Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB), a global infrastructure strategic consulting, engineering and program/construction management organization was awarded three new contracts to manage high-speed and intercity passenger rail initiatives in Illinois, Ohio and Florida. The firm is also currently serving as program manager for development of a new high-speed rail line in California.

PB was recently selected by the Illinois Department of Transportation to serve as program manager for high-speed rail. Illinois will receive a total of $1.2 billion in federal high-speed rail funding, with $1.1 billion targeted for the state's high-speed rail signature route, Chicago to St. Louis. The project will implement corridor improvements for this 284-mile route to allow passenger rail service to operate at speeds up to 110 mph, reducing the total trip time from Chicago to St. Louis by about an hour.

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) also selected a PB-led team to provide consultant services for the development of a new intercity passenger rail service on an existing rail freight corridor in the Cleveland - Columbus - Dayton - Cincinnati "3C" corridor, a distance of approximately 250 miles. PB will complete a variety of environmental documents for various components and design for the track and capacity improvements.

In Florida, a new high-speed rail system is being designed to connect many of Florida's major cities and tourist centers. PB leads the consulting team selected by the Florida Department of Transportation to undertake the planning and design of a 230-mile high-speed rail line between Orlando and Miami. The project involves preliminary engineering and environmental analysis, which includes recommending the final alignment and train technology to be used.

In California, PB is continuing to lead the program management team which oversees the implementation, from design to commissioning, of the California High-Speed Rail, a 800-mile-long system serving Sacramento, the San Francisco Bay Area, the Central Valley, Los Angeles, the Inland Empire, Orange County and San Diego. The system will use state-of-the-art electrified trains capable of speeds of up to 220 mph.

PB also has been selected as one of several consultants for the Southern High-Speed Rail Commission, a three-state authority charged with planning implementation of high-speed rail among Atlanta, New Orleans and Houston.