APTA’s Rail Conference addresses all rail modes — urban, commuter, high-speed, and intercity — this technical conference features sessions on technology, operations, maintenance, safety & security, planning, finance, capital projects, workforce development, and more. As APTA members, you are an integral part of the call for abstracts. This is an opportunity for you to be part of the educational program and share your expertise and skill set with your peers in the industry.
Please Note: we are seeking individual speaker submissions only – not full panel ideas, at this time. Please craft your abstract around you and/or a partner presentation not a full panel of a moderator and several speakers. If selected, your submission will be paired with other similar submissions to curate a well-rounded session.
Our internal subject matter experts have curated the session topics based on extensive feedback from committee meetings, survey results, and one-on-one member conversations. Once submissions are reviewed by a committee of members and staff; staff will begin extending invitations to those who were selected based on their experience and partnerships that are aligned with the program.
We appreciate your interest in participating at our upcoming event. If you have more questions about this process, please email abstracts@apta.com. If you need to edit/update a submitted abstract, log into the Abstract Service Center. Your login credential can be found in your confirmation email.
Deadline to Submit: Friday, January 23, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET
Please use the online Submission Portal to submit your abstract.
Guidelines:
- You MUST be an APTA member to submit abstracts
- Submit abstracts separately.
- Do not submit duplicate abstracts under different topics. Select the topic closest to your main ideas.
- Do not submit preselected full panel abstracts.
- Be sure to add ALL proposed speakers (you and a partner, if it’s a joint presentation)
- APTA will communicate with the submitter for all notifications and deadlines, who must then share the information as needed with their speaker(s).
- Submissions should avoid being a sales pitch or overly commercial
- All proposals must be submitted using the online form, to be considered
- Be concise when submitting your abstract and/or session ideas (350 words max)
- Submissions should reflect innovative, cutting-edge content
- Session topics are subject to change, depending on volume and quality of submissions received.
- APTA will confirm if your submission has been accepted as a speaker on a panel or another opportunity
- Submitters may submit multiple abstracts but will only have one opportunity to speak, if selected
- After a careful review, all submitters will receive an official notification by email.
- If selected, your submission will be paired with other similar submissions to curate a well-rounded session. APTA sessions are typically 60 minutes long consisting of a 45- minute presentation and 15-minute Q&A. So, each speaker or both co-speakers jointly will have approximately 10 to 12 minutes of presentation time on average.
- If selected, speakers are encouraged to support the event by registering. APTA does not cover registration, hotel or other expenses for speakers.
- Submissions are not automatically accepted and APTA reserves the right to make all final decisions on speaker selections.
NOTE: Decision notifications will be sent out mid to late March 2026.
Topics:
- Accessibility – [Areas of focus: Rail station and vehicle accessibility]
- Capital Projects
- Emergency Management
- Fare Collection – [Areas of Focus: Advanced Payment Integration , Linking mobile, card, and account-based systems across agencies and networks); Rail-Specific Fare Compliance (Strategies for reducing evasion and improving enforcement in high-capacity systems); Fare Analytics and Revenue Management (Using predictive models to guide pricing and operational decisions); Passenger-Centered Payment Innovations (Improving accessibility, convenience, and real-time journey information)]
- Funding – [Areas of Focus – Cost Containment Strategies for Rail Projects]
- High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail – [Note: The High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail (HSIPR) program has its own dedicated track at the Rail Conference.]
- Innovative & Strategic Engagement – [Areas of Focus Innovative and strategic ways to engage small businesses; innovative and strategic ways to engage the community; innovative and strategic ways to engage your board; innovative and strategic political partnerships; innovative and strategic staff engagement]
- International Best Practices
- Operations and Maintenance Best Practices
- Planning – [Areas of Focus: Transit Asset Management, Transit-Oriented Communities]
- Procurement – [Areas of Focus: Rail Technology Procurement (Signaling, automation, passenger information systems); Public-Private Partnership Approaches (Structuring contracts, risk allocation, and collaboration); Lifecycle Procurement Planning (Future rolling stock, infrastructure upgrades, and modernization); Compliance and Contract Strategies (Practical approaches for meeting federal and agency requirements)]
- Risk Management
- Safety – [Areas of Focus: Safety Technology, Roadway Worker Protection (RWP), Grade Crossing safety/Trespassing/Suicide prevention, SMS, Safety Culture and Data Management]
- Security – [Areas of Focus: Human Trafficking; Special Event Planning, Managing the Unhoused, Continuity of Operations, Public Safety Programs, Fare Evasion Enforcement Efforts, Cyber Security, Clean and Efficient Initiatives]
- Sustainability & Resilience, Environmental
- Technology – [Areas of Focus: AI-Driven Rail Operations (Areas of Interest: Predictive scheduling, traffic flow optimization, automated dispatching), Smart Rail Passenger Experience (Areas of Interest: Mobile apps, real-time journey updates, dynamic crowd and platform management); Rail Cybersecurity and Control System Resilience (Areas of Interest: Securing signaling, communication networks, and operational software); Rail Digital Twins and Simulation Areas of Focus: Virtual modeling of networks, scenario testing, asset lifecycle management ; Innovative Rail Vehicle Technologies]
- Workforce Development – [Areas of Focus: Recruitment, Retention, & Reskilling for Public Transit; Next Gen Readiness & Workforce Technology; AI Workforce Readiness; Innovative Industry Workforce Solutions; Psychological Safety & Employee Wellbeing; Workforce Succession Planning; Workforce Strategy for Small Businesses; Workforce Strategy, Planning, & Grants)]
- Zero Emission
