Monday, January 11, 2010
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Virginia Miller
202-496-4816
vmiller@apta.com APTA Announces New Center for High-Speed Rail
Dedicated to advancing and promoting high-speed rail in the United States
Today the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) launched the Center for High-Speed Rail to advance and promote high-speed rail in the United States. The website for the Center for High-Speed Rail is
www.highspeedrailonline.org.
"With the impending announcement by the Obama Administration on the distribution of the first federal high-speed rail funds, the establishment now of the Center for High-Speed Rail will bring together the expertise of its members and APTA's education and advocacy resources to realize the vision of high-speed rail in the United States," said APTA President William Millar.
For more than 125 years, APTA has been the leading voice for bus and rail transportation in America. APTA is also home to the legacy members of the former High-Speed Ground Transportation Association (HSGTA), which served as the leading advocate for high-speed rail in America for two decades and elected to merge with APTA in 2006. In addition, APTA's business members include small and large companies with international expertise in financing, construction, maintenance, supply and operation of rail systems worldwide. The new Center for High-Speed Rail will build on the efforts of other already existing APTA committees, including the High-Speed and Intercity Rail Committee and the Legislative Committee.
APTA is working closely with other industry groups to support and advance high-speed rail in the United States. These groups include the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the States for Passenger Rail Coalition (S4PRC), and the International Union of Railways (UIC).
APTA and UIC are partnering to host three upcoming high-speed rail regional seminars that will be held in Washington, DC on February 8-9; in Chicago from February 9-11; and in Los Angeles from February 11-13. These seminars will provide U.S. decision makers with the information necessary to implement high-speed rail. Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph Szabo and Federal Railroad Deputy Administrator Karen Rae will be participating in these seminars, along with other high level American transportation experts and European high-speed rail practitioners. For more information on these symposiums, go to
www.highspeedrailonline.org.
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The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) is a nonprofit international association of over 1,500 public and private member organizations, engaged in the areas of bus, paratransit, light rail, commuter rail, subways, waterborne passengers services, and high-speed rail. This includes: transit systems; planning, design, construction, and finance firms; product and service providers; academic institutions; transit associations and state departments of transportation. APTA members serve the public interest by providing safe, efficient and economical transit services and products. More than 90 percent of the people using public transportation in the United States and Canada are served by APTA member systems. NOTE TO REPORTERS: Attendance at the February High-Speed Rail seminars is free for media but we request that you register in advance of the seminar.
To pre-register, go to
www.highspeedrailonline.org and click on the section for the February high-speed rail seminars or click on the following link:
http://www.apta.com/mc/conferences/90days/2010HighSpeedRail_Chicago/Documents/reg_private_09.pdf When you fill out the registration form, cross out the payment section and write PRESS. Then fax it to the Meetings Department at 202-496-4331.