Friday afternoon rail news in brief:
Man killed after being pushed in front of CTA train
A suspect is in custody after allegedly pushing a man in front of an oncoming Chicago Transit Authority train, which struck and killed him, early Friday morning. WBBM Radio reports the incident occurred about 12:15 a.m. at the Red Line’s 87th Street station on Chicago’s South Side. The victim reportedly became involved with an argument with another man, who punched him and pushed him onto the tracks. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Charges are pending against the 19-year-old; police are conducting a homicide investigation. Red Line service was shut down until shortly after 3 a.m. while police investigated.
Senator introduces bill to fund $25 billion in passenger rail spending
U.S. Sen Edward Markey (D-Mass.) has introduced legislation which would authorize $25 billion over five years, beginning in 2021, for investment in what it terms “high-performance” intercity passenger service — service that would enhance transportation capacity, travel times, reliability, and efficiency. It would allow up to 80% federal funding of a project. A summary of the legislation is available here and the full bill is available here.
