Commentary

High (higher) speed rail, “the real story”

“Don’t believe the New York Times or the train haters who cite it: High speed rail is not an $11 billion failure.”

Indiana(polis) spat may sink Hoosier State

Amtrak’s Hoosier State, linking Indianapolis with Chicago four days a week, may be terminated due to the state capital’s reluctance to provide operating funding support.

Amtrak RFI ponders Tier 4 locomotive order

Amtrak has issued a request for information concerning 15 new Tier 4 diesel-electric locomotives, as well as one diesel switch yard locomotive.

LACMTA taps J.L. Patterson for track project

J.L. Patterson & Associates, Inc. (JLP) said it has been awarded a $6.5 million contract by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) for finalizing the design of a double track project along Metrolink’s Ventura County Line, north of Los Angeles.

Amtrak RFP seeks 28 next-gen HSR trainsets

Amtrak said Wednesday, July 2, 2014 it has officially issued its Request for Proposals (RFP) for up to 28 next-generation high speed trainsets to replace its current Acela Express equipment on the Northeast Corridor (NEC).

Indiana taps vendor for Hoosier State

Indiana’s Department of Transportation has selected Corridor Capital, LLC as its “preferred vendor” to manage and operate Amtrak’s Hoosier State between Indianapolis and Chicago.

Supreme Court to consider USDOT vs. AAR re: Amtrak

In 2008, Congress passed PRIIA (Passenger Rail Improvement and Investment Act). Among its many provisions, it allows Amtrak to work with the Federal Railroad Administration to set metrics and minimum standards for assessing passenger rail service performance. Those standards are meant to be incorporated into Amtrak’s operating agreements with its host freight railroads.

Amtrak, CHSRA call it quits on joint trainset procurement

Plans by Amtrak and the California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) to jointly purchase a fleet of high speed trainsets have been scrapped as the two parties have acknowledged that the specifications differ too greatly.

Amtrak Viewliner II baggage car field testing

The first of Amtrak’s 55 new Viewliner II baggage cars, no. 61000—one of four Viewliner II series long-distance car types—is undergoing field testing.

B&P tunnel study moves forward

With a goal of addressing a longstanding bottleneck along the Northeast Corridor, the Federal Railroad Administration, Maryland Department of Transportation, and Amtrak are advancing an engineering and environmental study to examine various improvements to the 141-year-old Baltimore and Potomac (B&P) Tunnel in Baltimore, Md.
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