The seminar is being designed to develop a "white paper" scenario for the funding and implementation of contemporary commuter and intercity passenger rail travel in the Midwest.

Press Release

November 5, 2009 HSR Authority Executive to speak in Northwest Indiana
HIGH SPEED RAIL WINS IN CALIFORNIA

Merrillville - A $9.95 Billion bond issue to fund a 200 mile per hour high speed rail system in California was passed by voters in that state by a 52 percent to 47 percent margin. The issue now allows the state to proceed with the construction of the project that will whisk passengers from Sacramento to San Diego, California.
Rod Diridon, chair emeritus of the California High Speed Rail Authority and director of the Mineta Transportation Institute in San Jose was an architect of the bond issue, and will be a
Speaker at the 10th annual International Golden Spike Seminar which will be held at the Radisson Hotel in Merrillville on March 19 & 20, 2009.
"The passing of this bond issue in California sets the stage for high speed rail development in the Midwestern United States," says W. Dennis Hodges, vice president of marketing and business development of the Indiana High Speed Rail Association. "Advocates for 21st century transportation in this region are excited by this first step towards giving the traveling public still another option in travel. "
Another confirmed seminar speaker is Jean-Pierre Loubinoux, CEO of SNCF, the huge multimodal transportation consortium in France.
The seminar is being designed to develop a "white paper" scenario for the funding and implementation of contemporary commuter and intercity passenger rail travel in the Midwest. For information, contact Dennis Hodges at (219) 887-1351.

Source: Indiana High Speed Rail Association