B&B and Communications Supervisor Jorge Guerrero recently completed a four-week course offered by Michigan State University, earning him a certificate in railroad management.

The course was taught by the school’s directors for its Center for Railway Research and Education Val Kucherenko and Nicholas Little. Guerrero was joined by 29 other students, all railroading professionals, some from commuter and short lines.

Along with a trip to MSU’s campus in Lansing, Michigan, the class members also visited four other locations, including:

Chicago, as a prime example of a busy freight traffic area.

Newark, New Jersey, to study high-volume commuter operations. 

Pueblo, Colorado, to visit a rail manufacturer and locomotive crash testing facility. 

Washington, D.C., to focus on railroad regulation, politics and industry-related laws. 

While in Chicago, the class was invited to tour the Belt and learn the ins and outs of a hump operation.

“The class was impressed with the entire operation,” Guerrero said, noting that they marveled at the Command Center, which he helped build.

Noting the course was educational, Guerrero said, “It gave me a new perspective on the railroad” beyond his involvement with the Engineering Department.