Parsons Brinckerhoff’s experience in rail transit dates to the late 1890s, when the firm’s founder, William Barclay Parsons, charted the course of a rail line in China and designed the original New York City subway. Since that time, Parsons Brinckerhoff has worked on the development of rail transit systems on six continents, and has made key contributions to many of the world’s great rail systems, including San Francisco’s BART, Atlanta’s MARTA, the Caracas Metro, the Cairo Metro, the Singapore mass rapid transit system, the Taiwan Metro and the London Overground.
Parsons Brinckerhoff has also played a major role in the development of virtually every light rail system in the United States, as well as numerous commuter rail systems, and is a leader in the creation of high-speed rail networks worldwide, including the Taiwan High Speed Rail, the California High-Speed Rail and segments of China’s high-speed rail network. Parsons Brinckerhoff provides a full range of services in support of rail transit projects, from strategic advisory, planning and environmental assessments to design and construction management, and often partners with its clients to provide broad oversight of the development or expansion of rail transportation. Wherever possible, we incorporate sustainability and transit-oriented development in support of rail transit that achieves mobility objectives while improving environmental, social and economic conditions.