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Union Pacific Railroad recently promoted Linda Brandl to vice president and general manager-automotive to succeed Julie Krehbiel, who resigned. Brandl has served UP for more than 22 years, most recently as vice president of the National Customer Service Center (NCSC).

UP also named Beth Whited VP of the NCSC to succeed Brandl and Brad Thrasher, assistant VP of Union Pacific Distribution Services, to succeed Whited, who’s served UP the past 23 years. Also a 23-year UP veteran, Thrasher most recently was AVP of the Class I’s Streamline subsidiary.

Meanwhile, Watco Transportation Services L.L.C. has named Mitch Becker senior vice president of transportation. He will be responsible for all operations within the transportation division, including the West, Central and Gulf/East regions, and report to President and Chief Operating Officer Terry Towner.

Most recently COO of the Gulf/ East and Central regions, Becker joined Watco in 2007. He previously served RailAmerica Inc.’s Kyle Railroad in various capacities, including corporate director of purchasing and special projects, and was general manager of RailAmerica’s Kiamichi Railroad.

OmniTRAX Inc. recently made some management changes, too. The company promoted John Scott from superintendent of operations to general manager of the Georgia & Florida Railway Inc. (GFR). He joined OmniTRAX in 2008 as assistant GM for OmniTRAX Switching Services-Golden, and later became assistant GM of the Alabama & Tennessee River Railway L.L.C. and trainmaster for Chicago Rail Link L.LC.

OmniTRAX also appointed Mark Davis superintendent of operations for GFR to succeed Scott and Bryce Anderson, superintendent of operations for the Nebraska, Kansas & Colorado Railway Inc. (NKCR).

Most recently a trainmaster for GFR, Davis began his railroading career in 1995 as an engineer/conductor with Gulf & Ohio Railway and later served as an engineer. Anderson joined NKCR in 2003 as a conductor and later became a locomotive engineer and trainmaster. He also has served OmniTRAX as superintendent of operations for the Hudson Bay Railway Co. and GM of GFR.