APTA High-Speed Rail Seminar Highlights Keeping Momentum On-Track

More than 240 rail professionals and stakeholders from North America and around the world gathered in San Francisco on Friday, June 27 for APTA’s High-Speed Rail Seminar. Attendees reviewed the state of current projects and discussed the economic benefits those investments will bring. 

APTA Chair MJ Maynard-Carey, CEO, Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada, and APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas, opened the event by thanking attendees for confronting the critical technical and policy challenges needed to turn vision into reality.  

“Much like America’s national highway network in the 1950s and 1960s, the development of a nationwide High-Speed and Intercity Rail system will be an essential catalyst for growth,” Skoutelas said. “America’s development of passenger rail will support job creation and business development, increase efficiency and competitiveness, and connect regional economic centers, as well as rural and urban areas.”

Maynard-Carey added, “To put it plainly, there is a lot riding on the future of High-Speed Rail, and thanks to you all, I am confident and optimistic about the next chapter.” 

Chad Edison, chair of the APTA Committee on High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail, and chief deputy secretary for rail and transit at the California State Transportation Agency, spoke about California’s framework for coordination between planning partners, rail operators, rail owners and the state to develop a rail network with a strategic vision in mind. The California State Rail Plan will integrate high-speed rail, intercity and regional services, and express bus service into a coordinated network of pulsed service, seamless transfers, and integrated fare payment. Edison also spoke about rail procurements underway in California, and how big projects open the door for jobs and manufacturing.

Andrew Fremier, executive director, Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Association of Bay Area Governments, reviewed the many transportation projects underway in the region. Among them are Valley Link Rail in the Northern San Joaquin Valley, the extension of the Bay Area Rapid Transit heavy rail system to San Jose, and the planned extension of Caltrain and California High-Speed Rail into the Salesforce Transit Center in downtown San Francisco.

Mario Peloquin, president and CEO, VIA Rail Canada, spoke to the need to align high-speed and conventional intercity passenger rail, noting that they are complementary and not in competition. He also outlined plans for the new Alto high frequency trains envisioned to link Toronto and Quebec City. He also helped facilitate an animated round of Q&A and group conversation.  

California High-Speed Rail CEO Ian Choudri provided a progress report on the implementation of his state’s high-speed rail project. This was followed by a panel discussion and a deep dive into public-private partnerships and private equity. Panelists discussed the value that can be unlocked in right-of-way (fiber optics, water, utilities) and in real estate development around stations. Panelists concluded that the most important of the three Ps is “partnerships.” 

Sessions throughout the day covered topics including corridor progress reports; innovation; station development; Northeast Corridor; project delivery; interoperability and integration; rolling stock; and lessons learned from high-speed and intercity passenger rail providers around the globe.  The international panel, moderated by Dr. Karen Philbrick, executive director, Mineta Transportation Institute, brought valuable insights from Japan, France and Germany.

Networking opportunities through the day included an evening reception offering a panoramic view of San Francisco. Saturday tours included Caltrain electrification, transit-oriented development, and the Salesforce Transit Center and the new train-box underneath.  

The seminar program was the product of the planning committee from the APTA High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail Committee: Diane Cowin, senior vice president global transit director, AECOM; Jesse Williams, business development manager, Stacy Witbeck; Simon D’Cruz, senior division manager, HSR Atkins Realis; and Alice Rodriguez, deputy director of external affairs, California High-Speed Rail Authority.

Presentations are available to registrants on the Events Page at www.apta.com. Recordings are available free to registrants, and for a small fee to others on the APTAU learning center.