Author: William C. Vantuono

With Railway Age since 1992, William C. Vantuono has broadened and deepened the magazine's coverage of the technological revolution that is so swiftly changing the industry. He has also strengthened Railway Age’s leadership position in industry affairs with the conferences he conducts, among them Next-Generation Train Control, Light Rail, and Rail Insights. He is the author or co-author or editor of several books, among them All About Railroading; John Armstrong’s The Railroad: What It Is, What It Does; Railway Age’s Comprehensive Railroad Dictionary; and Planning, Engineering, and Operating Light Rail, With Applications in New Jersey.

Takeaways from REF 2017: Matt Elkott

Reporting on Rail Equipment Finance 2017, Cowen and Company analyst Matt Elkott notes, “Sentiment is better than last year, but we sensed this is only in small part based on fundamentals and in large part on hope associated with potentially more business-friendly policies and an infrastructure bill. We also noticed a rise in the number of international investors. We continue to believe a material pickup in railcar demand and lease rates is unlikely before late 2017/early 2018.”

Jason Seidl: Quick take on EHH at CSX

Now that E. Hunter Harrison has become CEO of CSX, “we expect additional layoffs in addition to the recently announced 1,000 members of management,” says Cowen and Company Managing Director and Railway Age Wall Street Contributing Editor Jason Seidl. “We also expect CSX to easily exceed the previous long-term operating ratio goal of 65% over the next few years.”

Commentary

Michael Ward, railroader and philanthropist

Now that Michael Ward has retired as CEO of CSX, he will remain in Jacksonville and continue the work that he loves as much as running a railroad—giving back to the community.

Commentary

Please don’t toss the Angus burgers, OK?

I travel between the New York metro area and Washington D.C. several times a year on Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor trains, and I always treat myself to one of those tasty Angus cheeseburgers from the Café Car. Over the years, Amtrak has changed the offerings, but those big, juicy burgers, fresh out of the microwave, have never gone away.