Bells & Whistles—5/1/20

Union Pacific train derails in downtown Rockford, Ill. Groups want transit, not highway work, in New Jersey. Repairs to Ottawa light rail line will be done sooner. Sound Transit tries to figure

Contractor of Ottawa’s Confederation Line will be addressing problems sooner

A drop in ridership during the COVID-19 pandemic is allowing the contractor who constructed the city of Ottawa’s Confederation Line to come up with a cure for several problems on the light

Union and SEPTA agree on new coronavirus protocols

Last week, SEPTA and the Transport Workers United union almost came to blows over the union’s position that SEPTA was not providing adequate safety protections from coronavirus for its workers. After a

UPDATED APRIL 28: Rail Group Staff Report—Global railway industry response and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic

Following is a staff report from the editors at Railway Age, Railway Track & Structures and International Railway Journal that will be continuously updated with the latest developments surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 has Sound Transit’s capital plan reeling

As the COVID-19 pandemic chews a bigger hole in the purses of public transit agencies across the country, Sound Transit is taking a hard look at its capital plan and will be

Groups that prefer light rail transit over tolls fight with N.J. officials

Instead of paying tolls, certain groups in New Jersey want to pay fares. The New Jersey Turnpike Authority did not have on its April 28 meeting agenda a toll plan to spend

With venues opening in Georgia on April 27, MARTA will deal with a new challenge

On the eve of Georgia’s grand re-opening, the one the entire nation is talking about, MARTA has an incredible task on its hands. Last week the transit agency had its first COVID-19-related

California provides funding for “transformative” rail and public transportation projects

Seventeen “transformative” rail and public transportation projects in California received $500 million in capital grants from the California State Transportation Agency. The San Francisco Bay Area and southern California were the big

BART puts small businesses to work on the railroad during pandemic

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is taking unprecedented steps to increase the opportunities available to small businesses during the coronavirus outbreak, helping to continue essential construction projects and keeping small business employees

Strictly fantasy: A look at Bay Area transit in 40 years

What could transit look like in northern California, specifically the San Francisco Bay area? Over the next decade, Caltrain electrification and the Bay Area Rapid Transit’s (BART) extension to San Jose will

Troubled Hawaii light rail project gets more troubling news

The first official light rail project for the state of Hawaii has been tarred in controversy for years, but the latest news has the COVID-19 pandemic dumping on the job. Honolulu Authority

CSX

UPDATED APRIL 20—Rail Group Staff Report: Global railway industry response and impacts to the COVID-19 pandemic

Following is a staff report from the editors at Railway Age, Railway Track & Structures and International Railway Journal that will be continuously updated with the latest developments surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic

Purple Line

Crash wall, COVID-19 adds time, money to Maryland’s Purple Line project

What was at first lawsuit after lawsuit after lawsuit is now delay after delay after delay for Maryland’s Purple Line project. It will take an additional five months and over $187 million

Traffic lull allows for more PTC work

The reduced traffic on railroad and transit lines resulting from COVID-19 has allowed roads, particularly transit operations, to catch up on their installation and testing of positive train control (PTC) according to

Is Ottawa’s Trillium Line the most efficient single-track line in North America? One expert seems to think so

The new light rail line in the city of Ottawa, Canada, has finally been put on the map the way officials had hoped. For months the rail line has been criticized for

COVID-19 claims New Jersey Transit’s Ray Kenny

New Jersey Transit Senior Vice President and General Manager Rail Operations Raymond P. Kenny, 69, has died of COVID-19. Kenny, who began his transportation career in 1970 as an MTA Long Island

Class 1 fuel surcharges

Bells & Whistles—4/17/20

Bonds approved for Virgin Trains USA’s rail route from Las Vegas to southern California. Third lawsuit against Maryland’s Purple Line project fails. Union says railroad companies need to use unemployed workers before

Listen for the horn April 16 commemorating rail workers

You need to listen for the train horn today. This is not just any train horn used for safety purposes when trains are approaching railroad crossings. This is a special horn honoring

UPDATED APRIL 15 Rail Group Staff Report—Global railway industry response and impacts to COVID-19 pandemic

The following is a staff report from the editors at Railway Age, Railway Track & Structures and International Railway Journal that will be continuously updated with the latest developments surrounding the COVID-19

MARTA stepping up employee and customer protection from COVID-19

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) announced today it is taking additional steps to further support and protect employees and customers as the COVID-19 pandemic stretches into another month. In a

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