Alaska Railroad Names New Director of Engineering Services

The Alaska Railroad Corporation (ARRC) promoted Brian O’Dowd to Director of Engineering Services. He succeeds veteran railroad employee Christian Ryll, who retires after nearly thirty-three years of service.

O’Dowd’s record and experience, both at the railroad and with previous employers, made him the clear choice to fill the position, according to the ARRC Vice President and Chief Engineer Brian Lindamood. “We recognized Brian’s promising career potential early on, when we hired him as an engineering intern in the mid-2000s,” Lindamood says. “He’s lived up to that potential, and we’re very pleased to see him advance within the railroad.”

O’Dowd earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from UAA and is a certified professional engineer licensed in Alaska. He managed and directed projects for key engineering firms, including R&M Consultants and The Hamilton Companies. Returning to the Alaska Railroad as a project manager in 2018, he was promoted to senior project manager in 2021.

“The railroad’s engineering services department works throughout ARRC to develop and maintain our vast infrastructure. Brian’s intra-department experience is a great advantage in supporting our capital investment and infrastructure improvement plans and projects. Plus, his years in the private sector provides reliability and range to Brian’s abilities,” Lindamood says. “Brian’s leadership will provide a seamless transition as the newest member of our executive management team.”

O’Dowd also serves on two American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-Of-Way Association technical committees: the Seismic Design for Railway Structures and Structures Maintenance & Construction.