The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has opened the public docket on its investigation into the Sept. 25, 2021, derailment of Amtrak’s Empire Builder train 7/27 near Joplin, Mont. The agency noted
Amtrak earns a spot on the Forbes 2023 list of America’s Best Large Employers. Also, San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) launches a domestic violence prevention campaign; Brightline targets the opening of its Orlando, Fla., passenger rail extension, and plans three wildlife overcrossings for its Los Vegas-to-Southern California high-speed rail project; Metra’s Board signs off on the Chicago commuter railroad’s 2023-27 strategic plan; North County Transit District (NCTD) launches pilot fare products to meet the needs of San Diego County’s hybrid workforce; and members of the metro Vancouver community can scrap their cars for 16 months of free transit.
RAILWAY AGE, FEBRUARY 2023 ISSUE: Railway Age is proud to recognize 25 ‘Fast Trackers’ Under 40 in 2023.
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces $6 million in funding to explore transportation insecurity that leads to poverty. Also, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) announces new partnership between the Metro Transit Police Department (MTPD) and the DC Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to enhance public safety; NJ Transit engineers say they could strike over pay disparity; the Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) latest interactive scorecard reveals more reliable service in January; San Diego County supervisors approve resolution to expand free youth public transit ridership program; ORDC will apply for the first phase of funding to study expanding passenger rail service in Ohio; and tunneling on the Toronto Transit Commission’s (TTC) Bloor-Danforth Subway Line began in January.
PASSENGER RAIL FOCUS, RAILWAY AGE FEBRUARY 2023 ISSUE: Whoever thought that Southern California, which decades ago ripped up much of its extensive passenger rail network, would become a rail transit mecca? Agencies like Los Angeles Metro Rail, NCTD, Metrolink and Amtrak are returning the region to its glory days.
Amtrak advances crew training for Mobile-to-New Orleans intercity passenger rail service. Also, Connecticut lawmakers eye electrification of MTA Metro-North Railroad’s Danbury Branch; and south Florida’s Tri-Rail commuter railroad saw January ridership grow 30% over the same month last year.
Ahead of service to Orlando, train testing of up to 110 mph continues for Brightline, Florida’s private-sector passenger railroad. Also, New York MTA’s Metro-North Penn Station Access Project faces delays; Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) and Metrolink unveil track and station improvements in Anaheim, Calif.; Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) in California begins station modifications to accommodate new LRVs from Siemens Mobility; and Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (SCVTA) offers limited-edition trading cards.
President Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Jan. 31 announced that the Biden-Harris Administration has awarded nearly $1.2 billion from the new National Infrastructure Project Assistance (Mega) discretionary grant program to
VIA Rail Canada announced Jan. 27 that it intends to renew its existing long-distance (L-D, regional and remote-territory fleet and has issued a formal Request for Information (RFI) for a supplier to “design, manufacture, test, supply, deliver and commission cars and motive power and ancillary equipment (onboard and offboard) with a prescribed capacity of car types (coaches, sleepers, diners, multi-purpose, baggage)” through the open competitive procurement process known as the “Long Distance Regional and Remote Fleet Renewal Project.”
President Joe Biden traveled to Baltimore, Md., on Jan. 30 to join Amtrak, U.S. Department of Transportation and the state of Maryland to kick off the Baltimore and Potomac (B&P) Tunnel replacement