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The Association of American Railroads recently named Bill Thompson railroad program manager for the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) program.

He will be responsible for engineering and construction of the program's rail-related projects, and will work closely with the Chicago Transportation Coordination Office to integrate program activities with day-to-day passenger and freight operations.

Thompson most recently served Jacobs Civil as deputy project manager of the Reno ReTRAC trench, the country's largest railroad engineering project. He also served as vice president for freight-, commuter- and high-speed rail business development. He previously served Union Pacific Railroad for 23 years in various railroad operations, cost control, quality assurance, and project, program and construction management positions.

"Bill's extensive railroad operating background, along with his project management experience, make him the perfect person for this job," said AAR President and Chief Executive Officer Edward Hamberger in a prepared statement.

In June 2003, the six major freight railroads serving Chicago and Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corp. (Metra) proposed CREATE, a $1.5 billion, six-year program designed to modernize the freight and passenger rail infrastructure serving the Windy City and northeast Illinois. The railroads plan to create five rail corridors, including one primarily for passenger trains; grade separate 25 crossings to eliminate commuter delays; build six flyovers to separate freight- and commuter-rail traffic; and remove a downtown rail corridor to foster commercial development.