The 2025 Commuter Rail Summit is especially well-timed and placed this year.
The Commuter Rail Coalition (CRC) annual convention, which gathers agency leaders and policymakers from across the country, is taking place in Washington, D.C. from Nov. 3 to 5. Industry stakeholders will meet for a series of panels and roundtable discussions on Capitol Hill, and many attendees will take advantage of the opportunity to meet with their elected representatives while in Washington.
There will be plenty to discuss. In early October, Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Tex.) introduced a bipartisan bill that would give passenger railroads 90 days to secure the excess liability insurance coverage that federal law requires, rather than the current and entirely insufficient 30 days, when the federal cap is next scheduled to be inflation-adjusted in 2026. Without the additional time, railroads could be forced to cease operations.
The CRC supports the bill and is also pushing for the inclusion of a permanent solution to this problem in the upcoming reauthorization of the federal surface transportation programs. We are advocating for a modification that would provide for the cap to be calculated every four years instead of five, while allowing a full 365 days for implementation. Railroads would acquire coverage in the normal course of business when they complete their annual renewals, sparing them from a second round of time-consuming underwriting
In addition to the liability legislation, many commuter rail agencies—from Chicago to Florida, Philadelphia to San Francisco—are still facing fiscal cliffs that threaten to bring their networks to a halt. The industry is experiencing both unprecedented challenges and opportunities as ridership surges nationwide. Here’s what to expect at the 2025 Commuter Rail Summit:
Focus on AI, Resources, Safety
Michelle Bouchard, Executive Director of Caltrain, was appointed CRC Chair in July. Bouchard, who led Caltrain’s successful $2.4 billion effort to electrify its train fleet, will open the Summit alongside Holly Arnold, Administrator of the Maryland Transit Administration, and Dallas Richards, Ccting CEO of Virginia Railway Express.
Attendees will then join a session that aims to make sense of what is possible with AI and what to be wary of with the technology. A panel that includes Taylor Sullivan, head of product at Workera AI, will discuss the behavioral science behind AI adoption. Chad Scholes (Metro-North), Praveer Misra (NJ Transit) and Jeremey Feigelson (New York MTA) will chart their paths to decision making around implementation, and real-world applications already in use at commuter railroads.
Railroad leaders know that measuring the value of commuter rail to the communities it serves provides for powerful messaging and allows agencies to foster important allies. Lizzie (Doherty) Baker, Acting VP of Passenger Experience, Marketing and Revenue at Keolis Commuter Services, will join leaders from Caltrain, Metrolink and Trinity Metro to explore how agencies are telling their stories through data and turning supportive riders into public champions.
The following day, Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.) will address the assembled rail leaders during breakfast. Titus is the ranking member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials and a co-sponsor of the excess liability bill.
Attendees will move on to a discussion on grade crossing incidents, where a panel that includes Tim Rabel, Director of Litigation at Metra, and Dave Dech, Executive Director of SFRTA, will explore the innovative approaches they have taken to address the factors that continue to jeopardize safety at crossings. John Cline, CRC Director of Government Relations, will then work with industry lobbyists and former Congressional staff to help rail leaders sharpen their messaging as they head to meetings on Capitol Hill.
The Summit will also feature sessions on navigating the career ladder to the C-suite, and using creative methods beyond TOD (transit-oriented development) to generate resources for railroads. Post-Summit workshops will prepare attendees for more effective Capitol Hill meetings, and negotiating contract price adjustment mechanisms in an era of higher inflation and tariffs.
Champions of Commuter Rail
Each year, the CRC honors individuals who have impacted the industry through their innovative thinking and inspirational leadership at its Champion of Commuter Rail awards.
The 2025 Champion of Commuter Rail awardee is Thomas Prendergast, CEO of the Gateway Development Commission. Over a multi-decade career, Prendergast has helmed Long Island Rail Road, New York City Transit, Vancouver’s TransLink, and the whole of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority. His stints in the private sector included roles at AECOM and STV.
Kay O’Neil, Chief of Network Strategy and Partnering at Keolis Commuter Service, is the winner of the 2025 Doty Award, named for Robert Doty, who empowered a generation of rail leaders by building teams that were diverse by intention and nurtured individual strengths. O’Neil has played a pivotal role in advancing public transportation systems, particularly within Boston’s commuter rail network, and her deep expertise in transportation systems analysis and strategic planning contributed to transformative change. In Boston, O’Neil is known as “The Godmother.”
The CRC is presenting the first Legislative Champion Award to Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.), who was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016 and currently serves on the Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee. One of Senator Young’s priorities in Congress is modernizing and investing in infrastructure, and he proved his support by preserving the Capitol Investment Grants program for construction of new and expanded public transit projects like commuter rail. The Northern Indiana Commuter Transit District owes its significant expansion to the support of Sen.Young.
The 2025 Commuter Rail Summit kicks off in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 3.
