MxV Rail, CSU Pueblo establish partnership to focus on education, training and research related to rail transportation in the State of Colorado

MxV Rail and Colorado State University Pueblo (CSU Pueblo) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish a framework to work together cooperatively on future education, training, and research related to the safety, security, and innovation of rail transportation in the State of Colorado. The partnership provides a pathway for MxV Rail and CSU Pueblo to collaborate and utilize each other’s expertise and facilities for research, analysis, education, training programs, and to meet the mission and goals of their respective organizations.

Specifically, CSU Pueblo’s Southern Colorado Institute of Transportation Technology (SCITT), under the direction of Dr. MD Islam, will partner with MxV Rail staff to identify key research questions and issues that could benefit the rail industry. The teams have also agreed to actively participate in identifying and acquiring potential grants or other funding sources to advance future research or collaborative projects.

Kari Gonzales, President & CEO for MxV Rail indicated “MxV Rail has a long history of supporting CSU Pueblo engineering programs and students. We are excited to formalize our partnership with CSU Pueblo and provide a pathway to explore future joint projects through SCITT.”

MxV Rail is a subsidiary of the Association of American Railroads (AAR) established to provide vital support to the nation’s rail industry as its most trusted research and engineering partner.

CSU Pueblo is a regional, comprehensive state university with an enrollment of nearly 4,000 students. With 34 percent of its students Hispanic, it is a designated Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), and a military friendly university.

CSU Pueblo is home to SCITT, a partnership established in May 2022 between CSU Pueblo and the state of Colorado. SCITT conducts and facilitates education, training, and research on issues related to the safety, security, and innovation of railroad, ground, and intermodal transportation and general issues related to surface transportation problems in the state.

The institute publicly disseminates the results of its research. In addition, the SCITT promotes surface transportation education and research activities among Colorado and national universities to enhance the universities' ability to attract federal and private sector funding for transportation education, training, and related research. Gonzales will serve as an inaugural member of the SCITT Governing Board.