The 22nd Annual Southwestern Rail Conference
The 22nd Annual Southwestern Rail Conference will be held May 18-19, 2026 at the Hurst Conference Center, Hurst, Texas in the heart of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
It’s the premier all-rail conference highlighting important freight and passenger rail projects and developments held yearly in Texas.
This rail conference draws attendees who are interested in: Transportation planning, government affairs, rail coalitions, policy advisor, economic development, signaling and communications, passenger rail, transit, research and emerging technology, state affairs and funding, marketing, management and finance, freight logistics, infrastructure, intercity rail, management consulting, supply chain management, business services, railway supplier and manufacturer, energy and the environment, rail safety, rail industry careers.
Held in conjunction with the Texas Short Line and Regional Railroad Association Annual Meeting on May 18, 2026.
EVENT SCHEDULE:
Monday, May 18, 2026:
12:00 PM – Registration Opens
2:00 PM – Opening Remarks, Peter J LeCody, President of Texas Rail Advocates
2:15 PM – Surface Transportation Board – Karen Hedlund, Surface Transportation Board Member
3:15 PM – On The Border – Stan Meador, Texas Pacifico and Dr. Armando Ocaña, Rio Grande Valley Group
4:15 PM – Where is the freight rail industry heading? – Anthony ‘Tony’ Hatch, Independent Rail Analyst
5:15 PM – Networking Happy Hour
7:00 PM – Dinner – David A. Fink, Administrator – Federal Railroad Administration
Tuesday, May 19, 2026:
7:00 AM – Registration Opens
8:20 AM – Opening Remarks
8:30 AM – Service Design: The right trains at the right time to the right places – Kal Silverberg, Consultant
9:00 AM – Texas Department of Transportation Rail Division – Don Franks, Director
10:00 AM – Two Texas Rail Grant Programs Established by the 2025 Legislature – Senate Bill 1555 and Senate Bill 2366
11:00 AM – Passenger Rail Success Story on the Gulf Coast – Mardi Gras Service – Stephen McNair, City of Mobile and Nikki Moon, Coastal Mississippi Board of Commissioners
12:00 PM – Our Traditional South of the Border Lunch – Lorena Campos, Austin Legislative Roundup
1:30 PM – TxDOT’s Statewide Multimodal Transit Plan – Eric L. Gleason, Texas Department of Transportation Public Transportation Director
2:30 PM – New, Planned and Future Urban and Intercity Rail Projects in Texas – Trey Walker, Dallas Area Rapid Transit, Austin Transit Partnership, Austin to San Antonio studies
3:30 PM – Effective Rail Advocacy Strategies – Lonny Stern, Movability and Katy Adkiss, Texas Streets Coalition
4:20 PM – Closing remarks and our Famous $100 Bill Drawing
