Pat Foran

2 months ago | progressiverailroading.com | Pat Foran

By Pat Foran, Editor-in-Chief Will this year be better than last year for the rail finance and leasing sector? Worse? The same? Why? It’s a question we pose every January to dozens of execs who work in that sector as part of the information gathering for Progressive Railroading’s annual Finance & Leasing Guide. The 2025 iteration was published in the February print edition.

Oct 8, 2024 | progressiverailroading.com | Pat Foran

By Pat Foran, Editor-in-Chief It’s Oct. 1 as I write this. Major League Baseball’s playoffs start today. Football’s a month or so in. Fall’s tiptoeing forward. And there’s a familiar feeling in the air. ‘Tis the season for RailTrends®. The lineup for this year’s summit — to be held Nov. 14-15 at the New York Marriott Marquis in New York City — is, as my colleague and friend Tony Hatch notes this month in his RailTrends preview, eclectic as ever.

Aug 7, 2024 | progressiverailroading.com | Pat Foran

By Pat Foran, Editor-in-Chief The rail community lost one of its best last month. Longtime rail equipment salesman Jim Gowan died on July 18 following a battle with cancer. He was 76. Down to earth and as genuine as they come, Gowan was a best-in-class salesman and an even better man, friends and family members say.

Jul 10, 2024 | progressiverailroading.com | Pat Foran

By Pat Foran, Editor-in-Chief In 1988, Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway operations exec Mike Haverty suggested to consultants serving the railroad's top brass that they consider partnering with truckload carriers on a premium intermodal service. The consultants shared his idea with the Santa Fe's marketing department. “Marketing said, 'That's why Haverty is in operations,'” Haverty told me in a 2011 interview.

Apr 5, 2024 | progressiverailroading.com | Pat Foran

By Pat Foran, Editor-in-Chief March 8 was International Women's Day (IWD), which celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women across the globe. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality. With that in mind, we recently reached out to two dozen women representing organizations that serve the rail industry. We asked: What does inclusion mean to you, personally, and how does it apply to your approach to work?