Passenger

NCRR, CATS and NS reach agreements for LYNX Blue Line extension

The North Carolina Railroad Company, the Charlotte Area Transit System and Norfolk Southern signed lease, construction and operating agreements for the LYNX Blue Line Extension light-rail project along the North Carolina Railroad corridor. The 2.7-mile section begins near East 12th Street and ends a half mile east of Eastway Drive in Charlotte, N.C.

New Rail Runner express train and fares begin May 21

A new fare structure is set to go into effect for the New Mexico Rail Runner Express this month.

This will be the first express train between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Passengers using this new service will be able to save 20-25 minutes in each direction on their commute between the two cities.

TriMet ridership continues to rise

In April, there were more than 8.8 million trips taken on Portland, Ore.-area TriMet buses, MAX and WES commuter rail. For 13 consecutive months, weekday and weekly trips and total monthly ridership increased. System-wide, all modes were up in all categories of ridership for April.

Invensys Rail acquires PHW, Inc.

Invensys Rail Corp. acquired PHW, Inc., from the current owner/managers for up to $24,000,000.00. The company will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Invensys Rail Corp.

Administrator Szabo celebrates opening of Downeaster station platform extension

Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph C. Szabo joined in celebrating the completion of new train station platforms in Brunswick and Freeport, Maine, in preparation for the expansion of Amtrak’s Downeaster line, which will begin serving both cities this fall. Administrator Szabo was joined by Maine Department of Transportation Commissioner David Bernhardt and local business leaders.

Twin Cities’ Central Corridor LRT construction reaches halfway mark

Construction of the Central Corridor Light Rail Transit project in Minnesota is 50 percent complete and on track to be 75 percent done by year’s end.

“The contractors really hit the ground running in March. We now have work occurring in all areas of the nearly 10-mile long project, employing more than 3,000 workers to date,” Metropolitan Council Chair Sue Haigh said.

Amtrak plans for Michigan service improvements

Momentum is building for improved Amtrak service to and from Michigan with a series of positive developments for intercity rail passengers.

Amtrak Wolverine Service and Blue Water passengers can now expect the return to normal travel times from Kalamazoo to near Dearborn with the completion of track and crossing improvements performed by Norfolk Southern Railway to eliminate the speed restrictions imposed by NS in March.

LIRR to replace crossties on the Ronkonkoma Branch

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Long Island Rail Road will be replacing wood ties on the Ronkonkoma Branch between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma beginning May 14. The work will be completed in three phases to minimize customer impact. When completed by the end of the summer, the work will help ensure greater service reliability and a smoother, more comfortable ride for customers.

STB approves Michigan rail line assets transfer

The Surface Transportation Board said the Michigan Department of Transportation does not need board approval to acquire certain physical assets of a Norfolk Southern rail line in Michigan to enable MDOT’s plans for high-speed passenger rail service over the line.