Anna Lynn Smith Rejoins HDR as Intercity & High-Speed Rail Lead
Anna Lynn Smith, AICP, has returned to HDR to lead the firm’s intercity and high-speed rail practice. Based in Philadelphia, Smith will oversee strategy, client engagement and market position for intercity and high-speed rail across rail and transit markets. Her work will primarily be focused on the United States and Canada.
“The interest in and demand for passenger rail continues to grow,” Smith said. “We are at a critical point in leveraging this momentum to advance a multitude of projects throughout North America. I'm looking forward to applying my experience and leveraging the skills and talents of HDR's staff to create more rail transportation options for travel between communities.”
Smith has more than 30 years of experience shaping multimodal infrastructure strategies. She has worked on a wide variety of projects with state and federal agencies, metropolitan planning organizations, cities, transit agencies, railroads and other clients across North America. Most recently, she was the vice president of planning and strategy at Amtrak, where she directed the organization’s strategic planning across long-range, five-year, and annual initiatives, guiding service development, infrastructure planning, and sustainability goals.
Prior to her work at Amtrak, Smith served in regional and national roles at HDR, contributing her expertise in transportation planning and intercity rail. She participated in and led projects, including short-range and long-range planning for intercity passenger projects.
The intercity and high-speed rail practice that Smith will lead encompasses the full suite of services that HDR provides, including planning, engineering, architecture, systems, signal engineering, zero-emissions mobility, strategic advisory services, and roadway disciplines.
“With her background and decades of experience, Anna Lynn is the right person to lead HDR’s intercity and high-speed rail practice group,” said HDR Global Transit Director Matt Tucker. “She has a deep understanding of the challenges our clients face and how to plan for the future to deliver successful passenger rail solutions.”
