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

The seminars, titled "International Practicum on Implementing High-Speed Rail in the United States," will be held February 8 to 9 in Washington, D.C.; February 9 to 11 in Chicago; and February 11 to 13 in Los Angeles. The programs will feature practitioners from HSR systems around the world and 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 they will face as their regions develop HSR. 

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 HSR.

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.