Pacific Imperial Railroad Names David Rohal President

Pacific Imperial Railroad, the only company providing railroad freight services on the Desert Line, servicing the Tijuana-Tecate region of Baja California, Mexico and eastern San Diego County through its 99-year lease with the MTS, has named David Rohal President of the company beginning December 1st.

Mr. Rohal has 30 years of railroad experience in management, strategic, and leadership roles with class 1 and short line railroads. He recently held senior positions with both Patriot Rail and RailAmerica, and has a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University as well as an MBA from The Kellogg Graduate School Of Management at Northwestern University.

Mr. Rohal stated, “I’m excited to bring this rail line back to life. Pacific Imperial Railroad has a significant opportunity to service the maquiladoras, a dense cluster of manufacturing facilities in northwest Mexico. My goal is to lead PIR to achieve its goal to provide the fastest, most cost efficient, and safest opportunity for these companies to move freight by rail.”

Pacific Imperial Railroad is close to having a final report on the engineering studies conducted by JL Patterson. PIR then plans to engage in a significant upgrade of the line, with a focus on safety and efficiency, while preparing the company to be operational. Ernie Dahlman, CEO of Pacific Imperial Railroad, stated, “I am very excited to have David here to lead this railroad as it transitions from the engineering and construction phase into the operational stage. David is a world-class manager that brings a rare combination of great leadership skills, business acumen, and rail industry knowledge that will help the company fulfill its tremendous potential. We are pleased to have a President with David’s sterling reputation for building high-performing organizations and achieving business results at the helm of PIR.”

ABOUT PACIFIC IMPERIAL RAILROAD, INC.

PIR signed a 99-year lease with San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway Company (SD&AE) and San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) in December 2012. Upon completion of the planned reconstruction, PIR will be the only company providing railroad freight services on the Desert Line, servicing the Tijuana-Tecate region of Baja California, Mexico and eastern San Diego County. In total, the railway system, including the 70 miles of the Desert Line, is approximately 130 miles long, consisting of track incorporating over 57 bridges and 22 tunnels. The rail line joins BNSF and San Diego and Imperial Valley railroads at the southwesterly tip of San Diego County, USA with the UP Line from El Centro, California. It is the only rail line that runs directly adjacent to approximately 755 manufacturing facilities (known as maquiladoras), which are approximately 14 miles south of the U.S.- Mexico border.  More info at: www.pacificimperialrailroad.com

Category: General Update, People