A non-profit with the mission of getting young people involved with railroading and rail preservation is launching a new online speaker series. Next Generation Railroaders was founded in 2023 and is led by a board of directors ranging in age from 18 to 45. 

“Both the railroad industry and the railroad preservation field face a recruitment crisis, particularly among young adults,” the group’s mission statement reads. “While many railroads, museums, and nonprofits have some type of program to attract new employees or volunteers, most do not directly target millennials and Gen Z, which together comprise the vital demographic of ages 18 to 45. There exists a stark disconnect between the industry’s traditional messaging and the ways that younger generations access and absorb information, especially with regard to technology. As a result, railroads are often viewed as outdated, and the interest in railroading as a career or hobby that was present in the mid-20th century has not been perpetuated by today’s young adults. This disconnect and the resulting perception of ageism have turned railroading into an industry that will eventually become unsustainable from a personnel standpoint as current participants are not replaced with new recruits.”

On March 4, Next Generation Railroaders will launch its first Virtual Mentor Deep Dive with a presentation by Ed Lecuyer, a volunteer with the Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum in Alna, Maine. The event starts at 7 p.m. EST. The group plans on doing monthly “Mentor Deep Dives.” 

For more information, visit nextgenrr.org. —Justin Franz