Join thought leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders from across the industry as the Commuter Rail Coalition convenes the 2025 Commuter Rail Summit.
The commuter rail industry will convene in Washington DC November 3 – 5, 2025 for round table discussions, fireside chats with industry leaders, technical tours and next-level networking to prepare for both the challenges and the unprecedented opportunities awaiting commuter railroads.
The CRC Summit is the opportunity to connect with industry peers in an intimate setting, to explore new ideas, and collaborate over today’s most pressing commuter rail issues.
Summit Sponsors:
WHAT TO EXPECT
Convene for two+ days of robust content, peer-to-peer discussions and fireside chats, plus technical tours offered by MARC and VRE.
Connect with agency leaders, colleagues, and policymakers. Each day offers multiple opportunities to build relationships across the industry, such as Monday’s Welcome Reception in the Gold Room on Capitol Hill, at Tuesday’s Cocktail Hour and Awards Dinner in the Library of Congress’ Great Hall, and as we travel VRE and MARC service on technical tours.
Collaborate throughout the week: discuss best practices, learn with and from others in the industry, share your own solutions to help solve industry challenges, and to embrace opportunities on the horizon.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
Agency CEOs, Deputies, CXOs
Operations, Safety, Marketing and Public/Government Affairs team members
OEMs, suppliers, consultants, contractors and other commuter rail allies.
WHERE WE’LL MEET IN WASHINGTON, DC
Yotel, a Modern Concept Hotel on Capitol Hill | 415 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC
The Gold Room | 2168 Rayburn House Office Building
The Great Hall | Library of Congress
SUMMIT SESSIONS IN DEVELOPMENT
Best Practices: Managing Project Costs and Risks in the Face of Inflation and Tariffs
Creative Resourcing: TOD And Beyond
Telling the Commuter Rail Story Through Data
Making Sense of AI
Ask Me Anything session with Veteran CEOs
Moving the Needle on Grade Crossing Incidents
The Path to Reauthorization: Driving Outcomes for Commuter Rail
Navigating The Next Wrung on the Ladder to Leadership (Or, What I wish I knew before I took this job)
Best Practices for Effective Hill Meetings
PLUS: Conversations with Members of Congress and USDOT appointees.
AND FOR MID-CAREER PROFESSIONALS, the 2025 Summit will offer intentional mentorship connections, conversations on executive presence, and resume assessments from leading recruiters in the industry.
REGISTRATION IS OPEN FOR CRC MEMBERS
Registration fees for the 2025 Commuter Rail Summit are inclusive of:
Monday night’s Welcome Reception in the Gold Room on Capitol Hill (sponsored by DB E.C.O. North America)
Tuesday evening’s Cocktail Hour and Champion of Commuter Rail Awards Dinner in the Great Hall of the Library of Congress (Cocktails sponsored by Tracsis)
Breakfast, lunch and breaks Tuesday and Wednesday
Technical Tours with VRE and MARC
Registration will be limited to 225 guests. All registrations must be completed in advance: due to capacity constraints there will be no on-site registrations for this event.
CRC Members: $795 before August 15/$925 after
Non-Members: $1,200, as capacity allows starting September 5.
A la Carte Pricing: Even If you are not attending the full conference, you may join us for the evening events by purchasing individual tickets:
Monday’s Welcome Reception: $75 Members/$85 Non-Members
Tuesday Evening’s Cocktail Hour & Awards Dinner $275/$325
(Both of these events are included in full registration rate; no need to “double book.”)
Change of plans?
Transfer your registration to a colleague at no cost through October 24. A $50 administrative fee applies for cancellations received by October 10; 50% thereafter.
REACH OUT HERE TO SUPPORT THE 2025 SUMMIT BY SPONSORING THE EVENT
BOOK YOUR STAY AT THE YOTEL
The Summit headquarters hotel is the Yotel on Capitol Hill (formerly The Liaison), a modern-concept property with rates we have negotiated to $299/night.
The hotel is within easy walking distance of off-site events at Union Station, the Library of Congress, and Rayburn Building.
Select your preferred arrival/departure dates
Select Room Type and click Book Now
Note: Calculated total will automatically include all relevant taxes.
Or, call Central Reservations - 1-833-319-1883
(For phone bookings, please reference Commuter Rail Coalition for this preferred pricing.)
PROGRAM DETAILS
-
DAY ONE: MARC Technical Tour, CRC Board Meeting & Welcome Reception on Capitol Hill
DAY TWO: Program Sessions & Fireside Chats, Cocktail Reception & Champions of Commuter Rail Awards Dinner at Library of Congress
DAY THREE: Keynote address, VRE Technical Tour and/or Hill Visits
-
CRC Golf Outing to support student fellowships at the 2025 Summit
Blue Marsh Golf Course in Laytonsville, MD
11:30 AM (depart hotel at 10 AM)
24 players, maximum
$285, includes green fees, carts, range balls, post-golf social and prizes, and support for student registrations.
Blue Marsh has limited clubs available to rent at $70. Rental requires advance arrangements made directly with the course: 301-670-1966.
-
THIS TOUR IS AT CAPACITY. TO WAITLIST, EMAIL CDodd@mdot.maryland.gov
7:15 AM - 12:10 PM
Optional Tour – MARC Train Camden Line and Riverside Maintenance FacilityMARC Train is glad to welcome CRC Summit attendees to join us for a technical tour of the MARC Camden Line and our Riverside Maintenance Facility in Baltimore.
The Camden Line, which is part of CSX Transportation’s Capital and Baltimore Terminal Subdivisions, is one of the oldest continually operated rail lines in the United States, segments of which date back to the very first Baltimore & Ohio Railroad train between Mt. Claire Station and Ellicott City in 1830. During the ride, MARC Train staff will provide commentary about the history of the rail line and point out scenic and historic highlights along the way. MARC and CSX management will also discuss infrastructure projects completed over the past ten years under the MARC-CSX Joint Benefit Projects program. MARC and CSX each contribute annually to this fund, which is used to design and execute projects that increase the reliability of both MARC and CSX operations.
Upon arrival at Baltimore Camden Station, tour participants will remain on the train for the 2 mile trip to Riverside Yard. This is MARC Train’s primary heavy maintenance facility and is located on the site of the former B&O and CSX Riverside Yard. Most of the current facility was built in the early 1980’s to replace structures removed to build I-95 and the Fort McHenry Tunnel. MARC purchased the property from CSX and in 2023 completed construction of the Riverside Heavy Maintenance Building.
The Riverside Heavy Maintenance Building is our state-of-the art heavy works shop. It is a 30,000 square foot building that features a 30 ton overhead crane, 10 ton auxiliary hoist, 100 ton drop table and a wheel true machine. Prior to completion of this facility, all of the functions were contracted out to Amtrak or other third parties, which significantly increased locomotive and railcar out of service time and expenses. If we needed to change out a traction motor or large engine room component, we had to rent multiple industrial cranes – often in adverse weather conditions – at significant expense.
The MARC Operations and Communications Center (MOCC) is the clearinghouse for all day-to-day operational issues. While MARC Train does not dispatch any trains (all trains are dispatched by our host railroads, Amtrak and CSX Transportation), the MOCC monitors all service on the railroads’ CAD systems and our own GPS and remote diagnostics systems. MOCC staff send service alerts to customers, make announcements at stations, coordinate service disruptions, update PTC back office servers, and much more. The current MOCC, built in 2023, is a modern communications facility specifically designed for railroad operations needs in the PTC era.
Our trip will conclude with a brief visit to nearby Fort McHenry, which was the inspiration for Francis Scott Key to pen the United States National Anthem. After another brief bus ride, we will arrive at Camden Yards MARC Station to board our charter Camden Line train for a non-stop run back to Washington Union Station and the remainder of the day’s CRC activities.
Please note that this tour will involve walking through an active rail yard and maintenance facility. Personal protective equipment (PPE) will be required: hard hat, safety vest, safety glasses and closed-toe, sturdy shoes. safety shoes with a defined heel. MARC Train has PPE available for attendees, please indicate on your reservation if you will need PPE. However, we cannot provide shoes. Photography is welcome during the tour, except in the MOCC or when tour members are actively walking through the railyard across active tracks.
Trip schedule:
7:15am – Tour participants gather at Gate B – MARC Information Kiosk at Washington Union Station
7:40am – MARC Camden Line Train 844 departs Union Station. Please note that this is a regularly-scheduled Camden Line train and it cannot be held for late arrivals.
9:10am – Train 842 arrives at MARC’s Riverside Yard, tour participants detrain and report to their first tour stop:
· MARC Operations and Communications Center
· Riverside Heavy Maintenance Building
· MARC conference room (more detail about Heavy Maintenance Building planning and construction)
9:20am – Rotations begin
10:20am – Rotations end, tour participants board buses
10:40am – Buses arrive at Fort McHenry for a brief visit/photography opportunity
11:00am – Buses departs for Camden Station
11:10am – Buses arrives at Camden Station. While en route to the train, participants may briefly visit the new (2019) Baltimore Camden Station.
11:20am – Special MARC Camden Line charter train departs Camden Yards non-stop to Union Station.
12:10pm – Train arrives at Union Station; tour participants return to hotel for 1:00pm CRC Board Meeting.
1:00 – 4:00 PM
CRC Board Meeting with Lunch. Pre-registration required. (Open to CRC members in good standing only)5:00 – 7:00 PM
Capitol Hill Welcome Reception
Gold Room/2168 Rayburn House Office Building
Sponsored by DB E.C.O. North America -
AM
Breakfast/Opening General SessionNOON
Luncheon ProgramPM
Sessions continue6:30 – 7:30 PM
Cocktail Reception sponsored by Tracsis | Great Hall of the Library of Congress7:30 – 9:30 PM
Champions of Commuter Rail Awards Dinner | Mezzanine Level, Great Hall of the Library of Congress -
AM
Breakfast & final program sessionsOptional Capitol Hill Meetings
Optional Tour – VRE Tour of Lifecycle Overhaul and Upgrade (LOU) Facility (Capped at 100; advance registration required)
Depart from Union Station at 1pm on the Fredericksburg line to tour VRE’s Lifecycle Overhaul and Upgrade (LOU) facility. Onboard, VRE leadership will discuss the capital projects viewed on the journey.
Designed to optimize processes and reduce downtime, the LOU allows VRE to perform expanded maintenance and overhaul of its railcars and locomotives. Features include: 33,500 sf building capable of holding four railcars or locomotives at a time; drop table; wheel truing machine; overhead bridge crane; and space for technology upgrades. Opened in 2023, the LOU promises increased operational efficiencies and cost savings for VRE.
Buses return to DC by 6pm.
-
PARTICIPANT CODE OF CONDUCT
The Commuter Rail Coalition is committed to fostering a positive, inclusive experience for all who engage in Coalition activities, which includes a commitment to provide a safe, productive and welcoming environment during CRC events. To that end, CRC has implemented the following policies to guide its own operations and to set expectations for individual conduct in the community.
The CRC Summit and all CRC activities are dedicated to providing a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of age, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, nationality, race, or religion. We expect our attendees and speakers to contribute to a professional and respectful atmosphere. All attendees, speakers, exhibitors, organizers, and volunteers are expected to comply with the Code of Conduct at all CRC-related activities. Organizers and volunteers will enforce this code to ensure a safe, inclusive, and welcoming environment for everyone.
Unacceptable Behavior
Harassment, intimidation, or discrimination in any form.
Physical or verbal abuse of any attendee, speaker, volunteer, exhibitor, CRC staff member, service provider, or other meeting guest.
Examples of unacceptable behavior include, but are not limited to, verbal comments related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, national origin, inappropriate use of nudity and/or sexual images in public spaces or in presentations, or threatening or stalking any attendee, speaker, volunteer, exhibitor, CRC staff member, service provider, or other meeting guest.
Engaging in innuendo disparaging of an individual’s character.
Disruption of presentations at sessions, in the exhibit hall, or at other events organized by CRC at the meeting venue, hotels, or other CRC-contracted facilities.
Disruption of presentations, online or in-person at sessions, or at other events organized by CRC online or at the meeting venue, hotels, or other CRC-contracted facilities. All participants must comply with the instructions of the moderator and any CRC event staff. Disruptive behavior includes conduct, whether verbal or non-verbal, that is intended to promote the agenda of an attendee or an attendee’s organization by presenting issues that are outside the scope of the presentation or that are not relevant to the presentation or discussion. Participants who wish to engage in dialog with presenters about such issues are encouraged to do so outside of the presentation, discussion, or other event that is part of the CRC event and in a manner that does not interfere with other attendees’ ability to participate in, and engage fully in, that event or discussion.
Participants shall not knowingly and/or falsely discredit or malign the reputation of another participant, or defame, malign, or make false accusations concerning another participant, host, presenter, or discussion leader.
The recording or transmission of any education sessions, presentations, demos, videos, or content in any format is strictly prohibited.
Presentations, postings, and messages should not contain promotional materials, special offers, job offers, product announcements, or solicitations for services. CRC reserves the right to remove such messages and potentially ban sources of those solicitations.
Any direct selling of products/services offered by speakers, industry partners, or consultants in any public area of the virtual platform or in-person is prohibited. Many of the engagement conversations are based around knowledge and expertise and are not categorized as a direct sales pitch. Selling must be conducted during mutually agreed-upon private video, audio, or text conversations.
Participants should not copy or take screenshots of Q&A or any chat room activity that takes place in the virtual space.
CRC has zero tolerance for any form of discrimination or harassment, including but not limited to sexual harassment by participants or our staff at our meetings. If you experience harassment or hear of any incidents of unacceptable behavior, CRC asks that you inform its counsel, Chuck Spitulnik, cspitulnik@kaplankirsch.com(202-955-5600) so that we can take the appropriate action.
CRC reserves the right to take any action deemed necessary and appropriate, including immediate removal from the meeting without warning or refund, in response to any incident of unacceptable behavior, and CRC reserves the right to prohibit attendance at any future meeting. By attending the CRC event, the attendees specifically acknowledge that they will abide by this Code of Conduct and will comply with requests by CRC staff or counsel to cease the behavior that, in the opinion of CRC staff or counsel, constitutes a violation of this Code of Conduct or will comply with a request by CRC staff or counsel to leave the premises.