March 9, 2024 - TRA Newswire -

The Surface Transportation Board has received 92 nominations for 18 seats on its first ever Rail Passengers Advisory Committee, with some names from Texas and nearby states on the list.

When the SurfBoard announces the names of those selected, the panel will include representatives from Amtrak, commuter, non-Amtrak passenger rail and freight rail operators, Class 1's, advocacy organizations, shippers, short lines, a state that supports passenger rail, organized labor, and three at-large seats.

Among those from Texas that submitted applications to the STB include Richard Andreski, CEO Trinity Metro (Fort Worth, Texas under Commuter Rail Operators;  Jeffrey Davis, Rail Division director of the Texas Department of Transportation (under States That Provide Intercity Passenger Rail Funding) and Texas Rail Advocates Director Karl Ziebarth  (under Advocacy Organizations).

Adolph Gameiro, Managing Director, Interline & Network Strategy, CPKC Railway, applied for a position on the committee. There were no applications from either Class 1's BNSF Railway or Union Pacific Railroad.

John Robert Smith, Chairman of Transportation for America, who will speak at the 20th Annual Southwestern Rail Conference along with Harris Ligon, CEO, Telegraph (a rail data firm), submitted applications. 

Other nearby state applicants included David Harris, New Mexico Department of Transportation Transit and Rail Division Director; David Pearce, member, Missouri Rail Passenger Advisory Committee; Troy Hughes, Administrator of Railroads, Missouri Department of Transportation.

One of the Southwestern Rail Conference sponsors, John Santamaria, senior vice president, Clever Devices, also Chair, APTA Rolling Stock Technical Committee filed for a committee seat.  Others included Joseph Black, Senior Vice President, Rail Operations and Service Planning, WSP, who was involved in the Austin-San Antonio Lone Star Rail District project and Ty Dragoo, Kansas Legislative Director for the SMART-TD union.

The committee chosen by the STB will be comprised of:

Two representatives from Amtrak.

Two from commuter rail operators who use facilities owned or used by Amtrak, other intercity passenger rail operators, or freight rail operators.

Two from existing passenger rail operators other than Amtrak.

Two from Class I freight railroads.

Two from rail passenger advocacy organizations.

One from a state that provides funding for intercity passenger rail.

One from a state with intercity passenger service served only by long-distance trains.

One from a Class II or Class III freight railroad.

One from organized rail labor.

One from a rail shipper or customer, or a shipper or customer advocacy organization.

Three at-large representatives..