Next-Gen Freight Rail Conference Set for Chicago—Live!

Railway Age is returning to a live, in-person format for our Next Generation Freight Rail Conference on March 15, 2022, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Union League Club of Chicago. Join us as we discuss the freight rail industry’s future with thought leaders, covering a wide variety of relevant issues.

Our lineup includes no fewer than five railroad chief executives. We lead off with Alan Shaw, President of Norfolk Southern, who will soon assume the CEO position from Jim Squires. What’s his perspective on assuming his new role as the pandemic that has gripped the world for two years finally subsides? How can freight rail grow the top line and gain market share? No doubt, he’ll have some thought-provoking answers to these and other questions.

Barbara Wilson, President and CEO of RailUSA LLC and one of a growing number of women in leadership positions in our industry, continues the conference’s focus on growth opportunities with her expert analysis on shifting truck traffic to rail. Genesee & Wyoming CEO Jack Hellmann, Railway Age’s 2018 Railroad of the Year, brings the human element into focus with his thoughts on engaging the workforce in a post-COVID world.

Keeping with our theme of next-generation freight rail, we will take a very deep dive into cybersecurity, a subject our industry cannot risk overlooking. Conference sponsor Shift5, arguably the industry’s premier cybersecurity specialist, leads this discussion. Michael Weigand, Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer, is bringing military cybersecurity expertise to rail. He’ll be joined by Thomas Farmer, Assistant Vice President Security, Association of American Railroads, and Carolyn Hayward Williams, Federal Railroad Administration Director, Office of Railroad Systems and Technology.

Something innovative and unusual: Timothy Luchini, Co-Founder and CEO, Intramotev, and Casey Cathcart, CEO, Cathcart Rail, will introduce the TugVolt, a self-propelled autonomous freight car that doubles as a traditional freight car for interchange service. Can it work? Attend the conference and judge for yourself!

You won’t want to miss our closing session with Railway Age’s 2022 Co-Railroaders of the Year, Canadian Pacific’s Keith Creel and Kansas City Southern’s Pat Ottensmeyer. The CPKC transnational railroad—North America’s first—is taking shape as the STB prepares to issue its decision later this year. Where do things stand? Find out in person!

We have an extra-special luncheon planned with our 2021 Women in Rail honorees. Don’t miss this opportunity to meet several outstanding women who are reshaping rail.

Extra special thanks go to all our sponsors: Canadian Pacific, Kansas City Southern, Norfolk Southern, The Greenbrier Companies, TrintyRail, PlasserAmerican, Shift5, Amsted Digital Solutions. Herzog and the Michigan State Center for Railway Research and Education.

Click here to register for Next-Generation Freight Rail.