WASHINGTON — The latest filings in the Amtrak-Metra dispute over Metra’s lease at Chicago Union Station, while peripheral to the primary issues before the Surface Transportation Board, suggest significant antagonism remains between the two parties. In a Feb. 8 letter, Metra’s attorney asked the board to strike a Jan. 29, 2021 letter from Amtrak, saying […]
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The fate of California’s high speed rail project hangs on a funding decision the California legislature will make before adopting the new state budget in June. “I do think it’s time to decide: Is California committed to moving to electrified, clean, high speed rail as a way to move people around the […]
RTD CEO to offer plan to put new focus on Boulder-Longmont commuter rail line The head of Denver’s Regional Transportation District says she will present a plan to the board within 60 days to advance work on a long-delayed commuter rail line to Boulder and Longmont, Colo., following a push from Gov. Jared Polis. KUSA-TV […]
Boosted by federal aid, Utah Transit Authority sees revenue increase as ridership falls Thanks to federal coronavirus relief funding, the Utah Transit Authority came out ahead financially in 2020 despite huge ridership losses, according to preliminary year-end figures. The Salt Lake Tribune reports the Salt Lake City-area agency saw a 47% loss in ridership, but […]
Toronto Transit Commission board votes to close Scarborough line in 2023 The Toronto Transit Commission board has voted in favor of a plan to shut down the Scarborough RT, a 4-mile rail transit line, some seven years before a replacement route is ready. CP24-TV reports the board voted unanimously for the report calling for closure […]
Maryland Senate to vote on veto overide of bill seeking to extend MAR service to Virginia, Delaware A bill that would open the door for MARC commuter rail service to expand into northern Virginia has new life after Maryland’s House of Delegates voted to override a veto by Gov. Larry Hogan, leaving its future in […]
Colorado governor, in RTD meeting, says current date to build commuter line is “not legitimate” Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, in a rare appearance at a meeting of Denver’s Regional Transportation District, continued his recent push for construction of a commuter rail line to Boulder and Longmont, Colo., saying the current projection of completion in 2042 […]
The U.S. Department of Labor has cited Trinity Rail Maintenance Services for violations of federal safety standards as a result of an August 2020 accident at its Hugo, Okla., facility that led to the deaths of two workers. Following an investigation, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited the company for 11 serious violations […]
A former Union Pacific GE C36-7 locomotive is being rebuilt in the small Eastern European country of Estonia to operate using liquefied natural gas, the first of a series of planned conversions. Freight company Operail began work on the first locomotive in early February, after plans to undertake the project last year were delayed by […]
WASHINGTON – U.S. rail traffic continues to run above 2020 levels, according to the latest information from the Association of American Railroads, although the rate of the increase has cooled somewhat. For the week ending Feb. 6, the overall traffic of 495,815 carloads and intermodal units was a 2.2% increase over the corresponding week in […]
Canadian Prime Minister announces plans for $14.9 billion in transit funding Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced plans to spend C$14.9 billion over the next eight years on public transportation projects, with part of that funding to create a permanent $3 billion per year transit fund. The CBC reports the plan could provide funding […]
WILLIAMS, Ariz. — Steam-powered passenger trains are set to return to the Grand Canyon Railway on eight dates beginning in April 2021, with one of the railroad’s two steam locomotives powering a morning train from Williams to the Historic Village inside Grand Canyon National Park. Steam operations are scheduled for the first Saturday of each […]
