MBTA considering commuter rail upgrades

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) is currently reviewing a variety of options around upgrading their commuter rail system. Specifically, the Authority is considering six options, with price tags of $1.7 billion

Microsoft to host high-speed rail conference

Consideration of high-speed passenger rail service between Vancouver, Seattle, and Portland has been underway for several years. Now, the first conference to discuss this in detail will be hosted next week (November

Long Island Rail Road

FRA reports says a signal malfunction caused Memorial Day weekend crash on the Long Island Rail Road

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) says a Memorial Day weekend collision involving two Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) trains was “a signal-caused accident.”

FRA Issues $24MM Maglev NOFO

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) recently published a Notice of Grant Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for a shade over $24 million for the Magnetic Levitation Technology Deployment Program (Maglev Grants Program). The funding

passenger train

NTSB preliminary report: Trains given permission to be on same track prior to collision

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its preliminary report on an accident involving a two-car Sacramento Regional Transit passenger train and a one-car RT maintenance train on Aug. 22. The

New Jersey commuters still waiting for Bergen light rail line a decade later

Talk is not action. For the last decade, residents in Bergen County, N.J., have been told a light rail was coming. Today they are still waiting.

Long Island Rail Road

Despite slow Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts on the Long Island Rail Road, MTA “proud” of what has been done

Hurricane Sandy hammered the East Coast in 2012, and the Long Island Rail Road is still looking defeated.

Southern Rail Commission receives $4.36 million to restore Gulf Coast rail service

The Birmingham Business Journal is reporting that the Southern Rail Commission has received a $4.36 million grant to restore rail service to the Gulf Coast. The grant was awarded by the U.S.

Sound Transit

Sound Transit scratches large tunnel projects, elevated track

Making difficult decisions is what fiscal responsibility is all about. Washington State’s Sound Transit wants to take full responsibility, and on Oct. 24 the board ditched plans for tunnels to Ballard ($450

Sound Transit digs into Redmond Link extension

The state of Washington’s Sound Transit continues to hold its momentum. Officials cut the ribbon on a $1.53 billion Redmond Link light rail extension in Redmond, Wash., on Oct. 23.

Long Island Rail Road

New York MTA leans towards sticking with contractor despite PTC delays

Fair is never a good word when it applies to chances. But that is what a consultant is saying regarding the installation of Positive Train Control (PTC) on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s

Miami-Dade Transit

Reliability is the only positive for Miami-Dade Transit since 2017

Miami-Dade Transit has been much more reliable the last couple of years, at least in terms of the fleet that is out there.

Ridership, trips continue to rise for New York’s MTA

First New York City President Andy Byford was resigning, but now he is promoting.

Amtrak could be losing $42 million per year due to late trains

If Amtrak expects to reach its goal of breaking even by 2021, it must improve its on-time performance significantly. According to a report in Business Insider, the rail passenger carrier’s on-time performance

VisioStack Partners With Chilean Railway

VisioStack Inc. has entered into an agreement with Grupo EFE to provide data management and analytics services. Grupo EFE, which is based in Santiago, Chile, provides both passenger and freight services throughout

Metro-North

Speeding up Connecticut’s Metro-North Railroad will require new tracks, new funding mechanism

It might take 10 years, but Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont wants to put more speed into the Metro-North Railroad.

light-rail transit

APTA announces 2019-2020 Executive Committee

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) elected its 2019-2020 Executive Committee during its TRANSform Conference in New York. 

railroad tracks

Proposed Silver Line in Charlotte, N.C., may cost too much up front

Officials in Charlotte, N.C., are uncomfortable with handing over money without seeing the final price tag.

Bells & Whistles—Episode 12

What were the top news stories RT&S was following the week ending Oct. 11. Watch the latest Bells & Whistles by clicking here. For the latest news, go to www.rtands.com.

Two Washington Metro (WMATA) trains collide after operator fails to heed a stop order

The Washington Post reports that a collision of two WMATA trains occurred on Monday, October 7 at 12:54 a.m.  The collision happened outside the Farragut West station. Neither train had passengers aboard.

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