Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Dec. 29 announced that construction work on the Hudson River rail tunnel project connecting Penn Station New York and New Jersey will commence “in the coming months on the Manhattan side,” according to the New York Daily News. (Amtrak Photo)

Transit Briefs: Gateway, LIRR, SMART

Construction on the Hudson River rail tunnels, part of the Gateway Program in New York and New Jersey, will advance with a $292 million Mega grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Also, MTA Long Island Rail Road’s Grand Central Madison will not open by the end of the year, as planned; and California’s Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) will receive $1.8 million in Community Project Funding under the FY 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which was signed into law by President Joe Biden on Dec. 23.

NJT Seeks HBLR O&M Contractor

New Jersey Transit (NJT) has initiated a procurement process for an O&M (Operations and Maintenance) contractor for the 20.6-mile, 24-station Hudson-Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) system, which has operated under the initial DBOM (Design-Build-Operate-Maintain) contract held by 21st Century Rail Corporation since its inception in 2000. “As that contract gets set to expire in the coming years, NJT is evaluating all options on how best to continue delivering high-quality operation and maintenance of the system,” the agency said.

TriMet’s Board of Directors on Dec. 14 approved Ordinance 369 to amend the rules for operating and riding TriMet MAX light rail, WES commuter rail, Portland Streetcar, and bus and paratransit services.

TriMet, NJT: Protecting Employees, Improving Rider Experience

Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) and New Jersey Transit (NJT) are working to strengthen protections for transit workers and to improve the rider experience through new regulations.

A New Jersey Transit study, released in November, found that a dedicated transit roadway with embedded light rail is the preferred alternative to current Princeton Junction commuter rail service. (Rendering Courtesy of NJT’s Princeton Transitway Study: Preliminary Concept Analysis.)

Transit Briefs: NJT, SEPTA, WMATA

New Jersey Transit (NJT) has released a study of alternative transit modes for the Princeton Branch. Also, Pop-Up Metro is proposed to link Pennsylvania’s West Chester Borough to downtown Philadelphia; and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) has released a proposed budget for the next fiscal year.

MassDOT has submitted an application for more than $108 million in federal funding for rail corridor improvements between Springfield and Worcester to restore Inland Route intercity passenger rail service. (Amtrak Photograph)

Transit Briefs: Amtrak/CSX/MassDOT, DART, NJT

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), in partnership with Amtrak and with support from CSX, is seeking federal funding for corridor improvements to restore Inland Route intercity passenger rail service. Also, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is extending the Discount GoPass Tap Card pilot program; and New Jersey Transit (NJT) is re-launching its Adopt-A-Station program.

As part of its Climate Action Plan, San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission has moved to the sole use of renewable diesel (R100) for its ACE locomotive fleet.

Transit Briefs: ACE, NJT, STM

San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission has made the switch to 100% renewable diesel for locomotives operating in ACE (Altamont Corridor Express) commuter rail service in California. Also, New Jersey Transit (NJT) and Berkeley College have signed a three-year marketing agreement; and Société de transport de Montréal (STM) has released its 2023 budget and 2023-32 Capital Expenditures Program.

Derrick Wright, Vice President, Operations and Mechanical, Indiana Rail Road Company; Lenora Isaac, Director of Rail and Transit Projects, RailPros.

People News: INRD, RailPros

Indiana Rail Road Company (INRD) appoints Derrick Wright as Vice President, Operations and Mechanical. Also, RailPros hires 35-year New Jersey Transit veteran Lenora Isaac as Director of Rail and Transit Projects, based in Newark, N.J.

NJT Expands Heritage Fleet

New Jersey Transit has added a Heritage Locomotive to its revenue flee, EMD GP40PH-2 4101, one of the original CNJ (Central Railroad of New Jersey) GP40Ps that has operated in revenue service for more than 54 years.

NJ Transit wrote in an Oct. 12 Twitter post: “Today, NJ TRANSIT CEO Kevin Corbett joined @govmurphy, Congressman @frankpallone, @speakercoughlin, @woodbridgenj Mayor John McCormac and Russo Development CEO Edward Russo to advance a significant Transit Oriented Development (TOD) project at MetroPark Train Station.” (Photograph Courtesy of NJ Transit, via Twitter)

Transit Briefs: CapMetro, Metra, NJ Transit

Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (CapMetro) seeks 1,000-plus jobs for Project Connect in Austin, Tex. Also, Chicago’s Metra unveils 2023 budget; and New Jersey Transit advances a TOD (transit-oriented development) project at Metropark station in Woodbridge.

LACMTA officials on Oct. 7 commemorated the grand opening of the K Line, Los Angeles’ newest light rail line. (Photograph Courtesy of LACMTA)

Transit Briefs: APTA, LACMTA, NJ Transit

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) has released a new report on the “Transit Workforce Shortage: Root Causes, Potential Solutions, and the Road Ahead.” Also, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) officially opened the K Line, formerly known as the Crenshaw/LAX Line, on Oct. 7; and New Jersey Transit will replace the windows in 429 multi-level commuter railcars.

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