OREANDA-NEWS. E. Hunter Harrison, Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Pacific (CP), has been named 2015 Railroader of the Year by railroad industry trade journal Railway Age.

"Hunter Harrison, regarded as one of the best all-time operating executives in railroading, came out of retirement to lead a remarkable turnaround at CP, which up to that point had been lagging well behind its six North American Class I contemporaries in performance," said Railway Age Editor-in-Chief William C. Vantuono. "Under his highly disciplined, focused leadership, CP has produced record revenues and earnings, a record-low operating ratio, and the stock price has more than tripled. The railroad, with aggressive long-term growth prospects, has become one of Wall Street's most favored investments in the rail sector."

"I am honored and humbled by the award as it is a reflection of the remarkable team at CP and the transformation we have undergone," said Mr. Harrison. "The railroaders of CP are the reason for our success and, while our focus on growth and cost control continues, it's important to pause and recognize that this award is as much theirs as it is mine."

Hunter Harrison is Railway Age's 52nd Railroader of the Year and the second CP recipient (preceded by Robert J. Ritchie in 2004). This is the second time he has been so-honored; the first time was in 2002, when he was chief operating officer of the then-recently combined Canadian National/Illinois Central system.

Harrison joins rail industry icons Stuart T. Saunders, L. Stanley Crane and David R. Goode as a two-time recipient. He will be honored on March 17, 2015, at Chicago's Union League Club. Railway Age will tell the story of Hunter Harrison and the organization he leads at Canadian Pacific with a cover story in the magazine's January 2015 issue, which will also be available online at www.railwayage.com with video highlights, and in the magazine's January 2015 digital edition. Modern Railroads magazine founded the Railroader of the Year award, one of the most prestigious in the railroad industry, in 1964 as the "Man of the Year." Railway Age acquired Modern Railroads in 1991 and has presented the award annually since then.