Contact

Deanna Perrow 
Maine Better Transportation 
deanna@mbtaonline.org 
207-622-0526 

When

Thursday August 4, 2016 from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM EDT

Add to Calendar 

Where

Northeastland Hotel, Presque Isle 
 

 
 
 

2016 Aroostook County Meeting


Thursday, August 4, 2016

Northeastland Hotel, Presque Isle

 

REBUILDING A RAILROAD, REBUILDING TRUST

 

THREE YEARS HAVE PASSED since the Lac Megantic rail disaster and more than two since New York-based Fortress Investment Group purchased the bankrupt Montreal, Maine & Atlantic
Railway’s assets and re-established the rail line under the Central Maine & Quebec Railway (CMQR) name. In that time, the railway has made a remarkable turnaround that led to CMQR being named
2016 Regional Railway of the Year by Railway Age.

 

CMQR CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER RYAN RATLEDGE will be our guest speaker at the MBTA’s Aroostook County Meeting. He will talk about the railway’s investment in its rail infrastructure, plans for its operations in Maine and Quebec, including CMQR’s contract with the state of Maine
to operate the 58-mile Rockland Branch line.

 

RATLEDGE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR CMQR’S transportation, engineering and mechanical groups. He began his railroad career in 1994 as a switchman with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Corp. He joined RailAmerica as general manager of the Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad in 2007. In 2008, he was promoted to general manager of the Indiana and Ohio Railway (IORY) in Cincinnati, Ohio, tasked with turning around a railroad that had consistently underperformed in terms of customer service, safety and efficiency. In early 2011, Ryan became vice president of
the company’s midwest region. Under Ryan’s leadership, the region saw a major safety improvement and growth in customer satisfaction and operating income.

 

PLEASE JOIN MBTA FOR OUR ANNUAL AROOSTOOK COUNTY MEETING, an opportunity for professional development, discussion and networking with leaders in the transportation field.

 

Cost for dinner is $35 per person.  Dinner reservations are due by July 29th.

  • 5 p.m. Reception
  • 6 p.m. Dinner
  • 6:45 p.m. Remarks and Introduction of Guest Speaker

Sponsorships: 

  • MBTA Innovator:  $350
  • MBTA Pathfinder:  $250
FOR OVERNIGHT ROOMS:
Please call the Northeastland Hotel, 1-800-244-5321 and ask for the MBTA room rate of $98.
Rai
L
R
i
S
ing:
i
nvestment & growth on the
n
orthern Maine Railway
Rail in Maine
R
eceived a big boost in 2011
when the
state purchased 233 miles of rail line in
a
roostook
c
ounty that was
threatened with abandonment. The state entered into an agreement
with a subsidiary of J.
d
.
i
rving to operate the freight line. The state
and federal government have invested more than $30 million in the
line, including $20.1 million to purchase the line and $10.5 million
for upgrades to the line to improve safety and reliability of the service.
M
bta
will hea
R
f
R
o
M
i
an
s
i
M
pson
, general manager
of
i
rving’s rail holdings, including
n
orthern Maine Railway,
e
astern
Maine Railway and
n
ew
b
runswick
s
outhern Railroad.
t
wo years down the line,
s
impson will talk about the rail operator’s ef
-
forts to bring the line back to profitability and updates on investments
made by the state and by
i
rving.
h
e also is sure to talk about
i
rving’s recent agreement to purchase of
28 additional miles of
a
roostook rail line from the line’s former owner,
Montreal, Maine &
a
tlantic Railway.
p
lease
J
oin M
bta
for our annual
a
roostook
c
ounty Meeting,
an evening of education and networking with leaders in the transporta
-
tion field