IAIS Dedicates Silvis Yard to Pietrandrea

The Iowa Interstate Railroad (IAIS) board on Oct. 19 formerly affirmed the naming of its Silvis Yard as Pietrandrea Yard in honor of the retirement of Robert “Bob” Pietrandrea.

Concurrent with the operation of a special train on Oct. 18, IAIS honored Pietrandrea, who retired from his position as President of Railroad Development Corp. (RDC) on July 29, 2022.

“While Bob has retired from his job as President of RDC, he remains a board member of IAIS,” said IAS and RDC Chairman Henry Posner III. “He set the tone for the trajectory of the company with his focus on investing both our people and facilities, and this is reflected in Silvis, which as our eastern gateway also represents growth and connectivity.”

“We have continued to add tracks on the footprint of what was at one time the Rock Island’s most important hump yard and eastern gateway,” added IAS President Joe Parsons. “We do blocking for both the Chicago and Peoria gateways at Silvis, and it was also our first major new-build facility with our combination car repair shop and yard office. With that significance to the IAIS system in mind, naming this key facility after Bob is only natural due to his many contributions over the years that allowed IAIS to not only survive but thrive.”

IAIS Director and iCON Partner Rory Hunter concluded, “Bob’s involvement was critical to getting the IAIS to where it is today, and a key element of our investment in the company. We are proud to be part of the recognition of his contributions through the dedication of Pietrandrea Yard. We look forward to having Bob on the IAIS Board for many years to come.”