The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) on March 11 recommended that nine large rail transit-related projects in five states receive approximately $3 billion in federal support for construction as part of President Biden’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Budget Request to Congress.
On Feb. 21, I reported on 15 potential long-distance routes that Amtrak could operate someday, in theory, anyway. These routes resulted from a two-year evaluation and selection process sponsored by the Federal
The Senate Budget Committee on March 6 voted unanimously to advance the bipartisan Railroad Employee Equity and Fairness (REEF) Act, which aims to protect railroad employees from cuts to unemployment and sickness insurance and eliminate mandated cuts to the Railroad Retirement Board’s Unemployment Insurance Account.
Amtrak increases Northeast Regional service. Also, TriMet celebrates the opening of the Gateway North MAX station; and Metrolinx cancels a deal with Vandyk Properties for a new station and transit-oriented community.
Virginia and North Carolina are home Amtrak’s busiest stations in the Southeast. Also, the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) provides an update on expanding Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer; New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) Chief Accessibility Officer earns Presidential Volunteer Award; and Metrolinx’s maintenance and storage facility for the Finch West LRT project in Toronto receives LEED Silver Certification.
MPA Delivery Partners, a joint venture of Parsons Corporation, Arcadis of New York, Inc., and Mace North America Limited, will serve as Delivery Partner for the $16 billion Hudson Tunnel Project, the
Amtrak Northeast Corridor (NEC) trains transition to fixed forward and backward seating. Also, Gov. Phil Murphy’s $55.9 billion budget includes a plan for NJ Transit by taxing businesses; the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) Transit Police Department upgrades to CODY Systems’ cloud-based Public Safety Suite; and Brightline ranks No. 59 on Inc. Magazine’s list of the Southeast region’s fastest-growing private companies.
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) on Feb. 26 decided the Amtrak Gulf Coast Service proceeding will remain in abeyance and directed the parties to file a joint status report by March 15 covering issues raised during this month’s hearing on the slow pace of getting two Amtrak trains in each direction running between New Orleans and Mobile.
North Carolina’s rail system contributes to more than $20 billion into the state’s economy and supports 88,000 jobs, according to a report released Feb. 26 by the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s (NCDOT) Rail Division.
Editor‘s note: Jim Tilley recently wrote to Amtrak Board Chair Anthony Coscia regarding procurement of a new long-distance fleet. We reproduce this letter in its entirety and will likewise publish a response