Railway Age November 2025 Digital Edition Spotlights Women in Rail Awards
The award program’s judging committee included Railroad Financial Corporation Senior Advisor Barbara Wilson, Gateway Development Commission Executive Vice President Catherine Rinaldi, and the Railway Age staff.
“Congratulations to this year’s distinguished group of women,” Railway Age Publisher Jonathan Chalon said. “Our honorees, plus those selected for honorable mention, came from a strong field of nearly 100 nominations. All will be recognized at the 2026 Railway Age/RT&S Women in Rail Conference, to be held Oct. 6-7 at the Hyatt Regency Schaumburg.”
“I am inspired by the incredible women recognized this year,” Barbara Wilson said. “Each of these women embodies the resilience, leadership, and vision that inspire others to aim higher and achieve more. It is exciting to celebrate the impact they are making—not just in business, but in their communities and beyond. Congratulations to all the winners. Thanks for reminding us what is possible when purpose meets determination.”
“This year’s honorees share not only a legacy of service to our industry, but also a commitment to sharing their knowledge and experience with the next generation of female railroaders,” Catherine Rinaldi commented. “They are an inspiration, and I would like to congratulate them on this well-deserved recognition.”
Inside the November 2025 issue, you’ll also find feature stories on:
- Hydrogen Power Has Arrived — Caltrans is the first U.S. agency to employ the technology, writes Contributing Editor Joanna Marsh.
- On the Rocks — Senior Editor Carolina Worrell provides a roundup of supplier best practices for optimizing ballast life and performance.
- MxV Rail R&D — Matt Wenger and Brian Lindeman, Senior Engineers at MxV Rail, report on the effectiveness of an NDE technology to enhance inspection of bearing cups and find flaws that may otherwise go unnoticed and shorten the bearing’s useful life.
Plus, Capitol Hill Contributing Editor Frank Wilner asks: “Why not a merger timeout?” Still to be more clearly defined are “pro-competitive”; “downstream effects”; “common carrier obligation”; “public interest”; and how “balance” is preserved absent a second transcontinental marriage, he points out in his Watching Washington column. Also, stress on industrial growth is not a positive for the rail economy, long-term, reports Financial Editor David Nahass in Financial Edge. And Contributing Editor Pauline Lipkewich addresses leading through uncertainty in The Rail Way™, From the Boardroom to the Ballast Line column.
