ACE Launches New Railroad Insurance Unit

ACE Westchester, the U.S.-based wholesale-focused insurance division of the ACE Group, has formed a new railroad underwriting unit. The new unit will deliver railroad liability insurance products and services through a new product offering — ACE Tracks — specifically designed to provide coverage for damages resulting from covered perils, to protect railroad operations and railroad contractor clients.

Catherine Whiddon will serve as vice president, railroad practice leader, with overall responsibility for delivering specialized railroad insurance products in North America. She will be based in Dallas and report to Dean Andrighetto, division president, Casualty, for ACE Westchester. Whiddon will work with ACE branches throughout the country to offer a full range of insurance and risk management liability coverage specifically designed for the railroad transportation industry.

The following are specific products and services offered by the new ACE Tracks:

• Railroad liability claims made and occurrence forms, including Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA), foreign rolling stock and bill of lading coverage
• General liability with tailored coverages for railroad contractors
• Railroad protective liability (ISO) filed forms may be available
• Excursion railroad liability occurrence coverage with tailored coverages

With more than 25 years of experience in casualty and excess & surplus lines insurance, with particular emphasis on the railroad industry, Whiddon joins ACE from a U.S.-based carrier, where she served as vice president & railroad business unit practice leader. She previously spent eight years at another U.S.-based carrier, serving as zonal transportation manager for the company’s Southwest region, and also spent 12 years at a global brokerage firm, where she held several positions in the company’s transportation practice. Whiddon has previously developed and led educational development programs for underwriting trainees, focusing on principles in railroad liability insurance and risk management. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.