By RSI President Thomas F. Jensen
Last month, I had the pleasure of attending the InnoTrans Conference in Berlin, Germany. The event, which took place September 22-25, is the biannual “Super Bowl” of railroad conferences.
As a newcomer, I was struck by the size, scale and scope of the event. In the Berlin Exhibition Grounds, there were 27 distinct exhibition halls, 150,000 attendees and a myriad of rolling stock exhibits. There was also an almost endless amount of programming and product demonstrations that attendees could experience surrounding the venue.
Representatives from all segments and sectors of the rail ecosystem gathered to connect, showcase new products and technologies, enhance commercial relationships and promote the health and vitality of all aspects of the railroad industry. Freight rail, transit operations, innovators and manufacturers of all types of rolling stock from all over the world convened at the conference. This provided me a first-hand view into industry trends and topical issues.
Attending for the first time, I found the conference invaluable – if not a bit overwhelming – as I continue to delve deeper into the value proposition of the Railway Supply Institute (RSI). The firsthand, in-person learning experience was beneficial in several areas – notably the emphasis on industry innovation as related to efficiency, reliability and safety for rail networks.
While in Berlin, I had the chance to meet with leading RSI companies such as Siemens, Hitachi Rail, Wabtec and NSH-USA Corporation, among others. I was also able to meet with industry allies, government officials and other related stakeholders.
Although this event occurred very early in my tenure at RSI, the experience solidified my strong belief in RSI’s mission.
In short, RSI can, and will, do a better job telling the story of rail suppliers and how vital our role is to American economic prosperity, security and quality of life.
It will be interesting to see, objectively, how RSI fares on this journey – after all, InnoTrans Asia will be debuting in September 2027. As we expand our global connections in the freight and transit rail industry, RSI is positioned to expand our audience as we advocate for the role of railway suppliers in the future of mobility.
We are ready to show what all railway suppliers know well: rail starts here. Onward!