component failures, subsystem hazards, functional hazards, operating and support-related hazards, and so ware anomalies.

INTEGRATING SYSTEM SAFETY AND CYBER SECURITY

Rapid technology change means new opportunities for threats. Designs, especially for OT, which are control- and sensor-based, must be designed with incredibly tight requirements and that rarely allows for easy or rapid change, especially in the rail industry. More than ever, systems must be able to defend themselves to prevent propagation of failures and vulnerabilities that cause harm and loss. Multiple tactics of redundancy must be built in, yet exible enough to be changed.

A starting point is integrating the safety engineering discipline with the cyber engineering discipline across their end-to-end life cycles.

During the design and development stages, you need to ensure that systems are safe and secure by design. During the operation and maintenance stage, continuous learning and adapting, along with real-time predictive

modeling, reduces the probability of mishaps. As data is aggregated and re ned, varying levels of knowledge and wisdom and insights can be applied to the problem. e codi cation can then be integrated as policy and, where appropriate, added to secure digital twin agents.

MANY MOVING PARTS

ere are several moving parts to OT-IT convergence, and the order is very important. Business objectives drive all of them.

We start with process convergence, which requires that OT and IT organizations revise their processes, work ows and procedures to support modernized ways of working and operating together.

Once this has been designed and de ned, organizational convergence may be required, such as creating aligned organizational structures. If process convergence is not done rst, then regardless of new organizational structures, people will continue to behave according to existing processes, which renders the new organizational structures ine ective and subject to re-work.

Next is so ware and data convergence getting so ware and data to directly address OT needs. For this to be successful and futureproof, data and so ware must be decoupled so that they are able to adapt to an ever-changing business environment. Also, there may be a technical convergence that deals with aligning or modernizing the network architecture.

Physical convergence, which includes physical devices being retro tted or combined with newer hardware to accommodate the addition of IT to OT, follows. Subsequently, there is an operational convergence, where hardware is maintained and updated over time.

In parallel to all of this, OT-IT convergence must remain in sync and aligned with opportunities for business expansion, such as refocusing target markets, developing new products and services, creating new alliances, or responding to new regulations. Business objectives are the common denominator.

SIMULTANEOUS TOP-LINE/ BOTTOM-LINE APPROACH

Based on direct experience with OT-IT convergence and other transformational mandates in various industries including rail, the best transformational results occur when taking an approach that improves organizational e ectiveness and positions target

markets and product service portfolios to outperform. It’s a simultaneous top-line/ bottom-line approach.

Most organizations stop short of transformational change by focusing on improving operational e ectiveness such as productivity improvements and asset rationalization. is is a reliable approach when delivering fast results to improve the bottom line, but it does not make a transformation successful. So, it’s important to approach this as a full-scale transformation, addressing the top-line and bottom-line simultaneously.

An organization willing to take on this challenge can become a disruptor in its industry or an adjacent one. e primary goal of most organizations is building sustainable competitive advantages and thought leadership. It requires the fortitude to experiment, in which teams must fail fast and small and use the bene ts of real-time decision-making architecture.

CONTINUOUS CHANGE MINDSET, AT ALL LEVELS

It is very important to instill a continuous change mindset at all levels, from the board of directors to the operational core. is involves learning and unlearning as a pillar of corporate culture. Designated multidisciplinary change agent teams are essential for success. Executives must be relentless in their sponsorship, tracking and support.

What happens when learning and, especially, unlearning are not applied? Considering the signi cant role digital disruption plays, it forces us to accept that we cannot ignore technical debt—a failure to unlearn. Most legacy systems already have technical debt, where their maintenance o en consumes 80% to 90% of OT/IT budgets. If organizations don’t act on addressing their technical debt, rolling out IoT will worsen and spread technical debt due to the sheer volume and speed of deployment required to get the basics working. Technical debt will increase because to get basic IoT functionality in place, more workarounds, patches and temporary xes will be used to meet publicized milestones.

Making mistakes and taking shortcuts are usual work modes, but the need to x them will be overshadowed by the exciting new work. is will slow signi cant change as impediments are not removed, wasting precious time and resources, delaying the ability to defend against threats or leverage

opportunities. e ultimate irony is: Everybody thinks they’re making big changes until pilot projects are over.

Study the relationship and motivations of all parts and people in your organization, as once you begin to fall behind, it gets increasingly harder to catch up, let alone improve and innovate. Like a shark, always keep moving or you die. Take small steps and evaluate and change course many times if necessary. And remember, the steering wheel in a moving vehicle is easier to turn than in one that’s standing still.

Sonia Bot , chief executive of The BOT Consulting Group Inc., continues to play key roles in the inception and delivery of several strategic businesses and transformations in technology-based companies worldwide. She can be reached at sdbot@botgroupinc.com or www.botgroupinc.com.

Sheppard Narkier, a CTO and Senior Enterprise Architect, is routinely tasked with complex, difficult transformation projects in a range of industries including demanding Capital Markets environments. He can be reached at shep.narkier@candlewall-llc.com.

David Sherr is in his sixth decade as a practitioner, thought leader, and senior executive in entrepreneurship, system design

and development, and enterprise architecture. Currently, he is heading an IoT startup to build predictive maintenance analytics for industrial assets. He can be reached at david@ freddy.io or www.newglobalenterprises.net/SCA.

SIT AND LISTEN

Railway Age, Railway Track & Structures and International Railway Journal have teamed to offer our Rail Group On Air podcast series. The podcasts, available on Apple Music, Google Play and SoundCloud, tackle the latest issues and important projects in the rail industry. Listen to the railway leaders who make the news.

William C. Vantuono Railway Age

David C. Lester Railway Track & Structures

Kevin Smith International Railway Journal

AUTOMATED INSPECTION

OPPORTUNITIES & LIMITATIONS

By Gary T. Fry, Ph.D., P.E., Vice President, Fry Technical Services, Inc.

elcome to “Timeout for Tech with Gary T. Fry, Ph.D., P.E.” Each month, we examine a technology topic about which professionals in the railway industry have asked to learn more. is month, our topic is automated inspection technologies.

“When the only tool in your toolbox is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.” “Use the right tool for the job.” “Work smarter—not harder.” Maxims like these are o en inspired by makeshi e orts such as depicted in Figure 1 (above)—attempting to drive a lag screw using a hammer. ere is clearly room for

Wimprovement there. But we can rest assured that even when a situation seems to o er very little room for improvement, we have a maxim to guide us: “If it ain’t broke, don’t x it.” ese pithy gems tell us to be open-minded and innovative but not impulsive. It can be challenging and resource intensive to strike the right balance between constancy and change. Of course, when everything works out, substantial and lasting gains can be attained. With this in mind, let’s look at some examples of strategic innovation related to inspecting engineered systems in the railway industry.

Especially over the past 30 years, many railway companies have taken up the challenge of improving their methods for

inspecting track and rolling stock. As with most other industries, e orts have generally focused on automated sensing and measurement systems, and there are quite a few success stories. For example, on the track side we have:

• Multiple implementations of on-train track geometry measurement systems.

• Multiple implementations of on-train rail pro le measurement systems.

• Rail defect detection systems, including ultrasonic systems (for subsurface cracks) and electromagnetic eld imaging systems (for surface cracks and spalls).

• Tie inspection systems.

• Ballast inspection systems, including optical, light detection and ranging

At the end of the day, “What gets measured gets managed.”

(LIDAR) and ground penetrating radar (GPR).

ere are also several wayside systems available to monitor passing rolling stock:

• Truck performance detectors.

• Acoustic bearing detectors.

• ermal bearing detectors.

• ermal wheel detectors.

• Wheel impact load detectors.

• Wheel pro le measurement systems.

• Automated cracked/broken wheel detectors, including ultrasonic (for subsurface fatigue cracks), electromagnetic eld imaging (for surface cracks and spalls) and optical (for partially failed rims). e cutting-edge and evolving technology

included in these systems helps us make assessments of system condition with unprecedented accuracy, precision and repeatability, but there are four features that really stand out.

1. Results from automated assessments are o en transmittable in near real-time.

2. Automated assessment results are natively digital and can be transmitted directly to centralized data lakes for immediate enterprise-wide use in their data analytics applications.

3. With on-train systems and distributed wayside systems, frequent repeated assessments of the same components facilitate seamless condition trending initiatives.

4. Most important, automated assessments

can be performed on components while they are operating and under load, giving critical insight to component condition and suitability for continued safe use.

Unarguably, these have become essential tools for the modern railway, and the future will see more implementation of automated approaches. But no system is ever perfectly capable of providing “correct” assessments; all have limitations.

Some basic statistical considerations are at play that must be quanti ed and monitored to ensure a system’s suitability for use in a safetycritical application. First and foremost are the statistics related to system performance—for example, with detection systems, true positives, true negatives, false positives and false negatives. And it’s not just the percentage of times a system gets it “right” or “wrong” that is important. Rather, it’s the statistical nature of the “wrongs” that must be quanti ed and understood. Let’s look at this more closely.

Figure 2 (p. 40, top) shows probability distributions for the size of defects that are detected by two di erent systems. System I appears more capable of detecting smaller defects than System II. is is good to know, but what was missed? Figure 3 (p. 40, bottom) shows probability distributions for the size of defects that are le undetected by the same two systems. With this view of the statistics, we see that System I is likely to leave undetected much larger size defects than System II.

So, which system is the better choice to use? e answer is System II. It is much less likely than System I to miss the big stu ! To reach that conclusion, however, we need to have data such as illustrated in Figure 3. We also need the data from Figure 3 to estimate the risk of failure of the components that have been freshly inspected. is is because it is the defects that we miss that cause failures—not the defects that we nd and remove. It’s nice to know what various inspection systems can nd, but it’s essential to know what they miss!

I am o en asked about the quality di erences between automated inspections and manual inspections and how to assess when manual processes should be replaced by automated technology. In part, my answer depends on the objectives. For example, in a railway environment, it is o en more di cult, less reliable and needlessly dangerous to attempt using purely human-performed, manual inspection procedures to assess components in operation under load. If that assessment

Figure 1: When the only tool in your toolbox is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. New strategies to address old problems require a continually updated inventory of innovative and effective tools. (Courtesy of Gary T. Fry.)

is what is needed, then technology-assisted or fully automated approaches are the only reasonable choices.

In other cases, I don’t presuppose the outcome. A comparative and objective assessment of performance—manual vs. automated—should always be performed. All approaches, whether manual or automated, have nonzero probabilities of performing unacceptably. Hence, the assessment should be akin to that illustrated in Figure 3. e approach that is statistically least likely to perform unacceptably is the approach that should be used.

At the end of the day, “What gets measured gets managed.” And better measurements almost always lead to better management outcomes in terms of safety, reliability and e ciency.

Dr. Fry is Vice President of Fry Technical Services, Inc. (https://www.frytechservices.com/). He has 30 years of experience in research and consulting on the fatigue and fracture behavior of structural metals and weldments. His research results have been incorporated into international codes of practice used in the design of structural components and systems, including structural welds, railway and highway bridges, and high-rise commercial buildings in seismic risk zones. He has extensive experience performing in situ testing of railway bridges under live loading of trains, including highspeed passenger trains and heavy-axle-load freight trains. His research, publications, and consulting have advanced the state of the art in structural health monitoring and structural impairment detection.

Figure 3: Probability distribution functions for defects left undetected by two different inspection systems. (Courtesy of Gary T. Fry.)

Figure 2: Probability distribution functions for defects successfully detected by two different inspection systems. (Courtesy of Gary T. Fry.)

OPERATIONAL TESTING OF STADLER FLIRT DMU TRAINSETS

BY MATT DEGEORGE, SENIOR RAILWAY RESEARCH ENGINEER, ENSCO, INC.; AND LUCY ANDRE, CHIEF OF STAFF, STADLER US INC.

Stadler US Inc. has begun operational testing of its low-floor FLIRT Diesel Multiple-Unit (DMU) trainsets for Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) at the Federal Railroad Administration’s Transportation Technology Center (TTC) in Pueblo, Colo.

The TTC has long been used as the ideal location for testing new passenger rolling stock ahead of delivery to the transit operator, because in-depth vehicle qualification testing occurs in a controlled environment separate from revenue service, before the vehicles are delivered. Proper attention to detail can be applied without interfering with transit operations to ensure maximum safety and reliability. This is a key benefit to the industry.

The Stadler FLIRT DMU for DART is the first passenger trainset being tested

at the revitalized TTC since ENSCO assumed operational responsibilities in October 2022, having won a competitive bid and contracted to operate and expand the breadth of transportation modalities that can be tested on-site. Stadler arrived with two FLIRT DMU trainsets. The first unit is being used for qualification testing, while the second is being stored until delivery to DART. Additionally, the trainsets were featured in the TTC 50th Anniversary Event on Oct. 25, 2022, during which attendees enjoyed a historic ride on the DMU around the TTC’s largest test loop, symbolizing the beginning of a new era for the TTC.

TRAINSET BACKGROUND

The DART contract for eight FLIRT trainsets was awarded to Stadler in June 2019. Train operation will occur on the commuter route between the northern

railway terminus at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Plano. Each DMU is comprised of four passengercarrying units, two on each side of a separate midsection power unit housing a power pack consisting of a diesel engine and traction alternator (generator).

An important design feature of the Stadler FLIRT is that it can be designed to use di erent power sources such as batteries or hydrogen fuel cells. DART’s con guration utilizes four powered and eight unpowered axles. e trainset has the unique feature of quiet passenger compartments and a large amount of low- oor area because the power pack is installed in a separate midsection. is feature also isolates passengers from experiencing elevated vibrations. Total trainset length is approximately 266 feet, with capacity for 263 passengers (222 seated, 41 standing). Maximum operating speed is 79 mph.

QUALIFICATION TESTING

The Stadler FLIRT DMU test program is separated into three phases that take place at different locations. Phase 1 consists of static and low-speed testing at the Stadler facility in Salt Lake City, Utah. Phase 2 consists of static and dynamic testing at the TTC operated by ENSCO. This includes brake and traction performance, noise, EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility) and onboard train control equipment testing. Phase 3 consists of final revenue track testing at DART prior to public revenue operation.

Due to its unique characteristics, the TTC is an ideal testing location for all new passenger rolling stock. The 52-square-mile facility contains 50 miles of test track that includes the Rail Transit Track (RTT), a 13.5-mile high-speed loop with a maximum speed of 165 mph and equipped with AC catenary; and the 9.1-mile Transit Test Track (TTT) loop with a maximum speed of 90 mph and

equipped with third rail and DC catenary. Multiple tracks allow for continuous trainsets testing and simultaneous testing for other customers.

During the duration of the testing program at the TTC, the Stadler DMU and Stadler staff are home-based in the Passenger-rail Services Building (PSB), a three-bay, 46,000-square-foot depot designed specifically for support of passenger car testing. The trainset and team are also supported with TTC staff and equipment to handle vehicle maintenance activities during testing, including installation and removal of bogies and other heavy components, machine shop for as-needed fabrication, and heavy machinery for loading and unloading ballast into the DMU to simulate passengers. Additionally, dedicated TTC on-site operation crews and subject-matter experts help to ensure that testing operations stay within schedule and to resolve any problems that may occur.

Brake and traction performance tests are done on the TTC high-speed test tracks to ensure that the DMU meets essential operational performance and safety requirements. This is key to performing at the TTC as opposed to on a transit’s revenue tracks so that revenue service is not impacted and Stadler has free control

to make the test runs needed and allow time for adjustments to the vehicle. Similarly, noise testing is performed on the high-speed test tracks to confirm that the noise inside and outside the vehicle meets expectations to ensure comfortable experiences for passengers and the public.

EMC testing ensures that the DMU does not emit at-risk electromagnetic signals that could interfere with electronic infrastructure equipment and ensures the DMU itself is not susceptible to anticipated outside electromagnetic interference. This is particularly important for the DMU’s train control system to ensure that it operates in anticipated electromagnetic conditions without issue. Finally, the train control system of the DMU is verified to be working as expected prior to delivery to the customer site.

CONCLUSION

The TTC operated by ENSCO is aiding Stadler US to complete qualification testing at the TTC without interfering with DART’s revenue operations and helping to meet the mission of ensuring safe and reliable DMU operation. This testing marks the beginning of a long future for the TTC to serve the passenger rail industry.

Figure 1: Stadler US DMU FLIRT trainset at the TTC.

LUCY GRASSO OmniTRAX

HIGH PROFILE: At OmniTRAX, Lucy Grasso has been promoted to Vice President of Business Strategy, leading internal business strategy and ESG initiatives for the transportation, industrial development and logistics company. She will continue to manage OmniTRAX’s Network Operations Center.

Grasso, a 2019 Railway Age Women in Rail honoree, joined OmniTRAX in 2016. She has managed the company’s right-of-way real estate portfolio and continuous improvement and operations strategy, and served as an interim safety responsibility lead and a team lead for the Network Operations Center.

“Lucy has demonstrated an exceptional ability to identify opportunities that make us stronger and collaboratively engage stakeholders,” said Sergio Sabatini, President and Chief Operating O cer of OmniTRAX, an a liate of e Broe Group. “She’s been an integral part of our senior operations team, and this expanded role leverages her strengths.”

STEFAN LOEB Watco

HIGH PROFILE: Watco Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial O cer Stefan Loeb was recently named the newest member of RSTAC, a Surface Transportation Board (STB) advisory committee that “provides advice on regulatory, policy and legislative matters, as appropriate, to the STB Board Members, the Secretary of Transportation, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee,” Watco announced last month.

STB Chairman Martin Oberman appointed Loeb in December 2022 to ll a vacancy on the 15-member council that consists of senior o cials representing large and small shippers, and large and small railroads. Loeb holds one of the positions advocating for small railroads.

“Representing Watco on RSTAC is a real honor,” said Loeb. “Interacting with the top industry regulators and customers on the multitude of topics brought forth to the STB puts us in a great position to help move the industry forward to the bene t of our customers and overall industry.”

“Stefan will be outstanding in this role,” said Watco CEO Dan Smith. “His familiarity with our diverse customer base gives him visibility into the various needs, challenges and service solutions required to provide impactful rail service. He can bring that knowledge into the RSTAC discussions.”

RSTAC meets quarterly, and Loeb attended his rst meeting December 7-8 in Washington, D.C.

Watco Executive Chairman Rick Webb is a past RSTAC member.

PS Technology (PST) last month named Rushi Patel President and CEO, effective immediately. Patel has a strong business background in consulting, strategy, supply chain, finance and technology, which will “complement and strengthen the PST leadership team as they navigate continuing growth, customer service and support,” the company said.Previously, Patel spent several years at Union Pacific (UP), where he and his team were instrumental in creating, governing, communicating and enabling the digital transformation that is driving many of the current initiatives in UP Tech. “He is looking forward to helping advocate for PST’s customers, who are also experiencing similar demands and transformations,” the company said. Patel received a bachelor’s degree in finance and risk management from Georgia State University in Atlanta and a Master of Business Management and Systems from New York University.

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) appointed Ronald Keele Chief Safety Officer. He will report to SEPTA General Manager and CEO Leslie S. Richards. In his new role, Keele leads the development, monitoring and necessary adjustment of SEPTA’s plan to “ensure a safe and healthy environment for all employees, riders and community members,” SEPTA said. “He will develop methods to measure the Authority’s safety performance and establish programs to routinely involve executive leadership in safety planning.” Keele comes to SEPTA from the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), where he served as Chief Safety Officer. At WMATA, he oversaw the Authority’s Department of System Safety and Risk Management, which includes passenger, vehicle and fire life safety; environmental safety and health; safety training; and the workers’ compensation and quality assurance offices. Keele brings more than 35 years of experience in the safety field, with 29 years in mass transit safety. Before joining WMATA, he was the Executive Director of Safety, Quality Assurance and Risk Management for the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA), where he managed the investigation of all accidents involving fatalities or serious injuries, reported unsafe acts, unacceptable hazardous conditions, derailments, and collisions. He also managed the system safety design review of all MTA new facilities and equipment.

2023: A Milestone Anniversary Year

This year is the 110th anniversary of the founding of the American Short Line Association, our oldest predecessor. On Sept. 17, 1913, 22 short line railroad managers met in Atlanta, Ga., to form the Short Line Railroad Association of the Southeast. e primary purpose of the organization was to deal with legislative matters, particularly amending the federal railway mail pay law so that short lines could obtain an increase in pay for transporting the mail.

By 1917, the membership had expanded beyond the southeast and the organization was renamed the American Short Line Railroad Association. Because addressing federal legislative matters continued to be the organization’s primary purpose, the headquarters was moved to Washington, D.C.

is milestone anniversary year ttingly marks the in-person return of Railroad Day on Capitol Hill, a railroad industry lobbying event forced into a virtual format for the past two years due to COVID-19.

ASLRRA rst organized Railroad Day on Capitol Hill in 1994, and it has grown into a hugely successful industry-wide event that educates Congress on railroad issues and builds important relationships with the legislators and their sta s who impact our businesses. ankfully, this event returns to an in-person format on May 17, and more than 350 railroad industry representatives will once again walk the hallways of Congress to carry on the important legislative work originally envisioned by ASLRRA’s 22 founding members.

e economics of mail transportation won’t be on the agenda, but there is much to be covered at this year’s event. First and foremost, there are more than 80 new Members of Congress who likely know very little about short lines and regionals and need to be educated on what we do, how we do it, and how their policy decisions impact us. We need them to understand the impact of regulations such as FRA’s unjusti able two-person crew mandate and any increases to truck sizes and weights. We need to highlight the important railroad rehabilitation projects made possible by the CRISI/RAISE/INFRA/RCE programs and encourage the full funding of those

programs in FY 2024. ASLRRA hopes to supplement these existing programs with a new agriculture-related infrastructure grant program to be included in the Farm Bill, which is up for reauthorization in 2023. Our proposed legislation would be aimed at improving the rst-mile/lastmile connections for agricultural shippers and at providing funding for the customer infrastructure needed to reduce delays and increase capacity.

Prior to Railroad Day on Capitol Hill, ASLRRA will host its Annual Conference and Exhibition April 2-4 in New Orleans, La. We have fortunately been able to conduct this meeting in person for the past two years and are looking forward to a very wellattended and informative meeting in 2023.

e meeting will feature a bustling Exhibit Hall with more than 150 rail suppliers and contractors showcasing the latest products and technology to address a wide array of business challenges, and we’re hoping to have north of 1,500 railroaders in attendance.

e meeting will feature 40-plus hours of industry-speci c education delivered by expert speakers. Individual sessions will include updates on current STB issues impacting short lines, responsibilities under the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse for short lines with CDL drivers on sta , an Operation Lifesaver Authorized Volunteer training session, presentations by winners of ASLRRA’s Business Development Awards highlighting innovative short line marketing successes, and the always informative and entertaining Railroad Industry Economic Outlook by railroad analyst Tony Hatch.

In what should be of particular interest to all railroads and suppliers, there will be a session covering the growing list of federal infrastructure grant opportunities. Infrastructure spending used to be synonymous with highway spending, but that picture is changing dramatically. Since 2017, across all the federal infrastructure programs where freight rail was eligible to compete with other surface transportation modes, there has been $15.8 billion in awarded funds, with approximately $4 billion of that bene tting freight rail projects. Nearly $2 billion was associated

with investments in rail infrastructure owned by Class II or Class III carriers, or infrastructure over which a small railroad had access in the project area. Our session will provide updates on rail eligibility; 2023 application deadlines; and most important, a review of what makes for a successful application under the various funding programs. Our goal is to help short lines and regionals prepare better applications and to encourage more of them to apply for what has become a signi cant source of infrastructure funding.

Railroad Day on Capitol Hill is the event where short lines, regionals and rail suppliers help ASLRRA deliver the messaging that is so important to securing the public policy decisions critical to success. Our Annual Conference and Exhibition is the event where ASLRRA can help with information, education and networking opportunities critical to success, and where policies and programs that will drive the industry forward are discussed. Neither event should be missed! Registration information for these two meetings can be found at www. aslrra.org/events. Register today. I’ll see you in D.C. on May 17 and New Orleans on April 2!

two important dates for your 2023 calendar:

April 2 and may 17.”

Financial Edge

‘Where Are The Loads? There Ought To Be Loads’

January is always an unusual month. Holiday coziness is quickly exchanged for the realities of credit card bills, a “don’t talk to me about what you did in 2022; what are you going to do for me in 2023?” attitude from employers (apologies to JFK) and a new set of 52 weeks over which to compare railcar loadings. Ask any fan from any football team trying to survive through the NFL playoffs: January is an odd month.

is January and February are made more challenging over worries about an impending recession. From the rail perspective, it’s not a leap to say that the recession has already begun. Rail loadings are generally forward indicators, and last year’s barely break-even (on general freight) levels are being backed up with a weak start to 2022 (combined with the impact of an early lunar new year). Rail is not alone. J.B. Hunt announced pessimism about the rst half of 2023 while also acknowledging that the end of 2022 was tepid. at is not a good sign for intermodal growth in 2023.

As the song goes, “Send in the recession. Don’t bother—it’s here.”

North American rail has two powerful trends for the finance side of the rail business in 2023. On the one hand, the industry needs growth, and prospects for growth seem dim. On the other side, car supply is tight and new car orders are not expected to touch 50,000 deliveries in 2023. Softer production numbers (along with lackluster rail service) are likely to keep car supply tight through all of 2023 and into 2024. That’s bad news for companies that load railcars, but good news for railcar owners who are enjoying higher lease rates.

Loadings growth in North America needs to come from somewhere. “Financial Edge” has, in the past, addressed the struggles of the railroads to balance the needs and demands of the NIMBYs and the YIMBYs. Recently, the Chicago Tribune addressed just that kind of battle related to Norfolk Southern’s (NS) planned expansion of an intermodal yard in the Englewood section of Chicago’s South Side.

e debate highlighted in the Tribune is at the crux of so much that plagues North American rail right now. e industry needs growth. Growth needs to address the concerns of all involved parties: residents, community leaders, business leaders and workers. Growth cannot come at any cost, but is o en seen as an opportunity to balance the scales of economic justice.

It’s a wonder that the crumbling U.S. infrastructure (in severe need of a refresh and rehabilitation) ever got built. Without TV rights, ad revenue and playo competition on a Sunday evening, it seems pretty damn hard to generate enthusiasm for the economic spend.

It’s no surprise that NS (or any other railroad) wants to expand near a pre-existing location. Amazon may be able to locate a city-sized warehouse on any tract of barren land 90 minutes outside of a major metro area; rail yards and track don’t just appear. Rail assets can’t, by their nature, provide the logistic exibility of trucks. Surprise, neither can rail yards.

Cities and towns grew around rail depots, and it was useful to have rail yards closer to the commercial area. NS is being asked to pay the price (whatever that price ultimately will be) to expand its local footprint.

Let’s face it: ese are tough choices for all parties. If the city of Chicago could e ectively develop the location to improve quality of life and create a safer place to live, perhaps there’s a solution that would allow (or maybe better yet incentivize) NS to move that yard to a di erent

location. Barring that, to penalize NS and the community by prohibiting growth makes no sense.

e cost of doing business had to be reasonable. America and Americans need to decide what they want the railroads to be.

Add another log to the re (or just shi around the already existing ones) of challenges facing North American rail and growth in 2023.

Like the song says, “Where are the loads? ere ought to be loads. Well, maybe next year … ”

At the 2023 Rail Equipment Finance Conference, a roster of industry experts will address issues of industry growth, car supply and car demand for 2023 and beyond. ere will be discussions on individual car types and the opportunities for growth in those car classes. Look for a macro and micro review of the rail economy and of those factors impacting growth. Attendance is expected to top 400 participants this year. Con rmed shipper and railroad attendees receive a 50% discount on admission. Register today at www.railequipment nance.com.

Financial Corp.

DAVID NAHASS President Railroad

We’re current, are you? FRA

Department Regulations

This final rule provides the statutorily-prescribed 2023 adjustment to civil penalty amounts that may be imposed for violations of certain DOT regulations.

DATES: This final rule was effective January 6, 2023.

Part 215: Freight Car Safety Standards

49 CFR 215. Prescribes the minimum safety standards for freight cars allowed by the FRA. Includes safety standards for freight car components, car bodies, draft system, restricted equipment and stenciling. Softcover, spiral. Updated 1-6-23

BKFSS Freight Car Safety Standards $9.50

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Part 232: Brake System Safety Standards

49 CFR 232. Regulations and general requirements for all train brake systems, inspection and testing, periodic maintenance and training requirements, and end-of-train devices for Class I, II, and III railroads. Plus the introduction of new brake system technology. Softcover. 155 pages. Updated 12-11-20

BKBSS Brake System Safety Standards $17.50

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Passenger Equipment Safety Standards and Passenger Train Emergency Preparedness

49 CFR 238 - 239 Part 238 covers: Safety planning/ General Requirements - Tier I & II Passenger Equipment - Specific safety planning requirements for Tier II passenger equipment Part 239 covers: Specific requirements - Review, approval, and retention of emergency preparedness plans - Operational (efficiency) tests; inspection of records and recordkeeping Softcover. Spiral bound. Updated 1-6-23.

BKPSS Pass. Equip. Safety Stan. and Pass. Train Emerg. Preparedness $26.95

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WHEN YOUR BUSINESS RELIES ON RAIL, RELY ON US.

TrinityRail ® is North America’s leading railcar equipment and services provider. With a comprehensive platform of leasing, manufacturing, maintenance and professional services, you can rely on TrinityRail to fully deliver trusted expertise, innovative solutions and supply chain optimization. Learn more at TrinityRail.com.