CILTNA 2024 New York Rail Summit Report

Rail professionals were recently treated to the inner workings of railroads in the New York City area. The half-day session, courtesy of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in North America (CILTNA), explored the challenges and opportunities in the region’s rail system at the New York Rail Summit on March 5, 2024.

Moderated by Andrew Young, Director for Passenger Business, Wi-Tronix, and coordinated by Adam Doy of Network Rail Consulting, the event was held in NRC’s Offices just a few blocks from Grand Central Terminal (site of some recent, exciting work designed and programmed by Adam and his NRC colleagues). Both Adam and Andrew serve on CILTNA’s Board.

Speakers at the Summit included Graham Beal, Director Project and Program Management, Network Rail Consulting; Chad Scholes, Executive Director, Continuous Improvement for Metro-North Railroad; James P. Bonner, President, New York & Atlantic Railway Company; and Michael J. Shiffer, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Regional Planning, New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

This is by no means the only rail-oriented session organized by CILTNA in recent years. Other recent speakers at CILTNA webinars and conferences have included former Long Island Rail Road and now MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng, CN Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Doug MacDonald and Senior Vice President Chief Stakeholder Relations Officer Janet Drysdale; Association of American Railroads Assistant Vice President Transportation Systems & Practices Jeff Moller; and CPKC Executive Vice President Strategic Planning & Technology James Clements.

“You’ve never heard of us?” rhetorically posed Paul Miller, Chair of CILTNA’s Board of Directors and a 45-year CN veteran, educator, consultant and volunteer. “That’s what we’re working to change. All our North American railroad colleagues—freight, passenger, transit, shipper, supplier, government, and academe—are welcome to join our international organization, as are logistics and transportation professionals from across the supply chain. Please visit www.CILTNA.com to learn the benefits of individual and corporate membership. We’d love to learn from you!”

CILTNA is the North American branch of the global Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), headquartered in the U.K. CILT comprises 30,000 members and has branches in 35 countries.