“Rail Shipping 2015: Meeting the Challenges of High Demand” will be the theme for the 244th MARS meeting at the Hilton Oak Brook Hills Resort in Oak Brook, Ill. More than 500 rail shippers and representatives from Class I and short line railroads are expected to participate. On the agenda: “Industry insider presentations and hot-topic panels are on the agenda, including sessions on Chicago’s rail congestion, public/private rail partnerships, and updates from Wall Street and federal regulatory agencies.”
The kickoff keynote speaker will be Cliffs Natural Resources Chairman, President, and CEO Lourenco Goncalves. Cliffs operates iron ore and coal mines in North America and Australia; Goncalves has more than 30 years experience in the metals and mining industries.
MARS and the Traffic Club of Chicago will co-host a luncheon on Wednesday, Jan. 14. The luncheon speaker will be CN President and CEO Claude Mongeau. CSX Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Clarence Gooden, who currently sits on the board of the National Freight Transportation Association, will deliver the Thursday, Jan. 15 keynote address.
Other key presenters will be STB Chairman Daniel Elliott III, PHMSA Acting Administrator Timothy Butters, and First Union Rail President Barbara Wilson, who will present a rail equipment update. In addition, analyst Tony Hatch presents a Wall Street perspective on the rail industry, while Adam Nordstrom previews legislative issues and Eric Starks discusses the economic outlook.
The conference is scheduled for a full day on Jan. 14 and a half-day on Jan. 15. During the meeting, MARS will also host “Railroad 101,” “Railroad 201,” “Railroad 301” and “Intermodal 101” seminars, along with other special-interest breakout sessions. There is no charge for these seminars and it is not necessary to attend the conference to attend a seminar.