KTA Solutions Hub
Comprehensive catalog of every association, conference, government agency, railroad employer, and industry group where railroad OEM physicians participate — compiled from public records, organizational websites, and industry sources.
55+
Organizations Cataloged
11
Conferences & Events
9
Federal Agencies
20+
Commuter Railroads
Executive Summary
The railroad medical ecosystem spans a surprisingly broad network of organizations — from a sole global body dedicated to railway medicine (UIMC, est. 1948) to the Transportation Section of ACOEM, from nine federal agencies with direct railroad medical oversight to 20+ commuter railroads each retaining their own occupational health physicians.
Strategic insight: The UIMC World Scientific Congress and ACOEM's AOHC are the two most important conferences for railroad OEM networking. The FRA RSAC medical working group is where policy gets shaped. Any physician or firm serious about railroad medicine must be engaged with these three venues.
| Organization | Type | Railroad OEM Connection |
|---|---|---|
| ACOEM American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine | Professional Society | Primary US OEM professional society (~5,000 members). Transportation Section covers railroad medicine. Laura Gillis (UP CMO) is 2025 President. Section leaders: Na Chang (Chair), Ann Teng (Vice Chair), Sonya Meyers (Sec/Treas). Annual sessions at AOHC address FRA standards, fitness-for-duty, and railroad OSA screening. acoem.org |
| UIMC International Union of Railway Medical Services | International Body (under UIC) | Founded 1948. The sole global organization dedicated to railway medicine. Annual World Scientific Congress for CMOs from 30+ countries. President: Dr. Armand Casolin. Secretary General: Dr. Stuart Turnbull. US representative: Dr. Timothy McCormick (TOMC). uic.org |
| AADEP American Academy of Disability Evaluating Physicians | Professional Society | OEM physicians performing railroad disability evaluations are members. Dr. Kevin Trangle is a Master Fellow. Annual conference covers IME methodology, impairment rating, and disability evaluation techniques used in FELA cases. |
| ABPM American Board of Preventive Medicine | Certifying Body | Issues OEM board certification. Physician Lookup tool verifies OEM certification. All Class I railroad CMOs hold ABPM OEM certification. |
| IAIME International Academy of Independent Medical Evaluators | Professional Society | IME physicians performing railroad FELA evaluations are members/fellows. Garson Caruso is a Fellow. |
| ICOH International Commission on Occupational Health | International Body (NGO) | Founded 1906. ~2,000 members in 100+ countries. Recognized by UN/ILO/WHO. Triennial International Congress. Working groups on transportation worker health intersect with railway medicine. icohweb.org |
| MROCC Medical Review Officer Certification Council | Certifying Body | New — Round 2 Certifies MROs who review railroad employee drug/alcohol test results under 49 CFR Part 219. Dr. Swotinsky authored their official manual (6th ed. 2021). mrocc.org |
| Railroad | HQ | Employees | Known CMO / Medical Leadership |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union Pacific (UP) | Omaha, NE | ~30,000 | Dr. Laura Gillis, CMO |
| BNSF Railway | Fort Worth, TX | ~40,000 | Dr. Theodore Aquino, CMO |
| Norfolk Southern (NS) | Atlanta, GA | ~20,000 | Dr. Natalie Hartenbaum, CMO |
| CSX Transportation | Jacksonville, FL | ~24,000 | Dr. Craig Heligman (former Assoc. CMO) |
| Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) | Calgary, AB | ~20,000 | Not publicly identified |
| Canadian National (CN) | Montreal, QC | ~23,000 | Sr. Mgr., Occ. Health (name not public) |
| Railroad | Coverage | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Amtrak (NRPC) | National | ~20,000 employees. Class I railroad by revenue. Subject to FRA 240/242 standards. |
| Brightline / Virgin Trains USA | Florida, Nevada | Private intercity passenger railroad. Growing employee base. |
Each commuter railroad retains or contracts occupational health physicians for FRA fitness-for-duty compliance.
Metro-North Railroad
NY / CT · MTA
Long Island Rail Road
NY · MTA
NJ Transit Rail
NJ / NY · NJ Transit
Metra
Chicago, IL · RTA
SEPTA Regional Rail
Philadelphia, PA · SEPTA
MBTA Commuter Rail
Boston, MA · Keolis
Caltrain
San Francisco, CA · PCJPB
Metrolink
Southern CA · SCRRA
MARC Train
MD / DC · MTA Maryland
Virginia Railway Express
VA / DC · PRTC/NVTC
Trinity Railway Express
Dallas-FW, TX · DART
Tri-Rail
South FL · SFRTA
SunRail
Central FL · FDOT
Sounder
Seattle, WA · Sound Transit
Northstar Line
Minneapolis, MN · Metro Transit
Shore Line East
CT · CTDOT
South Shore Line
IN / Chicago · NICTD
FrontRunner
UT · UTA
A-Train
Denton, TX · DCTA
Music City Star
Nashville, TN · RTA of Middle TN
Represented by the ASLRRA (aslrra.org). These railroads typically contract with Concentra, WorkCare, TOMC, or local OEM practices rather than employing in-house physicians.
Dr. Timothy McCormick
Railroad-specific OEM: FRA 240/242 designated medical examiner, hearing conservation (49 CFR 227), virtual medical department. Veteran-owned.
Dr. Natalie Hartenbaum
DOT/FRA medical standards consulting, fitness-for-duty evaluations, MRO services. Also NS CMO.
Dr. David Fletcher
Transportation fitness-for-duty, DOT exams (20,000+), expert witness services.
Dr. Kevin Trangle
Railroad FELA IMEs, expert witness testimony, life care plans, vocational assessments. 3,000+ client law firms.
Dr. Robert Swotinsky
DOT medical exams, drug/alcohol testing, fitness-for-duty. MRO certification leader.
Various
Occupational medicine, DOT physicals, drug testing, injury care. Locations near rail yards nationwide.
Various
Physician-led 24/7 injury care, occupational health screening, DOT program compliance. 40+ years.
Dr. Brian Morris
Corporate medical director services. Railroad expert witness experience.
Dr. Kenneth Spaeth
Railroad worker IMEs, fitness-for-duty, return-to-work. Diesel exhaust cancer research.
AOHC (American Occupational Health Conference)
Apr 17-22, 2026 — Chicago, IL
ACOEM's premier meeting. 1,200+ professionals. Transportation Section sessions: FRA standards, railroad OSA screening, fitness-for-duty. Pre-conference MRO training.
UIMC World Scientific Congress
Sep 30 - Oct 2, 2026 — Lisbon, Portugal
The only conference exclusively devoted to railway medicine worldwide. CMOs from 30+ countries. Budapest 2024, Dublin 2025, Lisbon 2026.
IRSC (International Railway Safety Council)
Nov 25-30, 2025 — Hong Kong
Premier global rail safety forum. 77 speakers from 20+ countries (2024). Safety culture, technology, human factors.
FRA RSAC Meetings
Ongoing — Washington, DC
Rail Safety Advisory Committee. 25 members. Medical standards working group (Task 06-03) addresses fitness-for-duty.
TRB Annual Meeting
Jan 11-15, 2026 — Washington, DC
Transportation Research Board, National Academies. Rail safety sessions. 13,000+ attendees across all modes.
ARISO Rail Safety Conference
May 19-20, 2026 — Melbourne, Australia
"The New Standards Era." Safety professionals, operators, medical personnel.
ASLRRA Annual Conference
Apr 12-14, 2026 — Minneapolis, MN
Short line and regional railroad industry. Safety & Operations track. 600+ member railroads.
ACOEM Virtual Fall Summit
November 2026 (TBD)
Virtual CME. Dr. Hartenbaum presented on commercial driver medical certification (2025). Transportation/railroad topics.
AADEP Annual Conference
TBD
Disability evaluation methodology, impairment rating, AMA Guides — directly relevant to railroad FELA disability evaluations.
NTSB Public Hearings (Railroad)
Varies
Public hearings on major railroad accidents include medical/human factors testimony. Past hearings addressed engineer OSA.
ICOH International Congress
2027 (TBD)
World's largest occupational health congress. ~3,000 participants. Working groups on transportation worker health. Last: Marrakech 2024.
| Agency | Parent | Railroad OEM Connection |
|---|---|---|
| FRA | U.S. DOT | Sets/enforces medical standards for railroad workers (49 CFR Parts 240, 242). Regulates vision/hearing for engineers and conductors. RSAC medical working groups. railroads.dot.gov |
| Railroad Retirement Board | Independent | CMO: Michael Bonson. Occupational disability determinations under Railroad Retirement Act (20 CFR Part 220). Can order IMEs at agency expense. |
| NTSB | Independent | Investigates human factors in railroad accidents. Employs CMO. Medical Factual Reports analyze crew health (OSA, medications, incapacitation). |
| NIOSH / CDC | HHS | Health hazard evaluations at railroad facilities. Funded landmark railroad worker mortality studies. Diesel exhaust, dust, vibration research. |
| OSHA | U.S. DOL | Limited direct railroad jurisdiction (FRA preempts). BMWED files safety testimony with OSHA re: MOW worker hazards. |
| FMCSA | U.S. DOT | Medical Review Board includes railroad-relevant physicians (Dr. Brian Morris, 3 terms). NRCME program overlaps with railroad fitness-for-duty. |
| FAA | U.S. DOT | Overlapping fitness-for-duty frameworks. Senior AMEs (Drs. Fletcher, Bourgeois) also serve railroad clients. |
| DOT Drug & Alcohol Policy | U.S. DOT | Oversees 49 CFR Part 219 (railroad drug/alcohol testing). Certified MROs review railroad employee test results. |
| VA (Veterans Affairs) | U.S. VA | VA healthcare treats railroad worker veterans. Dr. Eric Garshick (VA Boston) led landmark diesel exhaust research. |
Transport Canada — Rail Safety
Administers Canadian Railway Medical Rules Handbook. Medical assessments every 5 years (age <40) or 3 years (40+).
Railway Association of Canada (RAC)
Publishes Canadian Railway Medical Rules Handbook. Industry body for CN, CPKC, and Canadian commuter railroads.
UK Office of Rail and Road (ORR)
Regulates railway safety including occupational health standards for rail workers.
EU Agency for Railways (ERA)
European Rail Safety Days. EU-wide railway safety standards including medical fitness requirements.
ONRSR
National Standard for Health Assessment of Rail Safety Workers (2024). OSA screening, fatigue management.
| Organization | Members | OEM Connection |
|---|---|---|
| BMWED Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes / Teamsters | ~40,000 | Dept. of Safety files testimony with FRA, OSHA, NTSB. MOW workers studied by Johanning and Landsbergis (vibration, MSDs, COPD). |
| BLET Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen | Engineers | Members subject to FRA 240 medical standards. Most-studied population for OSA, fatigue, and diesel exposure. |
| SMART-TD SMART Transportation Division | Conductors | Subject to FRA 242 medical standards. Secured first medical event exemptions from attendance policies (2022). |
| BRS / IAMAW Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen | Signal / machinists | Exposed to electrical, noise, and vibration hazards. Subject to drug/alcohol testing programs. |
| CRLO Cooperating Railway Labor Organizations | Coalition | Coordinates health and welfare plan administration across rail unions. |
AAR (Association of American Railroads)
Industry trade association (since 1934). Liaises with DOT/FRA on medical standards. Has funded railroad OEM research (Hegmann, Thiese, Weames).
ASLRRA
Represents 600+ short line and regional railroads. Safety & Operations track. Coalition Health Plan.
AARS (American Association of Railroad Superintendents)
Railroad management association. Annual meetings with medical topics.
RSI (Railway Supply Institute)
Manufacturers/suppliers affecting worker ergonomics and safety (locomotives, track equipment, cab design).
APTA (American Public Transportation Association)
Represents commuter railroads. Safety & Security sessions include worker health topics.
| Institution | Researcher(s) | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Harvard SPH / BWH / VA Boston | Garshick, Laden, Hart, Smith, Dockery, Speizer, Rosner | 55,407-worker railroad cohort: diesel exhaust, lung cancer, COPD (1988-2006). |
| Columbia University | Johanning | WBV, locomotive ergonomics, MOW worker health, HAV. 5+ railroad publications. |
| SUNY Downstate SPH | Landsbergis, Stillo, Jain, Davis | MSDs, powered hand tool vibration, work exposures in railroad MOW workers. |
| U. of Utah / RMCOEH | Hegmann, Thiese | Transportation worker MSDs. AAR-funded studies. |
| UC Davis | Schenker | Original 1988 railroad diesel exhaust/lung cancer study. |
| Case Western Reserve / UH | Trangle | Railroad FELA IMEs, OEM academic staff. |
| Northwell Health / SUNY | Spaeth | Railroad diesel exhaust cancer risk (2022). Expert testimony. |
| U. of Surrey / UK RSSB | Carnall, Mason, O'Sullivan, Patton | New — Round 2 UK rail industry PTSD, mental health cross-sectional study (2022). |
| NIOH Oslo, Norway | Lie, Skogstad | Railway worker hearing loss: 12,055-worker cross-sectional, 9,640-worker longitudinal. |
| U. of Bologna | Occ. Medicine Unit | Pleural and lung cancer mortality in railway maintenance workers (2025). |
Late 1800s – Early 1900s
First professional organization for railroad physicians. At its peak, railroad medical organizations employed ~10% of all US physicians and served ~2 million employees. Pioneered occupational, industrial, and emergency medicine.
1860s – 1947
Operated 3,700+ hospital beds serving ~500,000 workers. Became independent healthcare organizations in 1947. Helped create the nation's private health insurance system.