PASSENGER RAIL OUTLOOK, RAILWAY AGE JANUARY 2026 ISSUE: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times … in short, the period was … like the present period.” So
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is restoring all morning express trips on Regional Rail as more Silverliner IVs return to service. Also, STM (Société de transport de Montréal) releases its 2026 budget and 2026-2035 Capital Investment Program; the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) Board will consider advancing the C Line Extension to Torrance and the Sepulveda Transit Corridor projects; and NC By Train in North Carolina breaks its ridership record for the fourth consecutive year.
While Amtrak has started upgrading its maintenance facilities to support major fleet acquisitions, including NextGen Acela, Airo, and planned Long Distance trains, developing and implementing a strategic plan would help the company
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) system-wide ridership decreases 1% in November. Also, STV’s Quantico Station Improvement Project wins an American Council of Engineering Companies of Virginia (ACEC Virginia) Grand Award; Governor Kathy Hochul vetoes a bill that would require two-person crews on the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) subway trains; and Amtrak and Union Station Redevelopment Corporation (USRC) leaders approve an agreement to restore federal control of the facility.
My report on the Dec. 4 Amtrak Board meeting in New Orleans included a proposal by Scott R. Spencer, Chief Operating Officer of AmeriStarRail, who proposed rebranding the new NextGen Acela as
The Amtrak Board of Directors held its year-end 2025 meeting earlier this month in New Orleans, the site of a celebration held three-and-a-half months ago for the inauguration of Mardi Gras Service
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) on Dec. 11 reported that more than 18,000 frontline Amtrak workers will each receive a $900 bonus “to celebrate a record year of ridership and revenue.”
Amtrak’s newest service, the Mardi Gras, is seeing strong demand. Also, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is taking delivery of 10 leased coaches from MARC (Maryland Area Regional Commuter Rail); Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) promotes Alan Lehto to Executive Director of Planning, a newly created position; New Jersey Transit (NJT) earns the 2025 Combating Human Trafficking in Transportation Impact Award; Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) considers advertising installations in subway tunnels; and Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and Keolis Commuter Services (Keolis) release a year-in-review report.
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), New Jersey Transit (NJT) and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) advance transit-oriented development projects. Also, San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) fares will increase Jan. 1 to keep pace with inflation and help pay for service; Amtrak resumes Lake Shore Limited service between Albany, N.Y., and Boston, Mass.; and Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) is discontinuing Wi-Fi service on buses, trolleys and trains.
Union Pacific (UP) delivers the city of Omaha’s official Christmas tree. Also, Norfolk Southern (NS), Amtrak, and the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation announce the schedule for their New York Holiday Train; and Genesee & Wyoming’s (G&W) Quebec-Gatineau Railway kicks off the holidays in downtown Trois-Rivières, Quebec.