Herzog

What Herzog does

Herzog is a privately held, vertically integrated rail and heavy/highway infrastructure contractor founded in 1969 and headquartered in St. Joseph, Missouri. The company operates through eight wholly-owned subsidiaries — Herzog Contracting Corp., Herzog Railroad Services Inc., Herzog Services Inc., Herzog Technologies Inc., Herzog Transit Services Inc., Herzog Energy Inc., Herzog Solutions LLC, and the TransitAmerica Services Inc. (TASI) brand — plus a joint venture interest in Green Group Holdings LLC with Phillips & Jordan, Inc. Service lines span rail and highway construction, maintenance-of-way, asphalt paving, airports, transit operations and maintenance (the largest private passenger rail O&M provider in the US with 17 active contracts), PTC systems integration and hosting, GIS/LiDAR data collection, custom railroad software, ultrasonic rail testing, railcar leasing (4,000+ fleet), AAR-certified railcar repair, renewable energy and oil & gas construction (Herzog Energy), and disaster response and environmental remediation (Herzog Solutions, Green Group).

The company differentiates through a portfolio of in-house designed and patented equipment — GPS Ballast Trains (PLUS and SMART), Automated Conveyor Train℠, Solar Ballast Car, Multi-Purpose Machine, Rail Unloading Machine, Automated Tie-Down Car®, Self-Loading Rail Train, Clip Car, ProScan LiDAR Survey Platform, CarTopper® material handler — and a growing software stack (TAM-4© transit asset management, Video Track Chart℠, Switchboard℠, GIS Software Suite, SpeedTrax® data collection, and the AI-based RailSentry™ object detection system). The multimodal Survey Platform combines LiDAR, 360° HD video, precision GPS, GNSS, and inertial data, with 30,000+ miles of right-of-way scanned to date.

Herzog's revenue model is hybrid and project-based, drawing from competitive-bid construction and CM/GC contracts (Class 1 railroads, transit agencies, state DOTs), long-term managed services for passenger rail operations and maintenance, recurring equipment leasing (railcars, hyrail, and specialty MOW equipment), and professional services for PTC integration, ultrasonic rail testing, GIS processing, disaster response, and renewable energy construction. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Distribution is direct enterprise sales through regional offices in the US and Canada, targeting public agencies and large private carriers; the company maintains a 50-year brand, AAR M-1003/M-214/S-2034 and ISO-aligned certifications, ASNT Level III technicians, and a multi-decade safety record with EMR consistently under 1.0 and recordable injury rates below 1.50.

Name

Herzog

Legal name

Herzog

Website

https://herzog.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Herzog is a privately held, vertically integrated rail and heavy/highway infrastructure contractor serving Class 1 railroads, US transit agencies, and government clients with construction, maintenance, passenger rail operations, PTC integration, railcar leasing, proprietary equipment, and renewable energy and disaster response services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rail Infrastructure Construction & Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Rail Transportation (4882), Rail Transportation (482), Construction Machinery Manufacturing (33312)

SIC

Railroad Equipment (3743), Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700), Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530)

akta.pro primary industry

Rail Maintenance & Track Vehicles (Hi-Rail, Track Machines, Inspection Vehicles) (IMAHAIAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Freight Wagon (Railcar) Maintenance & Repair (TLAKAIAB), Railcar Storage & Staging Yards (TLALAKAF), Rail Terminal Cargo Handling Equipment Operations & Maintenance (Cranes, Reach Stackers, RTGs) (TLAJAFAG)

Keywords

• Railroad construction services
• Maintenance-of-way equipment
• Passenger rail operations
• Positive Train Control integration
• Heavy highway paving

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Joseph

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices29 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Rail & Highway Construction Services: Project-based revenue from rail construction, highway/asphalt paving, maintenance-of-way, and infrastructure projects for Class 1 railroads, transit agencies, and government clients. Revenue generated through competitive bidding and negotiated contracts for new construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance projects.
2. Rail Transit Operations & Maintenance: Long-term operations and maintenance contracts for passenger rail systems including commuter rail, heavy/metrorail, streetcar, and intercity services. Revenue from managing train operations, dispatching, rolling stock maintenance, and infrastructure maintenance for 17+ transit properties.
3. Equipment & Railcar Leasing: Leasing revenue from 4,000+ railcar fleet and specialized maintenance-of-way equipment including GPS ballast trains, hyrail vehicles, material handlers. Flexible short and long-term lease arrangements for contractors, freight rail, and transit systems.
4. Railcar Repair Services: AAR-certified repair services at facilities in St. Joseph, MO and Falls City, NE with direct interchange to BNSF and Union Pacific. Services include preventative maintenance, modifications, and heavy wreck repair.
5. Positive Train Control (PTC) Services: Turnkey PTC systems integration, program management, GIS data collection, and technology solutions through Herzog Technologies. Includes PTC hosting, back-office systems, and FRA compliance documentation.
6. Ultrasonic Rail Testing: Rail flaw detection services using three vehicle platforms with multi-channel ultrasonic testing hardware and Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT) for Class 1 and short line railroads.
7. Renewable Energy Construction: Full-scale construction services for solar PV, BESS, substations, and transmission projects through Herzog Energy. Includes utility-scale solar and battery storage projects.
8. Disaster Response & Recovery: Emergency response and recovery services through Herzog Solutions for hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and other catastrophes. Services include debris removal, environmental remediation, and program management for federal and state agencies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Herzog is a rail and heavy/highway infrastructure contractor providing rail and highway construction, maintenance-of-way, passenger rail operations and maintenance, railcar leasing and repair, proprietary railroad equipment, and technology services including PTC systems integration, GIS data collection, and custom railroad software across North America.

Product overview

Herzog is a diversified rail and heavy/highway infrastructure company offering a broad portfolio of integrated services across construction, maintenance, technology, and operations. The portfolio consists of nine divisions organized around distinct capabilities: (1) construction services (rail, highway/asphalt paving, airports, maintenance-of-way, and energy); (2) rail services including Class 1 engineering solutions, ballast distribution, material handling, ultrasonic rail testing, railcar leasing, and railcar repair; (3) technology services including PTC systems integration, GIS data collection and management, custom railroad software (Video Track Chart℠, Switchboard℠, GIS Software Suite), and RailSentry™ critical asset monitoring; (4) rail transit operations and maintenance (HTSI/TASI subsidiary); (5) equipment leasing and fabrication; and (6) energy services (Herzog Energy for renewables/oil & gas, Herzog Solutions for emergency response, Green Group for environmental services). Key proprietary technology products include the TAM-4© asset management software, GPS Ballast Trains (PLUS/SMART), Automated Conveyor Train℠, Solar Ballast Car, Multi-Purpose Machine, Rail Unloading Machine, Automated Tie-Down Car®, Self-Loading Rail Train, Clip Car, ProScan LiDAR Survey Platform, Rail Testing Vehicles, and CarTopper®.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TransitAmerica℠ (TASI): Wholly-owned subsidiary of Herzog Transit Services, Inc. providing passenger rail operations and maintenance services across North America.
• RailSentry™
• Video Track Chart℠ (VTC)
• TAM-4©

Products and services

• Rail Construction Contracting Full-service rail infrastructure construction including ballasted track, direct fixation, special trackwork, industrial track, crane rail, rail bridges, station/civil construction, and signal/communications installation for railroads and transit agencies.
• Highway/Asphalt Paving Services Heavy highway and asphalt paving construction including highways, municipal streets, parking lots, running tracks, and trails with AASHTO QC/QA laboratory verification, for state DOTs and municipalities.
• Airport & Airstrip Construction Airside and landside airport construction including runways, taxiways, aprons, parking lots, and access roads with self-performing capabilities from grading through grooving and striping.
• Rail Infrastructure Maintenance and Rehabilitation Services Maintenance-of-way and rehabilitation services for commuter, heavy, and light rail agencies covering 900+ miles of track on 9 rail systems, including ROW inspection, scheduled maintenance, and immediate incident response.
• Class 1 Railroad Engineering Solutions Turnkey railway engineering services with proprietary high-tech equipment for railroad right-of-way maintenance and construction, covering ballast distribution, material handling, ROW survey, and emergency response.
• Ballast Distribution Equipment Comprehensive fleet of proprietary ballast cars and distribution equipment including GPS Ballast Trains, Automated Conveyor Train, Solar Ballast Car, and Multi-Purpose Machine for precision placement in maintenance and new construction.
• Material Handling Solutions Railroad material handling equipment including Rail Unloading Machine, Self-Loading Rail Train, Automated Tie-Down Car, Clip Car, and CarTopper for crosstie, rail, and ballast handling within the right-of-way.
• ROW Survey Services Right-of-way survey vehicles using LiDAR, GPS, 360-degree cameras, and inertial systems to model and analyze the railroad corridor for PTC critical feature validation, ballast profiling, and clearance analysis.
• Ultrasonic Rail Testing Services Ultrasonic rail flaw detection using three vehicle platforms with multi-channel ultrasonic testing hardware and optional Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT), for Class 1 and short line railroads.
• Railcar Leasing Railcar equipment leasing with a 4,000+ fleet of various railcar types including rapid discharge cars, side dumps, gondolas, flat cars, and GPS/solar ballast cars, serving carriers, shippers, and railcar owners.
• Railcar Repair Services State-of-the-art railcar repair at facilities in St. Joseph, Missouri and Falls City, Nebraska with AAR M-1003 certified quality assurance, preventative maintenance, modifications, and heavy wreck repair.
• Positive Train Control (PTC) Systems Integration Turnkey PTC systems integration covering program management, system design, installation, testing, commissioning, and FRA documentation for Class I and short line railroads.
• GIS Data Collection & Management Services End-to-end GIS data services for PTC including survey collection (LiDAR, video, 360 imagery), processing using Herzog-built PTC tool suite, rules-based testing, Subdiv file generation, and delivery in PTC-compatible formats.
• Wayside Signal & Communications System design, installation, testing, and commissioning of wayside signal and communications infrastructure including highway-grade crossings, defect detectors, fiber optic, microwave, RF, Wi-Fi, and cellular networks.
• Custom Railroad Software Development Custom rail software developed under a SaaS model including Video Track Chart, Switchboard, GIS Software, and PTC-focused applications designed to automate manual processes and improve safety for railroads.
• Passenger Rail Operations Largest private U.S. passenger rail operations provider operating commuter rail, heavy/metrorail, DMU/hybrid, intercity, and streetcar systems, including train crew scheduling, dispatching, fare revenue services, and flagging/RWP.
• Rail Transit Maintenance Comprehensive rail transit maintenance covering rolling stock, traction electrification systems, track & structures, signals & communications, stations, and facilities maintenance for transit agencies.
• Rail Equipment Leasing Short and long-term leasing of hyrail support vehicles, maintenance-of-way equipment, and specialty equipment including boom trucks, brush trucks, material handlers, rotary dumps, welding vans, water trucks, dynamic track stabilizers, and crane trains.
• Fabrication Services In-house fabrication shop with TRUMPF laser machines (flat and tube), brake press, and 6-axis welding cobot for custom structural steel, weldments, and specialty parts up to 2-inch thick material cutting.
• Environmental Services Large-scale infrastructure development, environmental permitting, and operations for solid waste landfills, recycling facilities, industrial parks, and transfer stations through Green Group, LLC.
• Renewable Energy Construction Full-scale renewable energy construction including utility-scale solar PV, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), RNG, hydrogen, carbon capture, substation, and transmission projects through Herzog Energy, Inc.
• Oil & Gas Construction Oil and gas infrastructure construction and maintenance including pipeline, facilities, integrity management, and pumping station construction through Herzog Energy, Inc.
• TAM-4 (Transit Asset Management 4) Proprietary integrated operations and maintenance management software that schedules, monitors, captures data, and generates reports on train operations, maintenance of equipment, facilities management, and track & signal maintenance, with a TAM-IAM web portal for KPI dashboards.
• Video Track Chart (VTC) Web-based software portal providing access to up-to-date imagery, track charts, and geographic maps for railroad track viewing, remote virtual job briefings, site inspections, and PTC asset management.
• RailSentry Critical asset monitoring technology using multi-sensor cameras and AI-based learning software to detect objects and hazards at rail crossings, platforms, bridges, and tunnels; integrates with PTC and locomotive onboard units to alert engineers.
• SpeedTrax Portable GIS data collection platform capable of being installed on rail-borne vehicles to collect PTC-required data, supporting the SpeedTrax GIS survey system.
• Herzog Solutions Emergency Response Full-service disaster response and recovery contractor providing turnkey emergency response, environmental remediation, debris removal, and recovery services for hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and other catastrophes for federal and state agencies.
• TEXRail Operations & Maintenance Commuter rail operations and maintenance including PTC hosting, dispatching, vehicle operations, rolling stock maintenance, and right-of-way maintenance across a 27-mile corridor from Fort Worth to DFW Airport.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% equipment uptime dependability for ballast fleet
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature14 records

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Harsco Rail: Direct competitor in rail maintenance equipment manufacturing, including track geometry, ballast management, and rail grinding equipment. Overlap with Herzog's proprietary equipment fleet for rail maintenance services.
• National Railway Equipment Co. (NRE): Direct competitor in railcar repair, remanufacturing, and locomotive services. Both operate AAR-certified facilities and serve Class 1 railroads with similar railcar maintenance and leasing capabilities.
• RailWorks: Direct competitor in rail construction, track maintenance, and transit systems work. Both companies serve Class 1 railroads and transit agencies with construction, maintenance-of-way, and specialized rail services.
• Plasser American: Direct competitor in track maintenance machinery, including tampers, ballast regulators, and stabilizers. Both supply specialized equipment to Class 1 railroads and rail maintenance contractors.
• Sperry Rail Service: Direct competitor in ultrasonic rail testing and rail flaw detection services. Both use multi-channel ultrasonic testing equipment to serve Class 1 and short line railroads.
• Loram Maintenance of Way: Direct competitor in rail maintenance-of-way equipment and services, including track grinding, ballast cleaning, and rail inspection. Both companies serve Class 1 railroads with proprietary equipment fleets and recurring service contracts.
• Balfour Beatty Rail: Direct competitor in rail construction and maintenance services for transit agencies and Class 1 railroads. Both compete for project-based rail infrastructure contracts across North America with similar turnkey capabilities.
• Progress Rail (Caterpillar): Major rail equipment manufacturer and services provider, including railcar repair, locomotive services, and track infrastructure. Direct overlap in railcar leasing/repair (NRE) and rail services to Class 1 railroads.

Broad incumbents

• Wabtec Corporation: Major rail equipment manufacturer and services provider with PTC, signaling, and rail services capabilities. Overlaps with Herzog Technologies' PTC integration and rail services across freight and transit rail.
• GATX Corporation: Major railcar leasing company with a global fleet of 100,000+ railcars. Overlaps with Herzog's 4,000+ railcar leasing business and railcar repair services, though GATX operates at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeopen.spotify.com/show/0A2Z3txTJxfg9fJ2X4Zyan?si=721232a37b7c49b3
• Facebookfacebook.com/HerzogRailroad
• Instagraminstagram.com/herzograilroad
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/herzog-railroad-services
• Pinterestpinterest.com/herzograilroad
• Xx.com/herzogcompanies

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Herzog