FOR RELEASE
03/28/2024 (Thursday) [PDF Version]
No. 24-15
Contact:
Michael Booth
202-245-1760
FedRelay 1 (800) 877-8339
Surface Transportation Board Chairman Martin J. Oberman today announced that, with the approval of the Board, he has appointed members to the newly formed Passenger Rail Advisory Committee (PRAC). The new members of the PRAC will advise the Board on issues impacting passenger rail service during their terms.
“I am pleased that the Board received so many nominations of distinguished and knowledgeable candidates to serve on the Passenger Rail Advisory Committee,” said Chairman Martin J. Oberman. “The members of this inaugural PRAC have a diverse range of experience and we look forward to them providing insightful perspectives as the Board considers pressing passenger rail issues. The Board has greatly valued the contributions of its other advisory committees over the years and I am confident that this new committee will prove to be equally valuable in advising the Board in the area of passenger rail.”
The 21 members of the PRAC and their appointed term lengths are as follows.
Amtrak
Christopher Perry, Associate General Counsel
James Blair, Assistant Vice President, Host Railroads
Commuter Rail
James Derwinski, CEO and Executive Director, Metra (Chicago)
Lori Winfree, General Counsel, North County Transit District (San Diego)
Intercity Passenger Rail (non-Amtrak)
Husein Cumber, Chief Strategy Officer, Florida East Coast Industries
Gregg Baxter, Director of Government Relations and Strategic Partnerships, Herzog Enterprises
State that Funds Intercity Passenger Rail
Roger Millar, Secretary of Transportation, Washington State Department of Transportation
State that hosts only long-distance service
Shoshana Lew, Executive Director, Colorado Department of Transportation
Class I Railroad
Michael McClellan, Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, Norfolk Southern
Andy Daly, Senior Director of Passenger Operations, CSX Transportation
Class II or III Railroad
Henry Posner III, Chairman, Iowa Interstate Railroad
Rail Labor
Greg Regan, President, AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department
Rail Passenger Advocacy Organization
Jim Mathews, President and CEO, Rail Passengers Association
John Robert Smith, Chairman, Transportation for America
Rail Shipper or Shipper Organization
Jonathan Lamb, President, Lake Superior Warehousing Co., Inc.
At-Large
Joseph Black, Senior Vice President, Rail Operations and Service Planning, WSP
Aaron Edelman, Attorney, Mooney, Green, Saindon, Murphy & Welch
Patricia Long, President, Railway Supply Institute
Robert Padgette, Managing Director, Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority
Liliana Pereira, Director, Steer
Carl Warren, President and CEO, North Carolina Railroad Company
Paul Nissenbaum, Associate Administrator for Railroad Development at the Federal Railroad Administration, will participate as an ex officio member of the committee as the Department of Transportation representative.
The PRAC has been established in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. Chapter 10, to help the Board better fulfill its statutory responsibilities in overseeing certain aspects of passenger rail service. The PRAC’s activities include providing information, advice, and recommendations to the Board on issues impacting the development and operation of passenger rail services, including: improving efficiency on passenger rail routes; reducing disputes between passenger rail carriers and freight rail hosts regarding the use of freight-owned facilities and infrastructure for passenger service, including passenger on-time performance issues; and improving regulatory processes related to intercity passenger rail to the benefit of the public, the communities served by passenger rail, and the environment. The PRAC meetings will be open to the public.
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