Wraparound Care for North America’s Rail Shippers

Via Rail Group – Your Behind-the-Derail Specialist

A Platform to Help Rail Shippers Thrive

Engineer

Construct

Maintain

Via Rail Engineering LLC delivers expert engineering solutions for the railroad industry, serving freight rail shippers, manufacturers, and facility operators.

Specializing in:

  • Rail feasibility studies
  • Rail master planning
  • Railroad engineering and permitting
  • Rail optimization studies
  • Rail-related grant support

RailEx® LLC is a leader in rail industry innovation, offering turnkey track general contracting with an open-book, negotiable GC fee business model.

Specializing in:

  • Rail and civil construction
  • Expedited “Black Label” services
  • Owner’s Representation
  • Open-book, negotiable GC fee
  • Extensive subcontractor relationships

Track Smarts LLC provides periodic track inspection and prioritized maintenance planning consulting to meet Track Agreement requirements and maintain rail infrastructure in a constant state of good repair.

Specializing in:

  • Shuttered facility assessments
  • Baseline track inspections
  • Periodic track inspections
  • Annual maintenance planning
  • Track rehabilitation oversight

Meet Our Founder

Ben Guido founded Via Rail Engineering Inc. in 2005 with a vision to provide a wide range of consulting services focused on railroad industry opportunities.

Ben’s railroad career started in 1976 as a Technical Engineer with the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad. His roles included survey, design, and project management, and later a role with Industrial Development where he was responsible for new business opportunities, economic development support, public relations, and sale of unused assets.

In 1987 Ben left the CNW to pursue opportunities in railroad construction, joining Volkmann Railroad Builders, where his responsibilities included rail design, preparing plans and bid documents, managing projects, and business development.

During the 1990s Ben began pursuing a career in rail consulting, where he developed a rail design practice within the civil group of STS Consultants and later, established a rail development subsidiary for another general civil firm, both opportunities greatly expanding his network.

In 2005 Ben founded Via Rail in Wisconsin, where he quickly assembled a team of experienced rail professionals to serve America’s rail shippers with rail design, permitting, and construction phase engineering and consulting. Via Rail opened a second office in Texas in 2012, flourishing on both origination and destination ends of the frac sand boom.

In 2017 Ben sold the company to the people who had helped him build the organization. Via Rail remains a 100% employee-owned company where Ben currently serves as Chairman of The Board of Directors of the Via Rail Group.

Meet Our Board Members

Seated, Left to Right: Kevin Reardon, CFP®, Shakespear Wealth Management, Richard Wagner, Ret. formerly JSD Engineering, Ben Guido, Founder, Jeffrey Koch, Ret. formerly Westbrook Associated Engineers, Scott Sustacek, COO, Structures, Inc.
(Standing: Via Rail Group COO/CFO Michelle Wotachek and CEO Daniel “Guido” Guido)