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How to Effectively Engage Communities to Build Support for Rail Projects

Writer's picture: Tate LindenTate Linden

After an intriguing conversation in NYC last fall, recently I had the opportunity to catch up with Ulrich Leister, CEO of DB E.C.O. Group North America. The Topic: how to effectively engage communities to build support and gain approval for significant rail projects.


While we covered much over our hour conversation, Ulrich shared a perspective that’s often missing from the conversation here in the U.S.: we need to prioritize communicating the tangible community benefits of rail projects rather than leading with technical or engineering details. It’s not enough to talk about double-tracking or signal upgrades—people need to understand what’s in it for them. Reliable hourly service, faster connections, and improved quality of life should take center stage.


He also pointed out the success of immersive public engagement strategies in Europe—such as train mockups and project information centers. These approaches allow people to envision the benefits of rail firsthand and can be powerful tools to build broad-based support. 


To be fair, some communities are doing a pretty good job of this in the States. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) put one of their new cars on display on the Mall last year and tons of folks (including me) waited a half hour or more just to experience it. And it was only about a block from the nearest Metro station, so it was easy to see the benefits it will bring. (This contrasts with other rail projects that put their displays near their state capitol so that they can get legislator support, but may leave the locals out of the loop.)



As Railtowns works to support rail communities and industry, insights like these are a good reminder that communities can help drive approval for infrastructure investment. If we want rail to thrive—both for passengers and freight—it starts with aligning rail solutions to the perceived needs and priorities of the people and places they serve. While appealing to legislators is critically important, when the community has your back, legislative approval becomes significantly more likely.


I appreciate Ulrich and the DB ECO team sharing their perspective with me literally hundreds of times in just the past few months. It's wonderful to see railroaders working to become a part of the communities they serve.

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