This is a list of railroad executives, defined as those who are presidents and chief executive officers of railroad and railway systems worldwide.

A

• Abbot, Edwin H. (1834–1927), WC −1890^[1]
• Adams, Charles Francis Jr. (1835–1915), UP 1884–1890^[2]
• Adams, Melvin O. (1847–1920), BRB&L^[3]
• Aikman, Frank Jr., LIRR 1967–1969
• Allen, Horatio (1802–1889), Erie 1843–1844

• 

  Allen, John W. (1802–1887), CNR 1834, C&C 1845^[4]
• Allyn, Henry G. Jr., P&LE 1969–1993
• Alpert, George, NH
• Altschul, Selig, D&H 1977
• Ames, Oliver Jr. (1807–1877), UP 1866–1871^[5][6][7]
• Anderson, Richard H. (b. 1955), Amtrak 2017–2020 ^[8]
• Anderson, Samuel J., P&O^[9]
• Anschutz, Philip (born 1939), RG 1984–1988, SP 1988–1996^[10]
• Archbald, James (1793–1870), LSMS 1854–1856
• Arndt, Otto, DR 1970–1989
• Ashby, G. F., UP 1946–1949
• Ashley, James Mitchell (1824–1896), AA
• Atkinson, Arthur K. (1892–1964), WAB 1947–1960
• Atterbury, William W. (1866–1935), PRR 1925–1935
• Augustowski, Tadeusz, PKP −2005^[11]

B

• Baer, George Frederick (1842–1914), RDG 1901–1914
• Bailey, E. H., UP 1965–1971
• Baldwin, William H. Jr. (1863–1905), LIRR 1896–1905^[12]
• Bancroft, William Amos (1855–1922), BER 1899–^[3]
• Bandeen, Robert (1930–2010), CN 1974–1982
• Banfield, Edward (1837–1872), GFS (1865–1872).
• Barriger, John W., III (1899–1976), Monon 1946–1953, P&LE 1956–1964, MKT 1965–1970, B&M 1973–1974^[13]
• Bauer, Kenneth J., LIRR 2000–2003
• Beatty, Edward Wentworth (1877–1943), CPR 1918–1943
• Beckley, Thomas M., SOO 1978–1983^[14]
• Beeching, Richard (1913–1985), BR 1961–1965

• Belozyorov, Oleg (b. 1969), Russian Railways 2015-present
• Bennett, James I., P&LE 1877–1881
• Berdell, Robert H., Erie 1864–1867
• Bernet, John J. (1868–1935), NKP 1916–1926, Erie 1927–1929, C&O 1929–1932, NKP 1933–1935^{[15][16][17][18]}
• Bertrand, Charles E., D&H 1977–1978
• Besener, Willi, DR 1946–1949
• Beven, John L., IC 1938–1945^[19]
• Biaggini, Benjamin (1916–2005), SP 1964–1983
• Billings, Frederick H. (1823–1890), NP 1879–1881
• Blackstone, Timothy B. (1829–1900), CA 1864–1899
• Blake, Ronald James (b. 1934), KCRC 2006–present
• Bledsoe, Samuel T. (1868–1939), ATSF 1933–1939^[20][21]
• Boardman, Joseph H. (1948–2019), Amtrak 2008–2016^[22][23]
• Boatner, Victor V. (1881–1950), CGW 1929–1931
• Bolton, John, D&H 1826–1831
• Bond, Frank S., RDG 1883–
• Bond, Hiram (1838–1906), TCI 1889–1891
• Borne, Élisabeth (b. 1961), RATP 2015-2017
• Bowen, James (1808–1886), Erie 1841–1842
• Bowman, Hollis, MEC 1863–1864^[9]
• Boyd, Alan Stephenson (1922–2020), IC 1969–1972, Amtrak 1978–1982^[19][24][25]
• Brooke, George D., C&O 1933–, PM 1933–, NKP 1935–, VGN^[26]
• Brosnan, D. William (1903–1985), SOU 1962–1967
• Brown, Revelle W., RDG
• Bruce, Harry J., IC 1983–1990
• Bryant, Gridley (1789–1867), Granite Railway

• Bryant, Robert E., BBRR -present
• Budd, John M. (1907–1979), CEI 1947–1949, GN 1951–1970, BN 1970–1972
• Budd, Ralph (1879–1962), GN 1919–1932, CB&Q 1932–1949
• Buenrostro, Hugo Jiménez, KCSM 2006–present
• Buford, Algernon S. (1826–1911), R&D 1865–1892
• Buford, Curtis D., P&LE 1965–1969
• Burbidge, Fred, CPR 1972–1981
• Burdakin, John H., GTW
• Burkhardt, Ed, WC 1987–1999, Railworld 2000–present
• Burns, John J., Alleghany Corporation
• Burns, Ron (b. 1953), UP 1996^[27]
• Burt, Horace G. (1849–1913), UP 1898–1904
• Burtness, Harold W. (1897–1978), CGW 1946–1948
• Bury, Oliver Robert Hawke (1861–1946), GWR Brazil 1892–1894, GNR 1902–1912, LNER 1912–1945
• Bush, Benjamin Franklin (1860–1927), WM 1907–1911, MP 1911–1923, D&RG 1912–1915, WP 1913–1915^{[28]: 48  [29][30]}
• Busiel, Charles Albert (1842–1901), LSR, C&M^[31]
• Butzelaar, Frank, SRY 2008–present^[32]

C

• Cable, Ransom Reed, RI 1883–1898^[33]

• Cahill, Michael Harrison, MKT 1930–1933^[34]
• Calhoun, Patrick (1856–1943), URRSF
• Calvin, E. E., UP 1916–1918
• Carpenter, Alvin "Pete" (1942-2019), CSX 1992-1999 ^[35]
• Carter, George L. (1857–1936),^[36]CRR
• Carter, Thomas S. (1921–2019), KCS 1973–1986
• Cass, George Washington (1810–1888), O&P 1856, PFW&C 1857–83, NP 1872–75
• Cassatt, Alexander (1839–1906), PRR 1899–1906
• Cavanaugh, Dennis Miles, SOO 1983–1986, 1987–1989^[14]
• Celinski, Krzysztof, PKP 2005–present^[11]
• Chapin, Chester W. (1798–1883), B&A 1868–1878
• Charlick, Oliver, LIRR 1863–1875
• Chipley, William Dudley (1840–1897), C&R, P&A
• Christy, Doug, IAIS
• Clark, Horace F. (1815–1873), UP 1872–1873
• Clark, John P., NYSW
• Clark, S.H.H. (1837–1900), UP 1892–1898
• Clarke, F. B., SP&S 1907–^[37]
• Claytor, Robert B. (1922–1993), N&W 1981–1982, NS 1982–1993
• Claytor, W. Graham Jr. (1912–1994), SOU 1967–1977, Amtrak 1982–1993
• Clement, Martin W. (1881–1966), PRR 1935–1948
• Coe, William R. (1869–1955), VGN
• Coleman, D'Alton Corry (1879–1956), CPR 1942–1947
• Coleman, William C. (1901–1976), Monon 1962–1967^[38][39]
• Coliton, William P., CSS&SB 1961–^[40]
• Colket, Coffin, LIRR 1862–1863
• Collins, David J., BPRR -present
• Colnon, Aaron, RI 1942–1947
• Conti, P. Scott, PW 2005–present^[41]
• Cooke, Jay (1821–1905), NP
• Coolidge, T. Jefferson (1831–1920), ATSF 1880–1881^[3]
• Corbin, Austin (1827–1896), LIRR 1881–1896
• Corning, Erastus (1794–1872), U&S 1830s–1853, NYC 1853–1865
• Côté, Paul (b. 1951), Via 2005–2010
• Couch, C. P. "Pete" (1890–1955), KCS 1939–1941
• Couch, Harvey C. (1877–1941), KCS 1939
• Cowen, John K. (1844–1904), B&O 1896–1901
• Crane, L. Stanley,^[42][43] SOU 1977–1980
• Crocker, Charles (1822–1888), CP
• Crosbie, William, Amtrak (acting) 2008^[44]
• Crump, Norris Ray "Buck" (1904–1989), CPR 1955–1964 and 1966
• Crush, William, MKT
• Culver, Andrew, Prospect Park and Coney Island Railroad

D

• Davidson, Richard K. (b. 1942), UP (president) 1991–1996 (CEO) 1997–2006^[27][45]
• Davis, Champion McDonald, ACL^[46]
• Davis, James, UTAH 2002–2008^[47]
• Davis, Jerry, CSX 1989–1995, SP 1995–1996, UP 1996–1998^[27]
• deButts, Harry A., SOU 1951–1962
• deForest, Henry, SP 1925–1932
• Delatour, H.L., LIRR 1949–1950
• Denney, Charles E. (1879–1965), Erie 1929–1939, NP 1939–1950^[48]

• Depew, Chauncey M. (1834–1928), NYC 1885–1898
• Deramus, William N. Jr. (1888–1965), KCS 1941–1961
• Deramus, William N., III (1915–1989), CGW 1949–1957, MKT 1957–1961, KCS 1961–1973
• Deramus, William N., IV (b. 1944), KCS 1986–1990
• Dermody, James J., LIRR 2003–2006^[49]
• Dickinson, Jacob M. (1851–1928), RI 1915–1917
• Dickson, Thomas, D&H 1869–1884
• Dillon, Sidney (1812–1892), UP 1874–1884 and 1890–1892
• Dix, John Adams (1798–1879), C&RI, M&M, UP 1863–1868, Erie 1872^[50]
• Dixon, William J., RI 1970–1974
• Dodge, Edwin V., SOO 1989–^[14]
• Donnelly, Charles (1869–1939), NP 1920–1939^[51][52]
• Dorpmuller, Julius (1869–1945), Deutsche Reichsbahn 1926–1945
• Dougherty, A. A., SMV 1911–
• Downs, Lawrence A., IC 1926–1938^[19]
• Downs, Thomas, Amtrak 1993–1998^[53]
• Draney, Herbert J., NYSW −1968^[54]
• Draper, William Henry Jr. (1894–1974), LIRR 1950–1951
• Drew, Daniel (1797–1879), Erie 1857–1870
• Drusch, William F., TCW 2001–2007^[55]
• Ducharme, Rick (b. 1948), GO 1993–1999, TTC 1999–2006
• Duff, John, UP 1873–1874
• Dumaine, Frederick C. Jr., NH 1951–1954, D&H 1967–1968
• Durant, Charles W., RI 1863–1866^[56]
• Dürr, Heinz (b. 1933), DB 1991–1993, DB AG 1993–1997

E

• Eaton, Cyrus S. (1883–1979), C&O 1950s
• Edson, Job A. (1854–1928), KCS 1905–1918 and 1920–1927
• Edwards, George W. (b. 1939), KCS 1991–1995
• Eldridge, John S., Erie 1867–1868
• Elliott, Howard (1860–1928), NP 1903–1913, NH 1913–1917^[57]
• Emerson, Robert A. "Bob", CPR 1964–1966
• Engel, Edward J., ATSF 1939–1944^[20]
• Erickson, E.O. "Jim", AA -present
• Eriksen, Søren, DSB 2006–2011
• Evans, Ike, UP 1998–2004

F

• Fadeev, Gennady, Russian Railways
• Farnam, Henry (1803–1883), RI 1854–1863^[58]
• Farrington, John Dow, RI 1948–1955
• Felton, Samuel Morse Jr. (1853–1930), CA 1899–1908, CGW 1909–1929
• Fernandez, Vicente Corta, TFM April 2005 – July 2005
• Finley, William, SOU 1906–1913
• Finney, F. N., SOO 1890–1892^[14]
• Fish, Stuyvesant (1851–1923), IC 1887–1906
• Fishwick, John "Jack" P., EL, D&H 1968–1970, N&W 1970–1981
• Fisk, George B., LIRR 1839–1847
• Fisk, James ("Big Jim") (1834–1872), Erie
• Fitzgerald, J. M. (b. 1877), WM 1913–1914^[59][60]
• Flagler, Henry Morrison (1830–1913), FEC 1885–1913
• Fleming, Joseph B., RI 1933–1947
• Flynn, William J., Amtrak 2020- ^[61]
• Forbes, John Murray (1813–1898), MC 1846–1855, CB&Q
• Fordyce, Samuel W. (1840–1919), SLA&T 1886–1889, SSW 1890–1898, KCS 1900
• Franklin, Walter S., PRR 1948–1954, LIRR 1954–1955
• Fraser, Donald V., MKT 1945–1956
• Frederick, William A., CFNR 1993–
• Furth, Alan, SP 1979–1982

G

• Gabreski, Francis S. (1919–2002), LIRR 1978–1981
• Gadsden, James (1788–1858), South Carolina Rail Road 1840–1850^[62]
• Gallois, Louis (b. 1944), SNCF 1996–2006
• Gamble, Patrick K. (b. 1945), ARR 2001–present^[63][64]
• Gardner, Stephen J. (b. 1975), Amtrak 2009–present^[65]
• Gardner, William A., CNW 1910–1916^[66][67]
• Gardner, William E., WSOR 1988–present
• McClellan George B. (1826-1885), P 1857-1859
• Garneau, Cynthia, VIA 2019–present
• Garrett, John W. (1820–1884), B&O 1858–1884
• Garrett, Robert, II (1847–1896), B&O 1884–1887
• Gastler, Harold L., MKT 1975–1988
• George, W. H. Krome (1918–2004), NS 1979–1990
• Gibbons, William M. (1919–1990), RI 1975–1984
• Gibson, Gary, IHB -present
• Giles, John, RailAmerica, FEC 2008–present^[68]
• Gilliland, Jack E., AT&N, SLSF 1965–.
• Gilmore, Robert C., SOO 1986–1987^[14]
• Gillouard, Catherine, RATP 2017–present
• Gohlke, Reiner, DB 1982–1990
• Goode, David R. (b. 1941), NS 1991–2005
• Goodenow, William, MEC 1862–1863^[9]
• Goodfellow, Thomas M., LIRR 1955–1967
• Gordon, Donald (1901–1969), CN 1950–1966
• Gorman, James E. (died 1942), RI 1917–1942
• Gorman, Paul, PC
• Goto, Shinpei (1857–1929), South Manchuria Railway 1906–1908
• Gould, George Jay, I (1864–1923), DRGW, WP, MP 1892–1915
• Gould, Jay (1836–1892), Erie 1868–1872, UP 1870s–1883, New York City elevated railroads 1881–1888, MP 1879–1892
• Gowen, Franklin B. (1836–1889), RDG 1866–1883
• Granet, Guy, Sir (1867–1943), Midland Railway (UK) 1906–1922, LMS 1923–1927
• Grant, James (1812–1891), RI 1851–1854^[58]
• Gray, Carl R. (1867–1939), GN 1912–1914, WM 1914–1919, UP 1920–1937^[69]
• Green, Chris, Virgin Rail Group 1999–2005, Network Rail 2005–2010
• Green, Fred J., CPR 2005–present^[70]
• Greenough, Allen J. (1905–1974), PRR 1960–1968
• Grinstein, Gerald (b. 1932), BN 1985–1995^[71]
• Grout, H. C., SOO 1944–1949^[14]
• Grube, Rüdiger (b. 1951), DB 2009-2017
• Gunn, David L. (b. 1937), SEPTA 1979–1984, New York City MTA 1984–1990, WMATA 1991–1994, TTC 1995–1999, Amtrak 2002–2005^[72][73]
• Gurley, Fred (1889–1976), ATSF 1944–1958^[20][74]

H

• Hagerman, John J. (1838–1909), CM 1885–1890
• Hall, Harold H., SOU 1980–1982
• Hall, John Manning, NH 1899−1903
• Haile, Columbus, MKT 1927–1930^[34]
• Hanna, David Blyth (1858–1938), CNoR 1918–1919, CN 1919–1922
• Hannaford, Jule Murat (1850–1934), NP 1913–1920^[75][76]
• James Theodore Harahan, IC 1906–1911^[19]
• Harriman, E. H. (1848–1909), UP 1904–1909, SP 1901–1909
• Harris, Joseph Smith (1836-1910), Reading Company 1893-1901
• Harris, Robert (1830–1894), CB&Q 1876–1878, NP 1884–1888
• Harrison, Fairfax, SOU 1913–1937
• Harrison, E. Hunter (1944–2017), IC 1993–1998, CN 2003–2009. CP 2012–2017, CSX 2017
• Harrold, Orville R. (1932–2005), PW 1980–2005^[41]
• Hartt, Jay Samuel (died 1962), CSS&SB 1938–1960^[40]

• Havemeyer, Henry, LIRR 1875–1876
• Haverty, Mike (b. 1944), ATSF 1989–1995, KCS 1995–2010
• Haviland, Isaac E., LIRR 1850–1851 and 1852–1853
• Hayakawa, Senkichi, South Manchuria Railway 1921–1922
• Hayashi, Hakutaro, South Manchuria Railway 1932–1935
• Hays, Charles Melville, SP 1900–1901
• Heineman, Benjamin W. (1914–2012), CNW 1956–1968^[77][78]
• Henrici, Jacob, P&LE 1881–1885
• Henry, Paula, UTAH 2008–present^[47]
• Hicks, Valentine, LIRR 1837–1838
• Hill, James J. (1838–1916), SP&P 1873–1879, GN 1879–1907, NP
• Hiltz, John P. Jr., D&H 1967
• Hines, Walker D. (1870–1934), ATSF 1916–17, USRA 1918–1919
• Holden, Hale, SP 1928–1939

• Holliday, Cyrus K. (1826–1900), ATSF 1860–1863
• Hone, Philip (1780–1851), D&H 1825–1826
• Hooper, James, Erie two months in 1845
• Hood, John Mifflin, WM 1874–1902^{[28]: 41–44}
• Hopkins, Mark (1813–1878), CP 1861–
• Hoppe, Charles W., LIRR 1990–1994
• Howard, Nathaniel Lamson (1884–1949), CGW 1925–1929
• Huges, Timo (b. 1965), NS (Dutch Railways) 2013–present
• Hughes, David, Amtrak 2005–2006^[79]
• Hughitt, Marvin, CNW 1887–1910^[77]
• Hungerford, Samuel J., CN 1932–1941
• Hunnewell, H. H. (1810–1902), KCFS&G, KCL&S
• Huntingdon, G. R., SOO 1922–1923^[14]
• Huntington, Collis P. (1821–1900), CP 1862–, C&O 1871–1888
• Huntington, Henry E. (1850–1927), PE
• Hunton, Eppa Jr. (1855–1932), RFP 1920–1932
• Hurlbut, Hinman (1819–1884), CCCI
• Hustis, James H. (1864–1942), NH 1913–1914, B&M 1914–1926^[80]

I

• Idrac, Anne-Marie (b. 1951), RATP 2002–2006, SNCF 2006–2008
• Ingalls, Melville E. (1842–1914), CCC&StL 1889–1905
• Ingram, John W., RI 1974–1975^[81]
• Insull, Samuel (1859–1938), CNS&M, CA&E, CSS&SB 1925–1933^[40]
• Ives, Brayton (1840–1914), NP 1893–1896^[82]

J

• Jacobson, L. S. "Jake", CBRY -present
• Jaffray, C. T., SOO 1924–1937^[14]
• Jeffers, William, UP 1937–
• Jenks, Downing B., RI 1956–1961, MP
• Jervis, John B. (1795–1885), RI 1851–1854^[58]

• 

  Jewett, Hugh J. (1817–1898), Erie 1874–1884
• Johnson, Lucius E. (1846–1921), N&W 1904–1921
• Johnson, R. Ellis, RI 1961–1964
• Johnson, William B., IC 1967–1969^[19]
• Johnston, Charles E. (1881–1951), KCS 1928–1938
• Johnston, Paul W., Erie 1949–1956
• Johnston, Wayne A. (1897–1967), IC 1945–1966^[19][83]
• Joy, James F. (1810–1896), MC^[31]
• Joyce, Patrick H. (1879–1946), CGW 1931–1946

K

• Kakiuchi, Takeshi, JR West −2005
• Kalikow, Peter S. (b. 1943), NYMTA 2001–2007
• Kamarás, Miklós, MÁV −2008^[84][85][86]
• Kasyanov, Alexander, East Siberian Railway −2004
• Kawamura, Takeji, South Manchuria Railway 1922–1924
• Keddi, Herbert, DR 1989–1990
• Keep, Albert (1826–1907), CNW, LSMS
• Kenefick, John, UP 1971–1986
• Kenny, Raymond P., LIRR 2006–2007^[49]
• Keyes, Henry (1810–1870), ATSF 1869–1870
• Kidde, Walter (1877–1943), NYSW 1937–1943^[87]
• Kidder, John Flint (died 1901), NCNG −1901
• Kidder, Sarah, NCNG 1901–1913
• Kilbourn, Byron (1801–1870), Milwaukee and Mississippi Railroad 1849–1852
• Kiley, John P., MILW −1957
• Kimball, Benjamin, CS 1880^[88]

• 

  Kimball, Frederick J. (1844–1903), N&W 1881–1903
• Kimmel, William (1812–1886), B&O
• King, James Gore (1791–1853), Erie 1835–1839
• King, John, Erie 1884–1894
• Kittson, Norman (1814–1888), SPM&M 1879–
• Klemm, Hans, DR 1990–1991
• Knott, Stuart R. (1859–1943), KCS 1900–1905
• Kohiyama, Naoto, South Manchuria Railway 1943–1945
• Kramer, Erwin, DR 1950–1970
• Krebs, Robert, SP 1982–1984, BNSF
• Kreikemeyer, Willi, DR 1949–1950
• Kruttschnitt, Julius, SP 1913–1925
• Kummant, Alexander (b. 1942), Amtrak 2006–2008^{[44][89][90][91][92]}
• Kunisawa, Simbei, South Manchuria Railway 1917–1919

L

• Lafevers, Brad, GMA 2004–present^[93]
• Langdon, Jervis Jr., RI 1965–1970
• Lawless, Ronald E., CN 1987–1992
• LeClair, Maurice (1927–2020), CN 1982–1986
• Leeds, William Bateman, RI 1901–1904^[94]
• LeFrançois, Marc (b. 1939), Via 2000−2004
• Levine, John P., Pinsly -present
• Lewis, Drew (1931–2016), UP 1986–1997^[95]
• Lewis, Roger (1912–1987), Amtrak 1971–1974^[96]
• Linchevski, Ofer, Israel Railways 2005–present
• Loder, Benjamin (1801–1876), Erie 1845–1853
• Logan, William A., NYSW 1968–^[54]
• Lok, Jesper, DSB 2011–present
• Lord, Eleazer (1788–1871), Erie 1833–1835, 1839–1841 and 1844–1845
• Lord, Henry C. (1824–1884), ATSF 1868–1869

• Loree, Leonor F. (1858–1940), B&O 1901–1903, D&H 1907–1938, KCS 1918–1920
• Lovett, Robert S. (1860–1932), SP 1909–1913, UP 1910–1911
• Lowden, Frank Orren (1861–1943), RI 1933–1943
• Lowry, Thomas (1843–1909), SOO 1889–1890, 1892–1909^[14]
• Ludewig, Johannes (b. 1945), DB 1997–1999

M

• Macfarlane, Robert Stetson (1899–1982), NP 1951–1966^[97]

• 

  Mackenzie, William (1849–1923), TSR 1891–, CNoR 1895–, Brascan 1899–
• MacMillan, Norman J. (1909–1978), CN 1967–1974
• MacNamara, G. Allen, SOO 1950–1960^[14]
• Magdei, Vasilie V. (d. 2006), Ulaanbaatar Railway 2004–2006^[98]
• Mahone, William (1826–1895), N&P 1853-1858
• Maidmen, Irving, NYSW
• Mallory, Francis (1807–1860), N&P
• Mann, Donald (1853–1934), CNoR
• Manvel, Allen (1837–1893), ATSF 1889–1893
• Markham, Charles H., IC 1911–1918^[19]
• Marsh, Ernest S., ATSF 1958–1967^[20]
• Marsh, Nathaniel, Erie 1861–1864
• Marsh, Samuel, Erie 1859–1861 and four months in 1864
• Martin, Edward L. (1837–1897), KCP&G 1889–1897
• Matsuoka, Yōsuke (1880–1946), South Manchuria Railway 1935–1939
• Maxwell, Gregory W., D&H 1970–1972
• Maxwell, William, Erie 1842–1843
• Mayer, Charles F. (1832–1904), B&O 1888–1896
• Maynard, Moses Jr., LIRR 1851–1852
• McAdoo, William G. (1863–1941), H&M 1902–1913; USRA 1917–18^[99]
• McCabe, Frank Wells, D&H 1968
• McCahey, James B. Jr. (1920–1998), CSS&SB^[100]
• McCrea, James, PRR 1907–1912
• McCreey, William, P&LE 1875–1877
• McDonald, Angus Daniel (1878–1941), SP 1932–1941
• McDonald, Morris (1865–1938), B&M 1913–1914, MEC 1914–1932^[101]
• McGinnis, Patrick, B&M 1950–1960, NH 1954–^[102]
• McGonagle, William Albert “Al” (1861-1930), DM&IR (president) 1902-1930^[103]
• McIver, Bruce C., LIRR 1985–1989
• McKinnon, Arnold B., NS
• McLean, David G. A., CN -present
• McLeod, Archibald A., RDG
• McNear, Denman, SP 1976–1979

• McPherson, John D., IC, FEC 1999–2008^[68]
• Meerstadt, Bert (b. 1961), NS (Dutch Railways) 2009–2013
• Mehdorn, Hartmut (b. 1942), DB 1999–2009
• Mellen, Charles Sanger (1852–1927), NP 1897–1903, NH 1903–, MEC 1910–1914^[9][104]
• Menk, Louis W., NP 1966–1970, BN
• Mercier, Armand, SP 1941–1951
• Merrick, Samuel V., PRR 1847–1849
• Meyers, W. Heyward, PRR 1889-1915
• Mięclewski, Maciej, PKP −2004
• Miller, Dennis H., IAIS 2004–present
• Miller, E. Spencer (d. 2005), MEC 1952–1978^[9]
• Millholland, James A., GC&C
• Minot, Charles, Erie Railroad 1850-45 and 1859–1864
• Mitchell, Alexander (1817–1887), MILW 1864–1887
• Moffat, David (1839–1911), DRGW 1887–1891, DNW&P 1902-1911
• Mohan, D.M. "Mike", SP 1984–1996
• Mohar, Mario, TFM −2005
• Mohler, A.L., UP 1911–1916

• Molson, John (1763–1836), C&StL
• Moore, W. Gifford, L&HR 1968–^[105]
• Moorman, Charles W. (b. 1953), NS 2004–2015,^[106] Amtrak 2016–2017
• Moran, Charles, Erie 1857–1859
• Moretti, Mauro (b. 1953), FS 2006–present
• Morrill, Anson P., MEC 1864–1866 and 1873–1875^[9]
• Morris, William E., LIRR 1853–1862
• Moyes, Chris (1949–2006), Go-Ahead Group 2005–2006
• Moyers, Edward, SP −1995
• Mudge, Henry U., RI 1909–1915
• Murray, Leonard, SOO 1961–1978^[14]

N

• Nakamura, Korekimi, South Manchuria Railway 1908–1913
• Nakamura, Yujiro, South Manchuria Railway 1914–1917
• Nash, John Francis (1908–2004), P&LE 1953–1956, LV
• Nast, William F. (1840–1893), ATSF 1868
• William Neal, CPR 1947–1948
• Newall, James E., CPR
• Newell, John, P&LE 1887–1896
• Newton, Daniel Howe (1827–1911), HT&W 1887–1905^[3]
• Nickerson, Thomas (1810–1892), ATSF 1874–1880, CS 1880–1885^[88]
• Nomura, Ryutaro, South Manchuria Railway 1913–1914 and 1919–1921
• Norris, Ernest E., SOU 1937–1951
• Norton, Henry K., NYSW 1943–1955
• Nuelle, Joseph H., D&H 1938–1954

O

• Oakes, Thomas Fletcher (1843–1919), NP 1888–1893^[107]
• Oeftering, Heinz Maria, DB 1957–1972
• Oeser, Rudolf (1858–1926), Deutsche Reichsbahn 1924–1926
• Ogden, William Butler (1805–1877), G&CU 1848–1862, UP 1862–1863
• Ohmura, Takuichi, South Manchuria Railway 1939–1943
• Olyphant, George Talbot, D&H 1858–1869
• Olyphant, Robert M., D&H 1884–1903
• Osborn, Prime F., III, SCL, CSX
• Osipów, Andrzej (b. 1953), SKM 2006–2009
• Otsuka, Mutsutake (b. 1932), JR East 2000–present
• Ottensmeyer, Patrick J. (b. 1957), KCS 2015–present^[108]

P

• Packer, Asa (1805–1879), LV^[4]
• Page, William N. (1854–1932), VGN
• Palmer, William Jackson (1836–1909), KP, D&RG 1870–1901
• Parkinson, David L., CFNR 1993–
• Patterson, William C., PRR 1849–1852
• Pattison, Robert K., LIRR 1976–1978
• Payne, Henry Clay (1843–1904), TMER&L, NP^[3]
• Peabody, Charles A., IC 1918–1919^[19]
• Pease, Edward (1767–1858), S&D 1825–1829
• Pelletier, Jean (1935–2009), Via 2001–2004^[109]
• Pennington, Edmund, SOO 1909–1922^[14]
• Pepy, Guillaume (b. 1958), SNCF 2008–present
• Perham, Josiah, NP 1864–1866
• Perlman, Alfred E. (1902–1983), NYC 1954–1968, PC 1968–1970, WP 1970–1973
• Peters, Ralph (1853–1923), LIRR 1905–1923^[110]
• Phelps, John Jay (1810–1869), DLW −1853
• Phelps, Timothy Guy (1824–1899), SP 1865–1868
• Pick, Frank (1878–1941), LPTB 1933–1940
• Pitcairn, Robert (1836–1909), PRR Pittsburgh Division
• Plant, Henry B. (1819–1899), Plant System
• Pomeroy, Samuel C. (1816–1891), ATSF 1863–1868
• Poppenhusen, Adolph, LIRR 1877
• Poppenhusen, Conrad, LIRR 1876
• Post, Waldron B., LIRR 1838–1839
• Potter, William F., LIRR 1905
• Pound, Thaddeus C. (1833–1914), CF&W, StPEGT^[111]
• Power, Thomas F. Jr., WC −2001
• Prendergast, Thomas F., LIRR 1994–2000, NYMTA 2013–present
• Provo, Larry S., CNW 1968–1976^[78]
• Purdy, Warren G., RI 1898–1901^[94]

Q

• Qawi, Hanafi Abdel, Egyptian Railways −2006^[112]
• Quinlan, H.W., L&HR 1960–1968^[105]
• Quinn, William John, MILW 1957–1966 CB&Q 1966–1970

R

• Ramsdell, Homer, Erie 1853–1857
• Ramsey, Joseph Jr., WAB 1901–1905, WM 1903–1908^{[28]: 44, 48 [113]}
• Rea, Samuel, PRR 1913–1925, LIRR 1923–1928
• Redfearn, Donald D. (b. 1953), RailAmerica
• Reed, James H., P&LE 1892–1896
• Reed, John Shedd (1917–2008), ATSF 1967–1986^[20][114]
• Reid, Robert Gillespie (1842–1908), NFRy 1889–1908
• Reidy, Edward T. (1903–1975), CGW 1957–1968
• Reinhart, Joseph, ATSF 1893–1894
• Reistrup, Paul, Amtrak 1974–1978^[115]
• Rice, Richard D., MEC 1870–1873^[9]
• Rice, W. Thomas (1913–2006), RFP 1955–1957, ACL 1957–1967, SCL 1967–, CSX^[116][117]
• Rich, Walter (1946–2007), NYSW 1980–^[118]
• Riddle, Hugh (1822–1892), RI 1877–1883^[33]
• Rión, Francisco Javier, TFM 2005–present
• Ripley, Edward Payson, ATSF 1896–1920^[20]
• Ritchie, Robert J., CPR 1990–2005^[119]
• Roberson, Bob, FWWR
• Roberts, George B., PRR 1880–1896

• 

  Robinson, Tracy A., CN 2022-present^[120]
• Robinson, William Jr., O&P 1848–^[121]
• Rogers, Henry H. (1840–1909), VGN
• Ronan, William J. (1912–2014), NYMTA 1965–1974
• Ropes, David N., LIRR 1876–1877
• Rose, Matthew K. (b. 1960), BNSF 1999–present^[122]
• Ross, Walter L. (b. 1852), NKP 1929–^[16]
• Rouvillois, Philippe, SNCF −1986
• Rowland, Landon H., KCS 1990–1991
• Rowland, Ross, Pacific Wilderness Railway 2000–2001
• Roy, Jon R., IAIS −2002
• Russell, Donald (1900–1985), SP 1952–1972
• Rutter, James H., NYC 1883–1885

S

• Sage, Russell (1816–1906), CM&StP
• St. Clair-Abrams, Alexander (1845–1931), TO&A
• Saunders, Stuart T. (1909–1987), N&W 1958–1963, PRR 1963–1968, PC 1968–1970
• Scannell, Daniel T., LIRR 1981
• Schaff, Charles E., MKT 1923–1926
• Schieffer, Kevin V., DME 1996–2008^[123][124]
• Schlager, Walter L. Jr., LIRR 1969–1976
• Schmiege, Robert, CNW

• Schoonmaker, James M., P&LE
• Scott, I. Barry, CPR −1995
• Scott, Thomas A. (1823–1881), UP 1871–1874, PRR 1874–1880
• Scranton, George W. (1811–1861)
• Sease, Ralph E., NYSW 1955–1963
• Seger, C.B., UP 1918–1919
• Segień, Mikołaj, SKM -present^[125]
• Sengeløv, Keld (d. 2006), DSB −2006
• Sengoku, Mitsugu, South Manchuria Railway 1928–1931
• Sharp, Thomas R., LIRR 1877–1881
• Shaughnessy, Thomas George (1853–1923), CPR 1899–1918
• Sheffield, Bill (b. 1928), ARR 1997–2001^[126]
• Sheffield, Joseph Earl (1793–1882), Northampton Railroad
• Sherwood, Henry (1813–1896), W&L^[4]
• Shoemaker, Kent, D&H 1978–1982
• Shoener, Arthur, KCS 2005–2008^[127]

• Shoup, Paul, SP 1929–1932
• Shumate, Stuart, RFP 1961–1981^[128]
• Simpson, Howard E. (1897–1985), B&O 1953–1961
• Sinclair, Ian David (1913–2006), CPR 1969–1981^[129]
• Sloan, Matthew S., MKT 1933–1945
• Sloan, Samuel (1817–1907), DLW 1867–1899
• Smith, Alfred H. (1863–1924), NYC 1914–1924
• Smith, Charles E. RDG −1866
• Smith, John Gregory (1818–1891), NP 1866–1872
• Smith, Marvin Louis Vice President Operations Texas Pacific – Missouri Pacific Railroad 1962–1968
• Smith, Marvin Louis President St. Louis Terminal Railroad 1961–1962
• Smith, Richard Earl Trainmaster Texas-Pacific Missouri-Pacific Railroad 1961–1968
• Smucker, David E., LIRR 1949–1950
• Snow, John W. (b. 1939), B&O 1985–1986, CSXT 1986–1988

• Spencer, Samuel (1847–1906), B&O 1887–1888, SOU 1894–1906
• Speyer, Edgar (1862–1932), UERL 1906–1915
• Squires, James, NS 1992–
• Sprague, Lucian (1882–1960), M&StL 1935–
• Sproule, William, SP 1911–1918 and 1920–1928
• Stamp, Josiah (1880–1941) LMS 1926–
• Stanley, Albert, Lord Ashfield (1874–1948), UERL 1920–1933, LPTB 1933–1947
• Stanford, Leland (1824–1893), CP 1861–1868, SP 1868–1893
• Starling, David (b. 1950), KCS 2008–2016^[130]
• Stauffer, Grant (died 1949), CGW 1948–1949
• Stephen, George (1829–1921), CPR 1881–1888
• Sterzing, Carl B., D&H 1972–1977
• Stickney, Alpheus Beede (1840–1916), CGW 1883–1909^[131]
• Stilwell, Arthur Edward (1859–1928), KCP&G 1897–1900, KCM&O
• Stinson, William (b. 1935), CPR 1981–1990^[132][133]
• Stockdale, Fletcher (c. 1823–1890), Indianola Railroad
• Stoddard, A.E., UP 1949–1965
• Storey, William Benson (1857–1940), ATSF 1920–1933^[20]
• Strong, Henry, ATSF 1873–1874
• Strong, William Barstow (1837–1914), MC −1876, ATSF 1881–1889
• Swann, Thomas (1809–1883), B&O 1848–1853
• Swift, Charles M. (1854–1929), Meralco, Panay Railways, various Michigan companies
• Swinburn, Charles (b. 1942), RailAmerica
• Swartz, W. John, ATSF 1986–1989
• Symes, James H., PRR 1954–1963

T

• Taylor, Hamish, Eurostar 1996–1999
• Taylor, Knowles, LIRR 1835–1837
• Taylor, Walter H. (1838–1916), N&W

• Tellier, Paul (b. 1939), CN 1992–2003^[134]
• Thayer, William F. (b. 1846), NNH^[31]
• Thomas, Eben B., Erie 1894–1901
• Thomas, Philip E. (1776–1861), B&O 1827–1836
• Thomson, Frank, PRR 1897–1899
• Thomson, John Edgar (1808–1874), PRR 1852–1874
• Thornton, Henry W. (1871–1933), CN 1922–1932
• Tishanin, Alexander, East Siberian Railway 2004–present
• Tobias, Steven C., AWW -present
• Towner, Terry, ABS -present
• Tracy, John F., RI 1866–1877^[135][136]
• Travis, Walter E., BAR^[81]
• Truesdale, William (1851–1935), MSTL 1887, DLW 1899–1925^[137]
• Tsutsumi, Yoshiaki (b. 1934), Seibu Railway −2004
• Turpin, Frank (1923–2005), ARR 1985–1993^[138]
• Tuttle, Lucius, B&M 1893–^[139]
• Twichell, Ginery (1811–1883), B&W 1857–, ATSF 1870–1873, BB&G, HT&W

U

• Uchida, Yasuka, South Manchuria Railway 1931–1932
• Underwood, Frederick D., Erie 1901–1927

V

• Vaerst, Wolfgang, DB 1972–1982
• Vanderbilt, Cornelius (1794–1877), NY&H 1862–, NYC 1867–
• Vanderbilt, Cornelius, II (1843–1899), NYC 1885–
• Vanderbilt, Frederick William (1856–1938), NYC
• Vanderbilt, Harold Stirling (1884–1970), NYC
• Vanderbilt, William Henry (1821–1885), NYC
• Vanderbilt, William Kissam (1849–1920), NYC
• Vanderbilt, William Kissam, II (1878–1944), NYC
• van Boxtel, Roger (b. 1954), NS 2015—
• van der Burch, John, SRY 2000–2008^[32]

• 

  Van Horne, William Cornelius (1843–1915), CPR 1889–1899
• Van Sweringen, Mantis James (1881–1935), NKP, Erie, PM, HV, C&O
• Van Sweringen, Oris Paxton (1879–1936), NKP, Erie, PM, HV, C&O
• Vaughan, Robert Charles, CN 1941–1949
• Veenman, Aad, NS (Dutch Railways) 2002–2009
• Villard, Henry (1835–1900), NP 1881–1884
• Von Miller, Harry W., Erie 1956–1960, EL 1960–

W

• Wach, Andrzej, PKP 2004–present
• Walker, Aldace F. (1842–1901), ATSF 1894–1895
• Walker, George, CPR 1948–1955
• Walsh, Mike, UP 1987–1991
• Walters, Henry (1848–1931), ACL
• Christopher O. Ward Executive Director of PANYNJ (2008-2011)
• Ward, Michael J., CSX 2003–2017
• Warrington, George (1952–2007), Amtrak 1998–2002^[140]
• Washburn, William D. (1831–1912), SOO 1883–1889^[14]
• Watkins, Hays T. Jr., Chessie System 1972–1986, CSX
• Watson, Peter H., Erie 1872–1874
• Webster, G. W., SOO 1937–1944^[14]
• Weeks, James H., LIRR 1847–1850
• Wegner, Mark J., TCW 2007–present^[55]
• West, Absolom M. (1818–1894), MSC 1864–
• White, William, D&H 1954–1967
• Whitehead, Charles N., MKT 1926
• Whitman, Reginald N., MKT 1970–1975^[13]

• Wilbur, George B., CS 1885–1887^[88]
• Wilcox, David, D&H 1903–1907
• Willard, Daniel (1861–1942), B&O 1910–1941
• Williams, Charles T., MKT 1961–1965
• Williams, Helena E., LIRR 2007–present^[49][141]
• Williams, John H., NWP 2006–present^[142]
• Wilson, Robin H.H., LIRR 1981–1985
• Winchell, Benjamin L., RI 1904–1909
• Winter, Edwin (1845–1930), NP 1896–1897, BRT 1902–^[143]
• Wolfe, James R. (1930–1988), Chicago and North Western^[144]
• Woodruff, Robert E. (1884–1957), Erie 1939–1949^[145]
• Wright, Charles Barstow, NP 1875–1879
• Wurtz, John, D&H 1831–1858
• Wyer, William, LIRR 1951–1954

Y

• Yakunin, Vladimir (b. 1948), Russian Railways 2005–2015
• Yamamoto, Jyotaro, South Manchuria Railway 1927–1929
• Yamazaki, Masao, JR West 2005–present
• Yamazaki, Motoki, South Manchuria Railway 1945
• Yasuhiro, Banichiro, South Manchuria Railway 1924–1927
• Yerkes, Charles (1837–1905), UERL 1902–1905
• Yohe, Curtis M., P&LE 1929–1953
• Yohe, James B., P&LE
• Young, James R. (1952–2014), UP (president) 2004–2014 (CEO) 2006–2014
• Young, Robert R. (1897–1958), C&O 1942–, NYC 1954–1958
• Yulee, David Levy (1810–1886), Yulee Railroad