Platform Chats

About Platform Chats

The American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) is the leading professional association for railway engineers working together to further the development and advancement of both technical and practical knowledge in the railway industry. Come “roll with AREMA” as we chat with Members from every aspect of the Association. Each episode will contain entertaining and informative stories from our members about their time in the Association and how it has advanced their careers. Hosted By: Walt Bleser, PE, President, ARE Corporation. Information on the railway industry is provided as a service to our members but does not represent an endorsement. Subscribe to your favorite listening service to get episode notifications.

Publisher

AREMA

Category

business · business · education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

23 Feb 2021

Latest episode

16 Jul 2026

Latest episodes

5 of 52 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   16 Jul 2026

   Building on Momentum: Leadership, Collaboration & AREMA's Next Chapter

   In this annual Platform Chats tradition, host Walt Bleser welcomes AREMA President Jerry Specht, EIT, Assistant General Manager South S&C Operations, CPKC, and Senior Vice President David Clark, PE, Director Construction Engineering, CSX Transportation, for a conversation about leadership, collaboration, and what's ahead for AREMA as the Association prepares for its annual leadership transition. Jerry reflects on a busy year that included efforts to expand the Association's presence in Me...

2. 

   27 May 2026

   Railroads Move People: A Conversation with Justin Vonashek

   Platform Chats host Walt Bleser sits down with Metro-North President Justin Vonashek, who turned a last-minute career fair resume into leading one of the nation's busiest commuter railroads. The conversation centers on a key shift: railroads don't just move trains—they move people, and those people don't have time for delays. Vonashek highlights Metro-North's post-pandemic rebound, strong on-time performance, safety culture, and continued operational improvements. He also points to major inve...

3. 

   30 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Episode 50: A Career Built on Mentorship and Meaningful Work

   The 50th episode of Platform Chats marks a milestone as host Walt Bleser sits down with Anamaria Bonilla, former Chief Engineer of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Metro‑North Railroad, to reflect on a career shaped by AREMA and a shared commitment to doing the work the right way as part of North America's largest transportation network. Bonilla recounts her journey into rail engineering, the challenges of modernizing legacy systems, and the pride she takes in building a strong, prin...

Inside a recent episode

Episode 50: A Career Built on Mentorship and Meaningful Work

Published 30 Mar 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] But it sounds to me like you feel pretty good about who you left behind yes I left they you know they were smarter than me and better than me so I was more than happy with the way I was leaving things. I was always amazed how some some folks are really hesitant about hiring people that are smarter than them but it's just like no that's exactly who you want you know it's because eventually you got to hand it over to them and you can't micromanage the world you know. So you got to have people that are smart intelligent that they if they can research something for themselves and and draw some some options that's that's all you you can hold for and and if they're honest about wanting to do a good work follow you know the codes and the rules and everything. […]

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.7 / 5

14 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 23 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

14

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

82