Rail Group On Air

One month after Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern announced their intent to merge into CPKC (Canadian Pacific Kansas City), CN made a counter-offer it said is a “superior proposal” that “will result in a safer, faster, cleaner and stronger railway.” KCS, while moving forward with the CP deal, is now considering CN’s proposal. CN President and CEO JJ Ruest and Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Rob Reilly discuss the merits of their offer with Railway Age Editor-in-Chief William C. Vantuono. Podcast sponsored by The Greenbrier Companies, Virtual Sample Railcar™.

For the first time, Railway Age and Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corp. sister publication Marine Log join forces to discuss the global rail and marine intermodal logistics scene with Bill Shea, CEO of DCLI (Direct Chassis Link Inc.) and Chairman of supply chain technology company Blume Global, and Pervinder Johar, Blume Global CEO. They offer their views on challenges the intermodal industry faces; preparing for future logistics disruptions; the role of advanced technology; supply chain visibility and sustainability; seamlessly transition data from ocean carrier to rail in transit; and growth opportunities with Railway Age Editor-in-Chief William C. Vantuono and Marine Log Editor-in-Chief and RA Ports and Intermodal Editor Heather Ervin.

The European Commission has designated 2021 as the European Year of Rail and is planning a series of events and initiatives throughout the year to promote rail as a sustainable transport mode. In this episode, IRJ Editor-in-Chief Kevin Smith’s guest is Philippe Citroën, Director General of the European Rail Industry Association (UNIFE). Citroën reveals his hopes and expectations for the European Year of Rail, his views on the future of European railway research and the role of the European rail industry in Europe’s Rail. He also discusses the challenges and opportunities for the sector as it strives to achieve the ambitious targets in the EC’s Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy. (Introductory music: “Tired Traveler on the Way to Home” by Andrew Codeman – CC BY 3.0)

Shift5’s mission is to make the world’s fleets smarter and safer. Shift5 is a product company that deploys hardware and software onto civilian and military platforms—from rail and aircraft to maritime, space, and weapons systems. In this podcast, sponsored by Shift5, CEO and Co-founder Josh Lospinoso and President, Chief Growth Officer and Co-Founder Michael Weigand discuss the company’s applications for freight and passenger rail in the areas of mechanical reliability and cybersecurity with MidRail LLC Chairman Gil Lamphere and Railway Age Editor-in-Chief William C. Vantuono. U.S. railways are turning to Shift5’s freight and transit security solution for continuous monitoring of railway vulnerabilities, a rules engine that generates alerts automatically, and work packages that enable rail cybersecurity analysts to address threats immediately. Detection and responsive management of cyber health results in long-term savings.

PTC has made much progress at reducing railroad operational risks, but optimizing safety and efficiency never stops. As railroads continue to innovate, further improvements and operational advancements will be deployed. Safety HMI (human-machine interface) technology, combined with continued human factors design considerations, can mitigate known hazards and safely allow for expanded functionalities. Railway Age Editor-in-Chief William C. Vantuono discusses the expanding scope of automation and increasing recognition of HMI, in terms of safety-critical train control interfaces, with Blake Kozol, CEO, Deuta America Corporation; Kelly Nichols, Principal System Engineer and Project Engineering Lead, Collins Aerospace; Carolynn Johnson, Human Factors and Research Manager, Daedalus; Ryan McKinley, President and Safety Engineer, Vital Assurance; and Eileen Reilly, CEO, Global Train Services LLC. Podcast sponsored by Deuta America.

IRJ Editor-in-Chief, Kevin Smith is joined by Carlo Borghini, Executive Director of Shift2Rail, to discuss the successor to the Shift2Rail European railway research program, Europe’s Rail. The European Commission (EC) confirmed a proposal to proceed with the program in February 2021. Borghini discusses what Europe’s Rail will look like and its potential impact on rail research, and the sector’s pursuit of the goals outlined in the EC’s Smart and Sustainable Mobility Strategy. (Introductory music: “Tired Traveler on the Way to Home” by Andrew Codeman – CC BY 3.0)

Commuter Rail Coalition: Four Women in Rail, Four Different Paths by RT&S, Railway Age, IRJ

RT&S Editor-in-Chief Bill Wilson talks with the leaders behind the Long Island Rail Road Mainline Expansion Project, which deals with adding a third line of track within the existing right-of-way.

Early on March 21, the big announcement came: Canadian Pacific Railway will acquire Kansas City Southern in a cash and stock transaction worth $29 billion in U.S. dollars. The combined Class I will be named Canadian Pacific Kansas City, CPKC. If approved by the United States Surface Transportation Board, the merger will be the first Class I transaction of its type since the late 1990s. The result will be a single, integrated rail system connecting ports on the U.S. Gulf, Atlantic and Pacific coasts with key overseas markets, with reach via new single-line hauls across the combined company’s continent-wide network. Importantly, CP and KCS say, “no customer will experience a reduction in independent railroad choices as a result of the transaction, and customers will benefit from a seamless integration of the two systems without service disruption.” Railway Age Editor-in-Chief William C. Vantuono speaks with Canadian Pacific President and CEO Keith Creel, 2021 Railroader of the Year, and Kansas City Southern President and CEO Pat Ottensmeyer, 2020 Railroader of the Year. Podcast sponsored by The Greenbrier Companies, Virtual Sample Railcar™.

Currently, rail carries 23% of all Nevada freight tonnage. Targeted rail improvements could op-timize existing freight networks to improve travel time reliability, reduce vehicle emissions and support Nevada’s economic development., according to the Nevada Department of Transporta-tion (NDOT). The Nevada State Rail Plan, prepared by Strategic Rail Finance (SRF), outlines op-tions to improve and integrate rail through local and private sector investment in eight regions of the state. Rail improvements listed in the plan become eligible for federal grant funding, opening the opportunity for local government and economic development partners to potential-ly pursue the rail improvements in the future. NDOT State Railroad Coordinator Lee Bonner and SRF Chairman and CEO Mike Sussman discuss how the plan “creates a blueprint for potential rail improvements to augment existing freight systems; provide jobs, tax revenue and business opportunities; and enhance mobility, traffic safety and the environment, fully utilizing rail for an integrated and sustainable statewide freight transportation network,” with Railway Age Editor-in-Chief William C. Vantuono.