Reading & Northern Promotes Raffa CMO; M&A Role for 400-Mile PA Network

Reading & Northern Appoints Jim Raffa as Chief Marketing Officer

Reading & Northern Railroad in Pennsylvania, USA, has promoted Jim Raffa to the role of chief marketing officer (CMO). The appointment, which follows his tenure as executive vice president of marketing and sales, continues a career with the company and its predecessors that began in 1989. Raffa’s promotion places him in a key strategic role within the regional railroad’s 400-mile network.

Executive Mandate and Career Trajectory

In his new capacity as CMO, Raffa will report to and collaborate with CEO Andy Muller Jr., Executive Vice President Christina Muller-Levan, and President Wayne Michel. His primary responsibilities include guiding strategic and commercial initiatives for the railroad. A specific mandate of his new role is to analyze potential railroad acquisitions and assess the commercial impact of a prospective merger between Class I carriers Union Pacific Railroad and Norfolk Southern Railway.

Raffa’s career provides a comprehensive background in railroad operations and management. He started in 1989 as a trackman with the Blue Mountain & Reading Railroad, the predecessor to the current company. Following the establishment of the Reading & Northern Railroad in December 1990, he was appointed coal traffic manager and real estate manager. In 2007, Raffa acquired an ownership position in Lehigh Railway and Luzerne & Susquehanna Railway. He returned to Reading & Northern in 2020 to oversee the petrochemical and minerals accounts after the sale of those two rail lines, and was promoted to executive vice president in 2023.

Strategic Implications for Regional Rail

The appointment comes at a time of potential consolidation among Class I railroads in North America. For a regional carrier like Reading & Northern, which functions as a critical link for originating and terminating freight traffic, any merger between major partners or competitors like Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern requires detailed strategic analysis. Such a combination could alter established interchange points, traffic volumes, and rate structures, directly impacting the regional railroad’s revenue and operational planning. Raffa’s role in evaluating these scenarios is central to mitigating risks and identifying commercial opportunities for Reading & Northern’s network in Pennsylvania.

This focus on external market structure highlights the increasing need for regional railroads to develop sophisticated commercial strategies that extend beyond day-to-day sales. The creation of this CMO position, with an explicit focus on mergers and acquisitions, positions Reading & Northern to adapt its business model in response to network changes initiated by Class I carriers.

Next Steps

Raffa will immediately assume responsibility for aligning the railroad’s marketing and sales functions with its long-term strategic objectives. His initial focus will be on developing commercial frameworks to address potential shifts in the national rail network and identifying growth opportunities through acquisitions or expanded service offerings.