CN
CN has appointed Matthew Hammond as Vice President, Engineering. “With more than 20 years in the railway industry, Matt brings deep operational and engineering experience, along with a strong focus on safety, and reliability,” the Class I railroad reported via social media on March 2. In his new role, he will lead the Engineering team and oversee the design, construction, and maintenance of railway infrastructure across the network.
Hammond began his career in the field as a Trackman at BNSF and rose throught the ranks, serving most recently as Assistant Vice President and Chief Engineer for BNSF’s South Region, having previously held the same position in the North Region. Throughout his career, CN said, Hammond has led large, geographically diverse teams and overseen complex capital and maintenance programs.
Hammond holds a Master of Business Administration from Texas Christian University and a Bachelor of Science in aeronautics, aviation, and aerospace technology from the University of North Dakota. He is based in Homewood, Ill.
“Welcome to the team, Matt—great to have you on board!” CN said in its social media post.
Further Reading:
CPKC
CPKC has named Vice President Engineering Tom Bourgonje as its 2026 Railroader of the Year. The Class I recently celebrated him at its CEO Awards for Excellence gala.
“A railroader for 45 years, Tom’s industry knowledge, experience, and commitment to safety and innovation are all a driving force behind our success,” the railroad reported via social media. “He is a true example of what it means to be a leader at CPKC.”
In a special video included in CPKC’s social media posts, fellow railroaders expressed appreciation for his work (watch, top). CPKC Senior Vice President Engineering and Mechanical Justin Meyer was among them. “If there is something to be done in the Engineering department, Tom is going to be around and in there to support his team,” Meyer said. “He doesn’t keep his expertise or what he’s learned in his 40-plus years to himself; he shares that.”
“Working for Tom has been amazing,” added CPKC Director Geotechical Engineering Mehwish Rahman “He is a forward-thinking leader, and he gives attention to every aspect of Engineering … He made safety everyone’s business. He has brought the Engineering team together.”
“The way Tom leads is ‘Never stop driving for improvement’; we can never rest on our laurels,” noted CPKC Chief Engineer-Planning and Production Matthew Foot. “It’s a continuous pursuit of excellence.”
“I’ll say that he’s giddy, to a point that he knows that he’s making a difference for this organization, and you can see it,” CPKC Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Mark Redd summed up. “Tom, on behalf of the Operating Department, I want to thank you for being Railroader of the Year for 2026. You have made a distinguished difference in how we lead people in this past year in the Engineering department, and you have certainly complemented the Operating Department. Thank you so much.”
CPKC in 2025 named Brett Reynolds, CPKC Track Maintenance Foreman, as its Railroader of the Year.
TransmetriQ
TransmetriQ on March 3 reported appointing Bruce Harbridge as Head of the Managed Services division, which is described as being “powered by Railinc’s industry-wide data infrastructure, providing the fastest and most comprehensive railcar movement and asset health visibility in North America.”
The division is said to provide four core areas of support:
- “Shipment Expediting and Monitoring: Continuously monitors shipments to catch risks early, keep freight moving, and reduce delays and missed deliveries.
- “Car Repair Auditing: Reduces repair costs and manual auditing by automatically validating invoices against rules and lease terms, catching over 95% of exceptions and preventing unnecessary charges.
- “Freight Invoice Auditing: Validates freight invoices against contracts and tariffs to reduce overpayments.
- “Fleet Health and Uptime Optimization: Handles maintenance, lease, and AAR/FRA compliance work, revealing out-of-service risk, problem cars, mileage overages, and expected costs.”
Harbridge has nearly two decades of experience in rail software, day-to-day operations, and asset management. He began his career in hands-on technical roles as a tank car welder, and advanced into facility management before moving into data-driven roles with Wells Fargo, RAS Data Services, and Railinc.
For the past decade, Harbridge has focused on fleet management, building expertise in repair invoice auditing, resolving complex shipper challenges, and managing lease assignments and terminations.
“Rail operations are complex and time sensitive,” said Mika Majapuro, VP, TransmetriQ Product Management. “By combining reliable data, powerful software, and human expertise, the TransmetriQ Managed Services offering enables shippers and fleet owners to operate smarter, leaner, and with less stress. We are excited to welcome Bruce to lead and grow the business to its full potential. He brings deep operational expertise, strong problem-solving capabilities, and a practical understanding of the challenges shippers face every day.”
In a related development, TransmetriQ recently released the VIN Tracking tool, allowing auto manufacturers and dealers to track finished vehicles by Vehicle Identification Number as they move from manufacturing plants to distribution terminals to dealers across North America.
