The Mardi Gras could be even more popular, DOT wants to get IIJA funding out the door quicker, and we unveil our new "meet the team page". All that and more for #HotlineFriday!
www.railpassengers.o...
There has been a lot of talk from the Class 1s about fully-automated track inspections, but new bipartisan legislation announced yesterday would keep the human element directly involved for any FRA Class 3 track or higher
Miles in Transit & high quality content - name a better combo!
Continued critical track projects (signal upgrades, bluff stabilization, etc.) will cause a temporary shut down of Surfliner service between San Luis Obispo and San Diego this weekend
This includes things like the creation of new open spaces and workforce & community development.
www.progressiverailr...
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As part of the overall Frederick Douglass Tunnel project, Amtrak is seeking non-profits and city/state governments to apply for Community Investment Program (CIP) grants to help mitigate the impact construction will have.
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Since implemented in Jan. of 2025, NYC's congestion pricing has brought about a 22% drop in particulate pollution, an 11% drop in traffic, and raised over $540M for public transit projects. Now a federal judge has ruled it can continue.
The USDOT is putting over $100M into the public transit systems of World Cup cities to help them get ready to host matches this summer.
www.transit.dot.gov/...
Our friends at T4A have released an analysis of the yearly Congressional Budget Office tax projections report - which shows taxpayers forking over billions in new gas taxes, but not making dent in the soon-to-be empty Highway Trust Fund.
The FTA posted a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) yesterday for nearly $700M in the All Stations Accessibility Program - which helps fund ADA upgrades to aging rail and commuter stations (built pre-ADA) around the country.
Check out the posting here: grants.gov/search-re...
Blaize Levitan, Secretary of the CT Public Transit Council, pens this op-ed calling for the return of full pre-2020 commuter service between New Haven & New London - helping ease traffic on I-95, one of the most congested and polluted corridors in the US
ICYMI: Online communities were buzzing about Amtrak’s shift to an all single-level long-distance fleet. Before the takes get too hot, Rail Passengers President + CEO Jim Mathews has a reminder: no car designs actually exist yet.
www.railpassengers.o...
Another #HotlineFriday in the books. We cover Amtrak's new long distance fleet strategy, passenger's reactions to the USDOT's proposed Amtrak reorganization, and news stories from around the country. Let's get to it.
See you onboard: www.railpassengers.o...
PennDOT recently held its first town hall webinar to answer public feedback and questions on the long discussed passenger service between Scranton and NYC. The ongoing service development plan process should be wrapped up by 2028.
In with the new procurement, out with the old procurement. Amtrak has officially announced their plans to move forward with a single-level long distance fleet after an industry review with the FRA and recommendations from the USDOT
media.amtrak.com/202...
The historic 187-year-old station (rebuilt six times) is going through a new transportation to get ready to expand upon the over a dozen trains it sees each day.
Amtrak has released a video showing the extensive work being done to their new maintenance facilities in Seattle, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, and upstate New York to handle the brand new Airo fleet.
Transit funding will be on the ballot this June in Sonoma and Marin counties in Northern California in the form of an extension of the current $.25 sales tax that supports the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit system. The current funding plan expires in 2029
The "Passenger Rail Planning Act," led by IL Rep. Rita Mayfield, seeks to establish hourly train service across the Land of Lincoln and improve interstate connections. It also directs IDOT to prioritize these goals in FRA Corridor ID submissions
Source:
The new fare gates at Boston's South Station are only two months old but are already seeing weather related issues causing them to shut down.
Front Range Passenger Rail could hit the 2026 ballot with a question for a half‑cent sales tax to support train service from Fort Collins to Pueblo - giving residents more options than sitting in traffic on I-25
More mechanical related issues for passengers onboard a Michigan services train.
www.mlive.com/news/k...
After a series of starts, stops, and the outright cancellation of planning - expanded morning rush hour commuter service in SoCal between Ventura County to Santa Barbara County is set to roll this spring.
Amtrak's original forecast for Mardi Gras ridership was 60k in its first year of service. Six months in and it has already flown past that number.
While not an official Amtrak offering (this is being done by Amtrak Vacations, which licenses the railroad's name), this is still a great way to see some of the iconic Route 66 without the hassle of traffic.
It's just another #HotlineFriday (Ooh-oh)...
The Association's statement on the potential organizational restructuring of Amtrak, the clock restarts on the UPNS merger, and we take a look at the world of air-rail alliances.
See you onboard! www.railpassengers.o...
Rail Passengers stands ready to be an active participant in the conversation over how, or if, this restructuring should take place. "
For more: www.railpassengers.o...
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Additionally, there must be buy-in from the U.S. Congress and States; any restructuring that isn’t done in conjunction with the Congressional debate over the shape of the surface transportation reauthorization and state-level network planning will be DOA.
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[ cont.] particularly for routes that serve rural and small town America.
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