More Thursday morning rail news:
— The operator of the Ottawa, Ontario, light rail Confederation Line has outlined a plan to fix a length list of problems with the 7-month-old transit operation, but he city’s director of rail operations says the plan doesn’t meet the city requirements and does not include a timeline for fixing the issues. CTV News reports Rideau Transit Group’s plan includes addressing issues with brakes, passenger doors, and power over the next 10 months, with long-term work to address issues such as catenary system wear, switch heaters, and light rail vehicle heating and cooling.
— A $40 million project to make the Natick, Mass., commuter rail station fully accessible has begun. The MetroWest Daily News of Framingham, Mass., reports the 30-month project will upgrade the busiest Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority station which is not currently fully accessible under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The station, which serves about 1,250 passengers on an average weekday, will be reduced to a single track for much of the project but normal service is expected to continue.
— Work continues in central California on the state’s high speed rail line despite the COVID-19 pandemic, but the project has had to change its methods of operation. Valley Public Radio reports that social distancing moves include smaller safety meetings to start each day’s work and greater distance between workers where possible. Workers also are allowed to take voluntary furloughs, or leave on a given day if they feel unsafe about possible exposure, from a coughing coworker, for example.
