MICHAEL
SCHABA
michael@schabas.net
●
www.schabas.net
+44 (0)7973 241 214
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Michael Schabas is an expert in the development and management of railways and urban transport systems.
As a consultant, he has advised a wide range of private and public clients in more than twenty countries including: UK Department of Transport; BROWN & ROOT; ANGEL TRAINS; Transport Canada; World Bank; Asian Development Bank; European Investment Bank; Transport for London, British Telecom, Transport Innovations Edinburgh; Queensland Rail; Railtrack; Newham Borough Council; London Docklands Development Corporation; AMEC Plc and The Commission for Integrated Transport.
Michael Schabas is a Director of First Class Partnerships, a strategic management consultancy advising a wide range of public and private organisations on the development, management, and regulation of railways and metro systems.
Michael Schabas founded GB Railways Group Plc which operated Anglia Railways and launched GB Railfreight and Hull Trains. Anglia won numerous awards for excellence, and grew traffic by 50% over seven years. He also led GB Railways’ international acquisitions in Estonia and Australia. In 2003, GB Railways was acquired by FirstGroup Plc. He continues as a non-executive Director of GB Railfreight and Hull Trains. On behalf of FirstGroup, he led the acquisition of a bus company operating in Rhein-Neckar, Germany in 2005.
In Australia, Michael Schabas developed the business strategy for Great Southern Railway, which successfully acquired the iconic Ghan and the Indian Pacific long distance trains; GSR continues to operate profitably, without subsidy.
As Vice-President for Transport Planning at Olympia and York, developers of Canary Wharf, Michael Schabas conceived and promoted the Jubilee Line Extension which was critical to long-term success of the £15bn Docklands regeneration project. He also instigated the resignalling and re-engineering of the Docklands Light Railway, and led the Brown & Root/Booz Allen consortium which won the £70m contract to complete the work.
Michael Schabas advised several East London local governments on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link. He conceived and developed the case to use St Pancras as the terminal for the £6bn project, a solution that was eventually adopted and built. He was retained by the CTRL promoter as strategy advisor 1991-1996.
Michael Schabas received a Masters Degree with Distinguished Achievement from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and a Bachelor of Architecture Degree from the University of Toronto.
Updated June 2008
Urban Transport
Conceived and promoted
the Jubilee Line
Extension to Canary Wharf in London Docklands
Founded three innovative and profitable passenger train companies in the UK and Australia
Railfreight
Founded the third-largest rail freight company in the UK