Railway Age’s “Fast Trackers” awards program, established in 2016, recognizes the top 25 railroaders under the age of 40, who are making an impact in their respective fields or companies.
This year’s honorees were selected from North American freight and passenger railroads; government entities; and supplier, contractor and consultant communities. They were judged on criteria that included industry experience and education, leadership skills, industry contributions, and community service involvement.
“As in previous years, the quality of submissions highlights the capabilities of younger people across the breadth of the rail industry,” said former Michigan State Center for Railway & Education Nick Little, who was program judge. “It also showcases the diversity of work and skills necessary for the rail industry to function. I shall watch with interest to see how many of this year’s awardees become tomorrow’s leaders.”
Inside the February 2025 issue, you’ll also find these feature stories:
- Switching Tracks: The political and policy waves crashing across the nation’s capital seem more likely in the near term to flood the “D.C. swamp” further, not drain it, reports Railway Age Contributing Editor and Patriot Rail Company Chief Policy Officer Don Itzkoff.
- Reserve Your Spot!: This year’s MSU Railway Management Certificate Program provides broad experience in the diversity and complexity of the North American railway industry.
- TTC Operated by ENSCO: ENSCO Vice President Strategy & Business Development Matthew Dick examines battery safety in rail transportation.
Plus, Capitol Hill Contributing Editor Frank N. Wilner pays tribute to the late President Jimmy Carter, “the peanut farmer who saved railroads.” Also, Financial Editor David Nahass addresses the California Air Resources Board’s decision to “quit its quixotic effort to foster some immediate and poorly implemented plans to change locomotive emissions in California,” but is the reprieve temporary? And American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association President Chuck Baker discusses why he remains “cautiously optimistic” that the policy issues most important to the short line industry will be heard and acted upon by Congress and the Administration.
