UP shuffles operations management

   Union Pacific has appointed Joe Santamaria to vice president of engineering, where he will lead track, infrastructure and signal systems design, construction and maintenance.
   The appointment takes effect Oct. 1.
   Santamaria currently serves as the railroad’s vice president of transportation. He previously held roles as regional vice president and chief mechanical officer.
   Meanwhile, Randy Blackburn has been named vice president of transportation, succeeding Santamaria. Blackburn will oversee transportation field operations across Union Pacific’s 32,000-mile system. He currently serves as regional vice president of the northern region. Blackburn also has been vice president and general manager of intermodal and vice president of premium operations.
   David Connell has been named regional vice president of the northern region. He will be responsible for leading operations and customer service across the region’s 12,000-mile network. He currently serves as vice president of engineering, where his team has “reduced slow orders by 75 percent during the railroad’s unprecedented capital investment program,” UP said.