Ryan Bannon is a Capital Construction Manager in the Engineering Department who has been with Amtrak full time for almost five years. The projects Ryan manages require teamwork between several Amtrak departments, contractors, agencies, and utility companies and can range from a few months to multiple years. One project he is currently overseeing is the creation of Hanson Interlocking, in Maryland, on Amtrak’s busy Northeast Corridor.
Employees at Amtrak: Ryan
Amtrak Employee Stories: Ryan
Ryan Bannon is a Capital Construction Manager in the Engineering Department who has been with Amtrak full time for almost five years. The projects Ryan manages require teamwork between several Amtrak departments, contractors, agencies, and utility companies and can range from a few months to multiple years. One project he is currently overseeing is the creation of Hanson Interlocking, in Maryland, on Amtrak’s busy Northeast Corridor.
Employees at Amtrak: Ryan
Amtrak Employee Stories: Ryan
Ryan Bannon is a Capital Construction Manager in the Engineering Department who has been with Amtrak full time for almost five years. The projects Ryan manages require teamwork between several Amtrak departments, contractors, agencies, and utility companies and can range from a few months to multiple years. One project he is currently overseeing is the creation of Hanson Interlocking, in Maryland, on Amtrak’s busy Northeast Corridor.
What does a typical day look like for you?
A typical day usually starts in the morning verifying we have proper protection against train traffic and energized overhead catenary infrastructure with the work we have occurring that day. As a work group (made up of Amtrak forces and sometimes contractors), we have a safety briefing to start off the work shift. From there I attend a couple morning safety calls. The rest depends on the day. Sometimes I will make field visits and touching base with work groups on my multiple projects to verify there are no current issues or to work out problems that have come to light. Other days I will have field meetings, or sometimes conference calls and/or meetings in our Engineering Office in Philadelphia. I am constantly looking at the work that we have going on that day, along with the work we are planning for the days, weeks and months ahead.
Which of your accomplishments at Amtrak has made you the proudest?
The accomplishment I am most proud of is a project that I am just about to complete in Wilmington, Delaware. We built a maintenance facility for the ACS-64 locomotives at our locomotive facility. It involved building a 3600 square foot office building with an open air, steel structure canopy above while installing 2 new tracks and all new catenary infrastructure going into the building. It was a multi year, multi discipline project that involved coordination between Mechanical, ET, Track, B&B, C&S, Amtrak Environmental, Delaware Natural Resources (DNR), Delmarva Power Company and a third party contractor. The work was completed while not disrupting operations at Amtrak Locomotive Shop.
What main project are you working on right now?
I’m working on a multi year project, Hanson Interlocking, outside of New Carrollton, Maryland. The project involves installing 4 crossovers, 44 catenary poles, 2 signal bridges, 28 down guys (cables for stability), 2 signals huts, a 4,600 foot access road, and miles of cabling among many other components – all of which are being constructed alongside an active railroad, all while trying to minimize impact to normal train operations. The project will allow passenger trains to run on a formerly freight-only track, allow for higher speed operations, and higher capacity through the area.
Amtrak is working hard to make train service better for our customers.
Outside of New Carrollton, Maryland, we're constructing Hanson Interlocking, a multi year project that will allow passenger trains on a formerly freight-only track, and increase speed and capacity through the area.
What is your favorite part about working for Amtrak?
My favorite part about working at Amtrak is that I never have 2 days of work exactly alike. One day I will be making field visits, meeting with work groups and reviewing field conditions in Maryland. The next day I could be doing the field visits in Virginia or Washington D.C. I could be attending meetings for projects upcoming or making my way to Philadelphia to have meetings about current progress on projects. Each day brings new opportunities and keeps the job exciting.
What advice would you give to someone looking for a job at Amtrak?
It is a great place to work! You’re going to meet many people from a variety of backgrounds all striving for a common goal. There will be many challenges and things you have never experienced before, but you will never be lost as you can alwayswork with your team to accomplish whatever challenge, obstacle or project that stands in your way. It is a place where you can build your career and field specific knowledge with plenty of opportunities for advancement. Amtrak is not just another job, it is a place where you can build your career.
