WMATA Metrorail extensions, capacity and service enhancements for Virginia Railway Express (VRE) and new light rail transit (LRT) are among the numerous projects proposed by the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) in a TransAction Plan Update adopted Oct. 12.
Switzerland-based rail transit vehicle supplier Stadler Rail has chosen Salt Lake City to establish a manufacturing base for its U.S. subsidiary, Stadler US Inc., beginning next year with construction of a carbuilding plant and test track. Currently, Stadler is leasing space from the Utah Transit Authority at its Warm Springs facility, employing 115.
VIA Rail Canada set ridership records over the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend. From Oct. 5 to 10, 2017, 193,900 passengers used VIA’s four main services—Cross-Canada, Quebec-Windsor, the Montréal-Halifax Ocean and the Toronto-Vancouver Canadian—for an average 20.8% increase over the same period in 2016, excluding the Ocean, which rose 5%.
Paul Olmstead has joined the Strato, Inc. executive management team as Vice President of Quality Assurance. He brings more than 25 years of international experience in engineering, manufacturing, and quality assurance programs.
As wildfires burn in its service region, Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) will continue to provide free train service for passengers through Sunday, Oct.15 to assist evacuees and others who need transportation options.
Caltrans released the public draft of the California State Rail Plan, which outlines a new framework for California’s rail network, for new and better rail transportation, and multimodal and community connections in the state for the next 20 years and beyond.
California Gov. Jerry Brown on Oct. 10 signed a state senate bill authorizing Caltrain to place a local sales tax measure on the upcoming November election ballot. If passed, the sales tax, which would be a maximum of one-eighth of one cent (0.125 cents), will provide Caltrain, which provides regional/commuter rail service between San Francisco and San Jose, a dedicated funding source.
Siemens has made a “significant strategic equity investment” in Wi-Tronix, a supplier of remote monitoring, video analytics, and predictive diagnostic systems for rail rolling stock and infrastructure and other industrial markets. The investment is equivalent to a minority interest in Wi-Tronix, which will continue to conduct business as a standalone, founder-led company out of its Bolingbrook, Ill., headquarters. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Edward Brandis has joined LILEE Systems, a provider of smart connectivity solutions for the transportation industry, as Business Development Manager, Transit. He will focus on “increasing awareness within the North American public transportation sector and bridging the gaps between the demands of the industry and LILEE’s technology-based solutions for smart connectivity,” the company said.
Ahead of the year-end holidays, the Washington State Department of Transportation is starting two additional Amtrak Cascades daily round-trips between Seattle and Portland.
