13 Facts About Michael Schabas

Michael Schabas is a UK-based railway consultant who has been involved in launching several railway projects and businesses.

Michael Schabas has advised clients on projects in more than 20 other countries.

Michael Schabas studied Architecture at the University of Toronto and City and Regional Planning at the Harvard Kennedy School.

When Schabas was Chairman of the City of Toronto Cycling Committee at the University of Toronto, he secured funding for the City's first on-street cycle lanes.

Michael Schabas attracted controversy by asserting cyclists had the same rights to use streets as cars.

Michael Schabas was employed by UTDC as Design Coordinator for the first Skytrain line, which was the world's second driverless metro opened in 1985.

In 1994, Michael Schabas was retained by the London Borough of Newham to review the proposed Channel Tunnel Rail Link.

Michael Schabas subsequently testified in the House of Lords for the Kings Cross Residents Association and argued against the plans to demolish their neighborhood for a new rail terminus.

Michael Schabas suggested instead that the line could run into St Pancras which, at the time, was partly disused.

Michael Schabas was retained by British Rail, and plans were changed to use St Pancras.

In 1995, Michael Schabas founded GB Railways, which went on to win the Anglia Railways franchise and to launch GB Railfreight and Hull Trains.

In 2008, Michael Schabas joined the boutique railway consultancy First Class Partnerships based in the UK as a senior partner.

In 2014, Michael Schabas was retained to prepare a pre-feasibility study for a high-speed rail line between Toronto, Kitchener and London, Ontario.