BOCA RATON, Fla., Nov. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Patriot Rail Corp. ("Patriot"), a leading operator of short line and regional freight railroads, today announced the addition of George Avery Grimes, PE, PhD, ("Avery") to its management team as Executive Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer.  Grimes will be responsible for revenue growth through initiation and evaluation of strategic acquisitions, infrastructure investments, and margin expansion opportunities.  He will also be Patriot's liaison with Class I freight railroad strategic projects. 

Grimes brings over 36-years experience in the rail transportation industry.  His expertise includes organizational restructuring, investment analysis, strategic planning, transportation operations, railroad engineering, railroad economics, railroad finance, and business development. 

Grimes has served in a number of senior level positions at Class I freight railroads Missouri Pacific, Union Pacific, and Kansas City Southern.  He also served as SVP-Strategic Planning with short line holding company OmniTrax.

Most recently, Grimes served as Deputy CEO at Metrolink (Southern California Regional Rail Authority) and at Metra (Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corporation). In both positions he helped revive and transform the agency through organizational evaluation and restructuring, strategic planning around critical issues, negotiations with freight railroads, project management improvements, Senior Leadership Team development and CEO communications.

Grimes achieved his Doctorate Degree at the University of Illinois in railroad engineering, economics, and finance.  His research efforts at Illinois developed innovative economic theories linking freight rail investment and profit maximization that serves as the standard today.  He is a Visiting Professor at the University of Illinois' Railroad Transportation and Engineering Center and is a licensed Professional Engineer in Missouri and Washington.  He also holds a Master's in Civil Engineering (University of Nebraska) and a Bachelor's in Civil Engineering (University of Illinois).

Patriot Rail President & CEO John Fenton, commenting on the addition of Grimes, said, "Avery has an extraordinary track record of success as a senior transportation executive.  He is broadly recognized as one of the top authorities on rail economics and investment/profit maximization.  Highly sought after in policy circles, Avery has testified before the Surface Transportation Board on railroad economic theory.  He also serves as Chairman of the prestigious Transportation Research Board's (TRB) Committee on Freight Rail Transportation.  He brings a unique rail leadership perspective to Patriot."

Patriot Rail Corp. is a leading short line and regional freight railroad holding company based in Boca Raton, Florida.  Patriot Rail currently owns and operates 13 short line freight railroads comprising approximately 500 total rail miles in 13 states.  For more information on Patriot Rail Corp., please visit us at www.patriotrail.com

SOURCE Patriot Rail Corp.