Resources
RailNation: Meridian 2023 - Fall Advocacy Symposium | October 6-8, 2023
- RailNation: Meridian 2023 - Fall Advocacy Symposium | October 6-8, 2023
- RailNation:DC 2023 - Spring Advocacy Summit & Day On The Hill | March 26-29, 2023
- RailNation:KC 2022 - Fall Advocacy Symposium | October 21-23, 2022
- RailNation:DC 2022 - Spring Advocacy Summit & Day On The Hill | March 27-30, 2022
- RailNation:DC - Virtual Fall Advocacy Conference | September 19 - 22, 2021
- Spring Advocacy Summit + Day on the Hill | April 18 - 20, 2021
WORK IN PROGRESS
Staff is working with our volunteer team to edit the videos from #RailNation Meridian. Please be patient while we get everything together for public view.
Welcome - Jim Mathews, Rail Passengers President + CEO & Meredith Richards, Rail Passengers Chairwoman
Keynote Address - Amit Bose, FRA Administrator
Mayors' Panel - Mayor Carolyn McAdams (Greenwood, MS), Mayor Friday Ellis (Monroe, LA), & Mayor Dan Gibson (Natchez, MS)
Onboard Service Improvements: Best Practices for Enhancing the Passenger Experience - M. Ned Butler, Rail Passengers Communications Manager
Presentation Slides (PDF)
Luncheon Speaker - Peter LeCody, Texas Rail Advocates President & Former Rail Passengers Chairman
Southern Rail Commission Presentation - Knox Ross, SRC Chairman
New Developments at Amtrak - Larry Chestler, Amtrak Vice President, Long Distance Service Line & Anna Lynn Smith, Amtrak Vice President, Strategy & Planning
Presentation Slides (PDF)
Finalizing Rail Passengers Association’s Route Recommendations for the FRA’s “Daily Long-Distance Service Study” -Sean Jeans-Gail, Rail Passengers VP of Government Affairs + Policy & Frank Loetterle - FRA Intercity Passenger Rail Planner
Closing “Fireside Chat" - Jim Mathews, Rail Passengers President + CEO & John Robert Smith, Former Mayor of Meridian & current Transportation for America Chairman
"It is an honor to be recognized by the Rail Passengers Association for my efforts to strengthen and expand America’s passenger rail. Golden spikes were once used by railroads to mark the completion of important rail projects, so I am truly grateful to receive the Golden Spike Award as a way to mark the end of a career that I’ve spent fighting to invest in our country’s rail system. As Chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, it has been my priority to bolster funding for Amtrak, increase and expand routes, look to the future by supporting high-speed projects, and improve safety, culminating in $66 billion in new funding in the Bipartisan infrastructure Law."
Representative Peter DeFazio (OR-04)
March 30, 2022, on receiving the Association's Golden Spike Award for his years of dedication and commitment to passenger rail.