Railway Age Names Norfolk Southern Vice Chairman and COO Stephen Tobias 2008 Railroader of the Year

Railway Age has named Stephen C. Tobias, Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of Norfolk Southern Corp., the magazine’s 2008 Railroader of the Year.

“Norfolk Southern is arguably the best-run Class I railroad in North America, largely due to the leadership of Steve Tobias,” said Railway Age Editor William C. Vantuono. “Operationally, these are challenging times for the railroad industry, with record traffic volumes and tight capacity. Norfolk Southern has consistently set benchmarks in operational excellence and safety. Tobias and his operating department have, year after year, proven that NS deserves to call itself ‘The Thoroughbred of Transportation.’”

“Our employees, customers, suppliers and communities all can be proud of this recognition,” Tobias said. “Their effort and support are what make the Thoroughbred go.”

Tobias is the 45th recipient of Railway Age’s Railroader of the Year Award, which was started by Modern Railroads magazine in 1964 as the “Man of the Year” award. Railway Age acquired Modern Railroads in 1991 and has presented the award annually since then. Tobias will receive the award, one of the most prestigious in the railroad industry, on March 18, 2008, at Chicago’s Union League Club. Tobias will be featured in the January 2008 isue of Railway Age.

Recipients under Modern Railroads:
1964: D. W. Brosnan, Southern Railway System
1965: Stuart T. Saunders, Pennsylvania Railroad Co.
1966: Stuart T. Saunders, Pennsylvania Railroad Co.
1967: Louis W. Menk, Northern Pacific Railway
1968: William B. Johnson, Illinois Central Railroad
1969: John W. Barriger, Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad
1970: John S. Reed, Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway
1971: Jervis Langdon, Jr., Penn Central Transportation Co.
1972: Charles Luna, United Transportation Union
1973: James B. Germany, Southern Pacific Transportation Co.
1974: L. Stanley Crane, Southern Railway System
1975: Frank E. Barnett, Union Pacific Railroad
1976: Dr. William J. Harris, Jr., Association of American Railroads
1977: Edward G. Jordan, Conrail
1978: Robert M. Brown, Union Pacific Railroad
1979: Theodore C. Lutz, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
1980: John G. German, Missouri Pacific Railroad Co.
1981: Lawrence Cena, Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway
1982: A. Paul Funkhouser, Family Lines Rail System
1983: L. Stanley Crane, Conrail
1984: Hays T. Watkins, CSX Corp.
1985: John L. Cann, Canadian National
1986: Raymond C. Burton, Jr., Trailer Train Co.
1987: Willis B. Kyle, Kyle Railways
1988: Darius W. Gaskins, Jr., Burlington Northern
1989: W. Graham Claytor, Jr., Amtrak
1990: Arnold B. McKinnon, Norfolk Southern
1991: Mike Walsh, Union Pacific Railroad

Recipients under Railway Age:
1992: William H. Dempsey, Association of American Railroads
1993: Raymond C. Burton, Jr., TTX Co.
1994: L. S. “Jake” Jacobson, Copper Basin Railway
1995: Edwin Moyers, Southern Pacific Transportation Co.
1996: Robert D. Krebs, AT&SF, and Gerald Grinstein, Burlington Northern
1997: Paul M. Tellier, Canadian National
1998: David R. Goode, Norfolk Southern
1999: Edward A. Burkhardt, Wisconsin Central Transportation Co.
2000: The Railroad Worker (award changed to “Railroader of the Century” for 2000)
2001: Michael R. Haverty, Kansas City Southern Railway
2002: E. Hunter Harrison, Canadian National/Illinois Central
2003: Richard K. Davidson, Union Pacific Railroad
2004: Robert J. Ritchie, Canadian Pacific Railway
2005: David R. Goode, Norfolk Southern
2006: Richard F. Timmons, American Short Line & Regional Railroad Association
2007: William E. Wimmer, Union Pacific Railroad
2008: Stephen C. Tobias, Norfolk Southern