A gray, rainy day did not dampen the spirits of over 350 people who attended the 2010 New England Rail Forum & Expo on March 23rd, 2010. The event once again proved that freight, passenger, and transit are viable, growing industries in New England, even in the midst of the current economic downturn.

The day started at the Providence & Worcester enginehouse, where guests were able to participate in a technical seminar held right on the shop floor. Moderated by David Rutkowski of the P&W, the seminar featured speakers from UTC/RAS, Walco, and Railpower, and highlighted traction motor maintenance, the remanufacturing of wheel bearings, and the latest in genset technology. After the seminar larger products were available for viewing around the shop, including a recently rebuilt GP40 locomotive courtesy of Pan Am railways, a freshly repainted lease-fleet GP40 courtesy of the P&W, various traction motor/wheelset assemblies, and genset power units.

Back at the DCU Center the exhibitor pavilion opened at 12:45. This year featured the addition of many new faces to our group of exhibitors. In all over 50 booths were occupied by companies providing everything from digital mapping to bridge repair and inspection services. The show floor was well patronized throughout the day, and several of the exhibitors remarked how they were able to make a several good connections, which made the entire show worthwhile.

The afternoon seminar series was extremely well attended and kicked off with an in-depth look at the new PTC rules set to go into effect. Moderator Gordon Mott of the AAR brought together representatives from HNTB and WABTEC to talk about the ruling, the technology, and what railroads can expect to have to do to modify their infrastructure and motive power to bring it into compliance. A healthy question and answer session followed the presentations.

The final seminar of the day was moderated by Dennis Coffey and featured a diverse panel talking about the entrepreneurial spirit that still drives the region's railroads. Representatives from the New Hampshire Central Railway, the Grafton & Upton Railroad and ACG Consulting provided different views of approaching the way railroads do business - personal investment, corporate partnerships, and public/private partnerships. The question and answer period was also spirited and provided further insight into the three companies.

The hosted cocktail reception followed the seminars and provided the perfect end to the Expo. After the show floor closed attendees proceeded to the Grand Ballroom for dinner. Just before we were to hear from our keynote speaker, Mr. Charles Hunter of RailAmerica, we were surprised and pleased to be joined by the Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts, the honorable Timothy J. Murray. Lt. Governor Murray welcomed the Club to Worcester and spoke briefly about his administration's vision for rail in the overall transportation plan for the state. He detailed several projects that are being implemented to help improve both freight and passenger service.

Following the Lieutenant Governor, Charles once again took the podium to talk about the recent awarding of a Tiger grant to the New England Central and the State of Vermont -  one of only a few awarded in the entire Northeast region. This grant will be used to upgrade infrastructure from Vernon to St. Albans, Vermont, providing reduced running times for both Amtrak's Vermonter service and NECR freight trains on this important route. Because the terms of the grant require that the monies need to be spent quickly, Charles outlined the ambitious program the NECR is embarking on to upgrade rail, ties, bridges, crossing, lineside signaling, and ballast.

The keynote brought to a conclusion the day's events. The New England Railroad would like to thank our membership and all the other attendees for participating in the show and helping to make it one of the most anticipated events in New England railroading calendar. We hope to see you all again at the next Expo!