Prototype News

Amtrak on Feb. 10 showcased the first new Airo trainset from Siemens Mobility at Union Station in Washington, D.C. It features the Amtrak Cascades evergreen, cream, and mocha color scheme and Cascade Range mountain graphics.

(Courtesy of Amtrak)

Amtrak President Roger Harris (pictured above, second from right), USDOT Deputy Transportation Secretary and Amtrak Board Member Steve Bradbury (second from left), FRA Administrator David Fink (far right), and Siemens Mobility CEO Tobias Bauer (far left) attended the event (watch below).

Behind the scenes at the Airo Fleet First Look event today w/ @USDOT, @USDOTFRA, and @SiemensMobility.

Airo trains represent a new generation of passenger rail, designed to improve comfort, reliability, connectivity, and capacity as demand for rail travel continues to grow.… pic.twitter.com/EOjJpb5dnH

— Amtrak (@Amtrak) February 12, 2026

The first of the 83 Airo trainsets—ordered in 2021 and 2023 and funded as a part of the federal Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act—are slated to enter revenue service on the Amtrak Cascades route, which serves 18 stations across the Pacific Northwest between Seattle, Wash.; Portland, Ore.; Vancouver, B.C.; and Eugene, Ore., according to “America’s Railroad.” Siemens is expected to finish manufacturing all eight Cascades trainsets this year at its Sacramento, Calif., plant.

The first Cascades trainset left the plant July 22, 2025, and wrapped up testing in Pueblo, Colo., in October before officially heading to the Northeast Corridor (NEC) for additional testing.

(All Photographs Courtesy of Amtrak Cascades)

Airo trainsets will also be deployed in the coming years on the Northeast Regional, Empire Service, Amtrak Virginia Services, Keystone Service, Amtrak Downeaster, Maple Leaf, New Haven-Springfield-Greenfield Service, Palmetto, Carolinian, Pennsylvanian, Vermonter, Ethan Allen Express, and Adirondack routes.

According to Amtrak, the first trainsets for the Northeast Regional will complete production and begin testing this year, with revenue service expected to start in 2027.

(Courtesy of Amtrak)

Collectively, the 83 trainsets, valued at $3.909 billion, “will form the backbone of a modernized Amtrak network—expanding capacity, improving reliability, and enhancing the end-to-end travel experience for customers across the country,” Amtrak said. The final new Airo trainset is anticipated to enter service in 2031/2032.

(All Photographs Courtesy of Amtrak Cascades)

Each trainset will seat more than 300 riders, offer “large and sturdy” tray tables, cushioned headrests, water bottle holders, and seatback tablet holders; panoramic windows and additional table seating; a redesigned café car, which for Cascades service will feature “local Northwest favorite foods including beer, wine, and spirits along with some self-service food options”; and amenities such as individual outlets, USB ports, free onboard Wi-Fi, “enhanced” lighting, digital customer information displays, automated steps, and touchless restroom controls.

(Courtesy of Amtrak Cascades)

The introduction of the new Airo trainsets follows the rollout of NextGen Acela, which entered NEC service last August and served more than 60,000 riders in the first month.

“Together, these new trainsets signal a fundamental shift in how Amtrak serves customers—reshaping the travel experience today while laying the foundation for long-term growth,” Amtrak said.

Further Reading:

• Airo Trainsets Prepare for Shipment (part of Transit Briefs)
• Amtrak King Street Yard Upgrade Under Way
• Production of Amtrak Airo Trains ‘Boosting Business Nationwide’
• Amtrak Orders 10 Additional Airo Trainsets
• OIG Releases Audit Report on Amtrak Intercity Trainset Program
• First Look: Amtrak Airo
• From Siemens: Amtrak’s Next-Gen Trainsets
• OIG to Amtrak: Improved Facilities Planning Needed to Support New Trains
• NextGen Acela Inaugural Run Impressions

(Courtesy of Amtrak Cascades)

The post Watch: Amtrak Debuts Airo appeared first on Railway Age.

Trinity reported total company revenues of $611.2 million for the three months ending Dec. 31, 2025, down 2.97% from the prior-year period’s $629.4 million due to “lower external deliveries in the Rail Products Group, partially offset by higher lease rates and higher maintenance services revenues.” For full-year 2025, revenues were $2.2 billion, dipping 34% from 2024’s $3.1 billion, also due to “lower external deliveries in the Rail Products Group.”

Rail Products Group revenues came in at $426.7 million in fourth-quarter 2025, down 23.3% from $526.3 million in 2024 “due to lower deliveries,” Trinity reported. In the three months ended Dec. 31, 2025, the Group delivered 2,945 railcars; received orders for 1,800 railcars, valued at $241.8 million; and had a backlog value of $1.66 billion. This compares with fourth-quarter 2024’s 3,760 railcars delivered; 1,500 railcars ordered, valued at $191.9 million; and a backlog value of $2.14 billion.

“In the Rail Products Group, we delivered a full-year operating margin of 5.2%, within our guidance range. Achieving this margin despite a 46% decline in year over year deliveries underscores the progress we have made in creating a more resilient and adaptable operating platform,” Savage said.

For the Railcar Leasing and Management Services Group, revenues were $315.8 million, up 9% from fourth-quarter 2024’s $287.1 million. The company attributed this to “favorable pricing on external repairs and higher lease rates, partially offset by a lower volume of external repairs in the maintenance services business. Fleet utilization came in at 97.1% in fourth-quarter 2025 vs. 97.0% in the prior-year period.

“In our Railcar Leasing and Services Group, full-year revenues increased 6% year over year, reflecting continued repricing of our fleet at market rates and net fleet growth. Additionally, the railcar partnership restructuring reinforces our confidence in the value of our lease fleet and its earnings growth potential. The market value of our lease fleet is substantially higher than its book value, and we plan to proactively and consistently monetize this embedded value through increased secondary market sales as an integral part of our capital allocation strategy,” Savage said.

For fourth-quarter 2025:

• Quarterly income from continuing operations per common diluted share (EPS) of $2.31; $1.93 improvement in EPS year over year
• Non-cash pre-tax gain on railcar partnership restructuring of $194 million.
• Lease fleet utilization of 97.1% and FLRD of positive 6.0% at quarter-end.
• Quarterly railcar deliveries of 2,945 and new railcar orders of 1,800.

For full-year 2025:

• Full-year EPS of $3.14; $1.33 improvement in EPS year over year.
• Full-year cash flow from continuing operations of $367 million and net. gains on lease portfolio sales of $91 million.
• Full-year Return on Equity (ROE) of 23.2% and Adjusted ROE of 24.4%.

2026 Outlook

Trinity offered the following guidance for this year:

• Industry deliveries of approximately 25,000 railcars.
• Net fleet investment of $450 million to $550 million.
• Operating and administrative capital expenditures of $55 million to $65 million.
• EPS of $1.85 to $2.10, which the company said, “excludes items outside of our core business operations.”

Trinity Industries President and CEO Jean Savage

“Looking ahead, we are introducing full year 2026 EPS guidance of $1.85 to $2.10, reflecting continued lease rate growth, higher expected gains from increased secondary market activity, and stable margin performance,” Savage said. “We are intentionally structured to generate resilient earnings and strong cash flow through disciplined lease pricing, active portfolio management, and balanced capital deployment.”

More details can be found on the Trinity Industries Investor Relations site.

The post Trinity: ‘Disciplined Lease Pricing’ and ‘Active Portfolio Management’ Delivers ‘Strong’ 4Q25, Full-Year Results appeared first on Railway Age.

Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) and Americold, through a partnership begun in 2023, are “transforming the way temperature sensitive food moves between the U.S. and Mexico,” the Class I railroad reported Feb. 11.

(Screen grab from CPKC video)

The collaboration, it said, offers temperature-controlled rail service for perishable commodities like produce and protein from Kansas City, Mo., to Mexico (see map above); it provides customers “with direct access to an integrated, end-to-end cold chain network designed for reliability, efficiency, and compliance.”

Mexico is a leading producer globally of fresh and frozen produce shipped north into the U.S. The Midwest U.S. is a key producer of proteins, including beef, chicken and pork, shipped south. These freight flows make up part of a large cross-border temperature-controlled market… pic.twitter.com/aJzYZEvyOz

— CPKC (@CPKCrail) February 11, 2026

Americold’s import-export hub in Kansas City, which opened last summer and is co-located with CPKC’s IFG intermodal terminal, serves as a consolidation and launch point. It supports CPKC’s Mexico Midwest Express (MMX), a single-line North American rail service for refrigerated shippers between U.S. Midwest markets and Mexico, which kicked off in 2023, following a proof of concept in 2022 between then Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern, which merged April 14. It also enables more seamless and efficient service for MMX customers, according to Americold.

(Screen grab from CPKC video)

Key features at the hub include onsite USDA and SENASICA inspection services. “SENASICA, Mexico’s National Service of Health, Food Safety and Quality, oversees agri-food imports, ensuring products entering Mexico meet strict requirements,” CPKC reported. “Completing mandated inspections and certifications in Kansas City bypasses costly bottlenecks at the U.S.-Mexico border. Teams conduct thorough checks, provide necessary documentation, and certify loads, streamlining customs clearance before departure for Mexico-bound product and after arrival for U.S.-bound product.”

This pre-inspection process, CPKC continued, “accelerates delivery timelines and preserves product quality by maintaining the integrity of shipments throughout the journey.” Additionally, the railroad said its “direct, nonstop service leverages seamless rail connections and reduces overall handling, further diminishing chances of spoilage, temperature excursions, or theft.”

(Screen grab from CPKC video)

“Our collaboration with Americold exemplifies how strategic relationships can redefine cross-border supply chains,” said Jordan Kajfasz, CPKC Vice-President Sales and Marketing Intermodal. “By combining CPKC’s seamless, single-line rail network with Americold’s world-class temperature-controlled facilities, we’re setting a new standard for cold chain efficiency in North America. Together, we’re delivering speed, reliability, and peace of mind to our customers across the continent.”

“This partnership is strengthening the most important part of the food supply chain—reliability for our customers,” said Bryan Verbarendse, President, Americas at Americold. “By combining Americold’s temperature-controlled expertise with CPKC’s single line rail network, we’re creating a faster, more predictable, and more resilient cross border solution. It’s a smarter way to move food, and a meaningful step toward building a North American cold chain that delivers for our customers every day.”

Separately, Union Pacific, CN and GMXT (Grupo Mexico Transportes, comprising Ferromex, Ferrosur and IMEX) in 2023 introduced Mexico-U.S.-Canada “Falcon Premium” interline intermodal service for automotive parts, food, FAK (freight all kinds), home appliances and temperature-controlled products.

Further Reading:

• Americold Celebrates Grand Opening of First Cold Storage Facility at CPKC Terminal
• Watch: CPKC Joins Americold for Port Saint John Facility Groundbreaking
• CPKC, Americold Eye Co-Development in Mexico
• Americold Breaks Ground on First Cold Storage Facility at CPKC Terminal
• Americold Kicks Off Collaboration With CPKC
• CPKC, Americold Partner on Cold Storage Facility Co-Location Initiative
• For New Brunswick, C$82MM in Supply Chain Investment
• For CP, Hapag-Lloyd, Additional Call Into Port Saint John
• CP: “We’re Back” on the Atlantic Ocean

(Screen grab from CPKC video)

The post CPKC+Americold: ‘Heating Up the Supply Chain’ appeared first on Railway Age.

Dwell refers to the average amount of time a railcar spends in a terminal before it’s transported to its next stop. When it comes to dwell, the lower the better. Velocity refers to the average miles per day of a railcar or locomotive; the higher, the better. Both measures are indicators of the efficiency of our rail network. 

Dwell was at a historic low in 2025, thanks to efforts by teams at our terminals.

Merchandise trains can be affected most by dwell improvements. Unlike a unit train where railcars carry the same commodity directly from one origin to destination, merchandise trains are assembled in terminals. They’re made up of single cars with multiple types of freight bound for multiple locations. 

Here’s how we improved service for these customers last year.  

• In our merchandise train network, we reduced dwell by 13% to historic lows in 2025. 
• Looking at dwell month by month in 2025, we broke dwell records every month.  
• Last year on average, every railcar on our network spent three fewer hours dwelling at a terminal compared with the previous year. 

Thanks to velocity improvements, we increased miles per day 10% in 2025 over 2024.

“BNSF’s service has been consistent and reliable, and clear communication has strengthened our planning and day-to-day operations,” said Ryan Lawler, area president for the Pacific Northwest at Republic Services, which provides sustainable recycling and waste solutions. “We look forward to building on this momentum in 2026.” 

Velocity is affected by dwell improvements as well because when we improve our capability to move cars through our terminals, we make big gains on the road. For 2025, velocity (in miles per day) increased by about 10% across our network year over year. Additionally, as we built momentum across our network, we improved the efficiency of our resources. Trains holding was cut in half. 

To look at that another way, when we run the network so efficiently, it adds capacity – room to grow. For 2025, that capacity increase allowed us to deliver 60,000-plus additional days of service across 615 customer locations.

2025 was another record year for lifts at our SCOD (Southern California On-Dock) facilities.

Looking at our intermodal service, we also excelled. Here are some examples:

• At our Southern California on-dock facilities at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, where containers are loaded directly from ships to trains, we surpassed our previous yearly record set in 2024 by more than 125,000 lifts. 
• Thanks to our employees and parcel customers working together, we delivered a Perfect Peak with more than 80 million packages. 

“BNSF’s approach to service consistency, innovation and network expansion makes them an essential partner as we work to deliver scalable, future-ready intermodal solutions,” said Spencer Frazier, executive vice president of Sales and Marketing at J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. “Their leadership positions the entire industry for growth.”  

Ag and energy customers also benefitted from service improvements in 2025.

Our agricultural and energy customers also received exceptional service in 2025: 

• For the full year, we moved record volumes of corn, oilseeds/meals and ethanol. 
• In November and December 2025, the export deliveries in the Pacific Northwest were the highest for both months in the past five years. 
• Despite it being the crunch time of year, our shuttle trains operated exceptionally in the fourth quarter, with their velocity running 17% greater than the same 2024 period. 

“BNSF’s strong service consistency and reliable transit times have reinforced our rail supply chain and supported increased throughput across our operations,” said Anil Nath, director, Rail Transportation, Global Commercial Operations with P66. “We look forward to building on this momentum into 2026.”

2025 is a year for which we’re very proud, but we’re not resting on our laurels. We’ve rolled into 2026 with intensity, and we’re focused on continuing to deliver safe, reliable, consistent service for our customers.

The post Delivering on Our Service Promise: 2025 One of BNSF’s Best Years appeared first on Railway Age.

California’s Fullerton Train Museum has preserved the first Metrolink F59PH locomotive. In January, the Southern California commuter operator delivered Metrolink 851 to a sidetrack in Fullerton. Plans call for the locomotive to eventually be displayed publicly and repainted in its original Metrolink livery. 

Built in 1992 by EMD, Metrolink 851 was the agency’s first locomotive and was part of the initial fleet of 35 F59PH and F59PHI units. These engines were later replaced by F125 models. Locomotive 851 was retired from regular service in 2024. 

—Justin Franz 

Metrolink 851 on a test run in 1992. Photo by David Busse. 

The post Metrolink F59PH Preserved in California appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

GPA

GPA announced Feb. 10 that Kevin Price has been appointed as President reporting to CEO Griff Lynch, effective July 1, 2026, with a longer-term transition plan to assume the role of President and CEO in mid-2027.

According to GPA, Price is a “proven operations executive with exceptional credentials” and currently serves as President of Gateway Terminals in Savannah. He has more than 30 years of experience in multiple leadership roles, most recently as Chief Operating Officer of Virginia International Terminals, prior to Gateway Terminals.

“Georgia Ports’ long-term approach with its employees, customers, business partners and infrastructure investments are competitive differentiators. I look forward to working closely with Griff, the Board of Directors and the rest of the Georgia Ports employees to keep building their future momentum and winning trajectory,” said Price.

“I am very excited to have Kevin joining our team. This is a big win for the Georgia Ports and only makes us stronger. He is a proven industry executive whose extensive terminal operations expertise, in-depth knowledge and strong working relationships in Savannah and beyond make him a natural choice for the role. Kevin and I will ensure a seamless transition over the next 18 months,” said Lynch.

Sound Transit

Sound Transit on Feb. 10 announced a series of hiring updates that, the agency says, “strengthens its executive team at an important moment in its history. These experienced leaders will help Sound Transit advance capital projects as quickly as possible, while continuing to drive operational success throughout the agency.”

“This year marks a pivotal chapter in Sound Transit’s history,” said Sound Transit CEO Dow Constantine. “With major Link expansions reaching completion, our Enterprise Initiative driving long-term financial stability, and preparations underway for the 2026 World Cup, these leadership additions equip the agency to seize the moment and deliver transformational transit investments that will benefit generations to come.”

Jessyn Farrell joined Sound Transit on Feb. 9 as Executive Director of Government and Community Relations. A long-time transit advocate, Farrell brings experience across the public, private, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors, including service as a Washington State legislator for the 46th District, Executive Director of Transportation Choices, and most recently Deputy Mayor for the City of Seattle. In her Sound Transit role, Farrell will lead the agency’s legislative engagement and partnership strategies with local, state and federal stakeholders.

“I’m excited to join Sound Transit at this crucial moment,” said Farrell. “I look forward to building upon strong partnerships with local and state government partners, ensuring we can continue to expand safe, reliable transit for future generations.”

Marshall Foster also joined Sound Transit on Feb. 9 as Chief Planning and Development Officer, a role in which he leads the newly established Office of Planning and Development within the agency’s Executive Department. With more than 25 years of experience in large-scale project planning and development, Foster will “help ensure the agency can plan effectively not only for major capital projects but can also deliver an agency-wide strategy for both growing and maintaining a high-quality regional transit system.” With the support of the CEO, the Executive Department, Sound Transit says, “will enable the agency to take a proactive role with local partners in maximizing opportunities for place-making and transit-oriented development and evolve and adapt the transit system to changing needs over time.”

“I couldn’t be more excited to join Sound Transit at what is a consequential moment,” said Foster. “We are building a light rail system that will reshape our region, which brings with it unparalleled opportunities to create vital public spaces and connected communities around the new system. My goal in this new role will be to lift up and align planning functions across the agency—to ensure we are planning for the long-term, creating partnerships that deliver great projects, and make the most of every opportunity to bring benefit to the region we serve.”

Sound Transit also announced the return of Brooke Belman as Agency Deputy CEO, effective Feb. 23. A former Sound Transit leader with nearly two decades of experience at the agency, most recently as Interim CEO and Deputy CEO of System Expansion. Among her many accomplishments, she led the development of the agency’s first Equitable Transit-Oriented Development policy, reimagining the program in service of creating transformational affordable housing projects near agency facilities. Belman will support strategic planning, build relationships with the Federal Transit Administration, and co-lead the Senior Leadership Team. Her return “brings deep institutional knowledge and trusted leadership at a critical moment for the agency’s capital program and long-term priorities,” the agency noted.

“I’m thrilled to return to Sound Transit and help lead the agency into its next chapter,” said Belman. “Sound Transit’s staff is truly among the best in the industry, and it’s an absolute privilege to rejoin this exceptional organization. Working alongside the leadership team, we will advance strategic planning, enhance the service our riders rely on, strengthen partnerships, and deliver capital projects that will shape and connect our region for generations.”

RBMN

Reading & Northern Railroad on Feb. 10 announced that Jim Raffa has been promoted to the position of Chief Marketing Officer.

Jim Raffa, Chief Marketing Officer, RBMN

Raffa began his railroad career in 1989 with Reading & Northern’s predecessor, the Blue Mountain & Reading Railroad, as a trackman. After the Reading & Northern Railroad was formed in December 1990, he transitioned to Coal Traffic Manager and Real Estate Manger. In 2007, Raffa accepted an ownership position with Lehigh Railway and Luzerne & Susquehanna Railway. In 2020, after the sale of those rail lines to R.J. Corman, Raffa returned to Reading & Northern to manage the petrochemical and minerals accounts, including the natural gas and Marcellus Shale business. He was named Executive Vice President of Marketing & Sales last year. In addition to the petrochemical and mineral business Raffa assured management of Reading & Northern’s industrial development department. In his new capacity, Raffa will be assisting CEO Andy Muller, Jr.; Executive Vice President Christina Muller-Levan; and President Wayne Michel on strategic and commercial issues, including railroad acquisitions and the potential Union Pacific/Norfolk Southern merger. Raffa will continue to report to Wayne Michel.

When Raffa was hired, Michel said, “Jim brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from his time serving at the Lehigh Railway and Luzerne & Susquehanna Railway. His knowledge of the region and his experience handling frac sand opportunities are critical to us as we continue to grow our railroad and business.”

“Jim has done an amazing job in growing our frac sand business, as he oversaw the creation and building of our Tunkhannock transload operation, which will handle over 4,000 carloads of sand this year. As we embark on expansion opportunities, including in Luzerne County, Jim is the perfect person to ensure that we offer exceptional service to the new Reading & Northern customers as well as continuing our focus on service to all our existing customers,” said Mullen.

Raffa has more than 35 years of railroad experience, specializing in business development, project management, marketing and operations. He was born and raised in Schuylkill County and has a passion for railroads, especially around his hometown of Schuylkill Haven. Raffa graduated from Penn State University in 1988 and has a B.S. in mathematics with a minor in secondary education. He has also completed some graduate courses, working towards a master’s degree in education.

The post People News: GPA, Sound Transit, Reading & Northern appeared first on Railway Age.

Total carloads for the week came in at 208,408, down 4.8% compared with the same week in 2025, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 278,446 containers and trailers, down 2.0% compared to 2025, according to the AAR.

For the week ending Feb. 7, 2026, three of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2025. They were petroleum and petroleum products, up 1,016 carloads, to 10,950; grain, up 709 carloads, to 22,577; and motor vehicles and parts, up 409 carloads, to 16,011. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2025 included coal, down 3,540 carloads, to 53,445; nonmetallic minerals, down 3,265 carloads, to 24,637; and miscellaneous carloads, down 1,702 carloads, to 7,320.

For the first five weeks of 2026, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 1,071,966 carloads, up 2.5% from the same point last year; and 1,346,799 intermodal units, down 3.2% from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first five weeks of 2026 was 2,418,765 carloads and intermodal units, a decrease of 0.7% compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending Feb. 7, 2026, on nine reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 309,723 carloads, up 0.1% compared with the same week last year, and 361,789 intermodal units, up 0.1% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 671,512 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.1%. North American rail volume for the first five weeks of 2026 was 3,338,702 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.1% compared with 2025.

Canadian railroads reported 87,967 carloads for the week ending Feb. 7, 2026, up 6.4%, and 69,979 intermodal units, up 2.1% from the prior-year period. For the first five weeks of this year, they reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 780,380 carloads, containers, and trailers, down 2.1%.

For the week ending Feb. 7, 2026, Mexican railroads reported 13,348 carloads, up 69.1% compared with the same week last year, and 13,364 intermodal units, up 51.3%. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first five weeks of 2026 was 139,557 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 38.0% from the same point last year.

Further Reading:

• AAR: Carloads, Intermodal Down for Week 4
• AAR: U.S. Rail Traffic Up for Week Three
• U.S. Rail Traffic Uptick Continues in Week 2
• For North American Rail Traffic, a Positive Start to 2026
• AAR: U.S. Rail Traffic Down 4% for Week Ending Jan. 3
• Flat Traffic Figures For Week 52: AAR
  

The post AAR: Downward Carloads, Intermodal Trend Continues in Week 5 appeared first on Railway Age.

In March 2025, Wabtec entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the company for $960 million in cash, financed through cash on hand and short-term debt.

The acquisition, Wabtec said at that time, was “anticipated to provide immediate shareholder value with an accretive growth profile, accretive Adjusted EBIT margins, accretive Adjusted EPS in the first year of ownership and accretive return on invested capital (ROIC) over time.” The transaction was subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.

“The purchase price reflects an estimated multiple of 12.5x projected 2025 EBITDA adjusted for transaction costs and projected run-rate cost synergies of $22 million which we expect to be realized over a three-year period,” Wabtec noted last year. “Dellner Couplers is expected to generate approximately $250 million of revenue in 2025 and expected growth that will exceed the company’s average growth over the next five years.”

Dellner Couplers is an 84-year-old supplier of highly engineered safety-critical train connection systems and services for passenger rail rolling stock. With a global installed base of approximately 100,000 couplers and 12,500 gangways, it provides an extensive offering in train connection systems, with production, assembly and aftermarket services facilities in 13 countries serving more than 200 customers.

“This strategic acquisition brings highly attractive and complementary technologies to Wabtec and positions the company for accelerated, profitable growth, while strengthening its portfolio of mission-critical passenger rail systems,” according to Wabtec.

“The addition of Dellner Couplers marks a major step forward in strengthening our Transit business and expanding our portfolio of offerings for this segment,” Wabtec President and CEO Rafael Santana said Feb. 11. “The combination of our expertise and global reach will enable us to deliver more innovative, reliable and sustainable solutions to the rail industry.” 

“The strength of Dellner Couplers’ management team and industry-leading solutions will accelerate our growth strategy in the passenger rail market,” Wabtec Transit President Pascal Schweitzer commented. “The addition of Dellner Couplers aligns with our long-term vision of driving innovation, productivity, safety and reliability for passenger rail on a global scale.” 

Dellner Couplers is the sixth Wabtec acquisition since November 2024. The company has also added Frauscher Sensor Technology Group GmbH, Inspection Technologies, Fanox, Kompozitum, and Bloom Engineering to its portfolio.

(Courtesy of Wabtec) Further Reading:

• Wabtec: ‘Strong’ 4Q25, Full-Year Results
• For CSX, $670MM Power Upgrade Order
• Wabtec Lands $1.2B UP Locomotive Overhaul Order
• CPKC, NS Advance Locomotive Modernizations
• Wabtec, Indian Railways Celebrate Start of Locomotive Service in West Bengal
• Watch: NY MTA Exercises Option for More Wabtec R255s

Railway Age Executive Editor Marybeth Luczak contributed to this report.

The post Wabtec Acquires Dellner Couplers (UPDATED 2/11) appeared first on Railway Age.

NFTA (Courtesy of NFTA)

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has issued the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and Record of Decision (ROD) for the NFTA-Metro Transit Expansion Project, “marking the conclusion of the federal environmental review process and a major milestone in advancing the project,” according to NFTA, which is responsible for airport and surface transportation in Erie and Niagara counties, including light rail, bus, ADA paratransit, two commercial airports, and transportation centers in Buffalo and Niagara Falls. (Download the abstract for the combined FEIS and ROD below.)

MetroTransitExpansion_FEIS_Abstract_remediated_revDownload

The planned project would expand light rail transit service approximately seven miles from the current terminus at the Metro Rail University Station on the University at Buffalo (UB) South Campus to Tonawanda and Amherst, N.Y., including connections to the UB North Campus (download map below).  Through the environmental review process, a No Build Alternative and two Build Alternatives were analyzed, including a light rail transit (LRT) extension and a bus rapid transit (BRT) line, NFTA reported Feb. 10. Based on a comprehensive review of the environmental, social, and economic impacts of the alternatives, NFTA said the LRT Build Alternative was identified “as the option that best satisfies the purpose and need for the project, including the fastest travel time, highest ridership potential, and greatest economic impact compared to the other alternatives evaluated.”

Fig1-1_ExistingMetroRail_ProjectCorridorDownload

The LRT extension will offer a “one-seat ride” between UB’s campuses. It will result in more than 11 million fewer automobile miles traveled annually, “improve regional transit system effectiveness, and support sustainable economic growth through increased transit-oriented development,” according to NFTA.

With the conclusion of the federal environmental review process, NFTA said the project will continue through the remaining federal and local approval processes “with construction, phasing, and funding strategies further refined as it advances toward implementation.”

“Completing the final environmental impact statement marks a pivotal moment in bringing the project vision closer to reality,” NFTA Executive Director Kimberly Minkel said. “It’s an exciting step forward that will support economic growth and improve transportation for generations to come.”

UTA

STV on Feb. 10 reported being selected to support the expansion of UTA’s FrontRunner system (watch video above; download fact sheet below). The nearly $1 billion FrontRunner 2X project will expand the 89-mile commuter rail corridor between Ogden and Provo. Led by the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) and in partnership with UTA and Union Pacific, it will add double track in 11 locations to ease bottlenecks and include 10 new trains, a new maintenance facility, signaling and infrastructure upgrades, targeted track realignments, and a new station in Bluffdale. Together, STV said, these improvements will raise system capacity by more than 50%, cut wait times in half to 15-minute peak service and 30-minute off-peak service, and increase travel time reliability. 

20253_1Pager_FR2X_Overview_State_D01_20260112Download

Working as a subconsultant to Horrocks Engineers, the lead progressive design-build engineer, STV said it is heading up the double-track design for two corridor segments between the Vineyard, Provo, and Orem stations. The firm will also provide “detailed engineering and constructability-focused design solutions that support efficient project delivery.” According to STV, it was selected for “its deep rail engineering expertise and long-standing experience working with both UTA and Union Pacific.” 

Horrocks is part of the progressive design-build team led by the joint venture of Stacy Witbeck and Ralph L. Wadsworth called FrontRunner Forward Partners, which is delivering the corridor-wide improvements for UTA. 

(Courtesy of UTA)

Construction is slated to proceed in phases through 2030, while maintaining FrontRunner service (see project timeline above). 

“FrontRunner is the backbone of Utah’s regional transit network, and this expansion represents a generational investment in connecting communities along the Wasatch Front,” said Heath Therrien, Vice President and Regional Alternative Delivery Director at STV. “We are proud to bring our national rail expertise to the design-build team, supporting UTA and UDOT’s vision for more frequent, reliable and sustainable rail service for riders.”

Sound Transit LRV trainsets cross the I-90 floating bridge during pre-revenue operations on Jan. 9, 2026. Stretching more than a mile across Lake Washington, the Homer M. Hadley bridge connects Puget Sound communities from Seattle to Mercer Island and the Eastside, and is designed for not only I-90 vehicle traffic but also Link light rail. (Courtesy of Sound Transit)

Starting Feb. 14, Link 2 Line test trains will begin simulated service, the final phase of testing ahead of the Crosslake Connection light rail launch next month, according to Sound Transit. During this time, passengers will be able to ride test trains between International District/Chinatown and Lynnwood City Center stations, it reported Feb. 10, and service hours on the existing 2 Line between Redmond and South Bellevue will be extended until midnight (see map below).

(Courtesy of Sound Transit)

During simulated service, two-car 2 Line trains will run between normal four-car 1 Line trains from International District/Chinatown to Lynnwood and back. Trains will arrive every four minutes during weekday peak periods, and every 5 minutes throughout the day.

“The addition of 2 Line trains will significantly increase capacity through the busiest part of the Link system, with double the number of trains running through the downtown Seattle transit tunnel,” Sound Transit reported.

The Crosslake Connection is the final component of the 2 Line, and spans approximately seven miles and includes two new stations at Mercer Island and Judkins Park.

“To complete the 2 Line and connect to the Eastside, Sound Transit engineers had to do something that had never been done before—design light rail on a floating bridge,” according to the transit agency (see photograph, top). The Homer M. Hadley bridge supports both light rail and highway traffic.

Following the Crosslake Connection’s March 28 launch, the full, 35-plus-mile 2 Line will operate from downtown Redmond to Lynnwood and connect with the 1 Line in downtown Seattle at International District/Chinatown Station.

Sound Transit in five years has opened six light rail expansions: in 2023, the T Line service to Hilltop; in 2024, the 2 Line between South Bellevue and Redmond Technology stations and the Lynnwood extension into Snohomish County; and in 2025, the 2 Line extension to Downtown Redmond and the 1 Line extension between SeaTac and Federal Way. The Pinehurst Station at NE 130th Street in Seattle is expected to open later this year.

VTA (Courtesy of VTA)

Fans traveling to Super Bowl LX rode VTA light rail and buses in record numbers, exceeding expectations, the transit agency reported Feb. 9. It carried more than 30,000 riders to and from Levi’s Stadium for the game, about 5,000 more than service planners anticipated and surpassing previous ridership records set during the 2023 Taylor Swift concerts.

VTA scheduled the operation of 22 light rail trains on top of regular service on Super Bowl Sunday.

The transit agency said it rolled out a comprehensive wayfinding and customer information program to support Super Bowl travel that included signage, real-time digital updates, consistent and frequent social media messaging, and news media coverage, and positioned transit ambassadors throughout the system (download map below).

ADA-VTA-SystemMap-011226Download

VTA and its regional partners, including Caltrain and San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), worked to ensure seamless transfers for game-day riders. Service planning also emphasized “a family-friendly experience, with accessible routes, visible staff assistance and security presence, and amenities designed to help riders of all ages travel safely and comfortably,” VTA noted.

Approximately 40% of riders transferred from Caltrain to VTA at the Mountain View Transit Center, while about 60% took VTA light rail from Downtown San José or transferred from BART to VTA light rail at the Milpitas Transit Center.

After the game, VTA said it implemented a modified post-event service plan using two stations—Lick Mill and Great America—instead of the typical single-station configuration. The transit agency cleared more than 13,000 departing riders from light rail platforms in less than 90 minutes, beating the NFL’s two-hour crowd management benchmark, it reported.

SunRail (Courtesy of SunRail)

SunRail in Central Florida is paying tribute to the United States of America’s 250th anniversary this year with a special trainset, which it featured recently on social media (see above).

Over the past 12 years, in three phases (May 2014, July 2018, and August 2024), the Florida Department of Transportation has developed Central Florida’s commuter rail system, which currently operates over 61 miles with 17 stations through Volusia, Seminole, Orange, and Osceola counties (see map below).

SunRail Map (Courtesy of SunRail) Further Reading:

• SNR Celebrates USA’s 250th Anniversary With Specially Painted Locomotive
• UP’s Big Boy Celebrates America’s 250th Birthday With Coast-to-Coast Tour
• NSHR Unveils ‘Semiquincentennial Locomotive’

The post Transit Briefs: NFTA-Metro, UTA, Sound Transit, Santa Clara VTA, SunRail appeared first on Railway Age.

Rather than relying on traditional railcar-level tracking, which requires auto manufacturers and dealers to collect data from multiple railroads and manually associate that information with the VINs of vehicles loaded onto each railcar, VIN Tracking enables users to search, trace, and monitor vehicles directly by VIN, “delivering real-time visibility,” according to TransmetriQ.

“Powered by TransmetriQ’s direct access to high-quality rail data from Railinc[, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Association of American Railroads], the solution provides visibility across more than 600 North American railroads,” TransmetriQ reported Feb. 10. “Users can trace up to 1,000 VINs at a time, view last-reported locations and events, and set alerts or scheduled updates for high-priority vehicles.”

VIN Tracking also supports “historical analysis and integration with enterprise systems through a webhook, enabling broader use across distribution, customer service, and dealer-facing applications,” the company noted.

So far, early users report that VIN-level tracking has “significantly reduced the time spent responding to dealer inquiries and investigating stalled or delayed shipments,” according to TransmetriQ. The capability, it said, has been used daily by automotive logistics teams to monitor plant output, manage distribution flows, and “proactively” address exceptions.

“Automotive logistics teams think in VINs, not railcars,” said Andy Adams, Senior Solutions Engineer at TransmetriQ. “By making VINs searchable and traceable across the rail network, we’re removing a major source of friction and giving shippers faster, clearer insight into where vehicles are and when they’ll arrive.”    

“It’s not surprising that buyers of six-figure vehicles are eager to know when their luxury car will arrive,” he continued. “Now teams who have access to VIN Tracking can provide real-time updates to car buyers as vehicles move by rail from the factory.”

“Having VIN-level visibility changes how teams operate,” added Mika Majapuro, Vice President of TransmetriQ Product Management. “Instead of chasing data across multiple systems and railroads, they can focus on resolving issues and improving performance.”

Further Reading:

• TransmetriQ Launches ‘Ocean to Rail Visibility’ Tool
• ‘Shopping’ Simplified, By TransmetriQ
• New from TransmetriQ: Rate & Route Tool for Optimal Route Selection
• VISIBILITY
• TransmetriQ Launches ‘Reporting & Analytics’

The post TransmetriQ: Improving Finished-Vehicle Shipment Visibility appeared first on Railway Age.

“In the fourth quarter, we achieved double digit sales growth, expanded adjusted operating margins, and grew adjusted EPS 25% … all while building a very strong backlog and generating robust operating cash flow,” Santana continued. “As we exit 2025, I am very encouraged by the underlying momentum of our business and our recent acquisitions, both of which we expect to drive significant value going forward.”

Wabtec reported 4Q25 GAAP earnings per diluted share of $1.18, down 4.1% vs. 4Q24. Adjusted earnings per diluted share were $2.10, up 25.0%. Sales were $2.97 billion and cash from operations was $992 million. Full-year 2025 GAAP earnings per diluted share were $6.83, up 13.1% vs. 2024. Adjusted earnings per diluted share were $8.97, up 18.7%. Total 2025 sales were $11.17 billion, and cash from operations was a record $1.76 billion.

4Q25 Consolidated Results

• Sales increased 14.8% compared to the year-ago quarter “driven by increased sales in the Freight segment, which included acquisitions (Inspection Technologies & Frauscher Sensor Technology), and in the Transit segment.”
• GAAP operating margin was lower than the prior year at 12.0% and adjusted operating margin was up versus the prior year at 17.7%. Both GAAP and adjusted operating margins “benefited from higher gross margin, which was partially offset by higher operating expenses as a percent of revenue.” GAAP operating margins were also “adversely impacted by restructuring costs associated with Integration 2.0 & 3.0, Portfolio Optimization charges, and transaction costs associated with recent acquisitions.”
• GAAP and adjusted EPS “benefited from higher sales and operating margin expansion which was partially offset by higher operating expenses as a percent of revenue. GAAP EPS was further impacted by restructuring charges and transaction costs tied to recent acquisitions.”

4Q25 Freight Segment Results

• Freight segment sales for the fourth quarter were up 18.3%. Equipment sales were up 33.5% “driven by higher locomotive deliveries,” while Digital sales were up 74.4% “driven by the acquisition of Inspection Technologies & Frauscher Sensor Technology.” Components sales were up 11.1%. Services sales were down 5.0% as expected “due to the timing of modernization deliveries.”
• GAAP and adjusted operating margin “benefited from gross margin improvement which was partially offset by higher operating expenses as a percent of revenue.” In addition, GAAP operating margin was “adversely impacted by one-time costs associated with the Portfolio Optimization initiative and purchase accounting adjustments resulting from Inspection Technologies acquisition.”

4Q25 Transit Segment Results

• Transit segment sales for the fourth quarter were up 6.7% “due to strong OE and aftermarket sales.”
• GAAP and adjusted operating margins were “impacted by manufacturing inefficiencies and higher operating expenses as a percent of revenue.”

Backlog

Wabtec’s 12-month and multi-year backlogs “continue to provide strong visibility,” the company said. “At the end of the fourth quarter, the 12-month backlog was $553 million higher than the prior year. And on Dec. 31, 2025, the multi-year backlog was $5.135 million higher than the same time a year ago. Excluding the impacts of foreign currency exchange, the 12-month backlog was up 4.7% and the multi-year backlog was up 20.5%.”

Cash Flow and Liquidity Summary

• During 4Q25, Wabtec generated cash from operations of $992 million vs. $723 million in the year ago period. The increase in cash flow from operations “benefited from improved working capital.”
• At the end of the quarter, the company had cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of $0.79 billion and total debt of $5.54 billion. At December 31, 2025 the company’s total available liquidity was $3.21 billion, which includes $0.76 billion of cash and cash equivalents plus $2.00 billion available under current credit facilities and $0.44 billion of borrowings available under Wabtec’s Revolving Receivables Program.
• Wabtec repurchased $75 million of shares in the fourth quarter, bringing the full year total to $223 million.
• The Board of Directors increased the quarterly dividend by 24% by declaring a regular quarterly common dividend of 31 cents per share, payable on March 2, 2026, to holders of record on Feb. 17, 2026.
• The Board also increased the existing share repurchase authorization to $1.2 billion.

2026 Financial Guidance

• Wabtec’s 2026 financial guidance “expects sales to be in a range of $12.19 billion to $12.49 billion and adjusted earnings per diluted share to be in a range of $10.05 to $10.45.”
• Guidance, Wabtec says, “includes the impact from the recent acquisition of Dellner Couplers, which closed on February 10, 2026.”

Wabtec President and CEO Rafael Santana

“Looking ahead, our record $27 billion multi-year backlog provides strong visibility and positions Wabtec for sustained growth. At the same time, our team remains committed to advancing innovation, driving operational excellence, and maintaining disciplined capital allocation to deliver long-term value for our shareholders,” Santana concluded.

The Wabtec website provides more earnings details.

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A three-truck narrow-gauge Shay engine is heading back to California. West Side Lumber Co. 12 was recently acquired by the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad from the Colorado Railroad Museum. 

The three-foot-gauge locomotive was built by Lima Locomotive Works in 1927 and operated for many years in California. During the preservation era, it moved east to Colorado, where it ran on the Georgetown Loop Railroad in the 1980s and 1990s. It eventually found a home at the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden. 

In February, the locomotive was loaded onto a truck in Golden for the trip west. The Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad operates within Sierra National Forest south of Yosemite National Park. It has two other former West Side Shays, Nos. 10 and 15. The railroad said they hope to have the locomotive in service this year. 

—Justin Franz 

The post West Side Lumber Shay Bound for California appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

Caterpillar, Inc., subsidiary Progress Rail and Brazilian logistics firm VLI on Feb. 10 reported celebrating the delivery of the last of eight EMD SD70ACe-BBs. Ordered in 2024 under a $38 million (R$ 200 million) contract, they will operate on the Ferrovia Centro-Atlântica (FCA/Centro-Atlântica Railway), transporting cargo between Brazil’s interior and the ports in the Southeast.

The new locomotives incorporate “advanced AC traction systems, improved adhesion control, and optimized fuel efficiency, features designed to help reduce lifecycle costs,” according to Progress Rail.

Fábio Marchiori, CEO of VLI (Screen grab from VLI video)

The companies also reported signing a maintenance services agreement (MSA) in October, focusing on VLI’s rail operations in the Northern Corridor, which connects the state of Tocantins to the port system of São Luís and serves the Matopiba agricultural region. It is Progress Rail’s first long-term maintenance agreement in South America; with a 10-year duration, it is valued at of up to $96 million (R$ 500 million). The agreement was designed to “increase the availability and reliability of VLI’s locomotive fleet, meeting the growing demand for freight transport in the region,” VLI noted.

“VLI transports cargo from the main sectors that drive the Brazilian economy, such as agribusiness, civil construction and industry,” said Fábio Marchiori, CEO of VLI, which holds the concession for FCA and operates railways, ports, and terminals. “With new and modern locomotives, we also contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reinforcing our role in building a low-carbon and more sustainable logistics network for the country.”

“It is an honor to be in Brazil with VLI and local dignitaries, celebrating a relationship rooted in innovation, reliability and customer focus,” Progress Rail Senior Vice President Brian Callear said during the celebration held Feb. 9. “VLI has a clear vision for operational excellence, and our collaboration will further strengthen locomotive availability and reliability to help meet the country’s growing demand for rail transport.”

(Screen grab from VLI video)

“It is an honor to celebrate another milestone in our long-term relationship with VLI,” said Jack Zhang, Executive Vice President of Locomotives at Progress Rail. “These EMD® SD70ACE-BB locomotives reflect our shared commitment to innovation and the reliability of the Brazilian rail network. VLI has demonstrated leadership in advancing operational excellence, and we are proud to support this trajectory—not only through industry-proven locomotive technology, but also through our recently signed maintenance services agreement, the first of its kind in South America. Together, we are strengthening the Brazilian rail ecosystem and building the foundations for safer and more efficient freight transport for years to come.”

With the arrival of the eight EMD SD70ACe-BBs, VLI said it has acquired 27 locomotives since 2024, totaling investments of approximately $115.4 million (R$ 600 million). VLI in 2023 selected Wabtec to supply nine Evolution Series (ES43BBl) locomotives to support cargo transport on the FCA. 

(Screen grab from VLI video)

The post VLI Takes Delivery of Progress Rail Locomotives appeared first on Railway Age.

INRD

INRD recently announced, via a LinkedIn post, the promotion of Dereck McClure to Director, Service Operations.

McClure has been a dedicated member of the INRD team for more than 13 years, and this new role, the company says, “expands his leadership in ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient daily operations across our network.”

PANYNJ

The PANYNJ Board of Commissioners recently approved the nomination of Kathryn Garcia to serve as the agency’s next Executive Director, effective Monday, Feb. 9.

Garcia brings three decades of experience across government, most recently serving in the administration of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul as Director of State Operations and Infrastructure, where she oversaw major initiatives like the launch of New York City’s congestion pricing program, New York’s nuclear power moonshot, the Interstate 81 Viaduct project in Syracuse, N.Y., the Gateway Hudson Tunnel Project, the Interborough Express, and the redevelopment of John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Previously, Garcia served in senior roles in New York City government, including as Commissioner of the city Department of Sanitation, Interim Chair of the New York City Housing Authority, and as the city’s COVID-19 “food czar,” where she distributed 130 million meals to New Yorkers during the pandemic. As Executive Director, Garcia will lead day-to-day operations across the Port Authority’s air, rail, bridge, tunnel, and seaport operations and will deliver the recently approved 10-year Port Authority capital plan.

Garcia assumes the role of Executive Director following the retirement of Rick Cotton, who served in the role for 8.5 years. Under the leadership of Cotton and Chairman Kevin O’Toole, the agency says it has “delivered an agenda of institutional reform and historic renewal of the Port Authority’s core assets,” advancing major projects like the $50 billion transformation of the region’s three airports, including an entirely new LaGuardia, a rebuilt John F. Kennedy International Airport, the new Terminal A at Newark Liberty and a replacement for AirTrain Newark.

The agency’s Board of Commissioners also approved the nomination of Jean Roehrenbeck to serve as Deputy Executive Director. Roehrenbeck brings extensive experience in federal transportation policy government affairs. She most recently served as a Vice President at Summit Strategies, a national government affairs and strategic consulting firm. Previously, Roehrenbeck served at the USDOT under Secretary Pete Buttigieg, including as Acting Assistant Secretary for Governmental Affairs, where she led the department’s engagement with Congress and state and local governments and managed all governmental affairs operations. She served on the department’s senior leadership team during the rollout of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, helping advance major infrastructure initiatives nationwide. Earlier in her career, Roehrenbeck was Chief of Staff to then-U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey in the U.S. House of Representatives.

As deputy Executive Director, Roehrenbeck will report directly to the Executive Director.

HNTB

Bryan Jones, HNTB Mid-Atlantic Division President and Senior Vice President, has been appointed to the USDOT’s newly formed BTIC. Established by U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy, the Council, HNTB says, “will advise on policy and design strategies that elevate the aesthetic quality of the nation’s highways, bridges and transit systems.”

With more than 20 years of strategic transportation planning, policy development and infrastructure delivery experience, Jones has deep expertise in highways, bridges, mass transit and rail systems. He has guided major programs from early planning through full implementation, successfully navigating funding mechanisms and legislative requirements. 

Jones is a recognized national voice in transportation policy. He serves on the board and Leadership Council of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, chairs its Surface Transportation Reauthorization Council and sits on the board of the Greater Washington Board of Trade. He is also a member of the Economic Club of Washington and the American Road & Transportation Builders Association.

“It’s an honor to join this Council and help shape infrastructure that delivers both beauty and function,” Jones said. “This initiative is an important opportunity to advance transportation solutions that are safer and reflective of the communities they serve. As transportation needs evolve, embracing thoughtful and innovative design approaches will be essential to improving reliability and enhancing the experience for every user.”

STV

STV on Feb. 9 announced that Jerry Jannetti has joined the firm as President of its Transportation South Operating Group following the retirement of Jerry Stump, who will join the firm’s Advisory Board.

“This leadership transition is a move from strength to strength,” said STV CEO Greg Kelly. “Jerry Jannetti will further drive growth across this region, leveraging his strong client relationships and commitment to developing future leaders. As Jerry Stump joins our Advisory Board, we will continue to tap into his years of expertise and client relationships as we further position STV for growth.”

Jannetti brings more than four decades of experience delivering complex infrastructure programs and, most recently, led a $1.5 billion transportation and infrastructure business overseeing water, highways, bridges, transit, rail, aviation, mobility and ports programs. Throughout his career, he has guided some of the most significant transportation projects in the country, including major transit expansions, tunneling programs and public-private partnerships. In this role, he will “drive the growth of STV’s transportation business in the south region, focused on expanding into new geographies and offering the full suite of STV’s services to new and existing clients,” according to the company. Jannetti has held industry organization leadership positions in American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Maryland, ACEC National Planning, New York Building Congress Board, New York Regional Planning Council Board. He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell.

Stump adds his nearly 45 years of transportation and infrastructure experience to STV’s Advisory Board, which, the firm says, “includes some of the most highly respected industry leaders and infrastructure innovators in the country.” In this new role, he provides strategic advice and support to STV leaders across the company as they execute the firm’s Strategic Plan. Stump previously chaired both ACEC and the Design Professionals Coalition (DPC). He also chaired numerous industry organization committees, including ACEC Transportation Committee, the Government Advocacy Committee and the Planning Cabinet. He has testified before Congressional committees regarding infrastructure policy and chaired various efforts, including the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)/ACEC Joint Committee, helping to set national priorities for federal infrastructure bills. He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Tennessee and a master’s degree in engineering management.

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The event is slated to bring together leaders from Class I railroads, government agencies, suppliers, universities, and global research organizations, and will allow students—the next generation of rail researchers and engineers—to gain “insight into the nation’s most advanced rail research initiatives”; engage with MxV Rail engineers, scientists, and technical experts; and get a “firsthand look at the critical work shaping the future of rail transportation,” according to MxV Rail, an AAR subsidiary.

MxV Rail on Feb. 9 reported that the Student Travel Grant Program will provide up to $1,500 in travel reimbursement, in addition to complimentary registration. It is open to full-time undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in ABET-accredited U.S. institutions.

Interested students should complete this online application form and submit the required materials (including a one- to two-page personal essay and one faculty recommendation letter) by March 6, 2026. Award notifications are expected by March 20, 2026.

According to MxV Rail, the new Student Travel Grant Program, formerly known as University Days, expands its “commitment to fostering academic engagement and supporting students in engineering and physical science disciplines,” as the AAR Research Review will showcase “emerging technologies, high-impact research, and the latest advancements in safety, testing, and innovation.”

“We are proud to invest in developing the next generation of rail innovators,” said Kari Gonzales, President and CEO of MxV Rail. “This travel grant program allows students to immerse themselves in research that directly impacts the safety, efficiency, and future of the North American rail network.”

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Wabtec Corporation has landed its third Class I locomotive order in roughly as many months; this time from CSX. The Jacksonville, Fla.-based railroad on Feb. 9 reported signing a $670 million deal with Wabtec to provide 100 new Evolution Series units, to modernize 50 aging D9s by converting them from DC to AC traction, and to equip all of the locomotives with Trip Optimizer with Smart Horsepower per Ton, which is described as “an EPA-certified system intended to support fuel efficiency.”

Mike Cory, CSX (Courtesy of CSX)

Delivery of the new Evolution Series locomotives is expected to begin this year, with deliveries of the modernized locomotives starting in 2027.

According to CSX, the Evolution Series units will support its fleet “by improving fuel efficiency, tractive effort, and overall reliability,” as they are “designed to reduce fuel consumption while maintaining performance for long-haul and heavy-duty operations.” Additionally, the modernization of the D9s will “extend service life, improve fleet standardization, and enable the use of advanced control and diagnostic technologies, with expected improvements in fuel efficiency, tractive effort, and reliability,” it said.

“Our locomotive fleet is a fundamental element of our safe and reliable railroad,” CSX Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Mike Cory said. “Modernizing these critical assets strengthens network performance and supports the level of service our customers depend on.”

Rogerio Mendonca, Wabtec (Courtesy of Wabtec)

“CSX’s fleet modernization initiative underscores its strong commitment to enhancing operational efficiency and delivering reliable customer service,” added Rogerio Mendonca, President, Freight Equipment at Wabtec. “Our unique partnership supports CSX’s strategic approach to long-term fleet planning. By combining new and modernized locomotives with our industry-proven digital solutions, we expect to continue supporting improvements in fuel performance, operational efficiency, and reliability across CSX’s rail operations.”

CSX in 2024 extended its AC4400 modernization program with Wabtec to give the remaining 200-plus locomotives in its 460-plus unit fleet improved fuel efficiency, reliability, utilization and tractive effort. The contract added to the 260 modernizations that CSX previously ordered. The railroad also selected Wabtec in 2021 to revitalize its yard fleet using the supplier’s Tier 4 switcher modernization program, which upgrades 40- to 50-year-old locomotives and Tier 0 non-emissions switchers to the Wabtec Tier 4 platform.

Separately, Union Pacific on Feb. 4 announced signing a $1.2 billion agreement with Wabtec in fourth-quarter 2025 for the modernization of UP AC4400 locomotives with deliveries expected to begin in 2027, and Canadian Pacific Kansas City and Norfolk Southern last month announced acquisitions of new Tier 4-compliant road units from Wabtec and Progress Rail.

The post For CSX, $670MM Power Upgrade Order appeared first on Railway Age.

This is the third in a five-part series about railroad growth coming from truck conversions. Given the Union Pacific’s proposed acquisition of Norfolk Southern, UP’s Dec 19, 2025 merger application sent to the Surface Transportation Board predicts there will be more than two million trucks converted to rail from this new network within three years.

In Part 1, we established the five-year 26% Domestic Intermodal growth (conversion from truck to rail) goal has not been achieved during the past 15 years per IANA (Intermodal Association of North America). The same statement applies even more so to the applicants submitted three-year proposed timeframe.

In Part 2, we examined the Carload Watershed Market, which is roughly 150 miles west and 100 miles east of the Mississippi River Valley, where major East/West rail interchanges such as Chicago, St. Louis, Memphis and New Orleans are located. We established that the Watershed markets are underserved because of the financial return requirements of two separate railroads for short hauls into these dead zones. Yes, a single railroad can apply a single price equation and put in place more competitive rates than what exists today, but we will not see very much truck-to-rail conversion in three years? Ten years is possible, but it depends on the next best alternative.

Per the chart below from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Intermodal underwent two “growth” periods over the past 25 years, the first in 2001 to 2007 due to International Intermodal growth of almost 5% per year. After the housing crisis and resulting recession, Domestic Intermodal growth began in 2011 through 2018 with a little more than 3% growth per year. Note that overall Intermodal volume has been flat since 2018—zero growth Why? Service has been better since PSR (Precision Scheduled Railroading) was implemented, but with no growth. Is there something else at play?

U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics

That the merger applicants believe there are about two million potential convertible trucks to rail from this acquisition seems viable. The data sets can be bought to replicate the analysis. The question is, how much is realistically convertible in three years? Let’s focus on the 1.17 million trucks to convert to Domestic Intermodal. Looking at Intermodal maps of the UP and NS networks, what are the new Domestic Intermodal lanes being added? One in the application is the EP-AL (El Paso, Tex., to Birmingham, Ala.)—not a huge truck lane in terms of demand, but let’s use it as an example.

Once the transaction completes, rates and service need to be put in place. UP’s Santa Theresa Intermodal Terminal in New Mexico is a relatively new facility. Let’s assume it has lift, parking and gate capacity. I’m not as familiar with Birmingham, but let’s assume it also has lift, parking and gate capacity for the conversions. We need 53-foot containers and chassis at both locations. The IMCs (intermodal marketing companies) that own containers on UP (e.g. Hub Group, Schneider and Knight-Swift) and the rail container programs (let’s focus on EMP and ignore the UMAX/CSX question for now) should have some capacity—maybe 6-8% available, not 26%. New containers will need to be acquired.

Will there be adequate chassis in time for the new business? Like the containers, I have concerns. I don’t see an excess of 6% capacity on 53-foot chassis currently. UP sold off much of its chassis fleet to DCLI (Direct ChassisLink Leasing), so it will depend on how much additional capacity DCLI and/or the IMCs can get their hands on, if they’re willing to invest and buy new chassis. Chassis take time to build and are more expensive than containers. And recall, this is a UP+NS transaction; CSX and BNSF haven’t said they’re going to “get married” and therefore won’t be committing container, chassis or car capacity to UP+NS growth. 

Are there enough well cars in the fleet? Between TTX and BNSF, the largest domestic well car providers, there may be 5-7% available capacity. Cars will need to be acquired and built, and this takes a willingness to invest and time to build. Will BNSF buy cars so UP+NS can grow? Will TTX buy cars for UP+NS? BNSF’s and CSX’s ownership in TTX will have a say. A key element of PSR is maximizing utilization of resources, which is great in flat or down markets. But as history shows us, a lack of resources historically retards rail growth in bull markets. Will UP+NS and their IMCs bet on the future and have additional capacity to capture this growth on day 1? We should be skeptical based upon past experiences.

Having access to capacity when these new lanes are put in place is one element of the equation. An additional element is the sales process. More than 90% of domestic intermodal moves are wholesale moves where the railroad provides rail service to an IMC. That IMC provides the retail price and the door-to-door service, including the container, dray service, rail service and customer service to the shipper. The railroads are largely insulated from the freight payor and the overall door-to-door experience by the intermediary.

Why does this matter? The wholesale model puts a lot of price on the first- and last-mile execution, with which the railroads aren’t involved. There isn’t the same amount of “ownership” for service performance by the railroads as with truck, since there are multiple parties involved and priorities at terminals or handoff points aren’t always aligned. Think of ramp dwell. In addition, much of the truck conversion in the application like the EP-AL lane is short-haul freight that is “messier”: multiple stops, time sensitive, not balanced. It is difficult for customers who truck their freight today to convert to intermodal. It often means that they get a reduced-service product that is more complicated than “just trucking” it. This makes intermodal harder for the railroads to sell. Again, more complicated and not necessarily cheaper.

Converting truck freight to Intermodal isn’t easy. Of all the railroad growth methods, new conversions are the hardest. From experience, it’s far easier to grow with an existing Intermodal shipper who is growing (think Amazon) or “stealing” someone else’s Intermodal business with a better price or leverage in a large buy contract. For the large IMCs vs. smaller niche IMCs, size and scale often wins. Look at J.B. Hunt or Hub Group as examples.

In the existing intermodal network, there isn’t much freight left to grab outside of arbitrage opportunities if fuel prices surge or truck capacity unexpectedly tightens, as it did back in 2013. The main Intermodal lanes like Los Angles to Chicago are largely penetrated by rail in the 60%-70% range. Why not 100%? There are many reasons: Using rail often requires a regular steady volume pairing inbound with outbound to get the right economics. Irregular loads, rush loads, back haul pricing, triangulation, leverage from large truck carriers, diversification of modal portfolios are numerous reasons some portion of convertible freight never converts.

In addition, not all Intermodal lanes offer the same savings. The rail-competitive Intermodal lanes (Los Angeles-Chicago, Los Angeles-Dallas, Chicago-New York/New Jersey, Chicago-Atlanta) are largely penetrated because there is rail-to-rail competition. In Los Angeles-Chicago, BNSF and UP go head-to-head. Pricing and service in this lane are competitive. Shippers can save 20%-30% using rail vs. truck with good service. In Chicago-New York/New Jersey, a similar dynamic exists for CSX and NS. In single-served rail lanes like Laredo, Tex.-Chicago, where there is no BNSF rail competition to UP, the rail rates are 15%-50% higher than the equivalent rates in competitive lanes, making the resulting savings lower or even nonexistent vs. truck.

A desire for rail-to-rail competition is why ocean carriers pushed BNSF to open International Intermodal service from Los Angeles/Long Beach to Salt Lake City, historically a lane where UP only competed against trucks. BNSF entering this market is a great win for shippers in the Salt Lake City area. Rates will come down and service will improve. Container volume currently trucked from Los Angeles/Long Beach to Salt Lake City will convert to rail with service and rail rate competition—better rates, better service and less risk for the shipper than a sole-source provider. Competition will bring growth. More on this in Part 4.

The new proposed UP-NS lane from El Paso to Birmingham may have some freight to convert. How much will convert will be a function of service, rates and available capacity. If the asset capacity investments are made, will a single rail solution lead to 60%-70% conversion? Based on history, I say no. A 25%-35% conversion of the 1.17 million truckloads to Doestic Intermodal, 300,000 to 400,000 loads over five years, is more achievable. Again, this will ultimately depend on service, rates, asset capacity, and balance vs. the truck alternative.

We’ve had three years of stagnant truck rates while rail rates increased at above-inflation levels. The North American rail industry has not grown since 2017 and has consistently lost share to truck and other modes since 2018. Rail is a precious commodity, and the benefits of rail transportation cost savings, access to capacity, environmental benefits and better jobs) are without dispute. Generating new rail-to-rail competition is critical for this transaction to be beneficial. Join us in a few weeks for Part 4 as we peel back the veil on the benefits to shippers and the railroads to competition. Adding competition through reciprocal switching among the Class I’s, like in Canada with interswitching, could make this transaction a win-win for all parties.

Rob Russell, Managing Partner, Russell-Kroese Partners (RKP), is a seasoned transportation executive who operates fluidly from the boardroom to the shop floor. A certified six sigma black belt and a LEAN champion, Rob is a proven business leader who has a track record of strategy development, financial planning, business development, operations and performance management to accomplish an organization’s desired goals. RKP partners with railroads, ports, shippers and land developers on growth strategy, market development, competitive positioning and operational execution. They help clients translate complex transportation dynamics into clear, execution-ready business decisions.  You can learn more about RKP at www.russellkroese.com.

The post Part 3 of 5: Intermodal Conversion – It’s Not Easy appeared first on Railway Age.

Nevada Northern Railway 2-8-0 81 is returning to service after spending more than two and a half years in the shop. On February 3, the engine was fired up, and the following day it successfully ran in the East Ely yard. In the days that followed, the Nevada Northern’s crews worked to reassemble the locomotive, including reinstalling the headlight and pilot, before finally returning it to regular service. 

Locomotive 81 was built by Baldwin in 1917 and hauled iron ore on the NNRy until 1958. After being on display in town for decades, it was moved back to the rail yard in the 1990s, where it sat in the back shop, often overshadowed by the railroad’s two other steam engines, Baldwin 4-6-0 40 and Alco 2-8-0 93. 

In the late 2010s, the railroad began to work on locomotive 81. The plan was to have the engine in service before 4-6-0 40 received a major overhaul, including much-needed running gear work. Not only would 81 provide the railroad with another operating steam engine, but it would also give it a locomotive much better suited to current operations: the 2-8-0 is more powerful than 40 but slightly more efficient than the larger 93. In 2021, 81 was fired up and run for the first time in 63 years. The engine would be NNRy’s primary motive power for the 2022 and part of the 2023 season, but then issues emerged with the pilot truck. As the shop crew began addressing the pilot truck, additional issues arose. Over the next few years, crews replaced the boiler knuckle, boiler rivets, installed new safety valves and more. 

With locomotive 81 back in service, NNRy plans to refocus its efforts on returning 40 and 93 to the main line, with the goal of eventually having all three engines under steam simultaneously. 

—Justin Franz 

The post Nevada Northern 2-8-0 Returns to Service appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

Established in 2016, our annual awards are presented to top North American railroaders under the age of 40 for making an impact in their respective fields or within their companies in the United States, Canada and Mexico. They represent freight and passenger railroads, as well as the supply and consultant/contractor and government communities. Candidates, who were required to be under age 40 as of Jan. 1, 2026, were judged on criteria that included industry experience and education, leadership skills, industry contributions, and community service involvement.

(Shutterstock/Manop Boonpeng)

“Submissions covered job content and brought it to life by describing impacts, results, and, wherever possible, describing examples applying leadership skills and dynamic thinking. Most importantly, it was not just about ‘getting the job done’ but making sure safety was foremost. One take-away I noted this year was that change was not feared but embraced. It was recognized as an opportunity to develop oneself in order to achieve business success,” said former Michigan State Center for Railway & Education Nick Little, program judge. 

Nick Little, Retired Director, Railway Education, Michigan State University (MSU) Center for Railway Research and Education, Broad College of Business, Lansing, Mich.

While in high school in Britain, 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, he came to MSU, initially for one year on loan to work on a research program, but stayed to follow his passion of helping to develop future generations of railway industry expert managers and leaders. He took charge of MSU’s Railway Management Certificate Program at the Broad College of Business in 2013 and retired in 2024.

Kyle Anderson, Communications Director, Amtrak

Anderson is a strategic communications leader who has made meaningful contributions to the passenger rail and transportation industry by elevating how major infrastructure investments are understood, valued, and supported. He has led or supported communications for some of the nation’s most complex and high-profile rail projects, including WMATA’s Silver Line Extension, SafeTrack, and Platform Improvement Program, as well as Amtrak’s capital delivery portfolio—spanning the Connecticut River Bridge Project, East River Tunnel Rehabilitation, B&P Tunnel Replacement Program, and multiple billion-dollar initiatives. Through clear, compelling storytelling, Anderson has helped position Amtrak not only as an essential transportation provider, but as a builder of nationally significant infrastructure. His work translates technical, multi-agency projects into accessible narratives that highlight safety, reliability, accessibility, and long-term economic value, strengthening support among policymakers, media, customers, and industry partners.

Devin Berci, Manager Application Delivery and Support, CPKC

Berci is a technology and business leader who has made significant contributions to the rail industry by modernizing critical lead-to-cash systems and setting new standards for SAP-based rail processes. At CPKC, he led the implementation of an integrated quoting, rating, and assessment solution within SAP Transportation Management, replacing multiple legacy platforms and streamlining processes that support billions of dollars in freight and non-freight revenue. His disciplined approach—leveraging standard SAP functionality and minimizing customization—has positioned CPKC for long-term scalability, smoother upgrades, and future migration to SAP S/4HANA. Berci played a pivotal role during the CP–KCS merger, providing critical guidance to integrate U.S. lead-to-cash processes into a unified system under intense timelines, ensuring continuity for customers across North America. Beyond delivery, he is known for influence-driven leadership, cross-functional collaboration, and a strong commitment to developing future talent through mentorship and safe learning environments. He also gives back through volunteer work with the CPKC Mini Train program, promoting rail safety education in communities across North America while fostering positive connections between the railroad and the public.

Steven Bybee, Senior Vice President of Operations, Southern Region, Union Pacific

Bybee is a seasoned rail operations leader whose career at Union Pacific spans nearly two decades of hands-on experience, progressive leadership, and measurable results across the network. Beginning his career as a Brakeman, Bybee brings deep craft knowledge to every role he’s held, from Field Manager Trainee to senior executive leadership across transportation, network planning, locomotive distribution, and crew management in nearly 20 locations. Today, Bybee serves as Senior Vice President of Operations for Union Pacific’s Southern Region Transportation team. Since stepping into this role in 2024, he has led the region to back-to-back years of best-ever safety performance, with double-digit reductions in personal injuries, derailments, and serious incidents. Under his leadership, the region has also delivered record-setting service reliability, cost control, car velocity, and dwell—driving customer growth through a consistently strong service product. Bybee is known for motivating teams through transparent, safety-first leadership, and continuous improvement. He is deeply committed to developing future leaders and gives back through community service, employee mentorship, and industry engagement, including serving on the Board of Directors for the Alton & Southern Railroad.

Paola Cala-Ortiz, Director, Telos Advisers

Cala-Ortiz is a trusted advisor and infrastructure leader whose work has helped shape some of the most significant rail and transportation initiatives in the U.S. She began her U.S. career at the New York City Department of Transportation and later became one of the first staff members at the Gateway Development Commission, where she played a key role in securing funding and advancing early construction for the Hudson Tunnel Project. At the Commission, Cala-Ortiz led industry outreach forums that brought together construction leaders and federal officials, directly informing procurement strategies, construction risk allocation, dispute resolution frameworks, and insurance and bonding requirements. Today, Cala-Ortiz advises public- and private-sector clients at Telos Advisers on complex transportation and rail programs. Her recent work supporting an Amtrak and NJ Transit collaboration to improve NEC service was recognized with a Distinguished Award from ACEC–New Jersey. She is deeply committed to public service, mentorship, and strengthening governance and delivery models that build long-term public trust in major rail investments.

Matt Denham, General Superintendent of Transportation, BNSF

Denham is a proven rail operations leader with more than 14 years of experience at BNSF, currently serving as General Superintendent of Transportation. Throughout his career, he has held 12 roles of increasing responsibility across 10 geographic locations, building deep operational expertise and a reputation for delivering results. Early on, Denham played a key role in establishing BNSF’s crude-by-rail program and supporting double-track expansion on the Glasgow Subdivision—investments that increased capacity, unlocked new business, and strengthened service across the broader rail network. As a General Manager, Denham consistently elevated safety, service, and efficiency. On the Twin Cities Division, his leadership drove best-ever safety performance, including a 143-day injury-free streak. On the Northwest Division, he led record-setting crude and grain deliveries, achieved industry-leading customer service, restored unit train service for major customers, and supported public safety improvements through community partnerships. He also led landmark operational milestones, including the first PTC train to operate in Canada.

DJ Ezell, Vice President of RWIC Operations, RailPros

Ezell is a rail safety leader with nearly two decades of industry experience and a nationally recognized track record in contract flagging services. Beginning his career as a conductor and Roadway Worker In Charge (RWIC), Ezell built deep frontline expertise before rising into leadership at RailPros, where he has spent more than a decade shaping one of the largest and most advanced flagging programs in the country. Starting as a flagger himself, he helped strengthen audit programs, expand operations nationwide, and develop best practices that now serve all Class I railroads, numerous short lines, and commuter agencies. Today, as Vice President of RWIC Operations, Ezell leads a team that has grown by more than 800 employees and driven more than 250% industry growth. Under his leadership, RailPros became the first FRA-approved flagging program under Part 243 and achieved ISO 45001 certification. Ezell is known for fostering a strong safety culture, advancing innovative tools like the award-recognized On-Track Supplemental Safety app, and setting standards that continue to elevate safety and performance across the rail industry.

Lewis Fitzgerald, Director of Intermodal Operations Planning and Design, CSX

Fitzgerald is a rising operations leader at CSX who has quickly distinguished himself by taking on complex challenges and delivering meaningful, lasting improvements. Recently promoted to Director of Operations Planning and Design – Intermodal, Fitzgerald has demonstrated an exceptional ability to drive operational excellence while strengthening workplace culture. At the Bedford Park Intermodal terminal, he played a key role in implementing major operational changes that improved performance and efficiency. He later led the complete turnaround of the Jacksonville Intermodal terminal, addressing both operational shortcomings and cultural challenges to create a more productive, collaborative environment. Fitzgerald is widely respected for his hands-on leadership style, transparent communication, and “can-do” mindset. He leads by example, inspires trust, and empowers teams to take ownership of their work. Through mentorship and collaboration, he fosters environments where employees feel supported, motivated, and aligned around shared goals. 

Felipe Horta Gomez, Quality Coordinator, Currie & Brown

Gomez is a civil engineer and QA/QC specialist who has made significant contributions to Mexico’s railway infrastructure sector over the past seven years. His work focuses on ensuring safety, regulatory compliance, and technical quality for major rail projects, including the Tren Maya, the Tren Interurbano México–Toluca, and new national rail initiatives under the current federal administration. Gomez plays a key role in the safety certification process, serving as an interface with Independent Safety Assessors to resolve non-conformities and support the development of Safety Cases for commercial operation. As a quality leader, he has professionalized on-site QA/QC practices by standardizing documentation, implementing quality assurance plans for complex subsystems, and coordinating inspection teams across large, multi-section projects. His “boots-on-the-ground” verification ensures civil works meet Mexican regulations and international standards. Beyond project delivery, Gomez is committed to developing future talent through training programs for new inspectors, and he supports local economic development as a small business owner and employer in rural Mexico.

Josh Huster, Chief Strategy Officer, Alpenglow Rail

Huster is an entrepreneurial rail executive who has played a central role in building one of North America’s fastest-growing rail terminal platforms. After beginning his career at OmniTRAX, where he rose to Director of M&A and built the company’s research and analysis team, Huster co-founded Alpenglow Rail in 2016 with a vision to create a premier rail infrastructure business. Under his leadership, Alpenglow secured institutional investment from Stonecourt Capital and BlackRock, completed its first major acquisition, and later formed a long-term partnership with CC&L Infrastructure. Through multiple acquisitions—including USA Rail Terminals, Orange Rail, and Alberta Midland Railway Terminal—Huster has helped grow Alpenglow into a leading terminal operator with six facilities across Canada and the U.S. Gulf Coast. Today, the company switches more than 125,000 carloads annually, manages more than 6,000 railcar storage spots, and provides transloading and cleaning services to blue-chip customers. As Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Huster leads long-term strategy, M&A, and commercial growth while championing safety, ESG initiatives, and community engagement.

Sahand Jafarian, Senior Manager, Track Engineering, Metrolinx

Jafarian is a rail engineering leader whose work has strengthened track design, safety, and workforce capability at Metrolinx. After joining the organization in 2020 as a Track Specialist, he led the development of a comprehensive track design course based on Metrolinx Track Standards, improving technical understanding and collaboration across engineering, project management, and inspection teams. Promoted in 2022 to Manager—and later Senior Manager—of the newly established Track Engineering department, Jafarian built Metrolinx’s first in-house track design team, reducing consultant dependency while delivering 16 design projects to date. Under his leadership, design costs were reduced by 55% per project and delivery timelines by 50%, while reliability improvements tripled the mean time between track geometry failures and cut surfacing costs by two-thirds. Jafarian has modernized track standards, led root-cause initiatives to eliminate recurring defects, and spearheaded one of Canada’s first autonomous track inspection programs. 

Jason Maidment, General Superintendent, British Columbia South, CN

Maidment has made significant contributions to the railway industry through frontline leadership, operational innovation, safety advancement, and people development across CN’s national network. Beginning his career as a conductor in Prince George, he advanced into leadership roles by leading with humility and adapting to diverse operational and cultural environments across Canada. He drove practical innovations to improve network performance, including piloting air cars in intermodal service to enhance winter resilience and network fluidity. A strong safety advocate, Maidment developed a standardized derailment response checklist to guide teams through high-pressure incidents, improving consistency and decision-making. He has led teams through extreme weather, derailments, major disruptions, and a workplace fatality, reinforcing a safety-first culture that prioritizes employee well-being. He also supports leadership development by co-facilitating CN’s LINK program and mentoring employees. His customer-focused approach has strengthened partnerships and improved service reliability across multiple regions.

Ben Miller, Vice President of Engineering, The Greenbrier Companies

Miller is Vice President of Engineering at Greenbrier, overseeing the company’s Engineering organization and advancing tank car safety, innovation, and quality across North America. With a strong mechanical engineering background and regulatory expertise, he was appointed Executive Committee Chairperson of the Railway Supply Institute’s Committee on Tank Cars in 2023, assuming industry leadership following the East Palestine derailment. In this role, he has promoted new technologies, designs, and collaboration to strengthen tank car safety and regulatory alignment. At Greenbrier, Miller has led the modernization and expansion of the tank car portfolio, helping establish the company as North America’s leading producer. He anticipates market and regulatory changes, including introducing an anhydrous ammonia tank car to meet evolving fertilizer needs. A collaborative mentor, he supports workforce development through Greenbrier’s mentoring network and Emerging Leaders ERG while engaging regulators, customers, and industry partners to drive long-term industry value.

Bernie Miller, Quality Manager, Stacy Witbeck / Modern Railway Systems

Miller has built a distinguished career in the railroad industry through a combination of hands-on field experience, technical expertise, and a solutions-oriented approach to quality and client service. He began as a union foreman, pipe layer, and grade checker, building a foundation in construction before earning a degree in construction management. Miller joined Stacy Witbeck as a quality control field supervisor and advanced to Quality Control Manager on major light rail projects, gaining expertise in track and signal installation, testing, and commissioning. In 2015, he joined Modern Railway Systems, where he spent the past decade developing and leading a comprehensive quality program supporting engineering, installation, and testing on complex rail projects across North America. His work has supported agencies including Amtrak, BART, Caltrain, Sound Transit, and Brightline, with key contributions to large-scale cutovers, PTC integration, and high-speed and electrified rail systems. This spring, Miller will assume the role of Corporate Quality Manager for Stacy Witbeck and MRS.

Tim Morris, Hub Manager, Mid-Atlantic IMAU, Norfolk Southern

Morris contributes to the rail industry through safety performance, operational reliability, and improved coordination between railroad teams and third-party partners at a key NS intermodal hub. As lead officer in the Harrisburg Intermodal Yard (HIY), he has consistently reinforced a strong safety culture, and in 2021, the yard marked a milestone: a derailment-free year with no derailments caused by a rule violation. That performance was driven by clear communication, accountability, transparency, and focused checks in identified weak areas. Morris has also improved terminal efficiency and performance. In 2025, he led the implementation of a bobtail lane at HIY, creating an additional entry and exit outside of the main lane and helping expedite drayage flow. The result was driver dwell time consistently below the 37-minute goal. Additionally, Morris helped to establish a new Standard Operating Procedure requiring pad placement for inbound trains four hours in advance, reducing chassis-related drayage issues by roughly 70% and helping HIY consistently meet its availability goals. These improvements translate into better service reliability for thousands of customers each day.

Kendel Ortiz, Deputy Director, M/W Training, MTA Metro-North Railroad

(Honorable Mention, 2025)

Ortiz’s work at Metro-North reflects a deep commitment to safety culture, operational excellence, and the development of the next generation of rail leaders. He played a key role in designing the award-winning Train Approach Warning VR training program, which has become a nationally recognized model for immersive, high-risk safety instruction, and helped to develop the QR-code qualification card system, a breakthrough in credential tracking that allows employees and supervisors to instantly view training status and certifications by scanning a code. Within M/W, Ortiz has modernized critical programs such as the Track Foreman School, MW-4 Refresher, and Track Car Pilot Qualification plan, ensuring consistency, transparency, and strong safety alignment. He has also pioneered microlearning, interactive job aids, and SharePoint-based learning hubs that make complex rules and standards more accessible to employees in the field. One of his most impactful initiatives outside of work is his leadership in organizing the Los Rancheros Unidos Softball League, a community-based program that not only brings people together but also promotes mentorship and teamwork.

Matthew Peagler, IHB Terminal Operations & Network Coordinator at CIROC (Chicago Integrated Rail Operations Center), Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad

Peagler is working to improve operational efficiency, workforce management, and interline coordination within one of the most complex rail environments in North America, the Chicago Terminal. In his roles with IHB and Terminal coordination functions, he has supported daily interline operations involving multiple Class I’s by improving communication, planning, and execution during periods of high-traffic volume. Peagler led initiatives to standardize operational processes, reduce service disruptions, and improve reliability at critical interchange points on the national freight network, and played a key role in advancing workforce and crew-management modernization efforts, including planning and governance for new crew-management systems and improving transparency, compliance, and operational readiness. He has also developed dashboards, forecasting tools, and governance frameworks so leadership can better understand manpower utilization, terminal constraints and service impacts. Through these efforts, Peagler has contributed to safer, more efficient and more reliable rail service. 

Krystal Perepeluk, Director Passenger Rail, Ontario Northland

Perepeluk is leading the reinstatement of Canada’s Northlander passenger rail service between Timmins and Toronto, with connections to the Polar Bear Express. She oversees a nine-figure program budget and leads cross-departmental and multi-stakeholder coordination to ensure service is delivered on time and on budget. Previously, at Metrolinx, she helped to establish the practice of sponsorship to support delivery of multi-billion-dollar transit projects, and she served as lead sponsor for the Northeastern Passenger Rail Service expansion. Perepeluk was also instrumental in creating a dedicated negotiation team in the Capital Projects Group, directly advancing GO Expansion through agreements on grade separations and level crossings. Earlier in her career, she contributed to the 2041 Regional Transportation Plan at Metrolinx, and the Northern Ontario Multimodal Strategy and High-Speed Rail initiatives at MTO. Her career reflects a consistent commitment to building strong partnerships, advancing innovation in passenger services, and delivering transformative rail projects that strengthen regional connectivity. 

Ryan Ramirez, Engineer V–Senior, Project Engineer, RailPros

Ramirez has contributed to high-profile projects for the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission, Southern California Regional Rail Authority, and Port of Long Beach, leading teams and demonstrating an exceptional ability to coordinate, communicate, and guide others. He served as Deputy Project Manager and Resident Engineer on the $67 million Los Angeles Union Station Rehabilitation and Modernization Project, and helped RailPros successfully complete extensive outage coordination while ensuring that no SCRRA trains were delayed because of construction. The project earned both regional and national awards from the Construction Management Association of America. For SCRRA’s 25-Year Metrolink Rehabilitation Plan, Ramirez assisted with strategic goals and multi-year budget development, and provided recommendations for rehab projects. He has also served as Terminal Track Inspection Lead for POLB and helped update the crossing inventory of the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles and the Pacific Harbor Line for the FRA and California Public Utilities Commission. Within RailPros, Ramirez is a mentor, helping team members grow their careers.

Max Schwartz, U.S. Director-Rail, Hatch

A Professional Civil Engineer and Certified Reliability Engineer, Schwartz’s training and experience is in project management, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, computer science, signal systems, and telecommunications. He served CSX for nearly 10 years as Manager of Track Testing, Manager of Network Operations, Communications & Signals, and Engineer Standards II, before joining Hatch in 2023 as a project manager. Schwartz was a member of the Executive Steering Committee for the Howard Street Tunnel Expansion project, and led diverse teams in his work on projects in Mexico, Jamaica, Panama, and Australia that demanded cultural, regulatory, and logistical adaptability. He overcame the challenge of designing under severe constraints for the SPCT Redevelopment and SunCoke expansions, which involved restricted space and operating limitations. Schwartz’s goal is to lead and grow Hatch’s freight rail group, deliver high-impact rail infrastructure projects, advance industry standards, integrate multidisciplinary engineering approaches, and strengthen stakeholder relationships. He supports and is a member of AREMA committees 1 (Roadway & Ballast) and 5 (Track).

Shannon Simonds, Chief, Office of Rail Planning & Implementation, Caltrans, Division of Rail

Simonds has delivered transformative improvements to rail governance and project delivery in California. She modernized the state’s delivery framework to strengthen accountability, improve interagency coordination, and ensure projects advance clear public benefits. According to her nominator, Simonds’ work has reshaped how Caltrans, the Joint Powers Authorities, and partner agencies collaborate, creating a unified and efficient model that maximizes funding and protects critical timelines. She also positioned California to take full advantage of federal opportunities by aligning state programs with the FRA Corridor ID initiative. Through her leadership, the nominator said, California is better able to compete for federal funding and advance corridor development in a structured, compliant, and strategic way. Simonds also gives back. Within the Division of Rail, she has created a year-long training program that builds staff proficiency in rail operations, delivery practices, and program management. Additionally, she serves on the TRB’s Committee on Rail Transit Systems to help shape research priorities and elevate best practices across the passenger rail industry.

Susannah Sullivan, Senior General Attorney, Law, Union Pacific

As a first-generation railroader and fifth-generation lawyer, Sullivan has represented the nation’s Class I’s across multiple states since 2017. At UP, she works to defend the railroad in personal injury and employment lawsuits and has been part of cases whose favorable resolutions were reached after employing innovative litigation discovery techniques and motion practice. She has also been part of a specialized team to help accelerate the law department’s AI processes and resources. Whether arguing in the courtroom or providing advice to her operating partners, her creativity and common sense help drive results for UP. Licensed to practice law in Illinois, Missouri, the U.S. District Courts of Illinois (Southern, Central and Northern), and the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, Sullivan was recognized four consecutive years as an “Illinois Emerging Lawyer.” Additionally, she was selected to participate in UP’s Uplift Program, where high achieving employees are paired with executives for mentorship and professional advocacy. Outside of work, she serves on the Lake Forest (IL) Preservation Foundation’s Executive Committee Board and the National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel’s Executive Committee.

Aditya Umesh, Systems Engineer, Hitachi Rail

Umesh is a Systems Engineer who over the past six years has rapidly progressed from verification and validation and commissioning into technical leadership for global driverless metro systems. He has led and supported onboard system-level integration for major programs including the Honolulu Skyline, Copenhagen Metro, Rome Line C, Milan metro projects, and others. Through improved requirements traceability, early integration planning, and structured validation strategies, his work contributed to an approximately 15% reduction in rework and measurable efficiency improvements across projects. Umesh also supports early-stage bidding and planning efforts for future driverless systems across Europe and Asia. He earned Hitachi’s 2024 Rail Values Award–Grand Prix (Global) for contributions to the Global Onboard Vital Platform Development Project and Rail Values Award–Pioneering Spirit (Global) for innovation and leadership on the same global platform initiative. As a University of Massachusetts alumnus, Umesh engages with students and recent grads to introduce them to rail industry opportunities in signaling, automation, and driverless systems, where he sees a need for more young talent and fresh perspectives. 

Satish Vijayaraghavan, Head of Quality, North America, Rolling Stock and Components, Alstom

A 15-year Alstom veteran, Vijayaraghavan started as an engineer and progressed to roles in Operations, Supply Chain and Quality. He is now accountable for the quality of rolling stock products developed and manufactured in North America. He oversees 250-plus people across nine sites, and manages a 15-project portfolio, including Toronto’s Citadis LRVs; Vancouver’s Mark V metro trains; NJT and Metra commuter rail vehicles; Amtrak Next Generation High Speed Trains; BART rapid transit cars; SEPTA LRVs; and Automated People Mover vehicles for the Denver, Atlanta and Tampa airports. He has reduced defects per unit by 40% across the portfolio; reduced external defects detected by customers by 33%; improved customer satisfaction scores by 7%; reduced the backlog of safety issues from an average of eight to zero; and increased gender diversity to more than 40% on his team. In 2021, he was instrumental in developing a strategic plan to preserve Alstom’s La Pocatière facility in Quebec as it approached the end of major program work, resulting in a $C56 million investment by the Quebec government and protecting more than 300 manufacturing jobs. 

Ben Wahlen, Regional Vice President, Transportation–West, Patriot Rail

Wahlen began his railroad career in 2018 with the Golden Triangle Railroad in Columbus, Miss. He earned conductor and engineer certifications and played a key role in upgrading safety and service standards across Patriot Rail properties. He later became the company’s first management trainee and was appointed Trainmaster when Patriot acquired Salt Lake Garfield & Western in 2021. He has since transitioned to Operations Manager and to Regional Manager at multiple locations. In his current role, he has spearheaded the operations team through the acquisition of a scenic railroad (now called the Granite State Railway) and rail bikes operation, one of the company’s most complex integrations. Wahlen turned a challenging transition into an opportunity for growth, according to his nominator, navigating cultural differences, aligning operational processes, building trust across teams, and elevating the rider experience. He also led the successful launch of the Gettysburg Railway. According to his nominator, Wahlen “exemplifies what it means to lead through change.” His goal: to grow and develop leaders who make the railroad industry an innovative, safe place to work.

Ben Wilson, Senior Financial Analyst, Anacostia Rail Holdings Company

Wilson joined Anacostia Rail Holdings in 2014 as a Staff Accountant for subsidiary Louisville & Indiana Railroad Company. LIRC created the position to support a new joint facility arrangement with CSX and a $130 million project upgrading 106 miles of track between Indianapolis and Louisville and replacing a more than 100-year-old bridge. Based on his successful management of the project’s complicated accounting, he was promoted to Senior Staff Accountant. Upon completion of construction in 2019, he rose to Financial Analyst for the ARH corporate team and now provides executive and senior management with monthly revenue results, overview analysis, and annual projections, including analyzing the revenue process across the company’s six U.S. railroads. Wilson was integral to LIRC’s recent conversion to a new freight revenue management system and is working closely with operations and marketing to evaluate current business and prospective customer opportunities to ensure company growth. He is fast becoming a company leader, demonstrating not only a strong work ethic but also a desire to grow. He rode with train crews and shadowed maintenance-of-way workers when he signed on and now participates in customer safety audit rides to gain a hands-on understanding of capital investments. In 2025, he earned an MBA from Purdue University.

(All Honoree Photographs Courtesy of the Respective Organizations)

For more on the Railway Age “Fast Trackers” 25 Under 40 program, read:

• Railway Age 25 Under 40 Awards 2025
• 25 Under 40 2024: Part 1 of 4
• 25 Under 40 2024: Part 2 of 4
• 25 Under 40 2024: Part 3 of 4
• 25 Under 40 2024: Part 4 of 4
• Railway Age’s 2023 “Fast Trackers” 25 Under 40 Honorees
• Railway Age’s 2022 “Fast Trackers” 20 Under 40 Honorees
• Railway Age’s 2021 “Fast Trackers” 20 Under 40 Honorees
• Railway Age’s 2020 “Fast Trackers” 10 Under 40 Honorees
• Railway Age’s 2019 “Fast Trackers” 10 Under 40 Honorees
• Railway Age’s 2018 “Fast Trackers” 10 Under 40 Honorees
• Railway Age’s 2017 “Fast Trackers” 10 Under 40 Honorees

The post Railway Age 25 Under 40 Awards appeared first on Railway Age.

MBTA (Photograph Courtesy of Michael Rooks, Chief Railroad Officer, MBTA, via LinkedIn)

In continued recognition of the passenger railroads that “laid the foundation” for today’s MBTA Commuter Rail network, the transit authority on Feb. 6 released an overhauled F40 locomotive painted in the legacy orange, white, and black paint scheme of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad (the New Haven; see above). It is now serving Commuter Rail lines that operate in and out of South Station.

The New Haven unit is the second of a series of three heritage units—all F40s—that have been updated and repainted in legacy schemes. A unit with the Boston & Maine Railroad scheme was introduced last September, and a unit with the New York Central Railroad scheme will debut “in the coming weeks,” according to MBTA.

MBTA Chief Railroad Officer Michael Rooks reported via LinkedIn that “a third-generation railroader, whose father and grandfather both worked for the New Haven, took the throttle for the first revenue trip” of MBTA’s New Haven heritage unit on Feb. 6. (Courtesy of Michael Rooks, via LinkedIn)

They represent the last of 37 MBTA locomotives that originally entered service between 1987 and 1991 and were recently overhauled and upgraded with remote monitoring and diagnostics, forward-facing and cab cameras, and modern brake and control systems, according to the transit authority.  

The New Haven Railroad formed the bulk of the Southside Commuter Rail lines. In 1973, MBTA purchased ex-New Haven commuter rail infrastructure and rolling stock, including the Providence/Stoughton Line, Fairmont Line, Franklin Line, Needham Line and the Old Colony Lines (Kingston, Greenbush, Fall River and New Bedford). The Boston & Maine Railroad once made up the entire Northside of MBTA’s current network, and the New York Central (Boston and Albany) Railroad historically operated what is now the Worcester Line. 

Separately, MBTA last fall paid tribute to the 1970s by putting a refurbished locomotive with a retro paint scheme into service. The locomotive sported a classic yellow stripe on the front with a purple wraparound.

PATH (Courtesy of PANY/NJ)

PATH in 2025 welcomed aboard 60.7 million riders, up 6.1% from 2024 and representing 74% of pre-pandemic 2019 levels, according to parent company PANY/NJ. In December, PATH reached 79% of December 2019 levels, tying September 2025 for highest monthly recovery relative to pre-pandemic figures, PANY/NJ reported Feb 6. The system carried 5.1 million passengers in December, up 6% from the same month in 2024.

Average weekday ridership in December 2025 was 187,930 passengers, up 3.3% from December 2024. Across 2025, the annual average weekday ridership of 198,401 passengers represented a 6.6% increase over 2024.

Weekend ridership outpaced pre-pandemic figures across 2025, according to PANY/NJ. Annual average Saturday ridership was up 2.4% from 2019 and annual average Sunday ridership grew 3.3% from 2019.

PATH Map (Courtesy of PATH)

Average weekday PATH ridership in November 2025 was 210,325 passengers, the fourth highest for any month since the pandemic, PANY/NJ reported in early January. That was 6.5% higher than average weekday ridership in November 2024, it said. November 2025’s average Saturday ridership of 117,658 was up 9.6% from November 2019, and average Sunday ridership of 84,149 was up 9.2% from November 2019. PATH reached 75% of pre-pandemic ridership in October 2025.

Further Reading:

• PATH: $2.6B Capital Plan for 2026-2035
• Garcia Tapped to Lead PANY/NJ

Amtrak

The Amtrak Board of Directors last month held its public board meeting, offering what “America’s Railroad” called “a transparent look at the company’s financial and operational performance and previewing key strategic priorities for 2026” (watch above). Leaders, it said, also shared updates on major infrastructure projects that will “continue to modernize the passenger experience and strengthen the national network” (download presentation below).

Amtrak-Public-Board-Meeting-Presentation-012826Download

According to Amtrak, key highlights from the meeting were:

• “Capital investment up 5.8% over last year, reflecting continued momentum across infrastructure and fleet programs.
• “First-quarter ridership up 4.7%, building on sustained demand for passenger rail nationwide, including strong demand from state services in California, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
• “Customer On-Time Performance up 4.7 points compared to last year, underscoring improvements in reliability and service delivery, especially among our Class I freight railroad partners, such as Norfolk Southern, who have shown dramatic improvements in moving more Amtrak trains on time.”

The previous Board meeting was held Dec. 5, 2025. To learn more, read Railway Age Contributing Editor David Peter Alan’s report here and download the presentation below.

Amtrak-Public-Board-Meeting-Presentation-120425 copyDownload Further Reading:

• Want Your Funding? Name That Train Station After Me!
• PSNY Master Developers Shortlisted. Now What?
• Portal North Bridge Cutover Coming Soon
• AmeriStarRail’s Amtrak L-D ‘Grand Conveyance’ Trains
• No Clear Track Ahead
• Amtrak 2025: The Rest of the Story
• For Amtrak, ‘A Year of Records’
• Amtrak Board: ‘We’re Just Getting Better, Year After Year’

The post Transit Briefs: MBTA, PATH, Amtrak appeared first on Railway Age.