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PODCAST

Platform Chats

The American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) is the leading professional association for railway engineers working together to further the development and advancement of both technical and practical knowledge in the railway industry. Come “roll with AREMA” as we chat with Members from every aspect of the Association. Each episode will contain entertaining and informative stories from our members about their time in the Association and how it has advanced their

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All Episodes

52:43

The Emerging Technologies Panel Continued: Exploring...

Platform Chats ·

2025/12/09

In this special follow-up to the Emerging Technologies panel at the AREMA 2025 Annual Conference & Expo in Indianapolis, host Walt Bleser and panelists Doron Cohadier (RailVision) and Jason Schindler (Object Computing) continue the exploration of how artificial intelligence is transforming the rail industry. The conversation dives into the evolution of the panel and the real-world applications of AI in rail safety, operational efficiency, and data-driven decision-making. Doron and Jason e...

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36:54

Building Better Rail: Lessons from Watford and...

Platform Chats ·

2025/11/21

In this episode, host Walt Bleser chats with the two latest Watford Fellowship recipients, Matt Kirby, PE, MLE, M.ASCE, AVP/Director - Rail Public Projects & Programs at Michael Baker International, and Daniel Rappaport, Civil Engineer III – RLE at Chicago Transit Authority. The Watford Fellowship Program gives grants to two young rail or transit professionals for the Watford Conference, an international conference on rail and transit design and operations. The pair reflect on their...

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35:54

Sustainability & Resiliency Take Center Stage at RREC

Platform Chats ·

2025/10/23

This episode, our host chats with Christopher Barkan, PhD, Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Director of RailTEC, and Peter Masson, Director at TRC and Chair of Technical Committee 13 – Environmental about the upcoming Railroad Environmental Conference (RREC) and the new Sustainability & Resiliency (S&R) Day. The collaboration through AREMA and the RREC aims to integrate the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals into rail practices, fostering a more s...

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41:05

Rolling Forward: AREMA’s Next Chapter Starts in Indy

Platform Chats ·

2025/08/25

In what has become an annual tradition, Walt sits down with the incoming and outgoing AREMA Presidents ahead of the AREMA Annual Conference & Expo. Outgoing AREMA President William S. Riehl, III, PE, F.SAME (Genesee & Wyoming Inc.) reflects on a year of strategic partnerships, expanded member value, and the importance of steady leadership. He will be handing the reins to incoming President and current Senior Vice President Jerry W. Specht, EIT (CPKC), who is ready to take AREMA ...

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46:22

Season 5, Episode 6 - Mind the Overhang

Platform Chats ·

2025/07/29

This episode, Walt sits down with Theo Vallis, VP Commercial, Luminary Logistics Solutions, and President of The Railway Industrial Clearance Association (RICA), and Greg McComas, Senior Manager Dimensional Clearances, BNSF, and Chair of AREMA’s Clearance Technical Committee. The trio takes a 360-degree view of the world of clearances and the movement of high-visibility cargo across the North American market. From blades to bridges, they cover how oversized cargo gets from A to B without taki...

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37:44

Engineering Leadership in Action: Kate O’Connor on...

Platform Chats ·

2025/07/03

In this episode of Platform Chats, Walt Bleser sits down with Kate O’Connor—Chief Engineer at the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) and member of AREMA’s Board of Governors—for a conversation that covers everything from 100-year-old bridges to modern-day megaprojects, and a little career wisdom in between. Kate shares her journey from walking cables in New York to overseeing nearly everything at SEPTA, including track, power, stations, buildings, and cleaning c...

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53:27

From Résumés to Results: Host-Turned-Guest Walt...

Platform Chats ·

2025/05/02

To mark Platform Chats’ 10,000-download milestone, we’ve flipped the script and the mic. For the first time, our regular host is the interviewee. In this episode, guest host (and previous guest) Keith Bailey, founder of Articulated Intelligence and MC of the AREMA 2025 Annual Conference, chats with Walt Bleser, President & CEO of ARE Corporation, and an occasional podcast host. Walt shares how AREMA shaped his career and why relationships, not just résumés, move the needle. He also offers...

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43:59

Building Bridges (Literally) with Bridges to Prosperity

Platform Chats ·

2025/03/25

Ditch the desk job—this Platform Chats episode takes us to Rwanda, where engineers swapped spreadsheets for socket wrenches and the cubicle for Kigali. Host Walt Blesser talks with Jim Costigan, PE, Senior Engineer – Field Services, Modjeski and Masters, and Erin O'Malley, PE, Bridge Engineer, HDR Engineering, about building a suspension bridge by hand with the local community through the organization Bridges to Prosperity. The featured keynote at the AREMA 2025 Railroad Bridge Symposium, Br...

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41:47

On Track with the League of Railway Women

Platform Chats ·

2025/02/26

On this episode, host Walt Bleser celebrates the podcast’s 40th episode milestone by chatting about the importance of the League of Railway Women (LRW). Joined by the new LRW President Lisa Tackach (Head of Marketing at the Railroad Construction Co), as well as LRW Members Andrea Neithold (Head of US Public and Government Affairs at CN) and Tiffany Wenrich (Marketing Director at Holland), the episode focuses on the growing presence of women in railroading along with the many educational...

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36:18

Building Connections: The AREMA 2025 Railroad Bridge...

Platform Chats ·

2025/01/03

This episode previews the AREMA 2025 Railroad Bridge Symposium, happening February 4-6 in Fort Worth, Texas. Guests Ron Berry, PE, General Director of Services at BNSF Railway, and Duncan Paterson, PE, of the American Institute of Steel Construction (AKA the Wizard of Steel), share what attendees can expect. Spoiler: it’s not just about bridges—it’s about life-changing bridges. With 40 presentations focused on bridge engineering or maintenance and a keynote on the importance of building bridg...

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51:43

Rails to Success: Navigating FRA Grants and Funding

Platform Chats ·

2024/11/22

In this episode of Platform Chats, host Walt Bleser sits down with Amanda Ciampolillo, Deputy Director of the Office of Environmental Program Management, and Karla Maffett, Deputy Director of Project Delivery, from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). Together, they discuss the FRA's mission to enhance rail safety and efficiency through strategic partnerships and impactful investments. Amanda and Karla explore the FRA's grant programs, sharing valuable tips for securing funding, with a ...

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38:16

From Concept to Construction: A New Guide for Steel...

Platform Chats ·

2024/10/01

This episode focuses on the collaboration between AREMA and the National Steel Bridge Alliance (NSBA) to create a publication that complements the AREMA Manual for Railway Engineering, Chapter 15 - Steel Structures by providing detailed guidance on design decisions for steel railway bridges. The guide, The AREMA/NSBA Guidelines for the Design of Steel Railroad Bridges for Constructability and Fabrication, aims to help engineers produce more economical and constructible designs. Walt chats wit...

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35:35

AREMA Leadership Transition: Insights from Ray...

Platform Chats ·

2024/09/03

In this annual episode, we’re diving into the transition between outgoing President Ray Verrelle (Vice President/Sr Project Director - East Region, HNTB) and incoming President Bill Riehl (Chief Engineer Structures, Genesee & Wyoming Inc.) Ray shares insights from his tenure, reflecting on his journey from civil engineering to leading AREMA and the challenges of maintaining engaging content. Bill, soon to take the reins, discusses his focus on enhancing member engagement, especially for f...

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39:44

Engineering Collaboration: How AREMA Student Chapters...

Platform Chats ·

2024/07/30

In this episode, Walt chats with Aaron Dean (Product Development Engineer, Advanced Rail Systems, LLC) and Nicole Anderson (Transportation Engineer/Student, PHMSA/Morgan State University). Aaron is one of AREMA’s Student Chapter Coordinators and a former President of one of AREMA’s first Student Chapters, the Railroad Engineering and Activities Club (REAC) at Michigan Tech. As well as being a doctoral candidate, Nicole is the current President of AREMA’s newest Student Chapter at Morgan State...

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45:37

Mastering Communication with Keith Bailey

Platform Chats ·

2024/05/22

In this episode, Walt talks with Keith Bailey, Co-Founder of Articulated Intelligence, who you may recognize as the AREMA Annual Conference emcee. He helps people who have great ideas become better communicators. Keith shares strategies for effective communication emphasizing the power of stories. They are the gift we give to the audience. He also provides tips on making your presentation the most impactful for your audience, you are more than your slides. It’s an episode with practical advic...

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33:17

Rails and Rising Stars: A Journey with Luv Sehgal

Platform Chats ·

2024/05/03

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52:40

Meet the 2023 Railway Woman of the Year, Kari Gonzales

Platform Chats ·

2024/03/15

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43:41

2024 Hiring Trends

Platform Chats ·

2024/02/14

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34:39

A Sneak Peek at the AREMA 2024 Sustainability &...

Platform Chats ·

2024/01/03

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36:41

What Does NRC Have in Store for 2024?

Platform Chats ·

2023/12/11

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