Amtrak’s Borealis tops 205,800 guests in its first full year of service. Also, Amtrak Virginia sets another ridership record in April; Zephyr Rail is selected by the Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency to provide preliminary engineering and design services for the Ortega Siding project in Carpinteria, Calif.; and Metrolinx issues a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the first major Hamilton LRT contract.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) will administer a $13.2 million federal grant to the town of Wake Forest to construct a “mobility hub” on the S-Line passenger rail corridor. Also, the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) receives $11.6 million to expand service along the CTrail Hartford Line; and the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency is awarded $27 million to increase Amtrak Pacific Surfliner train service.
Arlington, Mass., explores an extension of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Red Line. Also, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) commits to awarding up to $7.5 billion to historically underutilized businesses as part of its next Capital Plan; a new survey shows the overall approval of TriMet increasing; LA Metro’s August ridership marks the 21st consecutive month of year-over-year growth; and Gov. Gavin Newsom signs legislation giving California more agency in managing the Los Angeles-San Luis Obispo-San Diego (LOSSAN) rail corridor.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs legislation incorporating climate resiliency into Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor planning. Also, California announces $114.5 million in Clean California grants; the Connecticut State Bond Commission announces $398.1 in state funding approved for the Northeast Corridor (NEC) Match Program and $15 million for New Haven Station improvements; and the Ottawa LRT north-south expansion line is delayed until spring 2024.
Transit oriented development (TOD) plans at Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) stations get state boost. Also, VIA Rail Canada (VIA Rail) continues to see sustained growth in travel demand in Q2 2023; Metrolinx awards a contract for the construction of the Bloor-TTC connection; Gov. Jared Polis pushes for Front Range Passenger Rail vote in 2024; and the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency unveils a new rail safety initiative.
Emergency construction work, led by the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), has stopped slope movement and stabilized the tracks in south San Clemente, Calif., clearing the way for weekend passenger rail service to resume.
As Rail Safety Week (RSW) (Sept. 19-25), a collaborative effort among Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI), state OLI programs and rail safety partners across the U.S., Canada and Mexico, continues to be observed, North American carriers and organizations are mobilizing to raise awareness about rail safety and to help stop track tragedies during this annual week-long event. Here is a roundup of the week’s initiatives.
Jason Jewell has been appointed interim Managing Director of the Los Angeles–San Diego–San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency, which oversees the Amtrak® Pacific Surfliner® service.
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has unveiled its updated “Pride Train”; Infrastructure Canada has announced the recipients of its Knowledge Synthesis Grants on mobility and public transit; Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency has received American Public Transportation Association (APTA) awards for best marketing and communications on COVID-19; Washington Area Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA) has launched SmarTrip for Android™ in Google Pay; and ICM Mobility Group has acquired mobile ticketing and payment specialist Unwire.
