Light Rail

Caltrain on May 11 held the third public tour of its new EMUs, which are scheduled to begin revenue service this September. (Caltrain Photograph)

Transit Briefs: Caltrain, CTA, Colorado

California’s Caltrain welcomes thousands to the third public tour of its new Stadler-built KISS bilevel EMUs (electric multiple-units). Also, Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) marks the highest ridership week of 2024; and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signs multiple transit-related bills into law, including one to advance Front Range Passenger Rail.

Transit Briefs: Amtrak, LIRR/Metro-North, LA Metro, TTC

Amtrak’s public art program unveils a new digital video installation at Moynihan Train Hall. Also, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announces record ridership on the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and Metro-North; an LA Metro committee approves a nearly $9 billion budget for the coming year; and the union representing Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) workers takes a “final step” towards possible job action.

Sound Transit Opens 2 Line LRT

Sound Transit, the regional agency in the Seattle area, has been expanding lately. Its most recent light rail expansion, the 2 Line, opened on Saturday, April 27. The new line connects Bellevue

The Portal North Bridge crossing the Hackensack River in the New Jersey Meadowlands is 50% complete, NJT and Amtrak reported May 13. (Photo Credit: Amtrak/Marc Glucksman and William Kyle Anderson)

Transit Briefs: NJT/Amtrak, MBTA, Caltrain, Brightline

New Jersey Transit (NJT) and Amtrak’s Portal North Bridge project on the Northeast Corridor is 50% complete. Also, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) advances Red Line track work, removing 13 speed restrictions; Caltrain launches Bay Area transit “discord server”; and Assured Guaranty Municipal Corporation insures $1.134 billion of bonds for Brightline, Florida’s private-sector passenger railroad.

The goal of removing from service WMATA’s aging 2000-series rapid transit cars is to leave “a more reliable fleet of newer vehicles” that will result in “fewer offloads and delays,” the agency reported May 9. (WMATA Photograph)

Transit Briefs: WMATA, SCVTA, Québec

Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority (WMATA) is officially retiring its 1980s-era equipment from Italian firm Breda (now Hitachi Rail Italy). Also, the 2024 federal budget allocates $500 million to Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority’s (SCVTA) BART Silicon Valley Extension Project in California; a new public transit development agency is eyed for Québec; and more transit-oriented development (TOD) is planned for Montréal.

Transit Briefs: Metrolink, San Diego MTS

Metrolink proposes a new rail service from Moorpark to Goleta in Santa Barbara’s South County. Also, the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) looks at adding a new “Copper Line” to its Trolley system.

Illinois State Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) and Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado (D-Chicago) have introduced the Metropolitan Mobility Authority Act that seeks to combine RTA, CTA, Metra and Pace into a new Chicagoland entity and provide it with a $1.5 billion annual boost, according to a WGN9 report on April 29. (Metra Photograph)

Transit Briefs: Metra, NYMTA, City of West Palm Beach, MBTA

Chicago’s Metra speaks out on the Metropolitan Mobility Authority Act that proposes merging the commuter railroad, Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Pace bus, and Regional Transit Authority (RTA). Also, New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) outlines its nearly $300 million in capital program savings; City of West Palm Beach, Fla., adopts a “Rail S.A.F.E.” policy, aiming for zero railway fatalities; and Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) weighs Haverhill station shutdown during bridge replacement project.

Alstom Canada Cited for Sustainability

Alstom Canada has received an AFNOR (Association Française de Certification) Groupe Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Confirmed Commitment Label in Canada for its alignment with the ISO 26000 international standard. The second-highest rating

Image Courtesy of STV

TriMet Taps STV to Lead Light Rail Systems Upgrades

STV announced May 6 that it has signed a contract with the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) to spearhead the replacement of 12 traction power substations along the agency’s Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) Blue Line.