RTS July 2025

2025

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ENGINEERING Brett Guarino CSX

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TTC OPERATED BY ENSCO NRC CHAIRMAN’S COLUMN OBSERVATIONS ON VARIOUS GRINDING PROGRAMS VS: WAYSIDE TRAIN HEALTH MONITORING DEVICES AREMA

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February 2018 // Railway Track & Structures 1

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CONTENTS

July 2025

34 COLUMNS Notebook 3 Editor’s WRI’s 30th Anniversary the Dome 44 From A Ride on the Northeast Corridor Cover Story: 2025 Women in Rail Engineering See p. 10

DEPARTMENTS

FEATURES

Operated by ENSCO 4 TTC The Importance of Rolling Stock Health to Track Health

8 NRC Chairman’s Column 38 AREMA Message from the President

10

2025 Women in Rail Engineering

26

WRI: Observations on the Effectiveness of Various Grinding Programs

32

Wayside Train Monitoring Devices

34

Vendor Spotlight Wayside Train Monitoring Devices

8 rtands.com

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July 2025 // Railway Track & Structures 1

EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK

WRI’s 30th Anniversary Vol. 121, No. 7 Print ISSN # 0033-9016, Digital ISSN # 2160-2514 EDITORIAL OFFICES 1025 Rose Creek Drive Suite 620-121 Woodstock, GA 30189 Telephone (470) 865-0933 Website www.rtands.com DAVID C. LESTER Editor-in-Chief dlester@sbpub.com JENNIFER McLAWHORN Managing Editor jmclawhorn@sbpub.com EDITORIAL BOARD David Clarke, University of Tennessee Brad Kerchof, formerly Norfolk Southern Jerry Specht, CPKC/AREMA Scott Sandoval, Genesee & Wyoming Robert Tuzik, Talus Associates Gary Wolf, Wolf Railway Consulting CORPORATE OFFICES 1809 Capitol Avenue Omaha, NE 68102 Telephone (212) 620-7200 Fax (212) 633-1165 ARTHUR J. MCGINNIS, JR. President and Chairman JONATHAN CHALON Publisher MARY CONYERS Production Director NICOLE D’ANTONA Art Director HILLARY COLEMAN Graphic Designer JO ANN BINZ Circulation Director MICHELLE ZOLKOS Conference Director CUSTOMER SERVICE: 847-559-7372 Reprints: PARS International Corp.

253 West 35th Street 7th Floor New York, NY 10001 212-221-9595; fax 212-221-9195 curt.ciesinski@parsintl.com

Thirty Years of Wheel-Rail Engineering Analysis

By David C. Lester, Editor-in-Chief

F

rom June 11-12, the Heavy Haul those from Plasser & Theurer, ENSCO, Wheel-Rail Interaction Confer- the National Transportation Safety Board ence was held in Kansas City, Mo. (NTSB), the University of Illinois at UrbanaRailway Track and Structures was Champaign, CPKC, MxV Rail, and the Interthe presenting sponsor for the Heavy Haul national Heavy Haul Association.

One of the highlights of the conference portion on Wednesday and Thursday, while NURail Center of Excellence (see page 3, was the presentation of the Worth Award to “Editor’s Notebook” in the March 2025 issue Michael Roney of Iron Mustache Consulting, who has had a long of RT&S) sponcareer with various sored the Principles organizations in Course on Tuesday, railroad engineerJune 10. The local ing. This award host of the conferis named for Art ence was CPKC. Worth, who was Over the three Manager of Standays of seminars, dards and retired there were eighteen as Senior Manager formal sessions.

– Advanced TechThere were nology at Canadian plenty of opporNational and was tunities for known throughout networking at the the industry as a conference during walking encyclopebreakfast and lunch dia of railway engieach day, along neering, standards, with the Grand and practices.

Buffett RecepGordon Bashinsky, The confertion sponsored by WRI founder. ence ended with Plasser American Photo by David C. Lester founder Gordon on Wednesday Bachinsky reflectevening.

The decision to become the present- ing on thirty years of Wheel-Rail Interaction ing sponsor of the WRI Heavy Haul conferences and thanking all the folks who Conference was not made lightly. Since have been with him for many, if not all, of its inception, the mission of RT&S has the years to help him put on this conference been to educate and inform. Whether it’s annually. In 2025, for the first time, Wheel the newest approach to resolving age-old Rail Seminars will have a second event issues to the introduction of technology devoted to rail transit, instead of combinand its impact that no one even dreamed ing it with the Heavy Haul conference. The about just 20 years ago, our magazine transit event will take place from August strives to report on cutting edge (perhaps 26-28 in Seattle, Washington. bleeding edge) technologies and methods.

Gordon Bachinsky, pictured above, founded WRI thirty years ago, and the 30th Anniversary meeting in Kansas City was special for many reasons. Honed over three decades, the mix of presentations had “someDAVID C. LESTER thing for everyone.” Presenters included Editor-in-Chief Railway Track & Structures (Print ISSN 0033-9016, Digital ISSN 2160-2514), (USPS 860-560), (Canada Post Cust. #7204564; Agreement #40612608; IMEX P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2, Canada) is published monthly by Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, 1809 Capitol Avenue, Omaha, NE 68102. Printed in the U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at Omaha, NE, and additional mailing offices.

Pricing: Qualified individual and railroad employees may request a free subscription. Printed and/or digital version: 1 year Railroad Employees (US/Canada/Mexico) $16.00; all others $46.00; foreign $80.00; foreign, air mail $180.00. 2 years Railroad Employees US/Canada/Mexico $30.00; all others $85.00; foreign $140.00; foreign, air mail $340.00. Single Copies are $10.00 ea. Subscriptions must be paid for in U.S. funds only.

COPYRIGHT © Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation 2025. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced without permission. For reprint information contact: PARS International Corp., 102 W 38th St., 6th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10018 Phone (212) 221-9595 Fax (212) 221-9195.

For subscriptions and address changes, Please call 847-559-7372, Fax +1 (847) 291-4816, e-mail rtands@omeda.com or write to: Railway Track & Structures, Simmons-Boardman Publ. Corp, PO Box 239, Lincolnshire IL 60069-0239 USA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Railway Track & Structures, PO Box 239, Lincolnshire IL 60069-0239 USA.

July 2025 // Railway Track & Structures 3

TTC OPERATED BY ENSCO

The Importance of Rolling Stock Health to Track Health Managing wheel forces through proper maintenance of rolling stock Matthew Dick, P.E., VP - Strategy & Business Development, ENSCO, Inc., Pueblo, CO

T

rack infrastructure inspection and maintenance are fundamental to safe and eff icient rail transportation and a central focal of RT&S. This article highlights how the condition of rolling stock directly impacts track infrastructure. Most track deterioration is caused by the rolling stock traversing it, and poor rolling stock condition can accelerate that damage.

The reverse is also true: degraded tracks can worsen the condition of the vehicles running on it. Both the rolling stock and track infrastructure are parts of an integrated system and maintain both in good health leads to better performance and reduced risk.

Truck Steering Fundamentals The latera l wheel forces impar ted into t he track ca n cause ma ny track maintena nce cha l lenges including rai l wear, Rol ling Contact Fatig ue (RCF), rai l seat deterioration in concrete ties, plate cutting in wood ties, broken fasteners, a nd deteriorated ties. These conditions are of course a large por tion of track maintena nce a nd if unaddressed ca n lead to derai lment risk .

The weight of the car is one of the largest factors to drive lateral wheel load in cur ves. Its intuitive that the weight of the railcar directly correlates to the vertical wheel load. But how

4 Railway Track & Structures // July 2025

Figure 1. Example histogram depicting the variability of lateral wheel forces among a rolling stock fleet in a 10-degree curve.[1]

does it affect the lateral wheel load?

Entire books have been written on this phenomenon, but here is a simplif ied explanation – rolling contact between the wheel and rail is not perfect. There is micro slippage occurring at the wheel/rail contact patch (referred to as creepage) which causes forces from the adhesion (k nown as creep force).

Creep force is an essential and valuable phenomenon because it is what steers railcars through cur ves. We all k now that the tapered wheel treads are what steer cars through cur ves due to their self-adjusting effective diameters (like a paper cup rolling in a cur ve on a tabletop). But the underlying mechanism causing the steering is creep forces at the contact patches. These creep forces push and pull individual wheels of a wheel set causing a turning yaw effect to the wheel set (which then helps turn the truck to go around the cur ve). When operating as intended,

the creep forces can of ten steer the trucks through shallow cur ves without even f langing.

What causes the lateral wheel forces in cur ves? There are two sources: f irst is f langing forces which are simply the normal contact forces between the wheel f lange and rail gauge face. But the second is caused by creep force at the wheel/rail contact patch. Cur ving wheel sets are of ten not perfectly radial to the cur ve, meaning it has a slight yaw angle, k nown as Angle of Attack. The creep force at the wheel/ rail contact patch is divided up with the majority going into the rail longitudinally, but some going laterally.

The greater the Angle of Attack, the greater the portion of the creep force goes laterally into the rail, causing higher lateral wheel loads.

How does vertical wheel load affect lateral wheel load? Vertical wheel force combined with creepage and rail rtands.com

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friction is what causes creep forces.

Increasing any one of them (vertical wheel force, creepage, or rail friction) will increase the creep force. It is important to restate that the effect of friction on lateral wheel loads is more complicated than solely high friction equals high lateral wheel loads. This is because lateral wheel load is the combination of normal contact from wheel f langing and contact patch creep forces. An example of this is having a tight cur ve with dr y rails except for a heavily lubricated gauge face high rail. In this scenario, the high rail wheel f langes are attempting to steer the truck but can’t effectively because the ver y low friction at the wheel/rail contact on the f lange is diminishing the benef icial longitudinal creep force that would normally help the truck steer around the cur ve. Because of this, the wheel set incurs a high Angle of Attack that when paired with the low rail wheel on dr y rail, causes high lateral creep force on the low rail which forces the high rail wheel to have increased normal contact at the f lange. In this scenario, it would be common that the high rail gauge face may not wear as much, but its fasteners

and ties would have a greater chance of failure allowing gauge spreading.

This is why it’s best practice to pair high rail gauge face lubrication with low rail top-of-rail lubrication to limit the lateral creep forces.

Rolling Stock Maintenance Even if ever y rai lcar was in perfect condition, some track wear wou ld sti l l occur. But what rol ling stock maintena nce conditions ca n exacerbate track deterioration? Of t he t hree contributors to creep forces (ver tica l wheel force, creepage, a nd rai l friction) only creepage is signif ica nt ly af fected by rol ling stock maintena nce condition.

Creepage ca n be af fected by disruption of t he self-adjusting rol ling dia meters of a wheel set. Exa mples of t his include t he wheel treads being worn to have incorrect tapers in t heir wheel prof i le or mis-matched wheel dia meters. In t his situation, t he wheel set is unable to achieve a harmonious adjust ment of ef fective rol ling dia meters, so increased creepage occurs. Additiona l ly, t his scenario of ten increases t he Angle of Attack because of its diminished steering causing increased latera l creep force,

w it h t he a lready increased creep force from t he increased creepage. Fig ure 1 depicts how t he latera l wheel force ca n dif fer drastica l ly from various rol ling stock due to t heir various conditions. Interestingly, t he negative latera l wheel force (towards t he gauge side) is solely due to t he creep force at t he contact patch.

Two-Point Contact Issues Another maintenance concern is twopoint contact, where a wheel has two distinct contact areas with the rail instead of one. This can happen with hollow worn wheels or with gauge worn rail. In this scenario, the two contact patches within a single wheel are far apart from each other as shown in Figure 2. This causes conf licting effective rolling diameters, increased creepage, and f ighting steering forces within the wheel set, resulting in elevated lateral wheel forces. Measuring wheel prof iles consistently with a Wheel Prof ile Detector is useful to ensure proper wheel tread tapers.

A low B/H from two-point contact can lead to rail seat damage and even rail rollover, especially in concrete ties. Concrete tie showing rail seat

Figure 2. B/H ratios of One-Point and Two-Point Contact.

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July 2025 // Railway Track & Structures 5

TTC OPERATED BY ENSCO

Figure 3. Example concrete tie rail seat deterioration and rail rollover.[3]

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deterioration and evidence of rail rollover is shown in Figure 3.

There are additional truck maintenance factors also involved that can affect Angle of Attack. Freight trucks (specif ically three-piece trucks) can also introduce issues such as improper side bearing setup heights, binding at the center bowl and worn friction wedges, which can allow excessive truck warping. All these factors can worsen the Angle of Attack. Technologies like Wayside detectors that assess truck steering such as T-BOGI or a Truck Performance Detector (TPD) are useful to help railroads identif y trucks with poor steering performance.

It’s important to distinguish between a single problematic railcar and systemic issues across a f leet. A single car with truck steering challenges may pose a derailment risk but it does not necessarily have a large effect on track infrastructure deterioration. However, if the majority of the network f leet suffers from poor

steering performance, track deterioration will increase signif icantly. Railways with captive f leets (such as metro systems or mining railroads) can more easily manage their relationship between rolling stock and infrastructure. On the North American freight network, however, much of the rolling stock is privately owned, posing a greater challenge.

Despite that, improving the health of rolling stock remains a high priority industr y-wide.

Conclusion Track deter iorat ion is la rgely d r iven by t he wheel forces f rom pa ssi ng t ra i ns. Ma nag i ng t hese forces, especia l ly t h roug h proper ma i ntena nce of rol l i ng stock, is a key way to ex tend t rack l i fe a nd i mprove sa fet y. At t he Tra nspor tat ion Tech nolog y C enter, ENSCO operates severa l tools to st udy t hese i nterac t ions. One is t he W heel R a i l Mecha n ism L oop (W R M), a 3. 5 -m i le test t rack w it h va r y i ng cu r ves bet ween 4 to 12 deg rees.

Track a nd sa fet y professiona ls c a n a lso have a n oppor t u n it y to d ive deeper i nto t hese topics at t he upcom i ng Dera i l ment Invest igat ion a nd Prevent ion Work shop, held Ju ly 22-24 at T TC . L ea r n more at t tcensco.com.

References 1. M.G. Dick, D.S. McConnell, and H.C. Iwand, “Experimental Measurement and Finite Element Modeling of Screw Spike Fatigue Loads”, Proceedings of 2007 ASME/IEEE Joint Rail Conference, ASME, 2007.

2. M.G. Dick, “Rail Stability” Proceedings of the 2012 Wheel Rail Interface Seminar, 2012 3. Marquis, B. P., Muhlanger, M., Jeong, D. Y., “Effect of Wheel/Rail Loads on Concrete Tie Stresses and Rail Rollover”, Proceedings of the 2011 ASME Rail Transportation Division Fall Technical Conference, 2011

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NRC CHAIRMAN’S COLUMN

We’re Not Throwing Away Our Shot to Impact Rail Legislation and Programs

T

he invitation to testify on Capitol Hill on behalf of railway contractors and suppliers is an honor and an enormous opportunity. The NRC capitalized on two invitations in 2025, first in late January, when I testified about potential surface transportation legislative proposals in a hearing before the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee’s Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials. Testimony before that same Subcommittee followed in May

by NRC Board Member Kevin Hicks, senior vice president of rail and freightmarket sector leader at GFT, about experiences and recommendations on rail discretionary grant programs. Being invited to the room where it happens – or at least to where what happens is considered – is a big responsibility, so we made sure we didn’t throw away our shot. We were grateful to go on the record with these concerns by our members about the grants process. Kevin’s testimony highlighted several key concerns and offered suggestions to help address them. His full testimony can be found here: A few highlights follow: The grant awards selection process is slow. After the application is submitted, grant award selection takes about six months. Because all the federal rail grant programs are vastly oversubscribed, FRA then takes a long time to evaluate the large number of applications. This is a vicious spiral that forces FRA staff to be in a constant cycle of publishing a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), awarding grants, and then immediately drafting the next NOFO. These delays result in changing budgets that jeopardize the projects and place additional risks onto contractors, who are usually engaged at the end of this process. We recommend that Congress consider directing the FRA to identify a “pre-approved” or a prior-vetted pipeline of projects. FRA should consider further standardizing grant applications – such as with a more defined template – that could reduce the effort required to both prepare and review applications.

8 Railway Track & Structures // July 2025

Grants take too long to obligate.

It takes an additional six to 18 months to obligate a grant after selection. The waste due to delays – in the form of administrative and planning costs, inf lation, and lost opportunities for alternative use of the capital – hinder us from achieving our capacity expansion goals. Expediting transportation projects can be accomplished while retaining all current environmental safeguards.

WE AREN’T JUST IN THIS INDUSTRY. WE ARE THIS INDUSTRY! Implementation issues delay projects. Numerous factors impact project readiness, including railroad coordination and approvals, utility coordination and relocations, right of way acquisition, permitting and additional funding. While most of these factors are outside of the FRA’s control, the FRA could do more to avoid future delays by having project sponsors better define the status of these factors in advance of obligation. The FRA could also conduct risk reviews later in the grant process based on project scope, readiness, and budget.

Consider other reforms to the grants process. We recommend Congress direct the FRA to speed up and streamline the discretionary grant process to reduce waste, cost overruns, and unnecessary project delays.

Our recommendations include standardizing the environmental approval process, providing pre-award spending authority for advance construction and pre-construction activities, providing successful grantees with a target date for a completed grant agreement, sharing responsibility by the USDOT and the grantee for meeting a target date, model grant management system

after the FTA’s Transit Award Management System (TrAMS), exempt the national rail network from Section 106 just like the national highway system, streamline the length and complexity of applications to make it easier for smaller entities, and codify authority for f lexing and transferring funds between USDOT modal agencies when appropriate. We don’t take our participation in congressional hearings lightly. We know our invitations are the result of years of relationship-building with Members of Congress and their staff through ongoing outreach and NRC f ly-ins, Railroad Day on the Hill, and grassroots events at our members’ facilities and jobsites. Our opinion matters, and this is no time to take our foot off the gas. We are committed to outreach – with further dialogue between Members of Congress, with FRA Administrator nominee David Fink, FRA Acting Administrator Drew Feeley and other FRA officials, and our member contractors and suppliers – to reform rail funding programs and to ensure continued funding for rail, including preserving the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program, in the upcoming transportation appropriations bill and the next surface transportation reauthorization bill.

JOE DALOISIO Chairman, National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC)

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LIGHT RAIL 2025 PRESENTED BY RAILWAY AGE AND RT&S

PLANNING, ENGINEERING AND OPERATIONS Light Rail 2025 delivers a focused, in-depth look at the technical, environmental, and socio-economic challenges of planning and operating light rail transit (LRT) systems in today’s urban environments.

Who Should Attend

Professionals in LRT planning, operations, civil and systems engineering, vehicle technology, and signaling.

Keynote Speaker ANDY LUKASZEWICZ Deputy Chief Officer Rail Operations Pittsburgh Regional Transit

OCTOBER 1&2 Fairmont Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA

Program Content Includes • Major New-Builds and System Expansions • Capital Program Management • Extreme Weather Events: Planning and Mitigation • Innovations in Rider Experience • Alternative Propulsion Technologies • Special Regional Tour

Connect with LRT professionals from around North America— register early and save!

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WOMEN IN RAILROAD ENGINEERING

POWER BEHIND THE RAILS CELEBRATING FOURTEEN DEDICATED WOMEN IN RAIL ENGINEERING FOR 2025

Photo Credit: Shutterstock/ JuYochi

By Jennifer McLawhorn, Managing Editor

10 Railway Track & Structures // July 202 2025

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WOMEN IN RAILROAD ENGINEERING

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July 2025 // Railway Track & Structures 11

WOMEN IN RAILROAD ENGINEERING

S

ince the inaugural honors first appeared in our July 2021 issue, 59 women (including the 14 women who made this year’s list) have been honored by Railway Track and Structures as an exemplary woman in rail engineering.

These women have worked at Class Is, Short Lines, suppliers, passenger rail agencies, engineering and consulting firms and other places in the industry. They have worked tirelessly over many years to get to where they are. When RT&S sent out a call for nominations, there came a f lood of submissions of countless women of all different backgrounds and experiences who are more than deserving of this honor. This gives the editorial team a difficult task of sorting through and selecting the absolute best of the best to represent this year’s group: a group that will be recognized at an awards luncheon at the annual Railway Age/RT&S Women in Rail conference held in Schaumburg, Illinois from October 15-16, 2025. Read about the 14 dedicated women who deserve to be recognized for their work and achievements from their nominators across the rail industry. Congratulations from all of us at Railway Track and Structures!

MARYCLARA (MC) JONES

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE STRATEGY & TECHNOLOGY MxV Rail

12 Railway Track & Structures // July 2025

Photo Credit: Shutterstock/Andywand

MaryClara (MC) Jones has a distinguished career in the rail industry and has served many roles. During her time at MxV Rail, she has held diverse roles across Engineering, Marketing, Software Services, and most recently, led the team responsible for the design and development of MxV Rail’s new facilities at PuebloPlex and the Pueblo Industrial Park which included the creation of critical infrastructure such as the Facility for Accelerated Service Testing (FAST)®. Her engineering expertise spans vehicle dynamic studies, qualification testing of new passenger rail equipment, Instrumented Wheelset (IWS) design and testing, wheel/rail interaction studies, and standards development for passenger vehicles.

She has also led internal research and development (IR&D) initiatives, including the next-generation IWS system and a comprehensive database of global standards for passenger vehicle qualification testing. She has demonstrated a strong commitment to community engagement through her active involvement in several educational and outreach initiatives. She has played a key role in the Pueblo Works program, a collaborative partnership between Pueblo School District 60 Paragon Online School and MxV Rail that helps to mentor high-risk youth. MC’s career is a testament to her ability to bridge engineering rigor with strategic foresight, making her a standout leader in the rail industry. rtands.com

WOMEN IN RAILROAD ENGINEERING

RANNAH SIMMONDS

ENGINEER – TRACK & STRUCTURES WEST CPKC Rannah Simmonds joined CPKC in 2020 as an Engineer in Training and was promoted to Engineer in 2024. In 2021, as the Management Chair of CPKC’s Internal Health and Safety Committee, Rannah led her team to earn the prestigious award for “Most Effective Engineering Health and Safety Committee.” Her proactive leadership and dedication to workplace safety were instrumental in this achievement. Rannah also represents CPKC with distinction at Fatality Analysis of Maintenance-of-way Employees and Signalmen Committee (FAMES) meetings, demonstrating her ongoing commitment to advancing industry standards. In this Committee, she plays a key role with other members in analyzing fatalities and other incidents, focusing on identifying risks, trends, and factors affecting roadway worker safety. Dedicated to continuous professional growth, she recently broadened her expertise in track infrastructure by completing CPKC’s rigorous in-house regulatory track inspection course. This certification qualifies her to conduct track inspections across Canada, further solidifying her technical proficiency and commitment to excellence in railway operations.

Rannah exemplifies excellence as a professional engineer and leader, making her a standout candidate for this award. Achieving her Professional Engineer (P.Eng) certification in 2024, she managed this significant milestone while successfully navigating the high stakes demands of her leadership role at CPKC. Widely regarded as the face of CPKC across Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario, Rannah seamlessly collaborates with transportation teams, city officials and regulatory bodies to facilitate smooth, uninterrupted rail operations, particularly in critical hubs such as Winnipeg and the Lakehead region. Rannah oversees track infrastructure and cost management across CPKC’s Central Division, balancing strict budgetary discipline with strategic alignment. For the past three years, she has spearheaded major geotechnical initiatives including innovative and highly complex projects on the Emerson and Lariviere subdivisions.

Beyond her technical capabilities, Rannah is a trusted mentor known for training other leaders in investigative procedures and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Her impact as a respected female leader in a traditionally male-dominated industry serves as a powerful inspiration further elevating her contributions to the field and making her an ideal candidate for this award.

KARI HARRIS

SENIOR MANAGER – ENVIRONMENT CN Railway Kari Harris has more than 30 years of experience with wetland and stormwater regulations under her belt that stretches throughout the U.S. and more than 13 years of experience in the Maintenance of Way industry. As a Senior Manager for the Environment at CN, Kari has been the driver of the sustainability and resiliency (S&R) effort for AREMA. From 2021 to 2024, Harris presided as chair of AREMA Committee 13 where she oversaw the development of AREMA’s whitepaper and led organizing the AREMA S&R Ambassadors program. Harris’ work will be remembered as a “legacy for AREMA’s, and the rail industry’s, S&R efforts for decades to come,” said her nominator. They continued, “I have personally been working with Kari as the Secretary and then Vice-Chair of AREMA Committee 13 for eight years, since 2017. I have seen her dedication both to environmental permitting and compliance at CN and to sustainability for the railroad industry as a whole.” rtands.com

July 2025 // Railway Track & Structures 13

WOMEN IN RAILROAD ENGINEERING

KAREN HANKINSON

SENIOR TEAM LEADER | RAIL ENGINEERING & DESIGN Olsson Karen has spent more than 25 years shaping the future of rail transportation across the United States. Her journey began with a BS in Civil Engineering from California State University, Fullerton and has spanned leadership roles, technical innovation, and industry-wide influence. She is a licensed professional civil engineer in over 30 states and a registered traffic engineer in California. These qualifications have allowed her to lead multidisciplinary teams and manage complex projects with confidence and precision.

Throughout her career, Karen has managed and designed a wide variety of grade crossing projects. She has been the driving force behind major initiatives such as the Orange County Grade Crossings Safety Enhancement project, where she designed and provided construction support for queue cutter traffic signal and presignals at 20 grade crossings. Industry leadership is another hallmark of Karen’s career. She serves on the National Committee of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (NCUTCD) Rail and Light Rail Committee, serves on the AREMA Committee 36 on Grade Crossings, and chairs the Institute of Transportation Engineers’ (ITE) Grade Crossing Committee. She has also volunteered at local shools to speak on opportunities in engineering and the importance of STEM curriculum. These roles allow her to influence policy, share best practices, and mentor the next generation of rail professionals.

LISA HOEKENGA

DIRECTOR – RAIL BRIDGES AND STRUCTURES Michael Baker International Lisa Hoekenga has multiple awards and presentations under her belt, including the the Honor Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Ohio for the Norfolk Southern Seven Mile Bridge over Cotton Run. Hoekenga is a 10+ year member of Women in Transportation Seminar (WTS) and has served as President of the Chapter and Regional Representative and Past President. Lisa has been an unwavering force in the railroad engineering industry, exemplifying leadership, innovation, and mentorship. She has been at Michael Baker for 10 years and is currently the Director of the Rail Bridges and Structures Group.

There was no rail bridge group when she started at Michael Baker in 2015. She started by hiring two new graduates shortly after joining and has grown the group to 20+ employees today, all of which are spread across the nation and delivering rail structure solutions to clients nationwide. She was appointed Assistant Vice President at Michael Baker International in January 2024. Her nominator said, “Lisa deserves to be honored as an RT&S Woman in Engineering for her profound impact on the industry, her leadership within Michael Baker and AREMA, and her commitment to mentoring the next generation of railroad engineers. Her unwavering support for her colleagues, advocacy for women in engineering, and drive to push the industry forward make her a standout candidate for recognition – and we can’t forget to include her passion for rail bridges!”

14 Railway Track & Structures // July 2025

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WOMEN IN RAILROAD ENGINEERING

SAMANTHA MEYER

MANAGER OF TRACK MAINTENANCE Union Pacific Throughout Samantha’s career, she has consistently demonstrated a commitment to excellence, innovation, and leadership in the field of track engineering. Her journey has been shaped by the pioneering efforts of many female engineers who paved the way before her, and she is dedicated to continuing their legacy by forging new paths and driving progress in the industry. She recently transitioned to a new role within UP’s Maintenance of Way team, providing her with invaluable knowledge and growth opportunities. As the manager of a team of 16 localized track maintenance members spread across approximately 250 miles of track, she has successfully planned and executed both proactive and reactive maintenance activities to ensure the safe movement of train traffic. This role requires her to coordinate and build small-scale improvement projects, maintain track to the highest standards set by the FRA and Union Pacific, and effectively communicate goals across large distances. She’s embraced the foundational pillars of safety, service, and operational excellence while recognizing the diverse environments, individuals, skill sets, and communication styles within her team. In a previous role, she led large-scale capital tie projects aimed at track renewal for the longevity of the infrastructure. With a team of 48 members, Samantha communicated, aligned goals, and provided influence regarding safety, quality, and productivity, which significantly contributed to the engagement and growth of the team.

Congratulations to

Claire Burkhardt, one of RT&S’s 2025 Women in Engineering!

Her commitment to engineering excellence through every phase—from design to commissioning—helps us deliver turnkey solutions and make better connections.

MODRAILSYSTEMS.COM

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July 2025 // Railway Track & Structures 15

WOMEN IN RAILROAD ENGINEERING

HEATHER PADAVELL PROJECT MANAGER Watco As a professional engineer in Edmonton, Alberta, Heather spent the initial part of her 15-year career as a civil design engineer. Her leadership skills and interest in the big picture enabled growth and advancement to project engineering and then project management, where she has been leading projects in transportation for the last six years. Her involvement on a light rail transit (LRT) project in Edmonton, Alberta, over the last three years was her segue into freight rail design and construction for Watco, where she started in January 2025. Having worked with Watco less than a year, Heather has exceeded expectations as a project manager and assumed responsibility at the program management level where she is negotiating agreements directly with its customer. Heather is leading a $170 million rail expansion project across two brownfield industrial sites in Alberta Canada, constructing 80,000 feet of track and a rail car wash facility that can wash eight hopper cars at a time. Managing brownfield sites within a very large expansion project significantly increases complexity and presents a project manager with many unanticipated challenges. Heather has demonstrated exceptional capability to get her arms around a very wide, challenging scope and has become the central point of leadership to ensure all Watco project resources are managing their activities and interfacing with other third-party construction teams to ensure timing and alignment of Watco construction with other site activity.

RAILROADING

EXCELLENCE Congratulations to Rannah Simmonds, Engineer, on being honoured as one of Railway Track & Structures 2025 Women in Rail Engineering. cpkcr.com

16 Railway Track & Structures // July 2025

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WOMEN IN RAILROAD ENGINEERING

RITA BULSARA

SENIOR PROGRAM MANAGER RailPros Rita Bulsara is a strong leader, a licensed Civil Engineer, and an experienced Project/Program Manager who has directed large-scale state, federal, and municipal railway and highway projects across a two-decade career. Since joining RailPros in 2023, Rita has served as the Project Manager for multiple concurrent railyard improvement/ expansion projects for trash transfer stations, transload facilities, and industrial parks and served as the quality manager for a 300’ double track bridge replacement project and two passenger station improvements projects in Southern California. Most recently, she was the Project Manager for an LRT system state-of-good-repair assessment and is currently managing the preliminary design for improvements to an industrial lead and grade crossing that experiences frequent flooding. In a profession where women are underrepresented, Rita was fortunate and privileged to have strong female role models from the early days of her career. This experience has led to her passion for mentoring younger women that are entering into the workforce, using her knowledge of the railroad industry and project management. For instance, during her time at NJT, Rita sat on the panel that presented the agency’s capital program of projects to community organizations, many of them small and womenowned businesses.

Most see a talented engineer.

We see an inspirational friend and colleague.

CONGRATULATIONS KAREN HANKINSON!

2025 RT&S Women in Railroad Engineering Honoree

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July 2025 // Railway Track & Structures 17

WOMEN IN RAILROAD ENGINEERING

DESIREE GILANI

SYSTEM SAFETY INTEGRATION ENGINEER Kiewit Corporation Desiree’s role at Kiewit began in summer 2020, during the height of the pandemic. It was in her first role as integration lead on Kiewit’s WMATA Metro Rail Platform Rehab in Washington, D.C., where Desiree had to come up to speed fast to understand the technical challenges of WMATA’s existing systems and coordinate with the responsible stakeholders. The sheer size of the organization and its systems was a challenge, and since the project’s end, Desiree has continued to work on transit projects. At Kiewit, she manages the PTSCTP memberships in both AREMA and WTS. Desiree assists the travelling public as part of her volunteer work at Washington, D.C.’s Reagan national Airport. As an avid supporter of rail, Gilani’s nominator wrote that Desiree “is the most ardent advocate for public transportation I’ve come across in my 20 years of working in the transit space. Since the end of the WMATA Platform Rehab project, Desiree moved to Washington, D.C. from her hometown of Denver and now utilizes the metro rail system daily for commuting into the office. What started as a general interest in public transportation has turned into a personal advocacy. Desiree has personal contacts with rail operators and will meet for coffee to better understand how the system works. She doesn’t own a car and now utilizes the WMATA rail and bus systems to get around.”

RT&S 2025 Women in Rail Engineering Congratulations to

Heather Padavell Project Manager

18 Railway Track & Structures // July 2025

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WOMEN IN RAILROAD ENGINEERING

JERE ALWIN

SIGNAL DESIGN MANAGER Metra Coming up on 30 years in the industry, Jere Alwin’s career started with Chicago Northwestern as a Union Pacific Assistant Signalman August 14, 1995. As the first female ARASA Supervisor at UP, she spent years working as a Safety Supervisor and Instructor, Signal Construction Supervisor, Signal Technical Instructor, and as Signal Engineer in Denver, West Chicago, and Omaha. In the fastpaced world of signal design, precision, collaboration, and visionary leadership are essential, Jere exemplifies all these qualities in her role at Metra, where her dedication to excellence continues to shape the agency’s success. Jere fosters an intellectual atmosphere rich with ideas, encouraging thoughtful discussion and innovation.

Her ability to ask penetrating questions inspires her team, fueling a culture of curiosity and forward-thinking solutions. Whether coordinating with local, state, or federal officials, consultants, field staff, or Metra’s various departments, her communication skills ensure clarity and efficiency in every project she touches. Beyond her strategic expertise, Jere is deeply committed to the development of her team. She works closely with her staff, providing the direction and training they need to excel. With a keen ability to tackle the most complex design tasks, she leads by example, empowering her colleagues to push boundaries and deliver outstanding results.

Congratulations Brett Guarino 2025 Women in Engineering Honoree CSX is proud to celebrate Brett Guarino for her exceptional leadership and technical expertise over the past 15 years. As a Project Manager II at CSX, she leverages her expertise to continue to drive forward improvements to freight and passenger rail services through high-stakes, impactful work. Brett is a steadfast advocate for women in engineering and engages with students in STEM to empower and inspire the next generation.

Her dedication to community involvement and advocacy reflects her commitment to making a difference both personally and professionally, embodying the spirit of Women in Engineering.

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July 2025 // Railway Track & Structures 19

WOMEN IN RAILROAD ENGINEERING

SARA HASSOON

LEAD ENGINEER – STRUCTURAL Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) Sara Hassoon has more than 24 years of experience in leading and managing complex civil and structural engineering projects across a range of sectors and has been working for the TTC for more than 3 years. Over the course of her career, she has successfully led and continues to lead multi-disciplinary projects, including the Markdale Emergency Services Building Fire Ventilation Upgrade. Additionally, she delivered a major infrastructure project that achieved LEED Gold certification, demonstrating her commitment to sustainable design and spearheaded the integration of Toronto Green Standards into TTC’s structural specifications, contributing to improved environmental sustainability in capital projects. Hassoon has also worked to review the design and technical documentation related to Metrolinx’s Yonge North Subway Extension, playing a key role in ensuring that the proposed expansion aligns with TTC design standards and safeguards existing TTC infrastructure during integration of the new line. Her nominator writes, “Sara exemplifies the highest standards of professional engineering excellence and leadership. As a licensed Professional Engineer, Sara consistently demonstrates deep technical expertise while leading complex, high-profile projects that are critical to the success of our organization.”

Congratulations to Pallavi Lal, Global Director, Vehicles and Operations, for being named one of RT&S Women in Engineering Winners for 2025!

Visit us at hatch.com

20 Railway Track & Structures // July 2025

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WOMEN IN RAILROAD ENGINEERING

CLAIRE BURKHARDT

SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER Modern Railway Systems, Inc. Claire starting her engineering journey beginning with hardware and software design for MetroRail in Houston over a decade ago. She followed up her work there with more hardware design for MetroLink in St. Louis. From there, Claire tackled PTC design (hardware & software) implementation for UTA’s commuter line, FrontRunner. Ensuring she was covering the country, Claire then supported design efforts for SunRail quiet zone upgrades in Florida. All of this design work was followed by a return to Texas for CapMetro in Austin, and she helped St. Louis once again upgrade 46 miles of their alignment. To cover the northwest, Claire provided block design, hardware and software design for multiple projects for Sound Transit.

She currently is supporting MRS’s work for Metra in Chicago.

Burkhardt’s nominator says, “Claire is not a one trick pony. She has adapted to different owner personalities, different requirements, different alignments, and different design criteria. She has shown that she can work across many project types while developing invaluable business and personal relationships that drive success. Being well traveled and well-rounded is a value add to the process because that body of experience can help shorten learning curves, identify potential risks, and put forth proven solutions.”

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Rita Bulsara, Senior Program Manager, on her Women in Rail Engineering award!

Rita leads the way by contributing to key industry projects while advocating for women in her field.

Nicely done, Samantha.

Union Pacific congratulates Samantha Meyer, manager-Track Maintenance, Engineering, for being named one of Railway Track and Structure’s 2025 Women in Engineering.

Join our Team at: Go.RailPros.com/Career

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July 2025 // Railway Track & Structures 21

WOMEN IN RAILROAD ENGINEERING

BRETT GUARINO

PROJECT MANAGER II CSX Brett Guarino is an accomplished Project Manager II at CSX Transportation, where she plays a pivotal role as the rail design representative for the CREATE Program. This innovative publicprivate partnership works to improve freight and passenger rail services through the Chicago Terminal in Chicago, Illinois. Brett has been instrumental in advancing this critical initiative, leveraging her expertise to drive its success. A dedicated professional, Brett participated in the SOAR Professional Development Project in 2017, honing her leadership and strategic skills. Additionally, she has demonstrated her commitment to the industry through her previous service as the Chairperson of an AREMA Subcommittee, showcasing her ability to lead and contribute meaningfully to the rail engineering community. Brett is deeply committed to making a positive impact beyond her professional career. She actively volunteers at her church, contributing her time and energy to support community initiatives. Passionate about inspiring future generations, Brett has presented at numerous schools across Chicago, where she speaks about the importance of women in engineering. Through these engaging discussions, she encourages young students to explore opportunities in STEM, fostering a sense of possibility and empowerment among the next wave of innovators.

RAIL NEWS DELIVERED TO YOU AT HIGH SPEED

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22 Railway Track & Structures // July 2025

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WOMEN IN RAILROAD ENGINEERING

PALLAVI LAL

GLOBAL DIRECTOR, VEHICLES & OPERATIONS Hatch Pallavi Lal is a career rail transit professional with a track record as a rail transit vehicle mechanical engineer, design integrator, program manager, advisor to the major transit operators, and a mentor to the junior engineers entering the transit industry. She is well-respected by vehicle and component OEMs, transit operators, and consultants. She oversees an industry-leading vehicle engineering group at Hatch, with 500+ senior engineering staff. With market lead of 65% of vehicles in North America, Pallavi and her team’s impact on infrastructure is significant. She has been part of many APTA committees and is currently helping with Rail Vehicle Procurement Committee as Vice-Chair. She was recognized as a positive change inspiration woman in 2024 in USA. Her contributions and impact within the industry involve being part of the mentorship program at WTS NJ, providing leadership oversight as Director-At-Large at WTS NJ from 2020-2022, being involved with ASME Philadelphia Chapter, and volunteering at a local Boys Scout Troop. She has led the Vehicles and Operations group at Hatch to success in winning high-profile work across the USA for various agencies. One of her nominators wrote, “Pallavi should be recognized as she is an unsung hero. She keeps a low profile and is focused on growth of her staff and providing the best in public transit.”

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July 2025 // Railway Track & Structures 23

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October 15 & 16, 2025 Hyatt Regency Schaumburg Schaumburg, IL

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Women in Rail 2025 is a must-attend event, highlighting diverse experiences and practical strategies for moving the industry forward.

The third annual conference features dynamic panels, a celebratory awards luncheon, and the chance to network with a wide-reaching group of like-minded rail professionals.

Join Us For: • Leadership Journeys in Short Line, Transit, Freight Engineering

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Supporting Organizations

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Jim Derwinski CEO / Executive Dir. Metra

Jean Savage CEO & President Trinity Industries, Inc.

Annie A. Adams Chief HR Officer Norfolk Southern

Tina Sheaves VP Operations Eastern CPKC

Cassandra Mullee VP Network Operations CN

Christina Booth-Jackson VP of IT R. J. Corman

Scott Sandoval AVP, Eng., American Region Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Svcs. Inc.

Lakeiah Johnson Sr. Telecommunications Eng. Metra

James T. Riley President Railway Supply Institute

Learn More: www.railwayage.com/womeninrail Sponsorships Available: Jonathan Chalon | jchalon@sbpub.com | 212.620.7224 Questions?: conferences@sbpub.com

WRI: WHEEL/RAIL INTERFACE OPTIMIZATION

Implementing Rail Grinding And Wheel/ Rail Interface Optimization Programs On Heavy Haul And Transit Systems:

LESSONS LEARNED

by Jeff Tuzik

Eric Magel, Principal of EM-WRI Consulting Inc., and former Principal Engineer at the National Research Council of Canada.

26 Railway Track & Structures // July 2025

sometimes serendipitously, have shaped and refined modern grinding programs.

Eric Magel, Principal of EM-WRI Consulting Inc., and former Principal Engineer at the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), has seen a lot of rail grinding. His career with the NRC roughly spans the period from 1990 to 2020 and took him to freight and transit properties around the world. “The 90s was an exciting time to be involved in rail grinding,” he told delegates at the 2024 Heavy Haul Wheel/ Rail Interaction conference. “When the JK rail profiles [named after Joe Kalousek, his mentor and the recipient of WRI Seminars’ first Worth Award] were becoming more widely adopted in North America, there was debate over conformal versus two-point contact, and premium rail steels were becoming more prevalent,”

he said. In addition, preventive rail grinding was gaining traction as an efficient long-term grinding strategy.

South American Transit: Systemic Approach Early in his career, Magel, working with Stuart Grassie—Principal, Rail Measurement Ltd and Stuart Grassie Engineering Ltd and recipient of Wheel-Rail Seminars’ 2024 Worth Award— was involved in a rail grinding project on a South American transit system. The system was new, running light axle loads, and riddled with wheel/rail interaction problems. There was severe wheel polygonization (corrugation of the wheel treads), heavy corrugation of the rail (causing noise and vibration issues and contributing to broken components on cars) rtands.com

Photo Credit: Mike Yuhas

R

ail grinding continues to evolve.

Though still a standard part of the track maintenance and optimization toolkit, grinding programs look very different than they did when grinding programs first became commonplace in the 1980s. Preventive grinding, for example, has gone from niche to mainstream; it’s the target for most transit and heavy haul systems, on small commuter lines and massive mining networks alike. Grinding machines have changed, too. Their greater size and capability, when coupled with advanced measurement systems and performance metrics, enable more precise and efficient grinding operations.

Lessons learned from rail grinding programs around the world, where theory and practical application have met, sometimes messily,

WRI: WHEEL/RAIL INTERFACE OPTIMIZATION

and deep-seated shells, primarily at the gage corner in the high rail in curves. “Even with very light axle loads, shells were popping out of the gage corner.”

There are two primary avenues for addressing the root cause of corrugation, Magel said.

It can be done by correcting the wavelengthfixing mechanism via damping, decoupling components, or otherwise changing the predominant resonance; or by introducing wear-reducing wheel/rail profiles and/or friction modifiers. “Going after the wavelength fixing mechanism works sometimes, but it’s often very expensive,” he said. “And you have to remember that there will always be resonances in the system; you might deal with one and find another that’s a problem.” In the case of the South American transit system, there were also the gage corner shells, which are inherently unrelated to the wavelength fixing mechanism, to contend with. For these reasons, fixing the damage mechanism was the optimal choice, Magel said.

Unfortunately, the transit system’s only rail grinder was a reciprocating grinder. This type of grinder operates by sliding grindstones back and forth longitudinally along the rail.

“It didn’t remove much metal, but over time it could smooth out corrugation,” he said.

However, the grindstones were shaped such that they were also flattening the rail, giving it an almost squared-off profile. A profile like this, particularly in a high rail, makes for very severe contact conditions between the wheel flange root and the gage corner, leading (in this case) to the formation of deep-seated shells, he said.

Figure 1: Examples of damage on the South American transit, including shelling at the gage corner, and severe wheel and rail corrugation.

Figure 2: The top left photo shows a recently-ground rail on the railway with an accumulated 1300 MGT of traffic. The photos to the right show the high and low rails 14MGT post-grind, and the photo bottom left shows the same rail 28 MGT after grinding; significant gage corner RCF is already visible.

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July 2025 // Railway Track & Structures 27

WRI: WHEEL/RAIL INTERFACE OPTIMIZATION

This led to conditions in which the rail profile favored the downhill, loaded trains while the fast, light uphill trains experienced significant hunting. Though in fact, Magel said, the actual rail profile was not optimal for either operating condition.

Figure 2 shows (top left) a recently-ground rail on the railway with an accumulated 1300 MGT of traffic. The photos to the right show the high and low rails 14MGT post-grind, and the photo bottom left shows the same rail 28 MGT after grinding; significant gage corner RCF is already visible.

On the one hand, Magel said, it’s hard to argue with success. “[The mining railway] was running heavy axle loads on lower-quality steel and getting very good life out of it despite the RCF.” Even so, the presence of RCF is never a good sign; it indicates that the rail profile is not performing optimally, and therefore not providing the benefits to wear rate, steering, hunting suppression, and RCF resistance that it was designed for, he said.

Figure 3: These photos show the progression of BNSF’s “Progressive Gradual” grind program on a crushed low rail at 0, 6, and 9 cycles, representing roughly two years of grinding.

Lessons Learned Common though it is, corrugation is complicated. There are many contributing factors, and the root cause is not always clear, Magel said. And because there is always resonance in the system, and always some form of damage mechanism (like RCF, or wear, for example), corrugation is nearly inevitable unless the system has been specifically designed, from the ground up, to suppress it. Another takeaway from this case is that it is possible to grind improperly. “The reciprocating grinders were removing corrugation temporarily, but the flattening of the rail, in fact, contributed to its rapid reformation, and caused the incidental shelling at the gage corner. This is why it’s necessary to look at the whole system, not just the immediate problem. “When you make any change [to the system] you have to consider knock-on effects that may manifest elsewhere, either immediately or over a long period of time.”

28 Railway Track & Structures // July 2025

Australian Mining Railway: Corrective Grinding Another project took Magel to an Australian mining railway to investigate rail surface conditions, including dipped welds, RCF and hunting. There was significant RCF, he said, but the railway wasn’t particularly concerned with it. “Because of the very dry operating environment, wheel/rail friction conditions were very high. In these conditions, RCF cracks typically only grow to a relatively shallow depth; there’s not enough ambient moisture to be regularly compressed into the cracks and further propagate them,” he said. It’s also important to note that the railway didn’t have a regular grinding schedule, but rather ground on an as-needed basis, based on track inspector reports.

Some of the issues affecting the railway were directly related to their operations— specifically, running loaded trains downhill, slowly, to the unloading facilities and running empty trains back to the mine at high speed.

Lessons Learned Designed rail profiles only work if they’re maintained, which ties into another lesson from this case: preventive grinding is more efficient than corrective grinding, Magel said. Preventive grinding, which is scheduled at regular intervals, aims to mitigate defect growth (such as RCF), control exponential growth rates, and maintain rail profiles to their design/optimal condition. Preventive grinding makes morefrequent, lower-effort interventions rather than the more typical grinding programs that make less-frequent higher-effort interventions when defects are far along into their exponential growth curve. This is a common and commonly known practice today, but it wasn’t always. “We had to make quite an argument on this particular project to make the case for preventive grinding.”

BNSF: Preventive Grinding When the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe railroads merged in 1995, their grinding philosophies and practices were put to the test.

Prior to the merger, BN had spent several years getting its grinding program and its rail into a preventive state, Magel said. Santa Fe, on the other hand, did not grind—owing in part to the relatively dry, low curvature conditions on much of their network. The merger provided no additional grinding budget, and there was additional pressure to reduce or remove grinding altogether, as part of a “no grind” movement within the industry at the time.

Under these conditions, the merged BNSF began, within a short time, to see accelerating rtands.com

WRI: WHEEL/RAIL INTERFACE OPTIMIZATION

rates of rail surface damage, including gage corner shelling on high rails and top of rail shelling on low rails, crushed heads, surface initiated transverse defects and dipped welds, as well as evidence of wide gage, fastener damage and other signs of poor rail condition, Magel said.

Determined to prove the efficacy of preventive grinding but lacking the resources to implement a large-scale program, BNSF, working with the NRC, developed a plan to preventively grind and monitor a small test site in their Pacific Northwest territory. The logistics of implementing the project with a single grinder proved untenable, so Joe Kalousek, who was the NRC’s grinding guru at the time, suggested adopting a “preventive- gradual” approach.

This program called for implementing preventive grinding cycles across the territory without first removing the defects and establishing the design rail profiles, Magel said. Preventive-gradual grinding cycles were based on MGT and curvature: every 20 MGT on sharp curves, 40 MGT on mild curves, and 60 MGT on tangent. The tenets of the program were to: • Maximize spark hours and grinding efficiency by working with operations to optimize track time.

• Perform only a single grinding pass (with

a few limited exceptions); this meant slowing down, if necessary, to maximize metal removal.

• Focus first on reducing the stress state by applying optimal profiles, and then target damage and defect removal in subsequent grinding cycles.

Figure 3 shows the progression of this program on a crushed low rail at 0, 6, and 9 cycles, representing roughly two years of grinding. “You can see we’re not worrying about the damage left behind, but we’re progressively catching up on the shape.

That’s why we call it “preventive-gradual;” we’re gradually catching up to get the rail to a preventive state,” Magel said.

The results of this study1, presented at AREMA 2001, showed that the “preventive-gradual” program provided numerous economic benefits, including significantly increased rail life, increased grinder productivity, reduced grinding cost per mile, decreased surface defects and decreased internal defects.

“The BNSF team needed to demonstrate to management that grinding was important, and worth doing. These key performance indicators prove it to them in their terms.”

Lessons Learned There is risk, of course, involved in

implementing a large scale and novel program like this. But trying something new and different always involves some inherent risk. That’s why it’s important to monitor as much as possible in order to mitigate the risk and to intervene quickly, if necessary, Magel said. It’s also important to educate the stakeholders so they’re aware of how the program will progress.

“We went to several places on the BNSF property and presented the program to all the roadmasters and track inspectors. We told them what we were doing, why we were doing it, and what to expect. We also assured them that we were taking responsibility for the program and that it wouldn’t blow up in their faces.”

Grinding programs are often large, longterm projects that require significant commitment, so high level support of the program is critical. This means that explaining the program and its benefits and telling the story through data and key performance indicators is also important, Magel said.

Canadian Pacific: More Knock-ons In the early 2000s, Canadian Pacific (CP) initiated its “100% effective lubrication” program, which involved equipping a territory with state-of-the-art gage-face lubricators and lubricants and monitoring their effect on multiple metrics like rail wear, and fuel consumption. The program was quite

Figure 4: An example of shelling partially caused by not grinding far enough down the gage face. The 26-degree mark on the template in the photo shows where previously grinding program effectively stopped; not the shelling that has occurred just beyond the mark.

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July 2025 // Railway Track & Structures 29

WRI: WHEEL/RAIL INTERFACE OPTIMIZATION

step was to switch to finer, softer stones (of which several grindstone formulations were tested) and apply multiple polishing passes to get a clean and relatively signature-free rail surface, Magel reported.

Advanced Rail Management (now Global Rail North America), working with Sound Transit, experimented with multiple combinations of stones, grinder speeds, and grind module pressures to dial in a combination that provided a balance of surface finish smoothness and grinder productivity. In this case, a single-step process using medium-grit stones provided the best results with the least compromise; Implementing these new surface roughness thresholds effectively reduced systemwide noise and vibration and eliminated Sound Transit’s problems with clips breaking due to excess vibration.

Figure 5: Examples of the very rough grind signature on Sound Transit following a sub-optimal grinding operation.

successful, but there was an unexpected knock-on effect, Magel said.

“Because there was no gage-face wear and no gage-corner cracking in the test territory, the grinding crew started changing things they shouldn’t have,” Magel said. The rail profiles were designed to be ground to 45-degrees on the gage face, but because the grinding crew saw no visible wear or defects there, they started grinding only to 26-degrees on the gage face.

This created a stress raiser at that location on the gage corner. And because of the effectiveness of the 100% effective lubrication program, that corner didn’t wear away.

Instead, deep-seated shells formed. Figure 4 shows an example of this shelling and a template on which the 26-degree hatch mark is visible. The solution was to return to grinding all the way to 45-degrees and to remove at least 0.2mm of metal in the process, Magel said. This solved the immediate shelling problem. But, again, there was an unexpected knock-on effect.

Another consequence of the optimized lubrication program was that excess lubricant was no longer spilling onto the top of rail, leaving the top of rail much dryer than it was previously. This led to high wear and lateral forces at the low rail, forcing the wheelset against the outer rail such that the grinding to 45 degrees was insufficient to stop gage corner shelling. The program was amended to grind down to 60 degrees on the gage face 30 Railway Track & Structures // July 2025

and CP embarked on a “100% effective friction management program” that added top of rail friction management applicators to reduce lateral forces.

Lessons Learned As in the case of the South American transit, this case illustrates the complexity of interaction at the wheel/rail interface. When conditions change, or when knock-on effects come to light, it’s important to stop and re-evaluate the grinding approach, Magel said.

Sound Transit: Surface Roughness and Fine Tuning It’s possible to grind improperly. A 2010 review of rail conditions at Sound Transit found that the previous grinding cycle left a very rough grind signature (see figure 5). “On a transit system, rough grinding stays around for quite a while. Because of light axle loads and low MGT, it is possible for that roughness to remain for years,” Magel said. At Sound Transit, the grind signature, combined with the typical operating speed of trains on the affected track excited a resonance that caused a spike in vibrations at 63hz (force density level / ⅓ octave band measurement).

The initial plan to remove and “correct” the grind signature was to employ a twostep grinding process. The first step was to use standard “coarse” grindstones to remove defects and correct the rail profile. The next

Lessons Learned Fine tuning the grinding program is not only possible but necessary to ensure the best results.

The grinding machine, rail profiles, grinding frequency, operating speeds and stone types can be selected in order to work most efficiently and effectively for a given railroad with its specific rail surface problems, budget restrictions and logistical constraints.

Rail grinding continues to change. Technologies for quantifying RCF are increasingly used in conjunction with grinding programs to ensure defect-free conditions. Rail milling is making inroads in North America as a complementary rail maintenance technology. Rail grinders are increasingly precise and increasingly automated. Advances in metallurgy and the increasing prevalence of premium rail steels have influenced the relationship between wear and RCF, the design of optimal profiles, and the frequency and amount of grinding. Improvements in friction control are also changing the equations.

As railways, researchers, and grinding practitioners contend with these changes, there will be new lessons to learn; sometimes the easy way, sometimes the hard way.

Jeff Tuzik is Managing Editor of Interface Journal. https://interfacejournal.com/ This article is based on a presentation made at the 2024 Wheel Rail Interaction Heavy Haul conference. https://wheel-railseminars.com/ 1. J. Stanford et al, “Transitioning from corrective to preventive rail grinding on the BNSF railroad” The 7th International Heavy Haul Conference: Confronting the Barriers of Heavy Haul Technology, June 10-14, 2001, South Brisbane, Australia. rtands.com

SIT AND LISTEN William C. Vantuono Railway Age

David C. Lester Railway Track & Structures

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

Kevin Smith

International Railway Journal

Podcasts are available on Apple Music, Google Play and SoundCloud

WAYSIDE MONITORING DEVICES

KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THE

RAILROAD The Days of Only Signals and Telegraph Lines Are Over – Today’s Wayside Hosts a Lot of Technology

32 Railway Track & Structures // July 2025

the system to be useful and helping them to operate more safely.

An even more recent development is the installation of what are usually referred to as digital train inspection portals. These structures look like a tunnel portal over the track, made of steel, and contain high-intensity lighting and sensing devices, including high-speed cameras that can make 1000 photographs of the components of each car, which are then analyzed by machine learning algorithms to identify existing problems and predict potential failures. One of the leading examples of this type of portal was developed jointly by Norfolk Southern and the Georgia Tech Research Institute in Atlanta, with several installed on the NS system. Systems similar to this are available from several vendors, as you’ll read in Managing Editor Jennifer McLawhorn’s vendor spotlight beginning on page 34.

The temperature of wheel bearings and brakes are two things that require careful monitoring as a train moves along the road. There are special wayside devices that monitor bearings as they pass by. Traditionally known as “hot box” detectors, these devices can provide readings of the absolute temperature of a wheel bearing at a given point but can also feed data to software that includes trending analysis which alerts people in the back-office if the bearing temperature is increasing as it passes by subsequent detectors. If the temperature increases

beyond a certain threshold, the train can be stopped and the car with the faulty bearing can be set out to avoid a catastrophe.

Wheel temperature must also be monitored to ensure that the car’s brakes are functioning properly. All wheels on a moving train should warm up when the brakes are applied. If wheel temperature is below a certain threshold, but is warm, monitors can rest assured that the brakes are functioning properly. However, if a wheel temperature exceeds a certain threshold, this can indicate a brake that is locked, causing tremendous heat to build up in the wheel which can cause cracks or other damage to the wheel, usually derailing the train. If a monitor finds that a wheel is cold, this means that the brake has some sort of problem and is not being applied to the wheel at all. There are also systems available to detect dragging equipment on a train. Dragging equipment includes hoses and couplers that have partially fallen off of the train and are being dragged along on the ground, which can create problems if this equipment completely falls off and gets under a wheel or runs through switch points, interfering with the safe movement of the train.

This review has covered just a few of the many wayside devices that are deployed at trackside. And, while we no longer have telegraph wires, signals still remain in operation on most sections of North American railroads. rtands.com

Photo Credit: Shutterstock/ Bokeh Art Photo

B

ack in the old days of railroading, the primary devices installed along the right-of-way were train signals and telegraph lines. Of course, that was a long time ago, and today’s railroad rights-of-way are packed with all sorts of devices to provide a seemingly endless array of measurements and warnings about existing and possible failures on the horizon. Given the sophistication of this technology, one might wonder if there are sensors that can determine when the locomotive crew flushes the toilet or ones that monitor the heart rate and blood pressure of the engineer and conductor. While we’re not measuring these things yet, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone offered devices and systems to do so in the future.

Perhaps the most recent and dynamic equipment along the wayside is that associated with Positive Train Control (PTC) equipment. Radio towers and other communications equipment are an integral part of the PTC system and communicate with satellites, locomotive computers, and back-office computers to perform the functions of the system. The term “unfunded mandate” was often used to describe the requirement for PTC systems (which is accurate), and the challenge to design and install these systems was a monumental undertaking. Now that PTC has “settled in” and various upgrades and bug fixes to the system have been made, railroads are finding

By David C. Lester, Editor-in-Chief

Photo Credit: David C. Lester

2025 ART WORTH AWARD WINNER

Michael Roney of Iron Mustache Consulting is the winner of the 2025 Wheel-Rail Interaction Art Worth Award for outstanding achievements in his railroad engineering career. Here, he is addressing the Heavy Haul Conference in Kansas City on June 12, with his presentation “Wheel/Rail Interaction: 30 Years of Tears and Cheer.”

rtands.com

July 2025 // Railway Track & Structures 33

WAYSIDE DEVICES

FROM THE WAYSIDE Monitoring train health from the track

M

onitoring train health has advanced significantly in terms of breadth and sophistication over the past several decades. Technology on the wayside that collects data as trains pass through offers the Maintenance of Way sector another way of keeping trains moving smoothly and safely. These wayside inspection systems help transform how the MoW industry detects defects and prevents failures. Railway Track and Structures spoke to Duos Technologies, Progress Rail, voestalpine Railway Systems, Hitachi Rail, and KLD Labs on how each is developing and

34 Railway Track & Structures // July 2025

manufacturing devices that combine precision sensors, real-time analytics, and AI-driven insights to support safe and efficient operations.

Duos Technologies offers “wayside train health monitoring, delivering advanced inspection systems designed to enhance safety, reliability, and operational efficiency across North America’s rail networks. At the heart of [its] portfolio is the Railcar Inspection Portal (rip®), a fixed wayside solution that uses precision optics, specialized lighting, and high-speed line-scan imaging combined with AI-based analysis to automatically detect mechanical defects—often

within 60 seconds of a train passing through the portal. Expanding on this proven foundation, Duos is introducing a new offering: the Mobile Railcar Inspection Portal (M-rip™). This semiportable version of the rip® is engineered for f lexibility—ideal for railroads with short-term site needs, seasonal operations, or variable inspection demands.

Housed in a fully outfitted trailer, the M-rip™ includes everything required for transport, rapid deployment, and operation. It brings the same high-fidelity imaging and AI-powered analytics found in our fixed rip® installations, but with the added advantage of temporary rtands.com

Photo Credit: (L) Progress Rail; (Top R), Hitachi Rail, Bottom R), Duos Technologies

By Jennifer McLawhorn, Managing Editor

WAYSIDE DEVICES

The HMAX vibration monitoring system has been deployed across four continents with more than 40,000 sensors monitoring train assets.

Duos Technologies’ RIP Viewing Platform

deployment and relocation. Currently being evaluated for early pilot opportunities with FRA, the M-rip™ represents a major step toward making sophisticated train inspection capabilities more accessible and adaptable.”

Progress Rail told RT&S it “offers a suite of solutions to help customers ensure their railways operate safely and efficiently. Through notifying train crews and operation centers of defects before a catastrophic event occurs, these products protect ties, track and high-value assets, such as railcars and locomotives. Products like Hot Bearing Detection, Hot Wheel Detection, Dragging Equipment Detection and Clearance Detection can be implemented on a standalone basis or integrated into turnkey systems. Progress Rail’s Micro rtands.com

Hot Bearing Detector (HBD) inspects passing trains for bearing defects to prevent derailments and costly infrastructure damage. The MicroHBD system utilizes infrared scanners and gating axle counters to determine speed, direction and length of train. The system measures the temperature of the bearing and correlates with the axle count on the train consist to provide a comprehensive view of overall train integrity.

The Dragging Equipment Detector (DED) inspects passing trains, safeguarding rolling stock, cargo and infrastructure from the risk of derailments and damage. When dragging equipment is detected, the DED signals the MicroHBD or MicroTalker, which alerts train crews and operations centers.”

The voestalpine Railway Systems

“zentrak Hot Motor Detection (HMD) and Hot Wheel Detection (HWD) system is designed to identify overheated traction motor components and wheels, which pose serious safety and operational risks. Key parts such as motor bearings, gear cases, U-tube bearings, power leads, and housings can overheat, leading to breakdowns and service disruptions. Similarly, brake system issues—such as stuck or damaged brakes—can cause excessive heat in wheels or discs, potentially sparking fires and forming wheel f lat spots. The zentrak system uses HMD/ HWD sensors installed within the track gauge to automatically inspect traction motors and wheels as trains pass over them. These sensors allow for continuous monitoring and support predictive July 2025 // Railway Track & Structures 35

WAYSIDE DEVICES

The main hardware component of the HMAX vibration monitoring system is the Wireless Sensor Node (WSN); a combined vibration and temperature sensor that includes a patented energy harvester, which means the WSN is constantly powering itself and allows the system to monitor vibration constantly, as opposed to taking measurements infrequently. For WSNs installed on the axle-box, the frequent vibration measurement allows the detection of the wheel-rail interface, enabling the possibility of track health monitoring with one sensor. The other component of the HMAX vibration monitoring system is the data analytics expertise at Hitachi Rail. Once the data collected from the WSNs are transmitted to a secure cloud, Hitachi Rail uses a combination of AI, machine learning, and algorithms to filter and to process the noisy, raw data into something valuable – actionable intelligence. The HMAX vibration monitoring system has provided powerful and transformative real-world results. Southeastern, a British train operating company, has more than 3,000 wheelsets with HMAX vibration sensors installed.

These sensors have provided remote condition monitoring capabilities to Southeastern, allowing them to extend their wheelset

replacement from 600,000 to 1.8 million miles.” Mark Johnson of Southeastern stated, “We have moved away from a routine change-out bearing program to an on-condition maintenance program, the cost of replacing one bearing when required against the cost of replacing 64 bearings is significant.”

KLD Labs, an ENSCO company, told RT&S it “is transforming rolling stock maintenance with WheelScan, a cuttingedge wayside inspection system that delivers real-time, high-precision wheel profile measurements at track speed.

Using non-contact laser and imaging technology, WheelScan identifies worn wheel sets, hollow tread conditions, and out-of-tolerance back-to-back wheelsets—critical data for avoiding costly failures and unplanned downtime.

WheelScan is installed directly in-track and designed for 24/7 operation in yards, shops, or mainlines. As trains pass, the system captures high-resolution wheel images, instantly measuring key parameters like f lange height, f lange width, rim thickness, tread width, hollow tread and back-to-back measurements.

These measurements are managed by KLD’s TrainBase or can be integrated into customers’ management systems, enabling predictive maintenance and improved asset lifecycle planning.”

KLD Labs’ WheelScan uses non-contact laser and imaging technology.

36 Railway Track & Structures // July 2025

rtands.com

Photo Credit: ENSCO

and condition-based maintenance, reducing the likelihood of unexpected locomotive failures and increasing velocity. At the core of each zentrak scanner is a high-precision multichannel infrared sensor. This advanced sensor captures accurate temperature data in real time across a broad range of speeds—from slow freight to highspeed rail. It operates effectively in all weather conditions. Temperatures are analyzed relative to vehicle type.

This ensures timely alerts and effective maintenance responses.”

For approximately 15 years, Hitachi Rail states it “has been pioneering the use of train health monitoring devices.

Rebranded under Hyper Mobility Asset Expert (HMAX), Hitachi Rail’s digital asset management solutions have proven to be transformational in the rail industry. The HMAX vibration monitoring system has been deployed across four continents with more than 40,000 sensors actively monitoring train assets. These sensors have accumulated over 18.4 billion miles globally, including approximately 100 million miles within North America. By monitoring vibration in real-time, HMAX provides a high-resolution condition of a train asset, which can offer months or years of notice of a degrading asset.

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Message From The President

I

BILL RIEHL AREMA President 2024-2025

n case you missed it, a few weeks ago, the nation threw a grand party for the US Army’s 250th Birthday on June 14th. The Army, along with the rest of the US Armed Forces, is founded on individuals who are willing to step in, get involved, and make it more than the sum of its members. Yes, there are pay and benefits associated with service, but that is de minimis in the face of the blank check made payable to The United States of America for an amount up to and including their life that the member writes when they raise their right hand. Since the US hasn’t had conscripted service since 1973, what is arguably the most powerful fighting force on the planet is based solely on the work of its volunteer members. So how does the military maintain this exceptional level of performance from its members? It’s actually pretty simple: By creating member value. US military personnel from day one are immersed in a culture of teamwork, training, and professional development where core values like integrity, service, duty, respect, courage, and honor are embraced. This opportunity for personal growth and the understanding of their role in the bigger picture is what attracts and maintains those willing to sacrifice it all in service to their country.

AREMA is not unlike the US Military.

Sure, AREMA does not have the big national defense mission (or budget!), but AREMA cannot fulfill its mission to develop and advance knowledge and recommended practices for the design, construction, and maintenance of railway infrastructure without the efforts of its volunteers.

38 Railway Track & Structures // July 2025

AREMA Members and AREMA Committee Members are the lifeblood of the organization. Their continued involvement is the only way AREMA moves forward. Therefore, it is critical that we keep the members and their interests at the forefront of everything AREMA does. This was specifically codified into the AREMA Strategic Plan in the Industry Networking and Workforce Support pillars.

In previous articles, I have shared my experiences on my path to career-long involvement with AREMA and its predecessor organizations and what it has meant for me and my personal and professional development. But this is my experience.

Everyone has their own path at AREMA. However, in the end, I emphatically believe you do not unlock the potential membership value from just joining AREMA. Ultimately, it’s about supporting our rail industry community through getting involved. Some people join as Student Members and continue their involvement as they graduate and join the workforce. Some people join early in their careers, have since retired, and they’re still staying engaged on Committees. No matter your path or how long you’ve been a member, getting involved in AREMA Committees can give you professional growth opportunities as you become involved in content development and delivery; and leadership opportunities as you manage a task, lead a subcommittee, assume the Committee Secretary, Vice Chair or Chair roles. All the while as you engage in the work of the association, you have the opportunity to meet and build relationships with your rail industry colleagues.

Whenever we volunteer to work a task, to be a mentor, to host a Committee meeting, to be part of the Conference Operating Committee, to host a podcast, or whatever activity calls us, we are making a difference in our industry.

Unfortunately, we don’t always get recognized for our volunteer (or voluntold) efforts, but trust me, the impact is felt with our combined efforts. Think about the Manual for Railway Engineering, the Communications & Signals Manual, Portfolio of Trackwork Plans, Bridge Inspection Handbook, and the Introduction to Practical Railway Engineering. Also consider all of the educational events such as webinars, seminars, symposiums, podcasts, and the Annual Conference & Expo. These are only possible through the efforts of the

volunteers who devote countless hours to ensuring they reflect the most current and best practices in our industry.

For the majority of the members involved in this work, the reward they receive is satisfaction knowing they are shaping the future.

However, too often this work is not publicly recognized enough. We have taken initial steps such as the Committee Lounge at the Annual Conference & Expo, free access to educational materials for Committee Leaders, and so on as a way to give back to our volunteers. However, despite our best efforts to give credit where credit is due, there are still a lot of unsung heroes in our organization.

Therefore, to further recognize individual members, AREMA is initiating two ways for member recognition.

First, starting this month, we are launching our Member Spotlight. The Spotlight will highlight and showcase the amazing talent that makes up the AREMA Membership base. The platform will recognize members in varying stages of their careers and in their diverse fields of interest. The Member Spotlight will be unveiled in our monthly newsletters, on the AREMA website, and through social media channels. Individuals will be nominated and selected randomly for this feature. More details can be found on the AREMA website when they are released in the coming weeks.

Second, based on input from the field, AREMA is developing a Committee Member of the Year award. This award will recognize an outstanding Committee Member each year at the Annual Conference & Expo beginning in 2026. The award will symbolize the hard work of members who dedicate their time to the goals and strategic direction of AREMA through volunteering. The award is still in the planning stages. The nomination process and criteria are currently being developed with a target release in the spring of 2026.

It takes many people to plan the conferences, symposia, trainings, committee meetings, and everything else AREMA does for the industry.

Think about who you want to nominate for our new Member Spotlight and recognize your colleagues who do the heavy lifting to make this industry great. As President of AREMA, I know many AREMA Members, but I don’t know them all. These two recognition opportunities help us make sure that no matter how you contribute to our great organization, your efforts are able to be recognized by your peers.

Thanks for all that you do! rtands.com

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UPCOMING COMMITTEE MEETINGS 2025 MEETINGS JULY 17 Committee 12 - Rail Transit Virtual Meeting JULY 18 Committee 10 - Structures Maintenance & Construction New York, NY JULY 30-31 Committee 7 - Timber Structures Overland Park, Kan. AUGUST 21 Committee 12 - Rail Transit Virtual Meeting SEPT 9-10 Committee 15 - Steel Structures Virtual Meeting *Indianapolis, IN, in conjunction with AREMA 2025 Annual Conference & Expo SEPTEMBER 13-14 Committee 24 - Education & Professional Development

rtands.com

SEPTEMBER 14

SEPTEMBER 15

Committee 14 - Yards & Terminals

Committee 41 - Track Maintenance

Committee 10 - Structures Maintenance & Construction

Committee 13 - Environmental

Committee 11 - Commuter & Intercity Rail Systems Committee 12 - Rail Transit Committee 16 - Economics of Railway Engineering Operations Committee 17 - High Speed Rail Systems Committee 18 - Light Density & Short Line Railways Committee 33 - Electric Energy Utilization Committee 5 - Track

Committee 35 - Information Technology SEPTEMBER 17-18 Committee 38 - Information, Defect Detection & Energy Systems Committee 39 - Positive Train Control Indianapolis, Ind. Committee 4 - Rail SEPTEMBER 18 Committee 27 - Maintenance of Way Work Equipment

Committee 40 - Engineering Safety & Training Join a technical committee Joining a technical committee is the starting point for involvement in the Association and an opportunity for lifelong growth in the industry. AREMA has 30 technical committees covering a broad spectrum of railway engineering specialties. Build your network of contacts, sharpen your leadership skills, learn from other members, and maximize your membership investment. If you’re interested in joining a technical committee or sitting in on a meeting as a guest, please contact Alayne Bell at abell@arema.org.

For a complete list of all committee meetings, visit www.arema.org.

July 2025 // Railway Track & Structures 39

Nominees for Election to the 2025–2026 AREMA Functional Group Board of Directors David C. Clark, PE Title: Director Construction Engineering Joined AREMA or Predecessor Organization: Joined AREA in 1996 Nominated For: Senior Vice President Organization/Company: CSX Transportation

Mr. Clark has been with CSX Transportation since 1996 and began his career as an Assistant Trainmaster. He has held positions such as Project Engineer, Director Engineering Services, Manager System Production Operations, Engineer Maintenance of Way Standards, and Manager CREATE. He has been in his current position as Director Construction Engineering since 2012.

He holds BS and MS degrees in Civil Engineering from University of Kentucky.

He also has an MBA from the University of Phoenix. He has a Professional Engineer designation.

Mr. Clark is an active member of AREMA Committees 4 and 5 and has held Leadership terms as Committee 5 Secretary, Vice Chair and Chair. He has served on the AREMA Functional Group Board of Directors as Vice President – Track for one term and Director – Track for two separate terms. He was also a former member of the Publications Committee. He is a member of Tau Beta Pi (Engineering) and Xi Epsilon (Civil Engineering).

Jared Hopewell Joined AREMA or Predecessor Organization: Joined AREA in 2012 Title: AVP Communications and Signals Nominated For: Vice President – Commu-

nications, Signals & Information Technology (Three-Year Term/Re-elect) Organization/Company: Norfolk Southern Corporation Mr. Hopewell started his career in 2004 with L3 Electron Devices as an Engineer and moved to Norfolk Southern Corporation in 2005. He has held various positions in many different locations. His current position is AVP Communications and Signals.

He holds a BS degree in Electrical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University.

Mr. Hopewell has been a member of AREMA Committee 37 since 2014 and serves on the Publications Committee.

He has served on the AREMA Functional 40 Railway Track & Structures // July 2025

Group Board of Directors as Vice President and Director – Communications, Signals & Information Technology.

Krista L. Keene, EIT, MSE, MBA, PMP Joined AREMA or Predecessor Organization: Joined AREMA in 2006 Title: Director Real Estate Nominated For: Vice President –

Passenger & Transit (Three-Year Term) Organization/Company: Amtrak Ms. Keene began her career in 2001 as Railroad Coordinator for AECOM (formerly DMJM+HARRIS). She then went to Amtrak as Senior Estimator-System Production, then Project Manager and Senior Project Manager at HNTB Corporation, before working at Michael Baker Corporation as Rail Development Manager. She works at Amtrak currently as Director Real Estate.

She holds a BS Civil Engineering degree from the University of Pennsylvania and an MS Civil Engineering degree from Temple University. She completed an MBA from Rowan University in May 2021. She has a PMP and an EIT certification.

Ms. Keene is currently a member of AREMA Committees 1 and 17, as well as a past Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary of Committee 17. She was also a previous member of the AREMA Nominating Committee and Scholarship Committee.

She serves on the AREMA Functional Group Board of Directors as Director – Passenger & Transit.

University and an MA Physical Geography from the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

Mr. Halsted is a member of AREMA Committee 5 and was previous Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Subcommittee Chair of that Committee. He has served on the AREMA Functional Group Board of Directors as Director – Track. He was previously on the Nominating Committee and Education Review Committee. He was awarded Union Pacific Railroad Director of the year in 2011 and a Leadership Development Program Award in 2010 by his peers.

Kari J. Harris, CPESC Joined AREMA or Predecessor Organization: Joined AREMA in 2014 Title: Sr. Mgr. Environmental Impact Nominated For: Director – Engineering

Services (Three-Year Term) Organization/Company: CN

Ms. Harris previously worked at Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Ltd., Centex Homes and Shaw Environmental Infrastructure. She joined CN in 2012 as Manager Environmental Assessment and is now Senior Manager Environmental Impact.

She holds a BS in Geography, Natural Environmental Systems from Northern Illinois University.

Ms. Harris is a member of AREMA Committee 13 and served as Chair and Vice Chair of the Committee. She is also a member of the American Railway Development Association (ARDA)

Patrick A. Halsted

Adam Shepherd

Joined AREMA or Predecessor Organization: Joined AREMA in 2003 Title: VP Freight Railroads Nominated For: Vice President –

Joined AREMA or Predecessor Organization: Joined AREMA in 2016 Title: Senior Operations Manager Nominated For: Director – Mainte-

Track (Three-Year Term)

nance-of-Way (Three-Year Term) Organization/Company: National Railroad Safety Services, Inc. Mr. Shepherd has been with National Railroad Safety Services, Inc. since 2010 as Assistant Manager – Training & Safety, Manager – Training & Safety, and now as Senior Operations Manager.

He has a BS in Corporate Communication from the University of Kentucky.

Mr. Shepherd is a member of AREMA Committees 24 and 40 and was previously the Vice Chair and Secretary of Committee

Organization/Company: HDR Engineering

Mr. Halsted started his career at Union Pacific Railroad in 2000 as a Project Design Engineer and continued as Manager Industry and Public Projects, Director Track Maintenance, Director Industry and Public Projects, Director Civil and Track Construction as well as General Director Civil and Track Construction. He is now VP Freight Railroads at HDR Engineering.

He holds a BS degree in Physical Geography from Northwest Missouri State

rtands.com

RT&S Committee Chair Interview Chair: Greg McComas, Jr., Clearance Manager, BNSF Railway 40. He is a member of ASLRRA, Supplier Committee: 28 - Clearances Committee and Engineering Committee.

Eric L. Henkel, PE, SE Joined AREMA or Predecessor Organization: Joined AREMA in 2001 Title: Senior Vice President Nominated For: Director – Structures

(Three-Year Term) Organization/Company: ESCA Consultants, Inc. Mr. Henkel began his career in 1992 as a Technician Trainee at the Illinois Department of Transportation. He then went to ESCA Consultants as Engineering Intern, Design Engineer, Project Engineer, Vice President, and currently serves in the position of Senior Vice President.

He holds Bachelors and Masters degrees from the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign. He has a Professional Engineer designation in several states, as well as a Structural Engineer designation in Illinois.

Mr. Henkel is currently a member of AREMA Committee 7, as well as a past Chair and Vice Chair of the Committee. He is also a member of the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois, the National Society of Professional Engineers and the America Council of Engineering Companies IDOT Bridge Committee.

Jonathan M. Wnek, PE Joined AREMA or Predecessor Organization: Joined AREMA in 2008 Title: Project Manager – Rail Division Nominated For: Director – Passenger &

Transit (Two-Year Term) Organization/Company: STV Incorporated Mr. Wnek began his career in 2010 as Engineer Track Geometry and Roadbed Improvement at Amtrak. He also worked at Jacobs Engineering, Michael Baker International and RailPros. His, current position is Project Manager – Rail Division at STV. He holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has a Professional Engineer designation.

Mr. Wnek is a member of AREMA Committee 1 and was previously the Vice Chair and Secretary. He is also a member of the Maintenance of Way Club – Chicago and the Railway Association of Southern California. rtands.com

Greg McComas, Jr.

1. Why did you decide to choose a career in railway engineering?

Ironically, I was a business management major. Railway engineering was something I never expected to be involved in. However, working in the High Wide (HIWI) Department we interact daily with engineering to plan and execute dimensional load movements across BNSF’s rail network.

2. How did you get started?

Since college, I have worked in transportation and logistics. For the past 21 years, I have worked in either the airline, trucking, or railroad industries. In addition to my civilian side, I also spent 12 years in the United States Air Force (Air National Guard) in force sustainment operations.

3. How did you get involved in AREMA and your committee?

When I was promoted to the HIWI manager role at BNSF Railway in 2015, it was a requirement that I join the industry associations aligned with our work Railway Industrial Clearance Association (RICA) and AREMA. I began attending committee meetings and found an opportunity to jump onboard as Secretary of the AREMA 28 - Clearance Committee.

Post-COVID, we found ourselves stagnating like many organizations. Ultimately, I became Chair of 28 in 2023.

4. Outside of your job and the hard work you put into AREMA, what are your hobbies?

I enjoy baseball, particularly the Texas Rangers. I am also a hobbyist of 3D printing.

5. Tell us about your family!

I have been married to my wife Lacey for 17 years, and we have two children.

6. If you could share one interesting fact about yourself with the readers of RT&S, what would it be?

I garnered the nickname “Mac” from both my time in the military and then at the railroad, even though there is not a “Ma” in my last name McComas.

7. What is your biggest achievement?

Personally, being a dad is my biggest achievement outside of work. In my military life, I was awarded a Meritorious Service Medal for Food Service Logistics for developing transportable solutions to support the warfighter. As a civilian, in 2023 I was the BNSF Employee of the Year for the Boeing Fuselage Bridge Contingency Response and bringing larger wind components to rail (265’ blades).

8. What advice would you give to someone who is trying to pursue a career in the railway industry?

Build your network, continually learn, and ask questions.

July 2025 // Railway Track & Structures 41

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STAY IN GEAR WITH RAIL GROUP NEWS RAIL GROUP NEWS brings you a daily round-up of news stories from Railway Age, RT&S, and IRJ. This email newsletter offers North American and global news and analysis of the freight and passenger markets. From developments in rail technology, operations, and strategic planning to legislative issues and engineering news, we’ve got you covered.

From Railway Age, RT&S and IRJ https://railwayage.com/newsletters

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42 Railway Track & Structures //July 2025

RAIL GROUP NEWS

ROUND-UP of NEW

RAILWAY

1/26/22 1:25 PM

rtands.com

AD INDEX

COMPANY

PHONE #

E-MAIL ADDRESS

PAGE #

AREMA

301-459-3200

marketing@arema.org

C3

CPKC

888-333-6370

cpkcr.com

16

CSX corporation

904-359-3200

csx.com

19

HATCH

905-855-7600

www.hatch.com

20

Hougen Manufacturing, Inc.

866-245-3745

info@trak-star.com

7

Light Rail

212-620-7200

www.railwayage.com/lightrail

9

Metra

312-322-6428

ETeter@metrarr.com

22

Modern Railway Systems

720- 542-3325

jtgreen@modrailsystems.com

15

Olsson Engineering

402-458-5943

sandra@scsquaredmedia.com

17

Plasser American Corp

757-543-3526

plasseramerican@plausa.com

C2

RailPros Inc

262-637-9681

www.railpros.com

21

Railway Educational Bureau

402-346-4300

bbrundige@sb-reb.com

6,23

Speno International SA

41 22 906 46 00

info@speno.ch

C4

Union Pacific

402-544-3560

cbeyah@up.com

21

Watco Companies

620-331-2230

tvanbecelaere@watco.com

18

Women In Rail

212-620-7200

www.railwayage.com/wir

24-25

Advertising Sales MAIN OFFICE JONATHAN CHALON Publisher (212) 620-7224 jchalon@sbpub.com AL, KY, TN, CHINA JONATHAN CHALON (212) 620-7224 jchalon@sbpub.com CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, ME,MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA,RI, SC, VT, VA, WV, CANADA: QUEBEC AND EAST, ONTARIO JEROME MARULLO (212) 620-7260 jmarullo@sbpub.com AR, AK, AZ, CA, CO, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, LA, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NE, NM, ND, NV, OK, OR, SD, TX, UT, WA, WI, WY, CANADA: ALBERTA, BRITISH COLUMBIA, MANITOBA, SASKATCHEWAN HEATHER DISABATO (CHICAGO OFFICE) (312) 683-5026 hdisabato@sbpub.com

AMERICAS, EUROPE, ASIA, AFRICA, AUSTRAL ASIA NORTH AMERICA - CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, RI, SC, VT, VA, WV, AND EASTERN CANADA. EUROPE EXCEPT GERMANY, AUSTRIA, GERMAN SPEAKING SWITZERLAND, EASTERN EUROPE, ITALY, AND ITALIAN-SPEAKING SWITZERLAND. ASIA EXCEPT JAPAN AND CHINA. JEROME MARULLO (212) 620-7260 jmarullo@sbpub.com

ITALY, ITALIAN-SPEAKING SWITZERLAND DR. FABIO POTESTA Media Point & Communications SRL Corte Lambruschini Corso Buenos Aires 8 V Piano, Genoa, Italy 16129 +39-10-570-4948 Fax: +39-10-553-0088 info@mediapointsrl.it

GERMANY, AUSTRIA, GERMAN-SPEAKING SWITZERLAND, LATVIA, LITHUANIA, ESTONIA, POLAND, CZECH REPUBLIC, SLOVAKIA, HUNGARY, SLOVENIA, CROATIA AND SERBIA SIMONE AND SIMON FAHR Breitenbergstr. 17 Füssen 87629 Germany Tel: +49 8362 5074996 sfahr@railjournal.com

JAPAN KATSUHIRO ISHII Ace Media Service, Inc. 12-6 4-Chome, Nishiiko, Adachi-Ku Tokyo 121-0824 Japan +81-3-5691-3335 Fax: +81-3-5691-3336 amkatsu@dream.com IRJ PRO AND CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING SALES JEROME MARULLO (212) 620-7260 jmarullo@sbpub.com

Reader Referral Service This section has been created solely for the convenience of our readers to facilitate immediate contact with the RAILWAY TRACK & STRUCTURES advertisers in this issue. The Advertisers Index is an editorial feature maintained for the convenience of readers. It is not part of the advertiser contract and RTS assumes no responsibility for the correctness.

rtands.com

July 2025 // Railway Track & Structures 43

FROM THE DOME

A Ride on the Northeast Corridor America’s High-Speed Showcase

I

recently had the opportunity to ride the Northeast Corridor between Washington, D.C. and New York. I don’t get out on the rails as much as I’d like, so I thought I’d share my experience with readers. Overall, the experience was good, and the trains operated on time, but there were a few flies in the ointment.

Here are some details.

First, the ticketing and boarding processes at both Washington Union Station and the

dirty. Now, I know this equipment is used in high-frequency service, and there is not a lot of time for polishing, but the engine and cars could have used a bath. Airliners can stay clean since there’s not a lot of dirt buildup moving along at 600 m.p.h. at 30,000 ft., so they usually look freshly washed when they pull up to the gate. And clean equipment instills passenger confidence and adds to the pleasure of the trip. A train that has a thick layer of dirt, grime, and a million dead

trains where an attendant was sitting in a seat while the bathroom near him had water and toilet paper all over the floor and was a generally unkempt mess. Not so on this trip. Clean floors, toilets, and sinks. The upholstery on the car seats was a bit worn but not badly. The seats were comfortable, and their mechanics worked properly. The only problem I had was having to push hard on the seat in front of me (which was occupied) to return the tray table to its upright and locked position. It worked

new Moynihan Train Hall (Penn Station) were smooth and efficient. When boarding the train, you’re reminded of the large number of people who use the NEC service.

The queue to board the train is long before boarding begins, but once it starts, it moves quickly. I had ridden the Acela on several occasions but thought I would try a Northeast Regional for this trip. While the Acela offers first class and business class service only (i.e., no coach), the Northeast Regional trains offer business class and coach class. The only real difference in amenities between these two service levels is more leg room in business class, which is what I chose. Also, in business class at least, seats were assigned at the time of ticketing. An electronic ticket came right to my cell phone when I purchased tickets a few days earlier, which the conductor scanned once the trip was under way.

My first impression of the train before boarding was not good. The outside was

bugs on the outside is not inviting. What really matters, though, is the condition of the equipment and the track (which all seemed good, judging from the quality of the ride), but still –– Amtrak, can you fire up the train washer at least every other trip?

Speaking of the quality of the ride, there were a few bumpy spots on the track but nothing major. And the speed at which the train traveled along tangent track was impressive, particularly for a Northeast Regional with conventional Amfleet equipment. Interestingly, moving along these tracks, at what I guessed to be about 110 m.p.h., offered the smoothest ride of all.

Congratulations to the Amtrak NEC engineering teams for keeping the track in such good condition. If trains are going to run this fast, there is little or no margin for less than top quality track and roadbed maintenance.

The inside of the train, including the restrooms, was clean. I’ve been on some NEC

as designed but required an extra push that rocked my fellow passenger a bit.

The Café car offered a variety of light fare, and I opted for a cheeseburger and soft drink.

The lady behind the counter said it was one of the most popular items on the menu and, as cheeseburgers go, it was quite good. The Café car worked well for me because my trip length was about three hours. However, if I were traveling all the way to Boston, a traditional dining car would have been much better than the Café car.

As I have noticed on all my Amtrak trips, the crew had a very positive attitude and was very friendly. I’m sure some readers have had different experiences, but Amtrak on-board staff seem to care about the passengers and do their best to provide a nice experience for them. I don’t know anything about Amtrak’s customer service training program, but they either do a fantastic job or have simply been wise and fortunate in their hiring.

44 Railway Track & Structures // July 2025

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