The 2025 edition of Railway Age’s Next-Generation Freight Rail (NGFR) conference will feature CSX President and CEO Joe Hinrichs, our 2025 Railroader of the Year, in a fireside chat with Editor-in-Chief William C. Vantuono.
Joe Hinrichs has made both immediate and long-term positive impacts on the North American rail industry since assuming office in 2022. For example, CSX was the first Class I to offer paid sick leave and forge preliminary agreements with its unions prior to the start of national bargaining, which has gone a long way toward transforming the dynamic between management and rail labor from adversarial distrust to engaged problem-solving. In the closing session of Railway Age’s Next-Generation Freight Rail conference on March 11, 2025, Hinrichs will discuss his collaborative approach to labor relations and his vision for the future of North American freight rail.
Joe firmly believes that for CSX to fully realize its growth potential, labor and management must function as one team, with mutual respect and trust. He knows that change is difficult, but he also knows it’s necessary. And as a long-time railroad customer in his prior role as President of Ford Motor Company, he knows the importance of providing good service. CSX’s overall excellent operating and service performance is a testament to that.
The speaker lineup for Next-Gen Freight Rail 2025 also includes Canadian Pacific Kansas City President and CEO and two-time Railroader of the Year Keith Creel; Christopher P.L. Barkan, Ph.D., Executive Director, RailTEC and The National University Rail Center of Excellence, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; and Jeffrey Watson, Vice President Engineering, Genesee & Wyoming and Railway Track & Structures 2024 Engineer of the Year. The luncheon will honor Railway Age’s 2025 25 Under 40 “Fast Trackers.”
Railway Age’s Next-Generation Freight Rail conference takes place March 11, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the Union League Club of Chicago. This event offers a unique opportunity to discuss the freight rail industry’s future with thought leaders. Register before February 7, 2025 to save over $100.
