Statewide Rail Freight Seminar Slated for Pittsburgh

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Statewide Rail Freight Seminar Slated for Pittsburgh

    PITTSBURGH, May 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania railroad industry leaders,
rail freight customers and affiliated suppliers and contractors will join
government leaders this week in Pittsburgh for the Tenth Annual Rail Freight
Seminar.
    The conference will begin on Thursday, May 4, and conclude Friday noon
with a presentation by E. Hunter Harrison, Executive Vice President and Chief
Operation Officer of the Canadian National Railway Company.
    "Railroads and other intermodal transportation opportunities play an
important role in building a stronger business climate in Pennsylvania," said
Lawrence C. Malski, chairman of the state Rail Freight Advisory Committee and
executive director and general counsel of the Lackawanna County Railroad
Authority.  "Transportation is an important ingredient in the economic
development mix, and rail freight is the `waking giant.'"
    The seminar has gained national attention among industry participants.
The Keystone State Railroad Association (KSRA) began joint sponsorship of the
annual seminar three years ago in partnership with the Rail Freight Advisory
Committee of Pennsylvania.
    Elizabeth S. Voras, PennDOT Deputy Secretary for Aviation and Rail
Freight, said the continued growth in the economy and its resulting demands on
our transportation system are projected to continue through the next decade.
"This creates increased concerns about safety, capacity and customer
services," Voras said.
    Phillip McFarren, Executive Director of KSRA, said, "Issues for discussion
during the seminar are rail safety initiatives, freight and passenger trains
sharing rail lines, railroads and ports, future needs of those shipping
freight by rail, multi-modal freight centers and marketing the rail freight
industry."
    Keynote speakers include PennDOT Secretary Bradley L. Mallory; Edward
Rastatter, Director of Policy of the National Industrial Transportation
League; James McClellan, Senior Vice President, Norfolk Southern Railroad;
Jacques J. Cote, President and CEO of the Saint Lawrence and Hudson Railway;
and Harrison.
    Pennsylvania leads the nation with 70 operating railroads.  With
4,500 miles of track, the state ranks fifth in the nation in total track
mileage.  The seminar will be conducted at the Sheraton Station Square Hotel,
Pittsburgh.

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Transportation

http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/682850.html or fax,
800-758-5804, ext. 682850
CONTACT:
Kirk Wilson of the Pennsylvania Department of
Transportation, 717-783-8800, or 717-787-2956
NOTE TO EDITORS: A schedule of speakers and workshops is
attached. Your coverage is invited. Joint Rail Freight Seminar
Moving Forward in the New Millennium May 4 & 5, 2000 Sheraton
Station Square Hotel Pittsburgh, PA Program Agenda Thursday, May
4 9:00 a.m. Opening Remarks Admiral Room
Bradley L. Mallory, Secretary Pennsylvania Department of
Transportation 9:30 a.m. Morning Keynote Speaker
Admiral Room Ed Rastatter, Director of Policy National
Industrial Transportation League 10:00 a.m. "Future
Needs" -- A Shipper's Viewpoint This panel will give shippers'
perspectives of the future subsequent to the Conrail split. Panel
members: John Anglin, Distribution Manager-Intl US Steel
Group J. Bryan Clelland, Manager, Corporate Purchasing &
Logistics Washington Penn Plastics Company Tom Phalin, Director
of Logistics Procurement Bayer Corporation Moderator:
John R. Mawhinney, CPIM, CTL, Executive Assistant Professor in
Residence for
ïö Supply Chain Management, Duquesne University 11:30 a.m.
Sharing Rail Passenger & Rail Freight Lines: "How Does It Work?"
This panel will discuss challenges and issues involved with
sharing freight and passenger rail lines. Panel members: Rick
Peltz, Deputy Secretary, Local & Area Transportation Pennsylvania
Department of Transportation Paul Reistrup, Vice President,
Passenger Integration CSX Corporation Bernard Cohen, Assistant
General Manager, Strategic Business & Ridership Development,
SEPTA John Bennett, Vice President, Transportation Planning &
Policy AMTRAK Bill Schafer, Director, Corporate Affairs Norfolk
Southern Corporation Moderator: Richard F. Timmons,
Resident Vice President, Public Affairs Norfolk Southern
Corporation 1:00 p.m. Luncheon Keynote Speaker B&O
Room James W. McClellan, Senior Vice President
Norfolk Southern Corporation 2:30 p.m. "What is
Pennsylvania Doing?" -- Safety Initiatives Admiral Room
Topi ïö cs will include rail crossings, FRA initiatives, the role of
safety programs of the PA Rail Freight Advisory Committee, and a
regional railroad perceptive. Panel members: Thomas P. Wall,
Highway-Rail Crossing Safety Engineer, Office of Safety, Federal
Railroad Administration Dave Hart, P.E., Manager Rail Safety
Division Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission Harvey I.
Cassell, P.E., Grade Crossing Engineer Pennsylvania Department of
Transportation Moderator: Jeffrey K. Stover Director
SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority 3:30 p.m. "We Need Each
Other" -- Rail Freight & Ports Admiral Room The panel
will discuss the importance and use of Pennsylvania's ports and
the linkage to the rail freight industry for the transportation
of goods throughout the Commonwealth. Panel members: John
Anglin, Distribution Manager -- Intl. U.S. Steel Group Bruce
Rosen, Divisional President Colona Terminal Services J.D.
Fogarty, Director of Development Port of Pittsburgh Commissio
ïö n Moderator: Herbert M. Packer, Executive Director Office
of PennPORTS Friday, May 5 8:15 a.m. Keynote Speaker
B&O Room Jacques J. Cote, President & CEO St.
Lawrence & Hudson Railway Company 9:00 a.m. "The Way
to Go" -- Multi-Modal Freight Centers This panel looks at the
benefits and uses of multi- modal freight centers in PA. Panel
members: Richard Biscontini, President Biscontini
Distribution Centers Tom Reese, Intermodal Account Manager
Norfolk Southern Corporation Patrick A. Sabatino, Vice President
of Business Development, Subsidiary Railroads of Bethlehem Steel
Corporation Moderator: J. Michael Zaia, President
Subsidiary Railroads of Bethlehem Steel Corporation 10:15 a.m.
"The Name of the Game" -- Marketing Railroads. Admiral
Room Panel members: Cynthia Cullen, Principal, Blue Ribbon
Group Gerard F. Edwards, Manager of Industrial & Economic
Development, CSX Transportation Dennis E. Shaffer, Vice President
- Mark
ïö eting & Sales, North Shore System Edwin R. Marshall, Manager,
Freight Operations, PennDOT Moderator: Douglas S. Golden,
Vice President & Principal, Main Line Management Services 12:15
p.m. Keynote Closing Speaker B&O Room E.
Hunter Harrison, Executive Vice President- Chief Operating
Officer Canadian National Railway Company