INTERNATIONAL Railway Journal (IRJ) is pleased to announce the 10 winners of the publication’s Young Rail Leaders Award for 2025.
The winners are:
Bader Al Hujailan
Deputy of Railway Transport, Transport General Authority, Saudi Arabia
Mahesh Gadge
Senior Engineer, Signalling, WSP Consulting, India
Yoselin Garcia Hidalgo
Chief of Raw Materials, The Greenbrier Companies, Mexico
John Hall
Hub Director, CSX, United States
Jeff Kessler
Director of Innovation, Keolis Commuter Services, United States
Emily Mattinson
Manager, Fleet Planning, CPKC, Canada
Cassandra Mullee
Vice-President, Network Operations, CN, Canada
Darkhan Mussanov
Consulting Manager, DB ECO North America, United States
Satish Vijayaraghavan
Head of Quality, North America, Rolling Stock and Components, Alstom, Canada
Hugo van Vondelen
Product and Network Specialist, Eurail, Netherlands
Detailed profiles of each of the winners appear in the December edition of IRJ, which is published today. These profiles will also be published on railjournal.com over the coming weeks.
Recruitment challenges
As IRJ has consistently reported in recent years, the global rail industry is experiencing two concurrent human resources challenges: the impending retirement of a significant proportion of its experienced and knowledgeable workforce; and an ongoing battle to secure a new generation of talent versed in the digital skills the sector requires to progress. The rail industry also suffers from a negative reputation as an outdated and unfashionable place to work.
However, as IRJ editor-in-chief, Kevin Smith, explains, the award demonstrates how many rail industry companies are creating working environments where talented people can flourish, which is benefitting both their own companies and the wider industry.
“This year’s cohort of IRJ Young Rail Leaders Award winners again showcases the amazing talent working within the rail industry,” Smith says. “We set up the award as a way of highlighting the excellent work taking place within the sector to attract and retain talent. By shining the spotlight on these young professionals, we hope to inspire others to pursue excellence within their respective careers.”
IRJ will run the award again in December 2026, following our Top Projects Award to honour excellence in project management and execution in April and the Women in Rail Award in June. Keep track of when nominations open on railjournal.com and IRJ’s social media channels.
