Washington and Oregon are creating a new partnership and will develop a plan for managing passenger-rail service between Eugene, Ore., and Vancouver, B.C., Canada, as one continuous rail corridor rather than two separate state operations. Transportation officials for each state signed an agreement as another step toward offering faster, more frequent Amtrak Cascades service.
Selected transit agencies in cash-strapped municipalities from coast to coast and Puerto Rico may now use certain Federal Transit Administration funds to cover the cost of the gas, diesel and electric power that keeps buses, light rail, streetcars and other transit vehicles up and running.
Amtrak is on pace to set another new annual ridership record as passenger counts across its national network for the first six months of fiscal year 2012 (October 2011 – March 2012) are up 3.7 percent over the same period last year when the current record was established.
This month, Southern California’s Metrolink will complete the first phase of implementation of a $1.6 million upgrade to its communication system that will provide passengers with more timely train schedule information and status updates at Metrolink train stations. The new system is now installed and operational on Metrolink’s San Bernardino, Orange County, Inland Empire-Orange County and 91 lines.
After six months of extensive public outreach, Portland, Ore.-area TriMet released its final budget proposal to close the $12 million to $17 million shortfall in its upcoming Fiscal Year 2013 budget. The budget begins July 1, 2012.
Union Pacific named 74 companies as annual Pinnacle Award recipients for chemical transportation safety. The award recognizes Union Pacific customers that implemented successful prevention and corrective plans and achieved a rate of zero non-accident releases (NARs) for regulated hazardous materials shipments.
This is always a busy time of year around our offices. Between the Railroader of the Year dinner, Railroad Day on the Hill and AAR’s annual research review, I sometimes wish I had a cheat sheet of where everyone will be and on what day.
Union Pacific is enhancing Kansas’ transportation infrastructure by investing $14.4 million in the rail line that runs between Kansas City and just east of Topeka. The project is in progress and is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.
The 55-mile project includes replacing nearly 11 miles of rail, along with about a mile of rail in various curves, as well as renewing the surfaces at 83 road crossings. In addition, crews will be replacing 52,400 ties, spreading 21,400 tons of ballast to help provide a more stable roadbed and replacing 14 switches.
Union Pacific is enhancing Kansas’ transportation infrastructure by investing $14.4 million in the rail line that runs between Kansas City and just east of Topeka. The project is in progress and is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.
The Canadian government has set aside up to CA$7.5 million (US$7.48 million) for work on the restoration of the Vancouver Island Railway between Victoria and Courtenay, BC.
The Canadian government has set aside up to CA$7.5 million (US$7.48 million) for work on the restoration of the Vancouver Island Railway between Victoria and Courtenay, BC.
The Virginia Fairfax County Board of Supervisors confirmed the county’s participation in Phase 2 of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project.
The Virginia Fairfax County Board of Supervisors confirmed the county’s participation in Phase 2 of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project.
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation is planning a two-part improvement for the Providence Train Station. It’s a stop that has more than one million Amtrak and Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority commuter rail passengers who use it annually.
To date, RIDOT has identified $1 million for the first part of the project, anticipated to cost between $5 and $6 million.
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation is planning a two-part improvement for the Providence Train Station. It’s a stop that has more than one million Amtrak and Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority commuter rail passengers who use it annually.
Daniel Grabauskas, the new executive director and CEO of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation, pledged greater transparency for the Honolulu rail transit project.
Daniel Grabauskas, the new executive director and CEO of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation, pledged greater transparency for the Honolulu rail transit project.
Both Portland, Ore.-area TriMet and San Francisco, Calif.-area Caltrain are seeing strong ridership numbers.
Initial findings from the Caltrain annual ridership count show average weekday ridership at an all-time high, 42,354, an increase of 4,575 passengers per weekday, or 12.1 percent higher than 2011. This marks the second year ridership has increased, despite service cuts and fare increases driven by Caltrain’s on-going fiscal challenges.
Both Portland, Ore.-area TriMet and San Francisco, Calif.-area Caltrain are seeing strong ridership numbers.
