The magazine’s eighth annual award is presented to women leaders in the railway industry who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and vision
ARLINGTON, VA. (Nov. 4, 2024) – Railway Age magazine has named Henrika Buchanan as one of its 2024 Women in Rail honorees. Recipients of this recognition represent women who have excelled as industry leaders while also serving their local communities and driving industry change.
Buchanan is a vice president and national practice consultant for HNTB’s transit and rail practice. A strategic, results-oriented rail industry leader with more than 25 years of experience in public transportation funding programs, Buchanan has led intercity passenger rail projects, major capital project oversight, transit safety regulations, federal transportation policy, regulatory compliance and change management. Buchanan also serves as the firm’s client service leader for Amtrak, where she is committed to driving success and fostering a strong, strategic partnership tailored to Amtrak’s distinct needs and objectives as a national client.
“For more than 25 years, Henrika has been at the forefront of advancing rail and transit projects that drive real, equitable change,” said Ronnie Hakim, HNTB’s national transit and rail market sector leader. “Her strategic counsel is trusted by clients nationwide as she works to cocreate solutions that not only address today’s challenges but also build the foundation for thriving, connected communities in the future. This recognition is a celebration of her exceptional leadership and her lasting impact on the rail industry.”
Before joining HNTB in 2021, Buchanan served as a senior executive at the Federal Transit Administration for more than a decade. Her professional accomplishments with the FTA include leading the agency’s recovery efforts for the COVID-19 pandemic and Hurricane Sandy. In 2019, Buchanan was awarded the Presidential Rank award, the highest honor bestowed by the President of the United States upon senior executives, recognizing her efforts to manage a $9 billion support package for areas affected by Hurricane Sandy.
Buchanan is an active member of WTS International, the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials and the American Public Transportation Association. She also dedicates time to advocating for her alma mater, Alabama A&M University.