Transport Thematic Group event
On Thursday, April 24, 2025, we are honored to welcome Mr. Lou Thompson, former Railways Advisor at the World Bank. He will present an overview of high-speed railway development and implementation, with a particular focus on the experience in California. He will also discuss key lessons learned and their implications for megaprojects in developing countries, offering strategic insights and recommendations for decision-makers and practitioners in expanding railway networks or launching high-speed rail projects. If there is time, he will also discuss a recent paper on creating intra-rail competition in China.
Lou Thompson has been a Principal at Thompson, Galenson, and Associates (TGA) since retiring from the World Bank in 2003. TGA is a consulting firm specializing in railway and transport issues for public and commercial clients worldwide. In this role, Lou has advised on the restructuring and concessioning of railway services in Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, and Mexico, among others. He was also a consultant to the International Transport Federation and the European Union on EU rail issues. In the U.S., he has contributed to the reorganization of Caltrain (California), served on the Board of Directors of the Railroad Research Foundation (RRF), and chaired the Peer Review Group for the California High-speed Rail Authority and was a member of the Peer Review Group for the Texas High-Speed Rail Project. At the World Bank, Lou was Railways Advisor from 1987 to 2003, guiding operational and lending initiatives, particularly in railway concessioning across Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Bolivia, Brazil, Guatemala, and Estonia. His leadership in railway concessioning earned him the World Bank President’s Award for Excellence. He also worked on Bank projects in Russia, Poland, Hungary, and China, among many others. Before joining the World Bank in 1986, he spent eight years at the Federal Railroad Administration (U.S. DOT), where he directed the $2.5 billion Northeast Corridor Improvement Project (NECIP), managed Amtrak budget reviews, oversaw high-speed rail studies, and shaped rail policy, including the privatization of Conrail. His contributions earned him the Presidential Award (Reagan) for Outstanding Performance.
Lou has spoken and published extensively on U.S. and international rail freight and passenger issues (see his website at www.tgaassoc.com). He also served as a member, and later chairman, of the TRB committee reviewing R&D programs at the Federal Railroad Administration. He holds an MBA from Harvard University and a BS in Chemical Engineering from MIT.
Registrations:
In-Person (MC 6-795) [Room map]
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On April 24th, you will be able to join the Webex session directly by using the link provided below, among other available options.
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Meeting number: 2315 498 1983
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Access code: 2315 498 1983
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