Railway Age Conferences

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Other Railway Industry Events

4-6: ASLRRA 2008 Annual Convention
San Antonio, Texas. Kathy Cassidy, ASLRRA, (202) 585-3443; Fax: (202) 628-6430.
   Website: www.aslrra.org   Email: kcassidy@aslrra.org

20-22: Bear Stearns 9th Annual Global Transportation Conference
New York, NY. (212) 272-2000    Website: www.bearstearns.com  

27: Railway Association of Canada Rail-Government Interface Conference 2008
Fairmont Chateau Laurier, Ottawa. This event is being organized by the Railway Association of Canada with the participation and support of the Canadian Association of Railway Suppliers. Many CTA, other senior government officials and key decision makers from the railways will be participating. Under the theme "Rail’s Future: Building up infrastructure, Powered by Technology," this year’s conference will feature leading transportation expert panellists and will provide you with a great learning experience. Specific subjects to be explored will include infrastructure and research and Development. Janet Greene, 613-564-8109.    Website: http://www.railcan.ca/site_rgi2008/   Email: janetg@railcan.ca

May 29-June 4: APTA Rail Conference and International Rail Rodeo
Hyatt Regency Embarcadero, San Francisco. Heather Rachels, (202) 496-4838.
   Website: www.apta.com   Email: hrachels@apta.com

1-3: TMCA 2008 Annual Conference & Marketing Expo
Ponte Vedra, Fla. TMCA, (952) 442-5638, ext. 208.
   Website: www.tmcatoday.org  

3: American Public Transportation Foundation Sixteenth Annual Benefit Golf Tournament
This year, the American Public Transportation Foundation celebrates 20 years of awarding scholarships to deserving young professionals pursuing careers in public transportation in order to sustain growth and improvement in the industry. To date, APTF has awarded more than 100 scholarships; in 2007, more than $70,000 was awarded. Public transportation is an exciting profession with tremendous opportunities, and APTF believes in building the next generation of leaders. The 2008 fundraising goal is $300,000. While attending the APTA Rail Conference in San Francisco, come out and enjoy a relaxing 18 holes of golf at APTF’s Sixteenth Annual Benefit Golf Tournament. Enjoy the camaraderie of this popular event that has become a very important fundraiser for the APTF scholarship fund. Part of your golf registration fee is a donation to the fund and is tax deductible. The tournament is scheduled for Tuesday, June 3 at the beautiful Harding Park Golf Course with a 1:00 pm shotgun tee time. Event sponsorships are also available. For more information, contact Yvette E. Conley, APTF Director-Development, (202) 496-4868; fax (202) 496-4323. Registration is available online at the APTF website.    Website: www.aptfd.org/events/index.htm   Email: yconley@apta.com

8-11: 102nd Annual American Railway Development Association Meeting
102nd Annual American Railway Development Association Meeting, El Dorado Hotel, Santa Fe, N.M. Contact Executive Directo Bill Krupinski through the association's website, www.amraildev.com, for further information.    Website: www.amraildev.com  

15-19: International Council on Systems Engineering Symposium
Utrecht, Netherlands. Join the Intelligent Transportation and Transit Working Group (ITTSWG) sessions focusing on important topics such as the key challenges in the application of systems engineering to rail/transit projects. Participate in roundtable discussions with executives from New York City Transit (U.S.), ProRail (Netherlands), Network Rail (United Kingdom), and London Underground (United Kingdom) on the challenges of applying systems engineering to their projects. Anne O’Neil, (646) 252-4564.    Website: http://www.incose.org/symp2008/   Email: anne.oneil@nyct.com

Call for papers: INFORMS/RASIG
RASIG (Rail Applications Special Interest Group), a subdivision of INFORMS (Institute for Operations Research and Management Science), is accepting papers for its annual Management Science in Railroad Applications Student Research Paper Contest. Authors of First Place, Second Place, and Honorable Mention papers will have the opportunity to present their work at the INFORMS Annual Meeting, Oct. 12-15, 2008, in Washington, D.C. There are cash awards for First Place ($500) and Second Place ($250).

“Operations Research and the Management Sciences are professional disciplines that deal with the application of information technology for informed decision making,” says program coordinator Dr. Michael F. Gorman, University of Dayton School of Business. “OR/MS professionals aim to provide rational bases for decision making by seeking to understand and structure complex situations and to use this understanding to predict system behavior and improve system performance. Much of this work is done using analytical and numerical techniques to develop and manipulate mathematical and computer models of organizational systems composed of people, machines, and procedures. RASIG provides a forum for bringing together practitioners, consultants, and academics interested in applying OR/MS techniques to the railroad industry. Our activities include roundtables, paper sessions at INFORMS national meetings, workshops, and focus groups. Roundtables provide attendees with a unique opportunity to explore, in-depth, topics ranging from eBusiness to simulation to network modeling. Presentations feature the latest in OR/MS research pertaining to the rail industry.”

Submissions must be written by a student or students enrolled in an academic institution during the 2007-2008 academic year. They must relate to application of Management Science for the improvement or utilization of railroad transportation, and must represent original research (not literature reviews) and not have been published elsewhere. Seventy-five-word abstracts are due by June 15, 2008; completed papers should be submitted by Aug. 15, 2008. For further details and requirements, and to submit abstracts and papers, contact Dr. Gorman.
      Email: Michael.Gorman@udayton.edu

20-22 AARS 112th Annual Meeting & Technical Showcase
Hilton on St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, La. (708) 342-0210.
   Website: www.railroadsuperintendents.org  

20-22: Railway Tie Association Crosstie Grading Seminar
Holiday Inn Express, Montevallo, Ala. Deborah L. Corallo, Administrator, Railway Tie Association, 770-460-5553.       Email: dcorallo@rta.org

21-24 AREMA 2008 Annual Conference
Salt Lake City, Utah. Lisa Hall, 301-459-3200, ext. 705.    Website: www.arema.org   Email: lhall@arema.org

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

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

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/conference/conference2.html   Email: conferences@sbpub.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/conference/conference3.html   Email: conferences@sbpub.com

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

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

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