Author: Carolina Worrell

Amtrak Takes First Step to Re-Equip Long-Distance Network

Amtrak has announced that 10 manufacturers have submitted their ideas on replacement railcars for such overnight routes as Auto Train, California Zephyr, Coast Starlight, Crescent, Empire Builder and Southwest Chief, marking the “first formal step to completely reequip the Amtrak Long-Distance Network that provides vital service on 14 overnight routes from coast to coast,” the railroad reported Jan. 19.

" We recognize the significance and urgency within this opportunity to reimagine one of the nation’s busiest travel corridors," said Adam Shaw, Anser Advisory Chief Delivery Officer and Principal P3 Advisor. (Photo: Business Wire)

LA Metro Selects Anser Advisory to Oversee STC Development

LA Metro, in its Oct. 27, 2022, Board of Directors meeting, “unanimously approved” the selection of Anser Advisory to provide program management and pre-development agreement oversight services for the Sepulveda Transit Corridor (STC) project, the nation’s “largest alternative delivery transit project.”

Jim Blaze photo

Amtrak Petitions FRA to Retire Maryland Fixed Wayside Signals

Amtrak is seeking Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) approval to retire fixed wayside signals as automatic block points on the Mid-Atlantic Division’s Philadelphia-to-Washington, line (a Northeast Corridor branch), according to a notice in the Federal Register’s Jan. 17 edition.

Courtesy of RIDOT

RIDOT Sets Opening Date for MBTA Pawtucket Station

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) recently announced that the Pawtucket-Central Falls train station, which will connect the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) Commuter Rail service with the R.I. Public Transit Authority’s bus service at Pine Street in Pawtucket, could open on Jan. 23, according to a 12 News report.

Photo features Adams Avenue Grade Separation structure in Fresno County. (Courtesy of CHSRA)

CHSRA Opens Three New Structures

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA), in collaboration with Dragados-Flatiron Joint Venture, recently announced the completion of three new high-speed rail structures in Fresno and Kings Counties.

Starting in 2023, the MTA says it is working to implement operating efficiencies yielding $100 million in savings in 2023 and rising to $416 million in savings by 2026.

NYMTA Sets 2023 Budget, Major Projects

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced Dec. 21 that it has approved its 2023 budget and four-year financial plan; is taking action to reduce costs of capital projects, including Second Avenue Subway and the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) Third Track; and is awarding a $382 million contract for the Metro-North Park Avenue Viaduct rehabilitation project.

CHSRA Selects Stantec to Design Merced-Madera Extension

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) on Dec.19 announced that it has awarded Edmonton, Alberta, Canada-based engineering firm Stantec a $41 million contract to design the 33.9-mile Merced to Madera extension, the key junction that will connect the 500-mile-long project between the Bay Area and Los Angeles.