MTA Metro-North Railroad’s branch line from Bridgeport to Waterbury, Conn., is being upgraded, and plans call for more trains to run on weekdays, starting next June.
Amtrak is introducing new ticket kiosks. In addition, Chicago’s Metra has broken ground on the Peterson Ridge Station; MTA Metro-North Railroad has completed a $95 million renewal of its White Plains, N.Y., station; and Texas’ Trinity Metro has appointed Paul J. Ballard interim President and CEO.
Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) has released a draft 2045 Transit System Plan. In addition, Denver (Colo.) Regional Transportation District is surveying riders to assess communication needs; MTA Metro-North Railroad is piloting a bike storage program in New York City; and Via Rail Canada will begin the final phase of its gradual service resumption plan in December.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont and Connecticut Transportation Commissioner Joseph Giulietti have introduced a new passenger rail plan to boost capacity and improve frequency and travel times in Connecticut over the next 15 years.
The long-simmering controversy over high-speed rail (HSR) continued during a May 6 hearing before the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials. Its theme: “When Unlimited Potential Meets Limited Resources: The Benefits and Challenges of High-Speed Rail and Emerging Rail Technologies.”
MTA Metro-North Railroad passengers can now communicate with the railroad in real time via the popular social media messaging platform WhatsApp.
Five commuter rail agencies will receive a total of $40.26 million in grants for highway/rail grade crossing improvements from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), in coordination with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The awards are part of round one of the Commuter Authority Rail Safety Improvement (CARSI) Grants Program.
Officials at New York MTA’s Metro-North Railroad and Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) announced Dec. 23 that implementation of Positive Train Control (PTC) was complete, just ahead of the Dec. 31, 2020, federal deadline. They teamed with systems integrator Siemens Mobility and Bombardier Transportation on the project.
MTA Metro-North Railroad has reconfigured vending machines at 12 stations throughout its commuter rail system to allow customers to purchase PPE (personal protective equipment) KN95 masks, bottled hand sanitizer and gloves at the machines starting July 10, though “free masks and hand sanitizer are still being distributed at stations and on trains for any rider that needs them,” the agency said.
MTA Metro-North Railroad President Cathy Rinaldi announced that as of March 14 Metro-North’s full Harlem and Hudson lines are operating in Positive Train Control (PTC), bringing Metro-North’s total of PTC-equipped route miles to 189, which represents 68% of its mileage.