The Association of American Railroads (AAR) and its subsidiary MxV Rail on Dec. 8 announced that AAR Senior Vice President of Policy and Economics Dr. Rand Ghayad will be the keynote speaker at the upcoming 31st Annual AAR Research Review, which is scheduled to take place April 28-30, 2026, in Pueblo, Colo.
Dr. Ghayad will open the conference by sharing valuable insights about the pressing policy and economic issues shaping the rail industry. His address, MxV Rail says, is expected to be a significant highlight of the event, providing attendees with expert analysis on the broader economic landscape and its impact on railroad operations and strategy. Given the rapid pace of technological and economic change, Dr. Ghayad’s perspective will offer a crucial framework for understanding the future of rail, MxV Rail noted.
Formerly the Head of Economics and Global Labor Markets at LinkedIn, Dr. Ghayad brings a wealth of experience analyzing complex economic trends. His distinguished career also includes senior roles at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), where he advised on international economic policy, and the Brattle Group, where he consulted on financial and regulatory matters for diverse industries, including railroads. His extensive background, MxV Rail says, “uniquely positions him to address the challenges and opportunities facing our industry today.”
The Annual AAR Research Review is the premier industry conference bringing together Class I and short line railroads, university faculty and students, early career engineers, and suppliers from around the world to address the industry’s most pressing technical challenges. The 2026 program features an Early Career Railroader Workshop, technical workshops highlighting the latest findings from the Strategic Research Initiatives (SRI) program, and a tour of the FAST loop track to showcase new experiments.
More information is available here.
