Kansas City Southern President and CEO David L. Starling named Railway Age Railroader of the Year

Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-Chief

David L. Starling, President and Chief Executive Officer of Kansas City Southern, has been named 2012 Railroader of the Year by railroad industry trade journal Railway Age.

“Kansas City Southern is a remarkable success story, and Dave Starling is the man who leads the team that’s making it happen,” said Railway Age Editor-in-Chief William C. Vantuono. “The growth of KCS’s International Intermodal Corridor, which links the United States with Mexico, is one of several major accomplishments that have taken place under his watch. In 2011, KCS achieved record carloadings and revenues. Revenues in last year’s third quarter were 24% higher than in 2010, exceeding pre-recession levels. The railroad has been able to absorb additional volume with a stable workforce—a key indicator of productivity. Starling is also leading development of the next major Pacific coast port—Lazaro Cárdenas, Mexico, which is now the fastest-growing major container port in North America. Volume and revenue at the port are up 31% and 35%, respectively. KCS is clearly in a growth mode.”

“Dave Starling follows in the footsteps of Mike Haverty, Railway Age’s 2001 Railroader of the Year,” added Vantuono. “Haverty and KCS in the mid-1990s won the concession to privatize and operate the busiest segment of Ferrocarilles Nacionales de Mexico (Mexican National Railways)—the key trunk line linking the U.S. border at Laredo, Tex., with Mexico City. Combined with KCS’s U.S. operations and strategic alliances with other Class I carriers, Haverty envisioned a north-south freight railroad rich with cross-border intermodal traffic and manufactured parts and products. Today, under Dave Starling’s leadership, Haverty’s vision is coming to fruition. There has been rapid growth in U.S.-Mexico cross-border intermodal traffic. As of late 2011, volumes and revenue for the year were up an astounding 55% and 71%, respectively.”

“This is a great moment for Kansas City Southern and I’m very pleased that our railroad is being recognized,” said Starling. “I know it’s the Railroader of the Year, but I’m only one person. It’s really Kansas City Southern’s employees in the U.S. and Mexico, working together, who have made this recognition possible. I am proud of what the team has accomplished to provide best-in-class service to our customers and value to our shareholders.”

Dave Starling is Railway Age’s 49th Railroader of the Year. Modern Railroads magazine founded the award, one of the most prestigious in the railroad industry, in 1964 as the “Man of the Year.” Railway Age acquired Modern Railroads in 1991 and has presented the award annually since then. Starling will be honored on March 13, 2012, at Chicago’s Union League Club. Railway Age tells the story of Dave Starling and the organization he leads at Kansas City Southern with a cover story in the magazine’s January 2012 issue, which will also be available online at www.railwayage.com.

Railway Age Editor-in-Chief William C. Vantuono’s interview with Dave Starling was also video-recorded. Click here to see the video.

About Kansas City Southern

Headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., Kansas City Southern (KCS) (NYSE: KSU) is a transportation holding company that has railroad investments in the U.S., Mexico and Panama. Its primary U.S. holding is The Kansas City Southern Railway Company, serving the central and south central U.S. Its international holdings include Kansas City Southern de Mexico, S.A. de C.V., serving northeastern and central Mexico and the port cities of Lázaro Cárdenas, Tampico and Veracruz, and a 50% interest in Panama Canal Railway Company, providing ocean-to-ocean freight and passenger service along the Panama Canal. KCS’ North American rail holdings and strategic alliances are primary components of a NAFTA Railway system, linking the commercial and industrial centers of the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

About Railway Age

Railway Age (www.railwayage.com) is a monthly trade magazine circulated at the management levels of North American freight and passenger railroads. Founded in Chicago, Ill., in 1856, it is the transportation industry’s longest-running trade publication. Railway Age is published by the Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corp., New York, N.Y.

Supplemental information:

Railroader of the Year recipients under Modern Railroads:

1964: D. W. Brosnan, Southern Railway System

1965: Stuart T. Saunders, Pennsylvania Railroad Co.

1966: Stuart T. Saunders, Pennsylvania Railroad Co.

1967: Louis W. Menk, Northern Pacific Railway

1968: William B. Johnson, Illinois Central Railroad

1969: John W. Barriger, Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad

1970: John S. Reed, Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway

1971: Jervis Langdon, Jr., Penn Central Transportation Co.

1972: Charles Luna, United Transportation Union

1973: James B. Germany, Southern Pacific Transportation Co.

1974: L. Stanley Crane, Southern Railway System

1975: Frank E. Barnett, Union Pacific Railroad

1976: Dr. William J. Harris, Jr., Association of American Railroads

1977: Edward G. Jordan, Conrail

1978: Robert M. Brown, Union Pacific Railroad

1979: Theodore C. Lutz, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

1980: John G. German, Missouri Pacific Railroad Co.

1981: Lawrence Cena, Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway

1982: A. Paul Funkhouser, Family Lines Rail System

1983: L. Stanley Crane, Conrail

1984: Hays T. Watkins, CSX Corp.

1985: John L. Cann, Canadian National

1986: Raymond C. Burton, Jr., Trailer Train Co.

1987: Willis B. Kyle, Kyle Railways

1988: Darius W. Gaskins, Jr., Burlington Northern

1989: W. Graham Claytor, Jr., Amtrak

1990: Arnold B. McKinnon, Norfolk Southern

1991: Mike Walsh, Union Pacific Railroad

Recipients under Railway Age:

1992: William H. Dempsey, Association of American Railroads

1993: Raymond C. Burton, Jr., TTX Co.

1994: L. S. “Jake” Jacobson, Copper Basin Railway

1995: Edwin Moyers, Southern Pacific Transportation Co.

1996: Robert D. Krebs, AT&SF, and Gerald Grinstein, Burlington Northern

1997: Paul M. Tellier, Canadian National

1998: David R. Goode, Norfolk Southern

1999: Edward A. Burkhardt, Wisconsin Central Transportation Co.

2000: The Railroad Worker (award presented as “Railroader of the Century” for 2000)

2001: Michael R. Haverty, Kansas City Southern

2002: E. Hunter Harrison, Canadian National/Illinois Central

2003: Richard K. Davidson, Union Pacific Railroad

2004: Robert J. Ritchie, Canadian Pacific Railway

2005: David R. Goode, Norfolk Southern

2006: Richard F. Timmons, American Short Line & Regional Railroad Association

2007: William E. Wimmer, Union Pacific Railroad

2008: Stephen C. Tobias, Norfolk Southern

2009: Michael J. Ward, CSX

2010: Matthew K. Rose, BNSF

2011: Wick Moorman, Norfolk Southern

2012: David L. Starling, Kansas City Southern

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