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Zoltan recently received a service award from his engineering colleagues at Wabtec for “Putting the brakes on a coupler career.”
Commentary

Watch: Wabtec Celebrates Zoltan’s 60 Years of ‘Magnificent’ Service

At age 87, Zoltan (Zoli) Kovacs is many things: a proud father, grandfather, and great-grandfather; an accomplished martial arts master and teacher; and a dedicated life-long learner, something he applied every day at Wabtec in his role as Regional Manager, Transit. But most of all, he’s a competitor—a fierce one at that!—who likes nothing more than translating his knowledge of rail applications into new Wabtec customers.

The Blue Line opens, 1990
Commentary

Earl Gales, Metro Rail, and Writing What You Know

The planner, engineer, and architect Earl Gales didn’t enjoy the spotlight much. He liked to fly under the radar, staying in the background while letting other people shine. But he played an important role in creating our rail system, even if it isn’t obvious to riders today.

Commentary

Rail Safety Is Everyone’s Business

In today’s complex, interconnected landscape of modern transportation, rail remains a key pillar for the movement of goods in support of households and businesses. It is essential in transporting raw materials and goods that the public does not often think twice about but are integral to the innerworkings of our society. What does tend to catch attention are derailment statistics without context, concerns over safety, and more.

(Photograph Courtesy of BNSF)
Commentary

100 Years and Counting, Topeka Santa Fe Band Plays on

At least weekly if not more, Dave Anderson makes the 130-mile drive from Newton, Kans., to Topeka, Kans., and back—all for the love of music and tradition. As director of the Topeka Santa Fe Band, he’s dedicated to making sure the band plays on, especially because 2024 marks its 100th anniversary.

A $3.47 million CRISI grant made replacement of the William J. “Bill” Duggan bridge by the Iowa Interstate Railroad (IAIS) possible. The new bridge opened to freight rail traffic on June 30, 2020.

Is Your CRISI Application Under Way?

The countdown is on! The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is expected to release its CRISI (Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements) notice of funding opportunity in March, with less than 90 days