Rising Stars 2026: Tim Luchini

Tim Luchini, 37 
CEO, co-founder
Intramotev

Nominator’s quote: “The railroad industry has needed an innovator like Tim Luchini for a long time. The fact that he arrived from outside it may be what makes his contribution all the more significant. ... His path to railroading was unconventional, which may be exactly why he was able to see an opportunity that others missed.” — Don Soffer, Intramotev

Education: South Dakota School of Mines & Technology; University of Toledo, Master's Degree in mechanical engineering; Michigan State University, PhD, mechanical engineering.

Job responsibilities: Supports a team of more than 50 engineers, developers and technicians. Operational since 2020, Intramotev is currently the only company in the world to move commercial goods daily with an autonomous freight car.

Briefly describe your career path.
Prior to founding Intramotev, I spent my time at Boeing supporting the defense industry, working in the urban air mobility space and developing next-generation aerospace technologies. I started at Boeing as a technical contributor and then went on to lead cutting-edge research efforts. From engineering, I went on to build and manage engineering teams across Boeing as they explored new spaces like their eVTOL portfolio. Taking emerging technology from early research to flying demonstrators is what gave me the confidence to do the same for rail.

What was your first job and what did you learn from it?
My first-ever job was as a roofer earning $5.25/hour. That job taught me a lot about hard work, how to treat people and the importance of sunscreen.

What sparked your interest in the rail industry? What told you it could be a place for you to thrive?
I grew up in a small northwestern Ohio rail town; trains ran through the community constantly. Back then they were just an inconvenience, something that held us up at the crossings on the way to school. It was only as my career progressed that I recognized the opportunity that had been hiding in plain sight the whole time.

It is easy to see an industry this old as fixed, with everything already decided. But the people who built it were inventors, and there is still room to stand on their shoulders and advance the art. Rail already does so much right, which is how it has endured for over 200 years. With new technology, we can help it thrive for another 200 and beyond.

What’s one of the most valuable lessons you’ve learned in your career? 
Paying it forward. A lot of people invested in me along the way, often when there was nothing in it for them, and I hope to do the same for others. The best help I ever received was given without any expectation of return, and that is the kind of mentor I want to be.

What are your passions outside of work?
I am an engineer at heart. I love solving problems and building things, and at any given time I have an array of projects under way, from building an electric lawn mower to modifying different consumer electronics. My education also instilled in me a fascination with reading and lately I have been working through a series on small modular nuclear reactors.

How do you plan to keep making an impact in your corner of the industry?
I plan to have an impact by building the next generation of engineering talent and investing in people who are genuinely excited about the future of rail. The industry endures because each generation hands something better to the next and I want to help bring up engineers who will carry that forward. 

What's the biggest challenge confronting the rail industry today?
Growth and the technology stagnation that holds it back. In some ways, rail is its own worst enemy: It does an enormous amount for society, but as an industry, we need to be better about marketing the value we provide to the world. Changing that story, and the technology behind it, is the challenge worth taking on.