A Day in the Life, Working on the Railroad
William W. Hay Railroad Engineering Seminar Series
May 16, 2025
12:15 PM - 2:00 PM
Location
Yeh Student Center
Address
2311 Newmark Lab, 205 N Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801
Cost
No Cost
Calendar
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Across North America, CN’s system is exposed to a wide variety of operational, maintenance, weather and public interface situations. Each requires a response and resolution. This discussion will review of the functional team reporting to the Chief Engineer, Bridges & Structures at CN, roles and responsibilities, tasks and responsibilities and potential career paths within the railroad. The roles will be highlighted in regard to events across the network in a short time period.
Speaker:
Ms. Paula Pienton, P.E., S.E., is Chief Engineer Bridges & Structures at CN Railroad. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering degree awarded by the University of Illinois, and possesses over 40 years of professional engineering experience in the transportation industry.
Ms. Pienton is responsible for CN’s entire network of bridges, structures and geotechnical engineering, Design & Construction Team and Public Works, including operational safety management and maintenance. Staff responsibilities cover both professional and union teams (481 HC) with a focus on safety performance. This includes responsibility for design, repair and reconstruction of CN’s bridges and structures as well as the accompanying policies, procedures, standards and budgets. Commitment to meeting regulatory requirements is required. Construction of capacity and business opportunity projects with budget and schedule commitments. Third party agreements, maintenance agreements and coordination with public agencies is managed through the Public Works group. Emergency response and collaboration across the enterprise are tasks inherent to the role. Management and development of personnel, along with succession planning, also an objective of the Chief.
Prior to joining CN, Ms. Pienton worked as a consultant on transportation projects throughout the US including freight, transit and highway projects.
Date posted
May 6, 2025
Date updated
May 6, 2025