August 2026 – Railway Age
This article highlights decades of full-scale hazardous materials research conducted at the Transportation Technology Center (TTC) to improve the crashworthiness and puncture resistance of railroad tank cars. Through controlled impact testing and advanced computer modeling, researchers have evaluated the performance of multiple tank car designs under realistic accident conditions, generating critical data that supports regulatory decision-making and safer tank car design. The article emphasizes TTC’s unique ability to combine full-scale testing with validated simulation models, helping industry and government partners better understand impact performance, improve hazardous materials transportation safety, and develop the next generation of crashworthy rail equipment.
Gerhard “Gery” Williams is Executive Vice President, Service Delivery & Operations, serving in this role since July 2022. Gery leads an organization focused primarily on safely and reliably delivering Amtrak services to customers, operating and maintaining the company’s core railroad assets – including infrastructure and rail car and locomotive fleets – and driving process improvement and efficiencies across the Amtrak network.
Service Delivery & Operations (SD&O) consists of the Transportation, Mechanical, Infrastructure Maintenance & Construction Services (IMCS), Customer Service Stations, Onboard Services and Food & Beverage, California Operations, Operations Integration and Network Support functions.
Gery had served as Senior Vice President, SD&O, since January 2022 and was responsible for the newly created IMCS group, which encompasses engineering production and maintenance functions. He also led day-to-day core service delivery across the SD&O organization, driving continuous improvement to safety, customer service and productivity.
Prior to joining Amtrak in June 2017 as Vice President and Chief Engineer, he had spent almost three decades at CSX Transportation. Gery held a wide range of senior leadership roles, including Vice President, Mechanical Operations; Chief Mechanical Officer – Locomotives; AVP Network Operations – Locomotive Management; and Division Manager. In his last position at CSX as VP, Mechanical Operations, he reported to the Chief Operating Officer and directed a team of 3,800 employees responsible for the maintenance and repair of a combined fleet of 70,000 locomotives and rail cars. Early in his profession, Gery held various positions including trainmaster, manager of safety and terminal manager.
Across his long railroad career, Gery has consistently demonstrated collaborative and data-driven leadership and an ability to manage complex transportation, mechanical and engineering challenges successfully, with safety and efficiency.
Gery graduated from Drexel University with a Bachelor of Science in Commerce and Engineering. He also holds a Master of Business Administration with a specialization in Marketing from the Peter F. Drucker Graduate School of Management at Claremont Graduate University.

Executive Vice President,
Service Delivery & Operations