Panel of Industry and Government Speakers
Heiko Scholz, Global Director, DB Rail Academy, Part of DB E.C.O. Group Michael (Mike) Baxter, Director, Track International Consulting T C Chew, Managing Director, APAC, Arup Tony Watson, Project Director, Typsa Kent Donaldson, Executive Transport Adviser Middle East
Delivering the Future of HSR & Integrated Mobility Across Asia Pacific
HSR Asia 27 will bring together governments, rail authorities, operators, investors, engineering leaders, technology providers and urban-development specialists to examine how Asia-Pacific can translate ambitious high-speed rail plans into deliverable, financially sustainable and integrated transport networks.
With Vietnam progressing one of the region’s most significant high-speed rail programmes, the conference will explore the complete project lifecycle—from policy, planning and financing through engineering, construction, operations and integration with cities and wider mobility networks. Particular attention will be given to cross-border collaboration, private-sector participation, passenger experience and the long-term economics of operating high-speed rail.
Asia-Pacific is entering a defining new phase in the development of high-speed rail. Across the region, major programmes are progressing from policy and planning towards financing, procurement, construction and operations. Vietnam is preparing one of Asia's most ambitious new high-speed rail networks; Australia is moving its first HSR corridor towards procurement; India is building the capability to expand beyond its first high-speed line; Thailand is advancing the next stages of its HSR programme; and Indonesia's experience with Whoosh is providing important lessons on financing, ridership and the long-term economics of operating high-speed rail.
At the same time, the definition of successful HSR is changing. The challenge is no longer simply to build a railway capable of operating at 300–350 km/h. The next generation of HSR must connect seamlessly with urban rail, regional networks, airports and other modes of transport, while supporting economic development, new urban centres and more sustainable patterns of mobility.
Regional connectivity is also becoming increasingly important. As new rail corridors develop across Southeast Asia and the wider Asia-Pacific, questions of cross-border collaboration, interoperability, common standards, financing and international supply chains will become central to creating a more connected regional transport network.
Against this rapidly changing landscape, HSR Asia 27 returns to Hanoi in March 2027 under the theme: Delivering Asia-Pacific’s Next Generation of High-Speed Rail & Mobility
Built around three strategic pillars :
Connecting Countries • Integrating Mobility • Accelerating Delivery
The two-day programme will move beyond discussing why Asia-Pacific needs high-speed rail to focus increasingly on how it will be financed, procured, engineered, integrated, delivered and operated.
Vietnam sits at the centre of this transformation. Its planned 1,541 km North–South High-Speed Railway, designed for speeds of up to 350 km/h and representing an investment of approximately US$67 billion, is moving through a critical development phase ahead of the targeted start of construction in late 2027. Alongside major investments in wider rail and cross-border connectivity, including the Lào Cai–Hanoi–Hai Phong corridor, Vietnam is creating significant opportunities in financing, engineering, technology, systems integration, localisation and supply-chain development. HSR Asia 27 provides a timely platform to connect Vietnam’s ambitions with the experience, investment and capabilities shaping the next generation of HSR and mobility across Asia-Pacific.
The challenge and opportunity for Vietnam will be to combine the expertise of the international HSR industry with technology transfer, localisation, workforce development and domestic manufacturing capability. The experiences of Japan, China, Spain, France and increasingly India provide valuable lessons on how countries can move from importing HSR expertise towards building sustainable national railway industries.
Conference Programme
Day 1, 17th March 2027, Wednesday
8:00
Registration and Morning Coffee
Strategy, Investment and Delivery
9:00
Chairman’s Welcome Address T C Chew, Managing Director, APAC, Arup
9:15
Opening Keynote Address
9:45
Keynote Address Vietnam's High Speed Rail Vision: Building the Backbone of a Modern, Connected Economy
Vietnam’s strategic ambitions for the North-South high speed railway and its role in national productivity, regional development, urbanisation and long term economic growth. A strategic update on one of Asia Pacific’s most significant HSR programme
Project development and implementation roadmap
Technology and system requirements
Financing and procurement strategy
International partnerships
Technology transfer and localisation
Developing Vietnam's railway workforce and industrial capability
Integrating HSR with Vietnam's wider transport network
10:15
International Keynote The Next Era of High Speed Rail in Asia Pacific
How high speed rail can reshape regional connectivity, economic corridors, cities and integrated mobility across the region
10:45
Networking Coffee Break
11:15
Executive Leadership Panel From National Ambition to Operational Reality : Delivering Asia Pacific’s Next Generation of HSR
As Asia-Pacific enters a new phase of high-speed rail development, this executive panel will examine how ambitious national plans can be translated into deliverable, integrated and financially sustainable networks. A strategic discussion examining how different Asia Pacific markets are moving from high speed rail policy and planning into procurement, construction and operations
Converting national HSR ambitions into investigate and deliverable programmes
Lessons from projects at different stages of development
Government leadership and private sector capability
Integrating high-speed rail with cities, stations and wider mobility systems
Creating railways that are operationally and commercially sustainable
Technology selection, procurement and systems integration and operational readiness
Opportunities for cross-border knowledge-sharing and industry collaboration
Moderator: T C Chew, Managing Director, APAC, Arup
12:00
Vietnam Focus Delivering Vietnam’s North-South High Speed Railway
An examination of the proposed delivery framework for Vietnam’s flagship HSR programme
Programme phasing and delivery priorities
Governance and institutional capability
Technology transfer and local industry participation
Land acquisition and corridor development
Workforce, skills and supply chain readiness
Opportunities for international collaboration
12:30
Networking Lunch
1:30
HSR Across Asia Pacific : Projects, Pipelines and Emerging Corridors
A strategic comparison of: Vietnam • Australia • India • Thailand • Indonesia • China • Japan
Examining projects moving from planning into procurement and construction, emerging investment opportunities, regional corridors and the changing HSR supply chain. Financing the HSR Boom: Public-Private Partnerships and Multilateral Opportunities
Bridging infrastructure gaps with blended finance models
The role of MDBs and sovereign wealth funds in Asia
Attracting long-term capital through stable regulation
Project bankability and risk-sharing frameworks
Funding HSR Projects: Government Models, PPPs, and Blended Finance
Budget-based vs. revenue-based funding approaches
Risk allocation in PPPs: what works and what doesn’t
Blending public funds with development and commercial finance
Innovative tax and land-value capture mechanisms
Financing and Investment Fireside Panel – Financing Asia Pacific’s High Speed Rail Ambitions
How governments, lenders, investors and delivery partners can develop viable financing structures for capital-intensive HSR programmes
Attracting private investment for rail infrastructure
Public funding sovereign borrowing and development finance
Public private partnerships and private sector participation
Blended finance structures and risk allocation
Land value capture and transit oriented development
Revenue diversification beyond ticket sales
Attracting long-term institutional investment
Making HSR projects bankable without undermining public objectives
Choosing the Right Corridor: Demand, Alignment, Stations and Economic Impact
The fundamental purpose of an HSR corridor
Forecasting demand and avoiding optimism bias
Selecting station locations
Balancing speed, accessibility and regional development
Integrating stations with city centers, airports and conventional rail
Future proofing corridors for long term growth
3:45
Networking Afternoon Tea
4:15
Engineering HSR for Asia Pacific – Design, Integration and Delivery at Scale
Civil works, bridges, tunnels and complex terrain
Systems engineering and interface management
Rolling stock, signalling, power and communications
Designing for climate, seismic and environmental conditions
Managing cost, programming and construction risk
Digital engineering, BIM and digital twins
Developing resilient regional supply chains
The New HSR Supply Chain: From Global Technology to Local Delivery
How should emerging HSR countries build resilient supply chains while developing domestic capability? Building the workforce and supply chain for Asia Pacific HSR
Delivering domestic engineering and construction capability
Localisation and technology transfer
Training operators, maintainers and specialist engineers
Creating sustainable supplier ecosystems
Certification, quality assurance and international standards
Building capability across multiple national HSR programmes
Cross Border Collaboration: Building Connected Rail Corridors Across Asia
Aligning technical standards and regulatory frameworks
Customs, immigration and border operations
Interoperability between national rail systems
Cross border financing and governance
Knowledge sharing between established and emerging HSR markets
Connecting rail corridors with ports, airports and logistics networks
5:30
Chairman’s Closing Remarks
6:00
Networking Reception Exclusively Sponsored by DB Engineering
Day 2, 18th March 2027, Thursday
8:30
Registration and Welcome Coffee
Integrated Mobility, Operations and Passenger Experience
9:00
Chairman’s Address Tony Watson, Project Director, Typsa
9:15
Opening Keynote Address Beyond the Railway: HSR as a Platform for Integrated Mobility
How high speed can become the backbone of a seamless transport ecosystem connecting conventional rail, metro, bus, aviation and emerging mobility services
9:45
HSR Stations as Catalysts for Cities, Investment and Regional Growth
Transit-oriented development around HSR stations
Station-city integration
Commercial and mixed use opportunities
Land value creation and capture
Designing stations as destinations and community assets
Balancing commercial development with operational needs
Who Pays After HSR Opens? Debt, Ridership Risk and the Economics of Operations
A candid examination of the financial and operational challenges that begin once construction is complete
Debt servicing and long term financial obligations
Ridership forecasting and revenue risk
Fare policy, affordability and commercial returns
Maintenance and lifecycles costs
Non-fare revenue and property development
Managing competition from airlines and road transport
Building a commercially resilient operation model
10:30
Networking Morning Coffee
11:00
The Intelligent HSR: AI, Automation and Data Driven Operations
AI-enabled traffic and capacity management
Predictive maintenance and asset monitoring
Digital twins and real-time operational control
Automated inspection and condition monitoring
Cybersecurity and operational resilience
Data-driven passenger services
Preparing infrastructure for future technology upgrades
International Case Studies India: From First Corridor to National Network: Scaling India's High-Speed Rail Capability
Mumbai–Ahmedabad construction progress
350 km/h railway engineering
Tunnelling and major structures
Technology transfer
Local manufacturing
Skills development
Emerging HSR corridors
Building a national HSR ecosystem
Australia: Australia's High-Speed Rail Programme: Moving from Planning to Procurement & Delivery
Indonesia : Whoosh & Beyond: What Comes Next for Indonesian High-Speed Rail?
Lessons from Jakarta–Bandung
Ridership and operations
Financing and debt
Potential expansion towards Surabaya
Technology and local capability
Integrating HSR into Indonesia's wider mobility network
Hong Kong–Mainland China HSR Financing Model
Joint funding structure and construction oversight
Revenue management and fare integration
Impact of border control and customs arrangements
Lessons in transparency and dispute resolution
3:00
Networking Afternoon Tea
3:30
Integrated Mobility Panel : Beyond the Station: Connecting HSR, Airports, Metro & Regional Rail
HSR cannot operate as an isolated transport system. How do we create a genuinely integrated passenger journey?
HSR–airport connectivity
Metro and urban rail integration
Regional and conventional rail
Bus and first/last-mile connections
Integrated ticketing
Mobility-as-a-Service
Passenger information
Station interchange design
Accessibility and passenger experience
Systems Integration : One Railway, Thousands of Interfaces: Who Owns HSR Systems Integration?
One of the greatest risks to major railway programmes occurs between individual packages.
Rolling stock
Signalling
Electrification
Track
Telecommunications
Stations
Control centres
Cybersecurity
Testing and commissioning
How should governments allocate integration responsibility and risk?
Closing Executive Panel : Why HSR Megaprojects Fall Behind – And How We Can Deliver Them Better. What Must Asia Pacific Do Differently to Deliver HSR Successfully? A candid closing discussion examining lessons from projects across Asia-Pacific. From Hanoi to 2040: Creating an Integrated Asia-Pacific HSR & Mobility Network.
Identifying the practical priorities required to move the region’s HSR programmes forward
Stronger governance and institutional capability
Realistic cost, demand and delivery assumptions
Better coordination between transport and urban planning
Sustainable financing and risk allocation
Earlier operator involvement
Regional collaboration and knowledge transfer
Maintaining a clear focus on passenger and economic outcomes
What should Vietnam and the next generation of HSR countries do differently?
5:00
Chairman’s Closing Remarks: HSR ASIA 27
Panel of Industry Specialists:
Michael (Mike) Baxter Director, Track International Consulting
My experience in railway design and construction includes 4 major projects in the UK and the Far East over a period of 50 years. In addition I have had experience with projects in Sydney; London; HS2 (UK); Bangkok; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Johannesburg, South Africa; Heavy Haul in India and Mongolia.
In Taiwan I was responsible for the trackwork design and alignment on the 345km 300km/h High Speed Rail project between Taipei and Kaohsiung which was constructed between 1999 and 2006. The main line trackwork extends over 800 linear km. and incorporates both Japanese and German concrete slab trackforms which is a unique arrangement.
I am highly motivated, especially where new railway construction projects are concerned, and look forward to a few more years working in this field.
Heiko Scholz Global Director, DB Rail Academy, Part of DB E.C.O. Group
Heiko Scholz is an internationally experienced executive with over 30 years in the railway sector. His career spans senior strategic leadership at Deutsche Bahn to overseeing operations for 200 railway stations across central Germany, managing 10,000 assets and serving around 2 million passengers daily. He has held responsibility for both strategic and operational domains at the highest level. A decade ago, he founded the DB Rail Academy, Deutsche Bahn’s international training and development institute. As Global Director, he now leads its activities in more than 40 countries worldwide.
T C Chew Managing Director, APAC, Arup
TC is the Managing Director, APAC and the Global Rail Leader at Arup .
He leads a 6,400+ strong workforce of technical experts across 28 offices in East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, creating value for clients and communities, and helping to realise the fast-growing region’s immense economic potential and sustainable development goals over the coming decade. As Global Rail Leader, TC leads an international team of rail experts working on the design and delivery of major multidisciplinary projects around the world. He specialises in rail transit systems, including high-speed, metros, light, and heavy rail. As a trusted advisor to governments and delivery bodies responsible for major rail projects, TC focuses unlocking the economic, social and environmental value of transport infrastructure.
Prior to Arup, as the President of Global Business Operations, TC led Samsung C&T’s international business operation, establishing it as a trusted Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) company. During his tenure as Projects Director at MTR Corporation, TC was responsible for all new railway projects in Hong Kong as well as MTR’s overseas ventures. At Bombardier Transportation in London as Head of Mass Transit in its systems division, TC oversaw major projects, including the London Underground Victoria Line upgrade and modernisation public-private partnership program.
TC spent eight years with Singapore Land Transport Authority he oversaw all of Singapore’s railway and road projects. He also had the privilege of working on the London Underground Jubilee Line Extension project where he led the overall E&M systems and integration process from concept design stage to commencement of project implementation. TC is an Arup Fellow, a chartered engineer and Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and professional institutions in the United Kingdom, the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences and the Hong Kong Institute of Directors. He graduated from Manchester University and holds a Bachelor and Master’s degree.
Tony Watson
Project Director, Typsa
Currently the Project Director for the Construction Supervision Consultant (CSC) of a 400km, mixed traffic line in Saudi Arabia, Tony is a Chartered Civil Engineer with over 23 years of global experience in delivering major transportation projects, from setting up teams, governance and frameworks, to physically managing the delivery of major infrastructure works.
Tony’s experience covers all forms of rail (Tram / LRT, Metro, conventional, freight and HSR) and the entire project lifecycle from feasibility through to testing and commissioning, including some of the biggest rail infrastructure projects in the world, from Asia Pacific, Middle East and Europe. is experience of working in multiple locations around the world, coupled with having worked as both a Client (Government and Government Linked Companies) and for major international consultants has given him the advantage of seeing the bigger picture and able to provide services to client organisations, consultants and contractors, being able to view problems from all side’s perspectives. Tony’s portfolio includes the following major rail projects (working as):
Kuala Lumpur to Singapore HSR (Client)
Rail Baltica (Client)
Klang Valley MRT2 (Consultant)
Abu Dhabi Public Transport Scheme (Client)
Crossrail (Consultant)
Taiwan High Speed Rail (Consultant)
With very few cross border rail services globally (excluding the existing European Network in the Schengen Area), Tony has experience on two major cross border projects which has given him a distinct understanding of the complexities involved when dealing with infrastructure and services which need to satisfy multiple sets of requirements and governance.
Kent Donaldson Executive Transport Adviser, Saudi Arabian Rail (SAR)/ Gulf Cooperative Council
Kent has over 50 years of experience in senior executive positions in both rail and aviation industries. He has served as a CEO, COO, and Director in significant engineering, infrastructure, operational management, governance, and safety projects within both government and private sectors. His roles have spanned Australia, the Middle East, and Asia, where he has successfully driven the delivery of major rail and aviation projects through innovative change and specialized knowledge.
Kent has effectively managed large workforces comprising diverse cultural backgrounds. He has also been extensively involved with Australian and European regulatory bodies in managing change.
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