Organized since 2013, Michigan Rail Conference returned to the Upper Peninsula for its 10th Anniversary.
The theme for the event was "Pivot for Growth: Supply Chain and Mobility".
Our Keynote Speaker, Jennifer Mitchell, the new FRA Deputy Administrator provided an outstanding presentation, anchoring the panel discussions in the morning plenary and the afternoon breakouts.
When we determined our conference theme, Sustaining Midwest Rail, we did not anticipate how well it would fit the current conditions. Like many other businesses, both within and outside the US, the focus of rail transportation shifted almost overnight from “growth” to “sustaining” in this age of a new normal ... whatever that may be!
Our program reflects this disruption and the response of the rail sector to these unprecedented times. It brings together different stakeholders for a conversation about where we go next and how we need to reconsider our strategies for sustaining and developing rail transport in the Midwest, and nationwide.
The 2017 Midwest Rail Conference "Midwest Connections: Passenger and
Freight Rail Look to the Future" will be held August 15-17, 2017 in
Kalamazoo, MI. Co-Partnered with TRB AR040 and NURail.
A (High Speed) Rail Workforce Development Symposium, was held in conjunction with the AREMA 2012 Annual Conference and Exposition in Chicago, IL. The symposium was also simulcast via the web and had 10 presenters in various topics. The goal of the symposium was to improve understanding of the needs for the HSR workforce and related education and training.
The symposium introduced the HSRLS project to participants and had two main topics. The first topic had presentations on high speed rail workforce development needs in the U.S. and abroad. The second topic included presentations related to the use of online technologies in collaborative education and training.
The course available in the portal includes video recordings and presentations by symposium speakers. It also provides supplementary materials on selected topics.
Time to Complete: ~3.5 Hours
The Standing Committee on Rail Transportation (SCORT), a committee of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), hosted a live webinar in October 2012 with an emphasis on workforce development for state rail employees. The webinar featured presentations from three of the state Department of Transportation (DOT) members and included an update on workforce development initiatives at the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) and Michigan Technological University.
Video recordings and presentations by webinar speakers are available as modules in this course.
Time to Complete: ~2 Hours
The 4th Annual Michigan Rail Conference took place on August 17-18, 2016 at the Northern Michigan University (NMU) in Marquette.
This was the first time for the conference to be held in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and it broke all expectations with a record of 160 participants. The conference received support from fourteen sponsoring agencies/companies.
As in the past conferences, the organization was led by the Michigan Tech’s Rail Transportation Program (RTP), under guidance from Conference Planning Committee (see list below).
Additional support was received from the Michigan Department of Transportation and the National University Rail Center (NURail).
Third Annual Michigan Rail Conference
The Michigan DoT and the Rail Transportation Program at Michigan Technological University hosted the second annual Michigan Rail Conference on August 19th and 20th at Grand Valley State University.
Over 70 conference participants came to Grand Rapids early for field visits that included two grade crossing improvement projects, the SteelPro Grand Rapids Steel Distribution Center, the Grand Elk Railroad transload terminal and the Grand Rapids Amtrak station.
Second Annual Michigan Rail Conference
The Michigan DoT and the Rail Transportation Program at Michigan Technological University hosted the second annual Michigan Rail Conference on August 26th and 27th at South Campus of Macomb Community College.
The first day of the conference featured a variety of speakers on a variety of topics including both freight and passenger rail.
The second day saw participants visiting rail areas in and around Detroit.
First Annual Michigan Rail Conference - Michigan DOT and the Rail Transportation Program at Michigan Technological University hosted the first annual Michigan Rail Conference on August 27 at the Lansing Community College, West Campus. Nearly 150 individuals attended the event in person, and another 50 participated by live web-cast. The morning featured a variety of plenary speakers including welcome notes from both the State House and Senate Transportation Committee Chairs, and a keynote address by Tom Carper from AMTRAK. The afternoon featured break-out sessions for passenger and freight rail activities.