Railway Age Conferences

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Other Railway Industry Events

14-16: American Short Line & Regional Railroad Association Southern Region Meeting
Marriott City Center, Charlotte, N.C. Kathy Cassidy, (202) 585-3443    Website: http://www.aslrra.org/   Email: kcassidy@aslrra.org

21-24: Railway Supply Institute Global Railway Tech 2008
Hilton Chicago & Towers, Chicago, Ill. Contact the RSI Chicago office for the complete rules and regulations regarding the reservation of exhibit space. Call Howard Tonn, (888) 393-0107 (Toll Free) or (630) 393-0106.    Website: www.rsiweb.org/convention   Email: rsupplya@aol.com

21-24: AREMA 2008 Annual Conference/REMSA World Rail Exp
Salt Lake City, Utah.    Website: http://www.arema.org/eseries/ScriptContent/Custom/e_arem  

23-26: Messe Berlin GmbH InnoTrans 2008
Berlin, Germany. North American suppliers wishing to exhibit should contact Mary Jo Balve, InnoTrans North American Representative, 732-933-1118.
   Website: www.innotrans.com   Email: mjbalve@globaltradeshow.com

28-30: American Short Line & Regional Railroad Association Central/Pacific Region Meeting
Hotel Monteleone, New Orleans, La. Kathy Cassidy, (202) 585-3443    Website: http://www.aslrra.org/   Email: kcassidy@aslrra.org

6-8: Canadian Rail Industry Annual General Meeting, Trade Show and Integrated Research Conference
Hotel Gouverneur, 1415, rue St.-Hubert, Montreal, Quebec. Rail AGM 2008 will be a prime opportunity to connect with industry leaders (operators, associates and suppliers). The Railway Association of Canada would like to help inform and educate policy makers and others about leading-edge technologies being used now and into the future. The program for this event starts on the morning of October 6th with RAC committee meetings for members, followed by an Open Tradeshow where key railway suppliers will be showcasing their latest technologies. As an added bonus for attendees, the RAC in conjunction with Transport Canada will host a research conference addressing ongoing Canadian R&D initiatives and thrust areas. RAC is also offering railway courses. For information, contact Kent Flint, (613) 564-8105; email kentf@railcan.ca; website www.railcan.ca/sec_pro/en_pro_courses.asp.. For Rail AGM conference information, contact Janet Greene, (613) 564-8109.    Website: http://www.railcan.ca/site_rail_agm2008/default.asp   Email: janetg@railcan.ca

5-8: APTA Annual Meeting and Expo
Grand Manchester Hyatt and San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina, San Diego, Calif. Heather Rachels, (202) 496-4838.    Website: www.apta.com   Email: hrachels@apta.com

13-15: Intermodal Freight Transportation and the Public Planning Process
The Intermodal Transportation Institute (ITI) at the University of Denver, in a joint venture with the National Center for Intermodal Transportation (NCIT), is sponsoring this two-day training program aimed at educating public-sector transportation agency personnel about the synergies it has with the freight sector. It will be held at the University of Denver.The instructional program for public-sector transportation agencies is being led by Professor Michael D. Meyer, PhD, Professor of Civil Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology and a member of the faculty team of ITI at the University of Denver. He developed the program as a means of increasing the awareness of the importance of the movement of goods and the impact that this movement is having on the nation’s overall transportation system and economic welfare. Participants will hear from executives from maritime, trucking, railroads, transit, and intercity transportation on their respective transportation modes and on the challenges of creating a truly intermodal transportation system. In addition, the participants will attend a lecture by Alberto Alemán, the CEO of the Panama Canal Authority, on one of the most important transportation infrastructure projects in the world, the Panama Canal Expansion Program. A focus of the program will be on data, analysis, and modeling and using these tools for freight planning. Importantly, the program will also examine the advantages and disadvantages of different funding sources and strategies for developing a strategic freight investment plan and a process for incorporating freight concerns into statewide and metropolitan transportation plans. The registration fee for the training program is $1,500.00 and covers instruction, program materials, meals, and an ITI-University of Denver certificate of participation upon completion. (303) 871-4146 or (303) 871-4702.    Website: www.du.edu/transportation  

12-14: American Short Line & Regional Railroad Association Eastern Region Meeting
Williamsburg Lodge, Williamsburg, Va. Kathy Cassidy, (202) 585-3443    Website: http://www.aslrra.org/   Email: kcassidy@aslrra.org

21-22: 2008 RSI/AAR Quality Conference
The 2008 Quality Conference in Rosemont, Ill., at the Crowne Plaza. The theme is “Good Quality is Good Business” This conference is held in conjunction with the Association of American Railroads and featured sessions will include an overview of M-1003, 2.8 Measuring and Test, Quality Audits, Inspection of Offshore Products, Audits in a Foreign Country and more. To ensure that RSI has the correct Quality contacts for each company, RSI is requesting that member companies email Robyn Leach with the appropriate names of these individuals.

   Website: http://www.railwaysupply.org/convention/Quality2008.aspx   Email: leach@railwaysupply.org

21-22: Railway Age Passenger Trains on Freight Railroads
Washington Marriott, Washington, D.C. Jane Poterala, (212) 620-7209; Fax: (212) 633-1165.    Website: www.railwayage.com/conference2.html   Email: conferences@sbpub.com

29-31: Railway Tie Association Annual Conference
Savannah, Ga. Debbie Corallo, 770.460.5553.    Website: www.rta.org   Email: dcorallo@rta.org

4-6: Railroad Environmental Conference 2008 At University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The 2008 Railroad Environmental Conference will be campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It will feature presentations by railroaders, consulting engineers, academics, and others involved in all aspects of railroad environmental topics. Presentation topics will include pollution prevention; energy, emissions and air quality; noise and vibration; environmental management systems; compliance; risk and liability management; remediation; and training. Over 400 people attended in 2007, with representation from the railroad industry, environmental consulting engineers, environmental control equipment suppliers, and regulators from the U.S. and Canada. Representatives from all of the Class I railroads, as well as short line, passenger, commuter, and rail transit organizations will be be in attendance. In addition, most of the major environmental engineering consulting firms serving the railroad industry will be represented. Environmental researchers from academia and representatives from environmental regulatory agencies are also expected. The conference is co-sponsored by AAR, AREMA, ASLRRA, ARDA, and RAC. AREMA Committee 13 (Environmental) and the AAR Environmental Affairs Committee will hold their fall meeting in conjunction with the conference. Registration will be available through the conference website beginning in September. For AREMA Committee 13 meeting information, contact John Licsko, BML Enterprises, Inc., (770) 886-8944.    Website: cee.uiuc.edu/railroad/RREC/overview.asp   Email: bmlent@aol.com

11-12: The New Railway Age
Washington Marriott, Washington, D.C. In the railroad industry, aggressive recruitment, hiring, and training will continue for the foreseeable future, as experienced people retire and take their institutional knowledge with them. This is true for all railroads. But perhaps more important, how well do this industry’s newer people (and prospective employees as well) understand the issues? How in tune are they with its future? Would they stand to benefit from exposure to experienced, high-level thinking from high-level people?


"The New Railway Age" is a new conference designed to address these issues. This conference was proposed by Railway Age Contributing Editor William D. Middleton and Dr. George Smerk of the Indiana University Transportation Institute. It’s directed toward new and recent hires as well as graduate and undergraduate transportation students—those who represent the future of our industry. Our speakers will be high-level, experienced railway industry professionals.


“American railroads, now in their third century of operation, are in the midst of an era of major change and great opportunity, with prospects for growing freight traffic, increased demand for passenger services, the impact of growing emphasis on environmental issues, increased profitability, and growing opportunity for investment, public and private,” Middleton says. “They have advantages over their competitors, in a time of heightened environmental awareness. Railroad management is embracing new technology, and new forms of providing service. Railroads are planning for the future, and growing to meet increased demand for their services. ‘The New Railway Age’ will address the future of the railway industry from all angles—technical, operational, institutional, financial.”


Sessions will focus on such topics as new technology; roadbed and track structure; motive power; communications, signal and train control systems, and braking systems; rolling stock; personnel; national transportation policy issues; and national mobility and capacity issues. We invite railroads—as well as the supply companies and Wall Street institutions that have a stake in them—to send their best and brightest to Washington, D.C. in December. Details will be available on our website as the conference agenda is developed. Jane Poterala, (212) 620-7209; Fax (212) 633-1165.    Website: www.railwayage.com/conference3.html   Email: conferences@sbpub.com

7-10: NRC 2009 Annual Conference
Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa, Fort Myers, Fla. Chuck Baker, (202) 715-2920.    Website: www.nrcma.org   Email: cbaker@nrcma.org

16-18: Railroad Passenger Car Alliance 2009 Annual Conference
The Railroad Passenger Car Alliance will be hosting its 27th annual Conference in Dallas, Tex., in conjunction with the South Central High Performance Rail Corridor Conference (Texas Rail Advocates.) Host hotel will be the Sheraton Dallas (formerly the Adam’s Mark). Courtney Shenkle, 410-672-6639.    Website: www.rpca.com   Email: dallas09@rpca.com

22-24: Denver Transportation Club 29th Annual Operation Stimulus Conference
Renaissance Denver Hotel, 3801 Quebec St, Denver, Colo. The theme for 2009 is “Global Crossroads: The Future of Transportation." A Global Economy will transform the logistics process, as we know it today. Managing global trade flow will become a fundamental requirement for business to succeed and prosper. This event is targeted to anyone in the transportation, logistics, or supply chain industries or those associated with the industry. All proceeds go to further education in the form of scholarships for students in transportation. Over the years, the organization has raised over $355,000 toward scholarships and education. Attend the conference to determine if your supply chain is ready for a “global economy," meet and interview students graduating with Supply Chain degrees, and find solutions and network in the exhibit expo. (866) 877-9284, or call Liz Morris, ME2 Railroad Services, LLC, (303) 558-2128.    Website: http://www.denvertransportation.org   Email: Denvertrans@msn.com

27-28: Fifth Annual Railway Security Forum & Expo
Presented by Railway Age in cooperation with the Association of American Railroads, American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association, American Public Transportation Association, and Railway Supply Institute. Crystal Gateway Marriott, Arlington, Va., just minutes from downtown Washington, D.C. Jane Poterala (Railway Age), (212) 620-7209; Fax: (212) 633-1165.
Learn More | Tabletop Exhibit Application | Sponsorship Opportunities

      Email: conferences@sbpub.com

26: Railroad Day on Capitol Hill
Grand Hyatt Hotel, Washington, D.C. Kathy Cassidy, (202) 585-3443    Website: http://www.aslrra.org/   Email: kcassidy@aslrra.org

1-4: Railroad Financial Corp. Rail Equipment Finance Conference 2009
La Quinta Resort & Club, California. For 22 years, Railroad Financial Corporation's annual Rail Equipment Finance Conference has provided the answers to vital questions on North American railcar and locomotive fleets: Additions. Retirements. New-car build projections. Values for new and used railcars and locomotives. Projections for future values. Projected surpluses and shortages. An overview of financings and financial structures. Our presenters include nearly 50 of North America’s top rail finance and rail equipment professionals, who provide answers to the tough questions:, ? And in what numbers? What equipment types will likely fall out of favor, decrease in value and perhaps be retired or scrapped? What will likely happen to lease rates and equipment values during 2009? How will this impact residual values in the future? What do locomotive OEM order books look like for 2009 and beyond? How will emerging EPA regulations impact locomotive utility and values? How will fuel costs drive innovation and investments in existing locomotives? REF has been the Gold Standard for information on North American rolling stock. Equipment and rail finance professionals do their homework at Rail Equipment Finance's sessions at the start of the year to assure success all year long. Contact Railroad Financial Corp. at 312-222-1383.
   Website: http://www.railequipmentfinance.com   Email: tkruglinski@railfin.com

18-20: Third International Conference on Urban Transportation Systems
Sponsored by the Transportation and Development Institute (T&DI) of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Chinese Academy of Transportation Sciences, Federal Transit Administration, North American Chinese Overseas Transportation Association, and International Chinese Transportation Professionals Association. Walter Kulyk, FTA, 202-366-4995.       Email: Walter.Kulyk@dot.gov

25-29: American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association 2009 Annual Convention
Red Rock Resort, Las Vegas, Nev. Kathy Cassidy, (202) 585-3443
   Website: http://www.aslrra.org/   Email: kcassidy@aslrra.org

4-5: Railway Age/Parsons 8th International Conference on Communications-Based Train Control
Washington Marriott, Washington, D.C. Join Railway Age and Parsons for the only conference anywhere in the world devoted exclusively to all forms of communications-based train control, as applied to all railway modes, freight and passenger. Sponsorships available. Contact Jane Poterala, (212) 620-7209.    Website: www.railwayage.com   Email: conferences@sbpub.com

22-26: Africa Rail 2009
Africa Rail is the only dedicated railway event on the African continent. With a proven track record of over 11 years, Africa Rail is provides Africa’s railway industry professionals with a platform to debate key issues over a dedicated three-day period, while allowing them to meet, network and do business. Genna Thatcher, Marketing Manager, Terrapinn Ltd, (South Africa), +27 (0) 11 516 4940.    Website: www.africa-rail.com   Email: genna.thatcher@terrapinn.co.za

7-11: 58th UITP World Congress and Mobility & City Transport Exhibition, “Public transport: Making the Right Mobility Choices”
Vienna, Austria. Cara McLaughlin, 011-32-2-663-6639.    Website: www.uitp.org/vienna2009   Email: cara.mclaughlin@uitp.org

15-19: 2009 National Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Safety Conference
Monteleone Hotel, New Orleans. Jessica Franklin, (979)845-5817       Email: j-franklin@tamu.edu.