Hinrichs, the 62nd recipient of the magazine’s annual award, joined the railroad industry in September 2022. In a little more than two years, he “has made immediate and long-term positive impacts,” reports Railway Age Editor-in-Chief William C. Vantuono, who interviewed Hinrichs in November at CSX’s Jacksonville, Fla., headquarters. “His collaborative approach to labor relations—for example, CSX being the first Class I to offer paid sick leave and forge preliminary agreements with its unions prior to the start of national bargaining—has gone a long way toward transforming the dynamic between management and rail labor from adversarial distrust to engaged problem-solving.
“Hinrichs 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 performance is a testament to that.”
Other January 2025 issue highlights include:
- 2025 Passenger Rail Outlook: “Murphy Was an Optimist!” Railway Age Contributing Editor David Peter Alan looks at the different types of passenger train service in the country and the developments that have brought each to the place where they stood as 2024 ended. “Will we welcome 2025 or dread it?” Find out in Alan’s report.
- Class I Focus: CPKC Automotive Closed-Loop. William C. Vantuono addresses how a concept became an innovative new service, thanks to synergies created by Canadian Pacific Kansas City’s transnational network.
- MxV Rail R&D: Assessing Truck Warp Restraint Hardware. Stan Gurulé, Scientist, and Walter Rosenberger, Scientist (retired), at MxV Rail discuss how warp restraint systems might be evaluated for performance and durability.
And don’t miss these Railway Age columnists:
- Capitol Hill Contributing Editor Frank N. Wilner considers the legacy of Amtrak CEO Stephen J. Gardner.
- Financial Editor David Nahass asks: “Are more fun times and unintended consequences ahead?” The new president’s plan to “hit Canada and Mexico with tariffs seems like a more-outsized attempt to create value with unintended consequences,” he writes. “It’s a treatment of a symptom rather than a cause.”
- “Tired of change initiatives that go off the rails?” questions Sonia Bot, Contributing Editor. “Climb aboard with ‘change questions’!”
These articles and more can be accessed in Railway Age’s January 2025 issue:
