For more than two decades, Trainyard Tech and WAGO have built a partnership rooted in innovation, trust, and a shared commitment to modernizing rail yard automation. What began as a collaboration between a few rail industry veterans has grown into a powerful alliance that now supports some of the largest and most advanced rail yards in North America. With deep ties to railway tradition and a forward-thinking approach to technology, this partnership exemplifies how long-term relationships can drive meaningful progress in a tightly connected industry.
Rail Yard Automation Innovation Legacy
Between freight and passenger lines, there are nearly 140,000 miles of railroad tracks in the US. As massive as that number is, the railway community seems rather small. Many workers in the industry have been around some sort of aspect of the track since they were little, citing family legacy as being a part of a tight knit trade that goes back to the early 1800s.
The partnership between Trainyard Tech and WAGO doesn’t go back nearly that far, but it does include some lifelong railway experts who continue to expand the technology and reinforce the importance of the industry.
Laying the Foundation
The story begins back in the early to mid-1990s when Daniel Niemiec Sr., who was working for Conrail at the time, was looking to upgrade the Conway Yard in Western Pennsylvania. To do this, he decided to use WAGO hardware and Union Switch & Signal (US&S, now Hitachi Rail STS USA) Yard Control Systems software. This is when John Aliberti, working for US&S, was first introduced to WAGO products. In 1999, Niemiec and Alberti again collaborated when they used the same products and solutions to upgrade Norfolk Southern’s Spencer Yard (former Southern Railway) in Linwood, N.C.
In 2003, Aliberti decided to branch off on his own and start Trainyard Tech LLC. He realized that in the rail world, relationships matter, so one of his first decisions was to partner with a familiar face, Daniel Niemiec, Sr. Not only did he feel personal relationships mattered, but he also felt that way about professional relationships. With that mindset, he and Niemiec designed a new Yard Control System using new software, while maintaining their relationship with WAGO and continuing to use its hardware. When discussing collaboration between people and companies in the rail industry, John says, “Everyone knows everyone. If you don’t have a good reputation, you won’t get in the door.”
Trainyard Tech set forth a clear mission: to modernize rail yard operations through smarter, more reliable control systems. Central to that mission was a partnership with WAGO, whose automation and electrical interconnection products “proved to be the perfect fit for the complex needs of hump yards and switching systems,” Aliberti notes. The reputation of Trainyard Tech—and its use of WAGO products—quickly spread.
By 2004, Daniel Niemiec, Jr. joined Trainyard Tech from Norfolk Southern and expanded the partnership with WAGO. He helped set up the company’s very first system that went online at NS’s Buckeye Yard (former Conrail/Penn Central/Pennsylvania Railroad) in Columbus, Ohio just a year later.
Built to Last
Whether managing a single switch or an entire process control system, WAGO became the backbone of Trainyard Tech’s technology platform. Its equipment is found in nearly every major yard east of the Mississippi. It has evolved from terminal blocks and plug-in modules to surge protection, fiber optic switches and PLCs (programmable logic controllers)—all integrated into increasingly sophisticated rail systems
Elkhart Yard (NS), Rice Yard (CSX, Waycross, Ga.), Queensgate Yard (CSX, Cincinnati) and Moorman Yard (formerly Bellevue Yard, Ohio) are standout examples. Moorman, named after former NS CEO Wick Moorman, is the largest single-direction hump yard in North America and runs primarily on WAGO components. Brosnan Yard (Norfolk Southern, Macon, Ga., and named after legendary Southern Railway CEO Bill Brosnan), another early adopter, has relied on the same WAGO components since 2006—surviving three upgrades to its computing systems without needing to replace the original terminals or modules.
More Than Parts
This partnership is as much about people as it is about technology. DJ Niemiec left Trainyard Tech in 2018 to become the Railway Industry Manager at WAGO. Paul Johnson also spent time at Trainyard Tech as VP of Operations before being hired at WAGO in early 2024 to partner with Niemiec. Their deep institutional knowledge and industry connections foster a level of collaboration that few vendor/client relationships achieve. This is one of the main reasons why Trainyard Tech and WAGO have maintained such a long-lasting partnership. Another is that both companies share a vision: building reliable, adaptable solutions that solve real problems for Class I railroads like CSX, CN, Conrail, and Norfolk Southern.
WAGO’s newer automation products—especially fiber switches and PLCs—are now embedded in flat switching yards, allowing for real-time data collection and automation that was once unthinkable. As technology speeds up, so does the pace of collaboration. Both companies continue to push boundaries together.
Track Record of Trust
Two decades later, the relationship between Trainyard Tech and WAGO remains one of the strongest alliances in the rail automation space and has helped reshape an industry. From humble beginnings to nationwide deployment—and now international ambition—the journey has only just begun. Their story is one of lasting impact, where every signal, switch and surge protector helps keep North America’s railroads moving forward.
