JAMES KOSKE
Canadian Pacific Kansas City Railway (CPKC)
Benton,LA
25
years of professional experience
Results-driven Railroad Operations Leader with 19 years of progressive experience at CPKC and Kansas City Southern. Proven track record of managing large unionized workforces (up to 170 employees) by driving team-first cultures centered on safety, accountability, and continuous development. Expertise in leveraging continuous improvement (CL) tools to shift shop environments from merely compliant to fully committed. Well versed in FRA, AAR, and OSHA compliance, lowering locomotive failure rates, and drastically reducing human-factor incidents through collaborative leadership.
Work History
Assistant Superintendent of Shop Operations
3 Years 6 Months- Leading and empowering a 115-member union workforce, fostering a collaborative environment that prioritizes team growth, open communication, and shared operational success.
- Achieved 4+ consecutive years injury-free by cultivating a team-driven "Home Safe" culture, active safety committee involvement, and peer-to-peer accountability.
- Championing cultural transformation using Continuous Learning (CL) tools, transitioning the workforce from a compliant mindset to a highly committed team structure.
- Mentoring supervisors and shop craft personnel, setting clear expectations and establishing pathways for internal advancement.
- Partnering with shop teams to execute annual overhaul programs, averaging 80+ locomotive overhauls annually out of the Shreveport shop.
- Collaborative focus led to team being run-through switch free for 2.5+ years.
- Reduced locomotive Failure Loss Yearly (FLY) rate from 4.0 to sub-2.0 by engaging craft employees in identifying root causes and dynamic solutions.
- Awarded the 2023 CEO Award for Excellence in Safety, Locomotive Shop Leadership, presented by Mr. Keith Creel, Chief Executive Officer.
- Alumni participant in a 2024 Consequence Leadership workshop supporting one of CPKC’s Five Foundations, Develop People.
Director of Shop Operations
7 Years 2 Months- Managed 120 union employees, driving team cohesion and cross-functional alignment across fleet repair, maintenance, and overhaul operations.
- Built a 3.5-year injury-free environment by establishing an inclusive "Speak Up" culture where employees at every level were empowered to halt unsafe practices.
- Invested in continuous workforce development through structured mentoring, skill-building workshops, and educational programs.
- Maintained a consistent sub-2.5 FLY rate and cut human-factor incidents by 70% by building cross-shift trust and joint problem-solving processes.
- Maintained full FRA and AAR regulatory compliance through proactive, team-led quality checks and safety committee engagement.
- Recognized by EVP and COO, Mr. Jeff Songer, with a Stormy Kromer award for leading both the Shreveport Locomotive Shop’s two-year, reportable injury free milestone (as of February 21, 2021) and the 2020 locomotive overhaul/rebuild program, significantly improving the reliability and availability of the fleet.
- Shreveport Locomotive Shop awarded the 2020 Safety Starts Here President’s Award for lowest Injury Frequency Ratio (IFR).
- Shreveport Locomotive was the recipient of the 2020 Vice President’s Mechanical Award for lowest IFR in the Mechanical Department.
Senior Manager of Shop Operations
8 Months- Directed shop operations, project manpower, and fleet maintenance for 170 unionized employees, building strong labor-management partnerships.
- Implemented collaborative process improvements that enhanced fleet availability, shop throughput, and employee morale.
Locomotive Quality Assurance Analyst
1 Year 2 Months- Led cross-functional root-cause failure analyses, partnering directly with shop crews to resolve recurring technical issues.
- Coordinated team efforts for the seamless installation and field testing of Wi-Tronix, Positive Train Control (PTC), and Railhead camera systems.
Journeyman Electrician
7 Years 5 Months- Worked directly on the shop floor inspecting, repairing, and troubleshooting complex locomotive electrical systems.
- Supported peer safety and onboarding of new technologies.
Electrical & Hydraulic Team Leader
5 Years- Led shop teams in industrial controls and robotics.
Education
Associate of Science - Industrial Maintenance
- Specialization: Industrial Maintenance
- Coursework: Basic/Advanced Electricity, Three-Phase & Industrial Motor Controls, PLCs, Hydraulics, Pneumatics, Mechanical Systems, Blueprint Reading, Pipefitting, Rigging, Welding.
Skills
Union relations
FRA compliance
Policy implementation
Safety oversight
Conflict mediation
Root Cause Analysis
Locomotive maintenance
Timeline
Assistant Superintendent of Shop Operations
Canadian Pacific Kansas City Railway (CPKC)
04.2023 - CurrentRead More
Director of Shop Operations
Kansas City Southern Railroad (KCS)
02.2016 - 04.2023Read More
Senior Manager of Shop Operations
02.2016 - 10.2016Read More
Locomotive Quality Assurance Analyst
12.2014 - 02.2016Read More
Journeyman Electrician
Kansas City Southern Railway
07.2007 - 12.2014Read More
Electrical & Hydraulic Team Leader
Continental Structural Plastics
01.2002 - 01.2007Read More
Northwest Louisiana Technical College
Associate of Science from Industrial Maintenance
Read More