SYSTRA has participated in a number of high speed rail projects in Korea, Taiwan, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, as well as throughout the United States. Within the United States, HSR clients include Amtrak, California High-Speed Rail Authority, California Association of Governments, Florida Department of Transportation, Georgia Department of Transportation, and Chicago Department of Transportation.
Through our affiliation with SNCF (the French National Railway) we have set the standard for high-speed rail worldwide. The firm boasts over 50 years of HSR experience gained initially in France with the TGVs (high speed trains), and enhanced through SYSTRA’s involvement in major planning, engineering, maintenance, and operations projects. Some of the more famous projects include the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, which achieved a high speed rail record in the UK in 2003, of 334.7 km/hr; Busan HSR Line in Seoul; and Kaohsiung HSR in Taiwan, representing the largest public transport project undertaken on the island.
Representative Projects:
California High Speed Rail Authority (CAHSRA) Implementation Plan
Sacramento, California
SYSTRA, in joint venture, prepared a multi-decade implementation plan for the $37 billion, 800-mile California high-speed rail line. Recommendations included the state and private sector organization, timing, segment phasing, and specific actions to complete environmental permitting, project financing, procurement and federal safety approval of high-speed rail vehicles and systems, acquisition of right-of-way, design and construction of the high-speed rail line, tunnels, stations and related facilities, and operation of the services.
Drawing on lessons learned from European and Asian high-speed rail line development and other large infrastructure projects in the U.S., SYSTRA recommended an organizational structure led by the Authority directing the project management and specialty consultants to ensure the state’s interests were protected while allowing flexibility as staffing needs evolved during the project implementation. SYSTRA’s recommended procurement strategy helped California maintain high-speed technology competition among suppliers while facilitating federal and state approvals for the specific high-speed systems selected.
SYSTRA also worked with the Authority in the development of financing and staging strategies.
Project Management
Institutional Strategy
Technical Oversight