The Hyundai Rotem Co. has selected Webtec Corp. braking systems, doors and air conditioning systems for the 62 three-car automated trainsets that it is supplying under contract with Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA). The trainsets will operate on Singapore Mass Rapid Transit’s (MRT) new 15-mile, 24-station Jurong Region Line, which will connect western Singapore and is scheduled to begin opening in 2026.
The Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD) is recalling all full-time union employees and working to bring back all 137 part-time operators, the agency reported.
Theresa McClure has been promoted to Strategic Communications Director of the HDR Transportation Practice.
The Biden Administration has appointed 39 key members of the U.S. Department of Transportation, with more to come. Among them are Amit Bose, Deputy Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), and Nuria Fernandez, Deputy Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Both have held the positions previously.
Brightline West hopes to begin construction of its $8.4 billion, 168-mile California–Las Vegas high speed line in the second quarter of 2021.
MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) has added a live chat feature to its TrainTime® app, as another way for riders to get information or report problems.
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) has hired Raj Srinath as Chief Financial Officer and Patricia M. Lucek as Assistant General Manager of Labor and Employee Relations, a newly created position. Additionally, Cando Rail Services has promoted Steve Bromley to the newly created role of Chief Commercial Officer.
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is distributing $15.8 million to 37 transit projects through its new Public Transportation COVID-19 Research Demonstration Grant Program.
Massachusetts’ $16.5 billion transportation bond bill, recently signed into law by Gov. Charlie Baker, will support rail, bus and roadway improvement initiatives. The new law earmarks funds for the South Coast Rail, Green Line Extension and East-West rail projects, among others.
My two previous reports in this series showed that companies and a union who could benefit directly from various DOT grants made highly favorable statements about Pete Buttigieg. That means little on its face, because the statements came from entities who could say little else. Advocates for the riders on Amtrak and transit are not bound by that constraint, and they have endured other DOT heads who have not been particularly favorable to the riders who are their constituents. I will conclude this series by reporting some comments from those advocates, examining Buttigieg’s political future, and proffering some suggestions about how he can help the riders (assuming that the Senate confirms his nomination).
