RailNation:California | October 18-20, 2019 ~  
Concurrent Sessions Saturday, October 19, 2019
Submissions Accepted: June 1, 2019 – June 30, 2019  

The Rail Passengers Association works hard to help our members educate, lead the way and fight to create a modern multimodal transportation network worthy of the 21st Century. Rail Passengers wants to link states and regions together for economic opportunity, supporting a high-quality, balanced intermodal and multimodal transportation system that serves every American. RailNation:California is your opportunity to present directly to activist passengers and commuters who rely on rail and fight for sustainable rail transportation in the U.S.

We’ve designed conference tracks to look at rail travel’s challenges and opportunities today…and tomorrow. Details on these tracks – Inclusion & Equity, Making Change Happen and What Passengers Want – below should provide perspective on the types of topics Rail Passengers Association would like to see covered, but we also warmly welcome session proposals that may stretch the essence of the three topics. We want to hear from you!  

Track #1 – Inclusion & Equity
Transportation and mobility are about more than vehicles. They are about connecting people to economic opportunity. The Inclusion & Equity track focuses on exploring the ways we use rail and public transportation to link states and regions, as tools of inclusiveness and fairness – and the ways we don’t, but should. Presentations in this track could focus on, but are not limited to: confronting gentrification in transit development; impact of cashless fare payment systems on the unbanked; the lack of younger people, women and people of color in U.S. transportation policymaking; giving a voice to everyone affected by transportation policy discussions/decisions; transportation needs of the country’s mobility challenged and impaired citizens; Zero-Sum thinking in transit development and deployment.

Track #2 – Making Change Happen
The Making Change Happen track will take a peek into what rail travel, as well as the larger transit ecosystem, could or should look like. Presentations in this track may focus on, but are not limited to: have we lost the edge when it comes to rail projects and advancements in the U.S.; creating a transit eco-system/breaking down the silos between modes; interplay between regional transit/rail, conventional intercity rail and high-speed rail; emerging technologies in rail/transit; influencing policymakers at all levels – local, state, federal and tribal – to look past “profit” to invest in future capability; addressing the “Haves” versus “Have Nots” when it comes to future investment, i.e., how do we make sure that tunnels in the northeast corridor and robust regional service in California are considered fairly by policymakers; how do we get policymakers excited about a future vision.

Track #3 – What Passengers Want
The What Passengers Want track will look at rail transportation from the passengers’ perspective. Presentations in this track may focus on, but are not limited to: what kinds of service do rail passengers want; what kinds of amenities to passengers want; putting conventional and high-speed together to make the rail network do what travelers need; how to make the most of today’s rail experience (i.e., the ins/outs of Amtrak Guest Rewards, train travel tips/hacks); rail lore in and around California.