Design Nine
Design Nine is a St. Louis-based railway engineering firm founded in 1986 that provides track design, structural bridge services, and technical documentation exclusively to Class I and regional railroads and rail-served industrial clients nationwide. Now a subsidiary of RailPros, Inc. following a late 2025 acquisition.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersSt Louis, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Design Nine does
Design Nine, Inc. is a privately held railway engineering firm headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, founded in 1986 by engineers from the former Missouri Pacific Railroad Company following its merger with Union Pacific. Each founder brought 10 to 15 years of railroad engineering experience to the venture. The firm specializes exclusively in railroad engineering services, covering track design, structural bridge engineering, and technical documentation for Class I freight railroads (Union Pacific, BNSF, Norfolk Southern, CSX), regional and short line railroads, switching and terminal operators, and industrial facilities served by rail — including grain elevators, power plants, ethanol plants, frac sand facilities, mines, chemical plants, refineries, and steel mills.
Design Nine organizes its work into three core service lines — Railway Engineering (site development, facility design, industrial trackage), Structural Services (bridge inspection, rating, rehabilitation, and design in timber, concrete, and steel; bridge management programs per 49 CFR Part 237), and Technical Services (feasibility studies, drafting, plan preparation, project management, and construction monitoring). The firm executes projects using industry-standard CADD platforms — Autodesk (AutoCAD, Civil3D) and Bentley (MicroStation, InRoads, OpenRoads) — and performs in-house topographic surveying, derailment surveys, and bridge situation surveys, with documented 24-hour emergency response capability. Service delivery is described as "cradle to grave," from conceptual planning through construction completion.
The business model is professional services, project-based, and quote-priced, with no publicly disclosed pricing tiers. The go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales targeting railroad engineering departments and industrial rail-served facilities nationwide, supported by memberships in industry associations (AREMA, NRC, IRPT, GEAPS, ASLRRA). In late 2025/early 2026, Design Nine was acquired by RailPros, Inc., a Texas-based rail services company, as part of RailPros' stated strategy to expand its rail and rail-adjacent service platform across North America; Design Nine now operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary while retaining its brand identity and St. Louis headquarters.
Design Nine firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Design Nine
- Legal name
- Design Nine, Inc.
- Website
- https://design9.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Design Nine is a St. Louis-based railway engineering firm founded in 1986 that provides track design, structural bridge services, and technical documentation exclusively to Class I and regional railroads and rail-served industrial clients nationwide. Now a subsidiary of RailPros, Inc. following a late 2025 acquisition.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Design Nine industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Railway Engineering Services
- NAICS
- Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering Services (8711)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Railway Track & Civil Works Construction (Ballast, Slab Track, Alignment) (IMAFAFAA)
Keywords
Where Design Nine is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- St Louis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Design Nine business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Engineering Consulting Services: Professional engineering services for railroad track construction projects, including conceptual planning, track design, structural rehabilitation, construction support, and technical services. Revenue is generated through project-based consulting engagements from initial concept through construction completion.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Design Nine product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Design Nine provides cradle-to-grave railway engineering services for track construction projects, encompassing conceptual planning, field surveying, track design, structural bridge rehabilitation, drafting/CADD documentation, and construction support. The firm serves Class I railroads, regional and short line railroads, switching/terminal railroads, and industrial facilities (grain elevators, power plants, ethanol plants, frac sand facilities, mines, chemical plants, refineries, steel mills, intermodal facilities) requiring rail-served infrastructure.
Product overview
Design Nine is a railway engineering firm offering three core service lines: Railway Engineering, Structural Services, and Technical Services. Railway Engineering provides site development, facility design, and industrial trackage planning. Structural Services covers bridge rehabilitation, inspection services, and construction support for railroad structures. Technical Services includes feasibility studies, drafting services utilizing both Autodesk and Bentley CADD platforms, and documentation/project management. The company offers a "cradle to grave" approach, accompanying clients from conceptual planning through construction completion. Design Nine was acquired by RailPros, Inc. in late 2025.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Railway Engineering Core engineering service covering all aspects of railroad track design including new track facilities, yard design, industrial leads, and mainline trackage. Encompasses site development, facility design, and industrial trackage planning for railway companies and industries served by railways.
- Structural Services Railway bridge engineering encompassing inspections, ratings, repair plans, and design services for bridges, unloading pits, retaining walls, and other railroad structures in timber, concrete, and steel. Includes Bridge Management Programs per 49 CFR Part 237.
- Technical Services Technical design services including feasibility studies, drafting services (AutoCAD, Civil3D, MicroStation, InRoads, OpenRoads), plan preparation, exhibit development, and project documentation for track construction projects.
Quantifiable outcome
- Cradle-to-grave service from initial project inception through completion
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Design Nine
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Design Nine technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Design Nine partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Regional Engineering Firms (Illinois)minorDesign Nine has formed partnerships with other engineering firms knowledgeable in railroad structures to provide a full array of structural capabilities for clients in Illinois, where structural engineering services are not directly offered. This extends service coverage for structural projects requiring Illinois-based expertise.
- AREMA (Association of Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-way Association)minorDesign Nine engineers are enthusiastically involved with AREMA and are active on many of the committees of the association, contributing to industry standards development and professional networking.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights1 record
Design Nine competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Design Nine social profiles
Digital presenceDesign Nine financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Design Nine leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Design Nine funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Design Nine M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Design Nine
What does Design Nine do?
Design Nine provides cradle-to-grave railway engineering services for track construction projects, encompassing conceptual planning, field surveying, track design, structural bridge rehabilitation, drafting/CADD documentation, and construction support. The firm serves Class I railroads, regional and short line railroads, switching/terminal railroads, and industrial facilities (grain elevators, power plants, ethanol plants, frac sand facilities, mines, chemical plants, refineries, steel mills, intermodal facilities) requiring rail-served infrastructure.
Is Design Nine a public or private company?
Design Nine is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Design Nine founded?
Design Nine was founded in 1986. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Design Nine based?
Design Nine is headquartered in St Louis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Design Nine make money?
One revenue line is on record: engineering Consulting Services.
Does Design Nine have an API?
No public API is recorded for Design Nine.
What industry is Design Nine in?
Design Nine's product category is Railway Engineering Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAFAFAA, Railway Track & Civil Works Construction (Ballast, Slab Track, Alignment). Its NAICS code is 5413 and its SIC code is 8711.