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.

Class Is employed 118,880 employees as of mid-May, down 4.46 percent percent from April and down 16.84 percent from May 2019 levels, according to Surface Transportation Board data.

All six employment categories logged month-to-month decreases. They were: transportation (train and engine), down 10.27 percent to 43,660 employees; maintenance of equipment and stores, down 1.93 percent to 21,289; transportation (other than train and engine), down 0.59 percent to 5,206; executives, officials and staff assistants, down 0.57 percent to 7,626; professional and administrative, down 0.41 percent to 10,594; and maintenance of way and structures, down 0.04 percent to 30,505.

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.