On March 1, the Belt welcomed President Jerry Peck.

After 12 years of retirement, his passion for railroading has not wavered.

Peck’s career began 52 years ago as a trainman for the Illinois Central Railroad, a job that saw him operate Amtrak, Metra and freight trains and work in yards.

“I’ve been in the industry for a long time, and I appreciate all the opportunities it’s provided,” he said.

Peck started as a supervisor of locomotive engineers for Illinois Central in 1991, a role he took to immediately given his strong relationship with those he was overseeing. His most recent role was at Canadian Pacific in Bensenville as a general manager.

Peck said the Belt is crucial to American railroading and that he will take an ownership attitude in leading it. He expresses confidence in the team and the organization’s future.

“The people are fantastic,” he said. “They do the right thing.”

Peck said that mentoring will be a vital part of his work and that he looks to reinforce the existing safety culture, which he categorized as strong and essential to the Belt’s mission.

Meeting

Peck met with several employees representing the vast majority of labor unions on March 17.

He appreciated the opportunity to introduce himself during lunch.

“They genuinely care about the people they represent, and they are interested in the direction the railroad is going,” Peck said. “I let them know I am available and will listen to their concerns.”