Check Out Craig Paterson's LinkedIn Stats (Last 30 Days)

Sharing my reflections on the excellent USHSR conference in Washington DC last week. The future is bright! #USHSR #USHRA #highspeedrail #HSR #railindustry #engineering #cahsr #brightline #transportation #infrastructure #capitalprojects Accenture - Infrastructure & Capital Projects (I&CP)

This week, I had the absolute pleasure of attending the HSRA event in stunning Washington, DC—hands down the best conference I’ve been to! Connecting with fellow rail and industry professionals, sharing ideas, and fueling the momentum for high-speed rail was nothing short of inspiring. High-speed rail is the future, and we’re at a tipping point. With a room full of passionate advocates giving this movement a resounding voice, success is inevitable. A huge highlight was hearing my colleague, Robert Masys II, PE, share his expertise on managing mega-project risk with innovative strategies. The conference was packed with insightful discussions—I’ll be putting my key takeaways on paper and sharing soon. Special thanks to Ezra and David for orchestrating such a dynamic, information-packed event! Finally, a big shout-out to Tim Parker and Daniel Powrie, who are championing Australia’s first HSR from Newcastle to Sydney. You’d be proud to hear Tony Ryan raving about the innovative collaborative contracting models he experienced down under! #highspeedrail, US High Speed Rail Association, Accenture Infrastructure & Capital Projects

With the opening of the new Sydney Metro line (and several more in construction), the new Light Rail Line 4 in Parramatta, and the well-established Sydney trains, Sydney Ferries and Motorways network, commuters have multiple credible options to get where they need to go, and alternatives when their preferred mode is unavailable. Yes, it is frustrating (and daily news fodder), when a mode has delays or cancellations, but Sydneysiders do not know how good they have it! Having recently moved to Austin, Texas, the contrast is stark. Texans love their cars, and I get that because I love the convenience and expedience of driving too. Austin is a really cool and ascending city, but where we live there are zero public transport options that do not involve a car. The roads here are wide and ample, and the city continues to build new roads and upgrade the existing at a rapid rate. Even in the couple of months I have been here, the pace of the Highway 291 construction is impressively fast! Encouragingly there is a new light rail in the preliminary stages of delivery, the established CAP metro buses, and Metrorail. However, Austin is a sprawling city of $1M residents, with a metro population of $2.3M residents, and sadly the public transport coverage has not kept up. I am heartened to see real progress and I hope the trend in new transport infrastructure projects continues. People’s lives are truly improved when they are better connected. It is not about getting rid of all the cars, rather we need to provide reliable alternative options for people to get places. Tragically, increased accidents and fatalities are a consequence of increased road use. In the last week alone there have been two fatal crashes in our area, and hardly a day goes by where I do not see a multi-vehicle crash on the roads. Austin has also previously held the unenviable annual record in the US for the highest proportion of non-vehicle occupant accidents (where 46.9% of accidents involved people outside of the vehicle). According to a study by APTA “Cities that make public transportation use a higher priority could reduce traffic fatalities by up to 40%”. Now, I am not claiming public transport is the silver bullet, or we would achieve those numbers in the short-term, but any reduction in traffic crashes and fatalities through better public transport should be welcomed by all.

How can we transform Major rail Infrastructure delivery? "Systems Thinking" is the way!

I’m really excited to share that I’m starting a new position as Vice President Program Management at Accenture!

Today is my last day with Transport for NSW, and what a journey it’s been over the last 7 years! Delivering mega projects is tough, and there have been many challenges along the way. I’m so proud to have been part of the team that delivered Sydney Metro, and as a daily user of the service, it really is a game changer for Sydney. To then be given the opportunity to lead the Parramatta Light Rail project from construction to completion has been incredible; what a way to finish 2024! To those that trusted and believed in me, thank you for the opportunities, counsel and mentorship: Hugh Lawson, Tim Parker, Daniel Powrie, Anand Thomas, Glen Mace, Camilla Drover B Eng MAICD, Howard Collins, OBE, Josh Murray. To the PLR family, you have been the most dedicated and professional team I have ever worked with, and I’m looking forward to seeing you all kicking goals on stage 2! To the people I would always want beside me in the trenches: Stephen Allday, Gabriel Gonzalez, Mark Taylor, Stuart Tweedie, Gareth Miles Harrison, Kate Ford, Adam Paterson, Mike Polich, Angela Farrell, Margaret Campbell, Susan Bentley, Louise. I know we will all cross project paths again in the future! Next up for me, a short break with my family and then on to an amazing new adventure in Austin, Texas. 2025 is going to be another epic year!