Thomas White 

VTD Rail Consulting 

6707 230^th St SW 

Mountlake Terrace WA 98043 

425-345-6337 

taw@vtd.net 

Summary of Experience 

Thomas White has over 57 years of experience in railroad operations, including 28 years in operations management and traffic control and 29 years in infrastructure design, service and operations planning, and capacity analysis. He has developed and made extensive use of software tools for rial operations planning and analysis. He has written three textbooks on railroad operation, is the co-author of two others, has written a book on rail transportation policy and is co-author of another.He has lived in the Seattle area for 43 years and in western Washington outside of the Seattle area for an additional four years. Significant projects include: 

2014 - to Current: VTD Rail Consulting 

• Develop conceptual plan for a new through route rail line for grain haul utilizing existing, new, and restored abandoned lines

- for Solutionary Rail (Current ongoing expected to be approximately three months)

Sole responsibility for developing a conceptual infrastructure and operating plan for grain shipment from southeast Washington shippers and western Washington export terminals by connections with any of BNSF, UP, or Columbia River barge. The proposed alternative includes existing routes owned by the state of Washington, restored abandoned routes, and new connecting lines.

Responsible for developing the conceptual infrastructure plan and cost, the conceptual operating plan, and meetings with and presentations for state and local lawmakers and public officials.

• Electrified rail service power consumption and regeneration capabilities 

- for Solutionary Rail (2022 - two months)

Sole responsibility using simulation software to establish the power consumption and regeneration capabilities of grain trains in southeast Washington, write and illustrate a report. 

• Rail alternative to barges and trucks for eastern Washington grain 

- for Solutionary Rail (2022 – two months)

Sole responsibility using simulation software to establish the capacity of southeast Washington short line railroads and develop an operating plan.

• Railroad operations and safety advisor 

- for All Aboard Washington 

• Railroad operations and safety advisor 

- for Washington State Senator Maralyn Chase and the Washington Legislative Railroad Caucus (2017 – ongoing)

Advise the Senator on issues of railroad capacity, reliability, and safety. Develop a conceptual plan for the use of the BNSF Stampede Pass line plus restored abandoned and new segments to provide comprehensive cross-Cascades freight and passenger service including the potential use of eastern Washington cities as inland ports for Seattle and Tacoma.

• Passenger equipment maintenance and assignment planning 

- Talgo USA, Seattle, WA (2022 - 10 months)

Develop an equipment plan and maintenance scheduling for Metrolink service in the Los Angeles area. Work with Talgo America CEO and management team to develop a proposal. The proposal was competitive, but Metrolink withdrew the solicitation.

• Integrated operating plan for passenger service between Vancouver, BC and Eugene, OR

- Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) (2015-2017)

Sole responsibility to develop a combined operating plan for Amtrak Cascades, Coast Starlight, and Sounder trains between Vancouver BC and Portland OR on the new infrastructure configuration resulting from the 2010 ARRA grant for service improvement. The work involved analyzing delays of the existing service, delay potential for the new service, and developing timetables that maximized reliability potential. Several iterations negotiation with BNSF executive, Sounder senior, and WSDOT project management were needed to establish agreement among all parties.

• Equipment requirements and operating cost 

- Northern Lights Express, Minnesota (2015 – 6 months)

 Sole responsibility to develop a conceptual operating and equipment plan and conceptual operating cost for Northern Lights express service.

• Evaluate tilting train capabilities and advantages 

- Talgo USA, Seattle, WA (2019 – 2 months)

 Sole responsibility to develop for Talgo America CEO, documentation explaining tilting train equipment and the advantages and make presentation to Washington State legislators.

• King Street Station operations/construction coordination 

- Amtrak, Seattle, WA (2008-2012)

Sole responsibility to develop set of incremental operating and construction plans for Amtrak Seattle maintenance facility to ensure uninterrupted reliable train service during construction. The position included weekly construction progress meetings and operating plan modification as necessary to ensure reliable operation regardless of construction delays.

• DC Streetcar vehicle traction power storage evaluation 

- Modeling of vehicle traction power requirements, regeneration, and performance (2015 – 2 months)

Sole responsibility to develop the traction power and energy storage requirements for non-continuous power source (battery, capacitor, flywheel and combinations) electric streetcars proposed for H-K Street NW, Washington DC. Provide data to mechanical and electrical specialists for further analysis and recommendations. Use Open Track railroad operations simulation software to develop speeds, energy requirements, and schedules.

• Strategic review of Integrated Communications Center 

- Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (2014-2015)

- Operating Rules and Procedures 

- Facility and Equipment 

Sole responsibility to perform inspection and observation of system operations and control center, analysis of safety and operating deficiencies, develop corrective action plan, and present to agency senior management.

• Review and revise infrastructure and operating plan 

- Sound Transit (Seattle, WA) (2012 – 6 months)

Sole responsibility to analyze proposed infrastructure, implementation, and operating plan for Sounder service for senior management. Make recommendations for changes to ensure reliability.

• Operations technical support for environmental research and documentation

- Port of Grays Harbor, WA, Port of Longview WA (2014 – 6 years)

Sole responsibility to develop input data for and use railroad operations simulation software to establish a base performance and expected results from unit train handling facilities (two oil, one coal). Analyze effects on unit trains on service to other freight customers, effects on roadway traffic, and provide base data for noise, vibration, and emissions analysis by others.

• Yard map for operations training and reference 

- Amtrak, Seattle, WA (2017 – Current as needed when infrastructure changes are made)

• Conceptual design for yard expansion 

- Amtrak, Seattle, WA (2007 – 8 months)

Sole responsibility to develop a conceptual yard and maintenance facility design for Amtrak Seattle. Ensure that all required functions can be performed on the available property, that work can be done timely to reliable service, and that the new facility can be constructed incrementally without interrupting reliable service. Negotiate with BNSF and Amtrak senior management for acceptance of the proposed changes.

2011 – 2014: Siyaya Training Learning and Development 

• Training program development 

- Transnet Freight Rail (South Africa) (2012-2013)

As part of a multinational team, review and analyze safety problems related to operating practices and training. Participate in developing a new training program for train and engine service and train dispatchers. Make weekly progress presentations to senior management.

• Operational evaluations and assessments 

- Transnet Freight Rail (South Africa) (2013-2014)

As part of a senior management team, evaluate operating practices based on observation and records. Analyze practices for deficiencies leading to poor reliability. Develop revised operating and network control practices to increase reliability of freight service. Present results to executives.

• Dispatching office consolidation planning 

- Transnet Freight Rail (South Africa) (2013-2014)

As part of a senior management team, analyze the potential effects of dispatching office consolidation and provide proposals on effective ways of achieving consolidation with minimal effect on employees, operation, and service.

1997 – 2011: Transit Safety Management — Senior Operations Specialist 

• New starts planning and implementation 

- Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor (Washington, Oregon, British Columbia) (1991-2010)

- Mexico City-Huehuetoca Commuter Railroad (Mexico) (1998-2000)

- Tacoma – Everett, WA Commuter Rail Service (Sounder) (1991-1994)

Sole responsibility to develop conceptual infrastructure and operating plans and cost for new passenger service. Analyze existing conditions. Use railroad simulation software and other methods to establish a performance baseline and to ensure the proposed passenger service would coexist with freight service. Conversations, presentations, and negotiation with UP and BN executives, steamship line management, elected officials, and agency managers, demonstrating the positive effect of the proposed services and the implementing infrastructure and operating plans. In Mexico, participate in negotiations with the Secretary of Transportation and Communications and interested Design, Build, Operate, Maintain contractors. Presentations and discussions with the World Bank on the effectiveness and cost of the proposed service.

• Infrastructure planning 

Development of infrastructure plans and capital improvement programs to increase capacity for:

- Port of Tacoma, WA 

- Port of Portland, OR 

- King Street Station, Seattle, WA 

- Seattle, WA Amtrak maintenance facility 

- Vancouver Passenger Terminal, British Columbia 

- Portland, OR – Vancouver, BC Intercity Passenger Service (Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor) - Washington County, OR commuter rail service 

• Operations / construction phasing and coordination 

- Seattle, WA Amtrak maintenance facility 

• Passenger train delay and punctuality analyses

- Washington State Department of Transportation, BNSF Railway, Amtrak (2005 6 months)

For each agency and railroad sole responsibility for response to a Congressional requirement, analyze the causes of reliability failures for Amtrak Cascades and Coast Starlight services in Washington. Use railroad operations simulation software and develop database programs and other software tools in addition to commercial software for data analysis. Combine data from freight delay reports as well as passenger train delay reports to determine root causes. This method provided the ability to look beyond the freight train interference cause to lack of infrastructure and operating practices such as maintenance personnel with track authority not being advised of important train movements. Often, the passenger train delay was secondary or tertiary and could have been prevented with a change in dispatching practices and requirements.

• Operations planning/feasibility analyses (various duration)

- Washington State DOT 

- Washington Transportation Commission 

- Sound Transit (Seattle, WA) 

- Metrorail, South Africa 

- Triangle Transit Authority (Raleigh-Durham NC) 

- MBTA Fitchburg Line extension, Wachusett, MA 

- I-91 Corridor passenger service improvement, MA and VT 

- Springfield-Greenfield MA new commuter service 

- King County (WA) BNSF Corridor Preservation Study 

- Southeast King County (WA) Commuter Rail Feasibility Study 

- Virginia Railway Express for Keolis (contract operator) 

- Maryland Transit Administration MARC commuter service for Keolis (contract operator) - CALTRAIN commuter service (San Francisco, CA) for Keolis (contract operator) - TriMet (Portland, OR) WES commuter rail service 

Sole responsibility for a variety of operations planning and feasibility analyses involving the use of railroad operations simulation software and other methods to establish baselines for analysis of the effects of proposed new service. For Washington State Transportation Commission, make a statewide rail capacity and infrastructure needs analysis to be used with a statewide economic development projection. Develop written reports and make presentations to public officials and senior management of agencies and railroads.

• Operational evaluations and assessments (various duration)

- Sound Transit (Seattle, WA) 

- Chicago Planning Study 

- Metrorail, Johannesburg, South Africa 

- Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor (OR, WA, BC) 

- Alaska Railroad, Anchorage, Alaska 

- Port of Seattle (WA) 

- Capitol Corridor (California) equipment management plan analysis 

- I 91 Knowledge Corridor (Massachusetts, Vermont) 

- MBTA Fitchburg – Gardner, Massachusetts commuter rail extension 

- Port of Oakland inland port (California) 

- Port of Vancouver, WA 

- BNSF Arizona and New Mexico passenger train speed and running time analysis - BNSF Pacific Northwest (Portland OR-Seattle, WA) delay analysis 

- BNSF Perris (California) proposed commuter service

Sole responsibility to use railroad operations simulation software, develop database and other software tools, and develop a railroad operation planning and analysis model. Establish baseline performance for existing service and perform analysis to project the effect proposed service changes. Write reports and presentation material and make presentations to a variety of senior managers and executives of agencies and corporations.

• Operating rules development and federal regulations compliance 

- Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District 

- Red Car Line (Long Beach, CA) 

• Emergency response planning and reference 

- Sound Transit 

• System security plan 

- Construction security plan for Sunrail (Orlando, FL) 

• TUNrail evaluation of US and Europe university rail programs

- Michigan Technological University / US and EU governments 

• Operations technical support for environmental research and documentation

- Vancouver Bypass project (WSDOT) 

- Kelso Martin Bluff project (WSDOT) 

- Point Defiance Bypass project (WSDOT) 

- West Vancouver Freight Access Project (Port of Vancouver) 

Sole responsibility to determine baseline and projected effects of rail development projects, using operation simulation and other software tools. Provide detailed data to noise, vibration, and emissions specialists for analysis.

Publications, Lectures & Training Programs 

Textbooks: 

- Elements of Train Dispatching, Vol. 1 

- Elements of Train Dispatching, Vol. 2 

- Managing Railroad Transportation 

- The Railroad, What it is, What it Does, 5^th Edition (Contributing Author) 

- Railway Signalling and Interlocking, International Compendium (Co-author) 

- Traffic (Co-author) 

- The Climate Emergency: Trains-An Effective Response

Publications 

- International Heavy Haulage Association 

- Transportation Research Board 

Lectures 

- University of Washington, Seattle, WA 

- Institute for Railway Systems Engineering, Braunschweig, Germany 

- University of Wisconsin School of Engineering, Madison, WI 

- Conference - Fundamentals of Managing Rail Operations, Benoni, ZA 

Guest Speaker 

- Friedrich List Faculty of Transportation and Traffic Sciences, Dresden Technical University, Dresden, Germany 

- ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Student Project and Thesis Advisor 

- Institute for Railway Systems Engineering, Braunschweig, Germany 

- Michigan Technical University 

- Instituto Superior Tecnico, Lisbon, Portugal 

- Yıldız Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey 

Organizations 

- Board member and charter member, International Association of Railway Operations Research (Netherlands and Germany) 

1976 – 1996: Burlington Northern / Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad 

• Sixteen years of hands-on railroad operations and transportation management experience as an Operator, Train Dispatcher and Asst. Chief Train Dispatcher. 

• Four years: 

- capacity planning and management, 

- service planning, 

- scheduling, 

- passenger startup programs, 

- IT systems development, 

- IT systems implementation, 

- training. 

Develop service and operations planning software. Develop databases and other software tools. Evaluate and recommend commercial simulation software for BN use. The recommended software was Dispatch Planning Model, the predecessor of Rail Traffic Controller, widely used in the US railroad industry. Lead a team developing a scheduled operation program for Burlington Northern, analyze capacity constraints, traffic, and service deficiencies. Recommend changes to correct the conditions and establish punctual and predictable service. Develop service plans that would maximize reliability and infrastructure utilization. Recommend infrastructure programs that would increase service reliability. Meetings and negotiations with senior management and executives to effect service changes that resulted in improved reliability and equipment utilization. Work with developers recommending effective tools for managing operation, equipment, and train and engine crews. Participate in the cutover from the Burlington Northern COMPASS IT system to the Santa Fe TSS IT system at several terminals throughout the system including training terminal personnel, supervising cutover and troubleshooting as needed.

1967 – 1975 

Served in various operations positions (Baltimore and Ohio Chicago Terminal, Southern Pacific, Alameda Belt Line, The Oakland Terminal Railroad, and Milwaukee Road): 

• Interlocking and Train Order Operator (Chicago IL and locations throughout Washington)

• Station and Yard Operations (Oakland and Alameda CA and several locations in Washington)

• Yard Crew Management (Seattle WA)

• Train Dispatcher (Chicago IL, Bakersfield CA, Havre MT, and Spokane, Seattle, and Tacoma WA)

• Asst. Chief Train Dispatcher (power and crew management, maintenance of way scheduling, line and terminal capacity management, scheduling and performance) (Chicago IL, Bakersfield CA, Seattle WA)