The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and the International Union of Railways (Union Internationale des Chemins de Fer, or UIC) announced they will host three regional seminars in early 2010.  The goal of these seminars is to provide U.S. decision makers the information necessary to implement high-speed rail.

The seminars, titled “International Practicum on Implementing High-Speed Rail in the United States,” will be held on February 8-9 in Washington, DC; February 9-11 in Chicago, IL; and February 11-13 in Los Angeles, CA.  The programs will feature practitioners from high-speed rail systems around the world and will focus on best practices and lessons learned from European and Asian systems.  The curriculum will be tailored to the different issues in each city.

The seminars are designed for local decision makers and practitioners, including executive and senior transportation managers, strategy experts, chief engineers, economists and stakeholder organizations who must understand the issues that they will face as their regions develop high-speed rail. 

This is the first set of seminars developed under a new partnership between APTA and the UIC.  The two groups will now be able to engage in extensive information sharing that can cover the various technical, marketing, finance and management aspects of high-speed rail systems.

APTA is the legacy organization of the former High Speed Ground Transportation Association, which, in 2007 integrated its members and assets into the APTA structure and now functions through the constituent high speed and intercity rail committee.

More details will be coming soon at www.apta.com.