Railroad News

VIA Rail Canada Inc. recorded 5 million riders in 2019, the railroad’s highest annual ridership in 30 years and a 5.5 percent increase compared with 2018. 

Of the 5 million riders, 96 percent used VIA Rail for inter-city travel, 3 percent for long-distance travel and 1 percent for regional travel, according to VIA Rail’s 2019 Annual Report, which was released yesterday.

Amtrak and the Michigan Department of Transportation on June 29 will restore the daily Pere Marquette round-trip service between Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Chicago in response to anticipated ridership demand. 

This Amtrak Midwest service was temporarily suspended March 21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Purple Line Transit Partners (PLTP) has filed a notice of termination of a public-private partnership over a dispute with the state of Maryland over delays and cost overruns involving the Purple Line light-rail project.

The notice came two days after the PLTP consortium and its contractor passed a June 20 deadline to reach an agreement over who will pay delay-related costs, The Washington Post reported yesterday.

The Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI) has hired Julia Leone as manager of research and organizational development.

Leone will be responsible for working with senior leadership to establish and manage priorities and goals for process improvements; building systems to monitor, evaluate and report on progress; and direct efforts to ensure quality and consistency through the application of systematic approaches in its programmatic design and execution. She also will lead the SLSI's research efforts.

The Regional Transportation District of Denver (RTD) yesterday announced it will open the N commuter-rail line Sept. 21. 

The new 18.5-mile, six-station line will serve downtown Denver, Commerce City, Northglenn and Thornton, and include a stop at the National Western Complex in Denver.

Sound Transit is continuing early preparations for construction of the 7.8-mile Federal Way Link Extension, which will extend the light-rail line from Angel Lake Station in SeaTac, Washington, to a transit center in Federal Way.

Efforts include clearing vegetation and 8,600 trees, as well as relocating conflicting utilities. The work in SeaTac and Des Moines is underway, and will begin in Federal Way on Thursday.

Two rail supplier groups last week announced mixed reactions to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's (T&I) multiyear surface transportation legislation known as the INVEST in America Act.

Both the Railway Supply Institute (RSI) and the National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association (NRC) expressed support for the committee taking up a surface transportation package, especially with the current legislation — known as the FAST Act — set to expire Sept. 30.

Metra in Chicago and Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) in San Francisco have announced added service on some of their commuter-rail lines to accommodate growing ridership.

On June 29, Metra will add service on the North Central Service, SouthWest Service and Heritage Corridor lines. 

Canadian and Ontario government officials last week announced funding for 10 public transit transportation projects in Waterloo, including some related to its light-rail system.

Rail projects include installation of 39 digital information display systems, 36 mobile payment validation machines and 25 point-of-sale units across Grand River Transit’s ION light-rail system. 

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) last week surpassed more than 2 million weekday combined riders on the New York City Transit (NYCT) subway and bus system for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March. 

While a significant increase in ridership since the start of the pandemic due to the gradual reopening of the city, the figure represents a decline of 74 percent from normal weekday ridership levels of 7.6 million combined riders, MTA officials said in a press release.

Amtrak has selected Plenary Infrastructure Philadelphia (PIP) to form a master development partnership via ground lease for the renovation of William H. Gray III 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. 

The key members who will design, build, finance, operate and maintain the station include Plenary Americas USA Ltd., which has partnered with Gilbane Building Co., Johnson Controls Inc. and Vantage Airport Group Ltd.

The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System’s (SDMTS) board last week approved a fare enforcement pilot program that reduces fines and provides fare violators new options for paying citations. 

In early September, SDMTS will implement the pilot program to provide more flexibility for passengers who receive citations for not having a valid fare while riding trolleys.

The Orange County Transportation Authority’s (OCTA) independent Taxpayer Oversight Committee earlier this month found that OCTA has administered its Measure M half-cent transportation tax appropriately for the 29th consecutive year.

The committee found that the California agency is following the ordinances that were first approved by votes in 1990 and then renewed in 2006, OCTA officials said in a press release.

VIA Rail Canada Inc. and Valley Metro in Phoenix have announced they will begin requiring riders to wear a mask on trains to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19. 

Tomorrow, masks will be mandatory for VIA Rail riders and employees at all times while on a train, and when physical distancing cannot be maintained in stations and while boarding.  

Kentucky Steam Heritage Corp. (KSHC) of Irvine, Kentucky, announced last week it has received an SD40-2 locomotive (No. 6162) from Norfolk Southern Corp.

During its 42-years in service, the unit hauled countless tons of freight through the Appalachian coalfields through central Kentucky, KSHC officials said in a press release.

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) last week announced a series of police reforms, expanded police training and new initiatives to increase the number of unarmed civilian employees providing presence on the San Francisco rail system. 

On June 12, BART Police Chief Ed Alvarez updated the BART Police Department’s (BPD) use-of-force policy to ban the use of carotid control holds. Previously it was only justifiable under circumstances where deadly force was warranted, BART officials said in a press release.

Strato Inc. received TTX Co.’s 2019 Supplier Evaluation Committee Award for the 24th consecutive year. Strato was evaluated in two categories: coupler and yoke manufacturer and miscellaneous car part manufacturer, and component supplier. Starto received a “A” rating and the “Excellent Supplier” designation in all categories. TTX Co. rates suppliers on quality, cost, delivery, service, finance and administration.

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) purchased Miller Ingenuity’s ZoneGuard roadway worker protection system for employees working on mainline track. The system kit includes train detector modules, train alert modules and worker wearable devices. With the purchase, BART has fulfilled California’s state requirement for transit agencies to comply with roadway worker protection rules. One of those rules requires agencies to adopt “early warning alarm technology” to coincide with their existing protection procedures, Miller Ingenuity officials said in a press release.

Metro Transit-St. Louis on June 22 will offer light-rail riders the option to purchase fares through the Transit mobile application.

Offering the contactless fare option is part of a plan to adapt to the coronavirus, agency officials said in a press release.