KCS: Jeff Songer, John Orr in New Strategic Roles
Jeff Songer (left) and John Orr
Kansas City Southern (KCS), now in the midst of a merger with Canadian Pacific, has bolstered its executive leadership team with two strategic appointments: Jeffrey M. Songer in the new role of Executive Vice President-Strategic Merger Planning, and John F. Orr as Executive Vice President-Operations.
Songer, formerly Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer and a 16-year KCS veteran, will now be primarily focused on managing the
Canadian Pacific (CP)-KCS merger application process, which includes developing a joint network-wide operating plan; safety integration plan; environmental impact statement and environmental assessment; and labor impact plan, among other duties.
February 12, 2021
KCS COO to Headline AAR Virtual Research Review Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
The 26th annual event will feature projects driving innovation and the implementation of advanced technology to improve North American railroad operations.
Jeff Songer, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Kansas City Southern
Among the session topics to be addressed are: railroad applications of predictive analytics, automated condition assessment, substructure systems, track stability, high-performance wheel research, rail grinding, technology-driven train inspection, and draft and coupling systems.
Registered participants will also have access to recorded Research Review sessions following the event.
Kansas City Southern eyes lower operating ratio
Third phase to focus on increasing network velocity, reducing train starts and lengthening trains 421 4 minutes read Kansas City Southern eyes a mid-50s OR in 2022. (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)
Kansas City Southern (NYSE: KSU) expects to execute the third phase of its version of precision scheduled railroading (PSR) this year in a bid to lower the company’s operating ratio (OR) to the mid-50s by 2022.
PSR is an operational tool that almost all of the Class I railroads deployed to streamline operations. Kansas City Southern (KCS) adopted PSR in 2019. Investors use OR to gauge the financial health of a company, with a lower OR implying improved health. OR is a company’s operating expenses as a percentage of its revenue.