New impact study for Oregon passenger proposal
Oregon after years of study has released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for proposed passenger service upgrades between Eugene and Portland.
Amtrak
Amtrak commits to Southwest Chief via rail in FY19
An Amtrak official told a Senate hearing the agency would continue to operate passenger service through the Southwest on routes exempted from Positive Train Control.
Amtrak OIG report identifies eight major challenges faced by the railroad
The Amtrak Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued a report of Sept. 28 identifying eight major management and performance challenges it sees the railroad having to face in fiscal years 2019 and
PennDOT to study Altoona to Pittsburgh passenger service
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has directed the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) to again study the feasibility of passenger rail between Altoona and Pittsburgh.
House PTC hearing: Progress; challenges on display
The Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials for the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held its second hearing of the year to focus on implementation of Positive Train Control (PTC)
Amtrak completes latest round of NY Penn Station renewal work
Amtrak has completed its second summer of intense renewal work at New York Penn Station. Five intercity trains that have been operating at alternative stations since late May have returned to New
Senate passes “minibus” with increased transit, passenger rail funds
The U.S. Senate passed a second “minibus” spending package on Aug. 1, which includes increased funding for passenger rail and transit, as well as preserves funding for grant programs utilized by the
Amtrak to improve project management following OIG audit of Washington Union Station projects
Amtrak will improve its project management processes concerning a series of projects at Washington Union Station following an audit by the Amtrak Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that the projects were
Amtrak to invest $370 million over 3 years in new equipment
Amtrak plans to double its engineering efforts on the Northeast Corridor (NEC) with the purchase of $370 million of new equipment over a three-year period.
Alabama funding refusal; missed CRISI deadline sets Gulf Coast Amtrak restoration back
An effort to restore Amtrak service along the Gulf Coast absorbed a series of blows toward its progress with Alabama refusing to commit financially to the project along with the deadline passing
MBTA studying feasibility of building rail tunnel connecting north, south networks
A draft study by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has found connecting its north and south commuter rail networks via a rail tunnel would add up to 25 percent capacity, but
BNSF files for PTC deadline extension, cites interoperability challenges
BNSF Railway, citing interoperability issues, has filed a two-year extension request of the Positive Train Control (PTC) deadline with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).
Agreement to provide $600M for Portal Bridge construction
New Jersey Transit’s Board of Directors on June 13 approved a financing agreement with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) that provides up to $600 million toward the construction of the
Amtrak marks PTC progress on BNSF lines
Amtrak, working with BNSF, will the week of June 11 implement Positive Train Control (PTC) on BNSF-owned subdivisions that host the Southwest Chief and California Zephyr, marking the first activation on host-owned
NTSB releases preliminary report on Amtrak-CSX accident
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released the preliminary report into the Feb. 4, 2018 collision between an Amtrak and CSX train on CSX’s Columbia Subdivision in Cayce, S.C.
House T&I Committee holds PTC hearing
The U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held a hearing on Feb. 15 examining the implementation of Positive Train Control (PTC).
NTSB issues three safety recs following LIRR, CSX/Amtrak incidents
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued three urgent safety recommendations, two to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and one to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) based on the agency’s findings in two ongoing railroad accident investigations.
FTA lowers rating for Gateway tunnels
A revision by the Federal Transit Administration lowering the priority rating for the proposed Gateway rail tunnels could endanger funding for the project linking New York and New Jersey.
Amtrak engineer didn’t see mileposts, speed signs prior to deadly derailment
The engineer of an Amtrak train that derailed in DuPont, Wash., in December was aware of the 30 mph curve and planned to reduce speed, but miscalculated the train’s location until it entered the curve and derailed.
Michigan line improvements result in improved Amtrak travel
Amtrak says rail infrastructure improvements along its Chicago – Detroit/Pontiac line have been made to enable safe, faster travel along the Michigan passenger and freight corridor.