Inside, you’ll find these feature stories:
- ‘There Are No Shortcuts’ — Contributing Editor Don Itzkoff caught up with American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association President Chuck Baker for a wide-ranging conversation on railroading, policy and leadership.
- A Tight Hold — Railroads rely on suppliers for cost-effective fasteners that perform reliably and safely. Senior Editor Carolina Worrell provides a roundup of the newest technologies.
- MCU RCMP Marks 20 Years — Michigan State University’s Center for Railway Research and Education, housed in the Broad College of Business, convened its 20th iteration of the Railway Management Certificate Program in 2025. Val Kucherenko, MSU Director of Railway Education, reports on the program’s steady growth.
- Improving Rail Operations Using AI and Machine Learning: Detecting Trespasser Hotspots — Through a project with the Federal Railroad Administration, ENSCO utilized the Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, Colo., to explore how new AI and ML methods can be used to help reduce trespassing incidents and reduce operational risk, reports Samantha Kirkpatrick, Senior Data Scientist at ENSCO, Inc.
In the 2026 Railroad Financial Desk Book, Financial Editor David Nahass discusses the railcar lease market—which he says “continues to demonstrate stability and a kind of strength”—plus the impact current railcar utilization and loadings levels are having on rents (and how the UP+NS merger could affect them, too). The Desk Book also includes, for easy reference, a directory of finance companies, arrangers, lessors and professional services firms.
Also, Capitol Hill Contributing Editor Frank N. Wilner covers the Surface Transportation Board drama following the Union Pacific-POTUS 47 chat. And Railway Age debuts The Rail Way™, From the Boardroom to the Ballast Line, by Contributing Editor Pauline Lipkewich, Chief Transformation Officer for KingdomBuilding Leadership Inc. Lipkewich addresses how leaders navigate adversity and come out stronger.
