{"podcast":{"title":"American Railroading Podcast","slug":"american-railroading-podcast-6263189","podcast_index_feed_id":6263189,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/american-railroading/","website_url":"http://www.americanrailroading.net/","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/b5d15f4a-6000-490d-99c2-cc2b8dd9517b/american-railroading.jpg","author":"American Railroading","episode_count":41,"summary":"Discover the fascinating world of American railroading with the American Railroading Podcast. Join host Don Walsh, a seasoned industry professional with over 25+ years of experience, as he explores a wide range of topics related to the railroad industry, from regulatory items and the challenges our industry faces to passenger rail excursions and recognizing U.S. Armed Forces Veterans in our industry. From the latest news and trends to insider stories and interviews with experts, each episode is packed with insights and information that will delight both casual enthusiasts and serious railroaders alike. Tune in and join the journey.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-24T12:22:43.491565+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/american-railroading-podcast-6263189"},"episode":{"title":"Industry Update – Mergers, Traffic, Trends & Forecasts with Eric Starks – Chairman of FTR","slug":"industry-update-mergers-traffic-trends-forecasts-with-eric-starks-chairman-of-ftr","published_at":"2025-09-29T04:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/american-railroading-podcast-6263189/industry-update-mergers-traffic-trends-forecasts-with-eric-starks-chairman-of-ftr","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/american-railroading-podcast-6263189","url":"http://www.americanrailroading.net/","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/2f3e1ed4-1aa3-4121-b32b-667cabae592d.mp3","summary":"Welcome to the American Railroading Podcast! In this episode our host Don Walsh is joined by guest Eric Starks, Chairman of FTR (Freight Transportation Research Associates). Together they discuss the pending $85 billion dollar Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern merger, the current status of the U.S. economy, an update on U.S. manufacturing and production including new railcar production, rail traffic, market trends and risks, a forecast for 2026 and much more. We also announce our 2025 Honor our Heroes Award winner! Tune in to this episode to gain valuable insights and broaden your understanding of American Railroading! You can find this episode and more on the American Railroading Podcast's official website at www.AmericanRailroading.net , and watch our YouTube Channel at the link below. Welcome aboard! KEY POINTS:  The American Railroading Podcast remains in the Top 10% of all podcasts globally, now downloaded in 57 countries around the world! The podcast continues to experience incredible growth in downloads and subscribers.  Mr. Starks is a graduate of Indiana University and was an Adjunct Lecturer at Indiana University, Kelley School of Business for 4 years, teaching MBA students Transportation and Distribution Strategy, and was instrumental in creating the Indiana University Transportation Board. Eric does a deep-dive into our current U.S. economy and GDP and gives us his opinion on whether or not they are where we expected them to be. Don and Eric discuss Tariffs, what their intended use is by the current administration, and whether or not they are providing the intended results. Eric gives his opinion of the pros and cons of the pending UP and NS merger, and they discuss the recently announced BNSF and CSX partnership. Don and Eric do a thorough revie…","meta_description":"Welcome to the American Railroading Podcast! In this episode our host Don Walsh is joined by guest Eric Starks, Chairman of FTR (Freight Transportation Re…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3966,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/american-railroading-podcast-6263189/episodes/industry-update-mergers-traffic-trends-forecasts-with-eric-starks-chairman-of-ftr/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/american-railroading-podcast-6263189/industry-update-mergers-traffic-trends-forecasts-with-eric-starks-chairman-of-ftr.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}