TTX
TTX on June 24 announced that Raymond C. Burton, Jr., the company’s former President and CEO, died on June 19, 2025, in New York City at the age of 86.
A “revered leader and respected visionary,” Burton–known as Bertie by his friends and family–served as TTX’s President and CEO from 1982 until his retirement in 2000. Over the course of his 18-year tenure, he modernized TTX, “helping the company strengthen its financial position and meet the growing demand for the transportation of intermodal containers, trailers, and automotive production. His leadership was instrumental in reshaping the North American railcar pool, helping TTX serve its railroad owners and customers with greater efficiency, flexibility, and scale,” the company said.
Prior to joining TTX, Burton held key financial and operational leadership roles at Santa Fe Industries and Burlington Northern Railroad, where he was instrumental in raising capital to finance the infrastructure supporting the Powder River Basin in Wyoming and Montana. Before becoming a railroad man, he graduated from Cornell University in 1960, where he was an All-Ivy track star and leading overall scorer his senior year. He spent a year in the U.S. Army as a lieutenant and then received his MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1963.
In addition to his business achievements, Burton was an equestrian, scholar, and historian, authoring The Eminent Americans, a two-volume biography collection chronicling notable figures in U.S. history. He was also conferred an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Missouri in 1999 shortly after serving as President of the John W. Barriger National Railroad Library Board. Burton was twice honored as “Railroader of the Year” by Railway Age, first in 1986 by its predecessor publication, Modern Railroads, and then in 1993.
“Ray was a true renaissance man, and one of those rare leaders whose values inspired the entire corporate team,” said Thomas F. Wells, President and CEO of TTX, and Andrew Reardon, immediate past President and Chief Executive Officer of TTX. “He was the right person to lead TTX during a pivotal time in our transformation and befittingly was one of very few people to be recognized twice as Railroader of the Year, a rare distinction in our industry.
Burton is survived by his wife of 26 years, Madge Burton of Rancho Mirage, Calif., and New York City, as well as his stepson, Raymond W. Starmann III of Woodlands, Texas, and his stepdaughter, Carolyn P. Starmann of New York City. A private funeral service is planned in New York City during the week of June 23, 2025, with burial in Maine. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Alzheimer’s Association are welcome.
“TTX extends its deepest condolences to the Burton family. His enduring legacy of leadership, innovation, and integrity continues to shape the foundation of TTX’s mission and purpose today,” the company stated.
VRE
VRE CEO Rich Dalton at the Operations Board Meeting on June 20 announced his intent to retire from the organization, effective Oct. 3, 2025. A search and selection committee for a new CEO will be formed by members of the VRE Operations Board.
Dalton joined VRE in 2009 as the Chief Operating Officer (COO), although his prior work through positions with the locomotive manufacturing company Morrison-Knudsen (MK), now known as Wabtec, involved Dalton in VRE operations since the first VRE trains left the station in June 1992. During his 16-year tenure at VRE, Dalton managed numerous transformative projects for the system, including the implementation of Positive Train Control (PTC), making VRE one of the first commuter railroads to do so. Dalton also played a critical role in the implementation of both lifecycle maintenance and reliability-centered maintenance regimes, and extension of VRE service to Spotsylvania County in 2015.
Dalton stepped in as the Interim CEO in 2019 and was ultimately appointed as the permanent CEO in 2020. “He led VRE through substantial evolutions, as well as periods of instability, including the COVID-19 pandemic which continues to challenge commuter rail networks across the nation to navigate diminished ridership and uncertain budgetary cycles. Under Dalton’s leadership, VRE consistently maintained high rider satisfaction with no substantial impacts to operations during the pandemic,” the organization noted.
Most recently, Dalton led VRE through its planning process for the 2050 System Plan and Vision. Adopted by the VRE Operations Board in June 2025, the 2050 System Plan “aims to transform rail in Virginia by shifting VRE from a commuter focused rail service to a more regional operation with the eventual addition of bi-directional and weekend service, responding to shifting passenger needs and bolstering economic growth throughout Northern Virginia and surrounding jurisdictions.”
