Rail

STB Names Former BNSF Executive to Lead Economics Office

The Surface Transportation Board has elevated Marty Schlenker to director of its Office of Economics. Terrence McDermott joins as senior adviser to Chairman Patrick Fuchs. Both officials transition from temporary roles to permanent positions, bolstering the agency's analytical capacity during a critical period in rail regulation. Schlenker spent 17 years at BNSF Railway, where he reached assistant vice president of technology services before moving to Parallel Systems. McDermott brings supply chain expertise from over a decade at Bunge and more than 10 years at Ferromex in marketing leadership. The appointments strengthen the STB's staff as the board navigates significant matters, including Union Pacific's proposed acquisition of Norfolk Southern. The board established procedural timelines for the merger review in August and rejected competitive challenges from BNSF and CSX in late September.