The historic investment in intercity passenger rail is an opportunity to significantly expand and improve the rail network around the country. However, one of the biggest barriers to this investment’s success is that the US has a systemic cost problem. Building rail projects, whether intercity, high speed, or urban, typically costs 2 to 4 times (or more) on a per mile basis than global peers. Deutsche Bahn is the national railway operator in Germany and is responsible for delivering large rail projects on a regular basis. In this presentation, Paul Lewis with DB E.C.O. North America will discuss global best practices for changing the dynamic and enabling public agencies to build rail projects at a lower cost and fast timeline.
Paul Lewis is a Principal at DB E.C.O. North America, where he leads the governance and project delivery practice in the United States. In this role, Paul works with public agencies to reassess their project delivery frameworks to create better strategies to achieve successful outcomes. Paul previously served as the policy director for the Eno Center for Transportation where he authored several studies on project delivery, transit governance, and rail policy. Paul has a degree in civil engineering from Ohio Northern University and a Master of Science in Transportation from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.