December 2018 — Issue Preview

Bonus Distribution:
2019 NRC Conference & NRC-REMSA Exhibition (Jan. 6-9, 2019, at the J.W. Marriott Marco Island, Marco Island, Florida)

Cover Story:
Outlook 2019 — Rail CEOs on The Year Ahead
How are North American railroaders gearing up for 2019? Where do they see growth? Challenges regarding same? For answers, we check in with Class I CEOs to get takes on the potential for rail traffic volume growth, and what obstacles they believe they'll need to overcome in the year ahead. We also ask transit agency leaders to share their goals for and concerns about 2019, and how they plan to grow/retain ridership for their respective agencies.

MOW:
Outlook for Railroad Contracting
Freight railroads and transit agencies continue to contract out for a range of infrastructure needs, from system extensions to project oversight to general upkeep. This month, we ask a range of contractors: What does 2019 look like? Will it be better than 2018? Similar? Worse? Why? What is your 2019 forecast for the railroad contracting segment in general, and/or for your business? How are you preparing for what you believe is ahead? We share their responses in this special section.

Passenger Rail:
Focus on Amtrak
In recent years, Amtrak has been under fire for having what the National Transportation Safety Board has described as a "weak safety culture," an environment that the NTSB has blamed for at least one fatal derailment. Concerns over that culture were raised again last month, when the Office of Inspector General (OIG) reported that improving the railroad's safety record is chief among the major challenges faced by Amtrak management. We talk with Amtrak officials to find out what management is doing to improve that record and create a culture of safety for passengers and employees.

CREATE:
Key Corridor Project Progresses
The Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program continues to march on. Twenty-nine of 70 planned projects in the 15-year-old program now have been completed. Next up? The $450 million 75th Street corridor improvement project (CIP), for which a groundbreaking was held Oct. 1. The project has four key components, including the Forest Hill Flyover that will benefit five Class Is, Metra and the Belt Railway Co. of Chicago by eliminating an at-grade chokepoint. We'll touch base with several CREATE partners involved in the CIP to chronicle the project's elements and importance.

Column:
Freight-Car Market Outlook
Freight-car order activity can be a barometer of the rail industry's health. What's the car-order outlook for 2019? Which car types will be in demand? Richard Kloster, senior vice president and chief commercial officer for AllTranstek LLC, shares his projections and insights.

Our 2019 Media Kit is ready for you (https://prmediakit.com/default.aspx). We've got several options and opportunities for you to connect with new customers.

Sincerely,

Mike Singler
Regional Sales Manager
Progressive Railroading
P: 815-302-7055
mike.singler@tradepress.com