STB Permits Amtrak to Access CSX Yard
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) on Nov. 29 decided that Amtrak may access CSX’s Choctaw Yard in Mobile, Ala., as part of its Gulf Coast service planning efforts.
Passenger
Alstom Wins GO Transit Bilevel Overhaul Contract
Metrolinx has awarded Alstom a $133.45 million (C$171 million) contract to overhaul 94 bilevels for GO Transit regional commuter rail service in Ontario.
For Moynihan Train Hall Project, Refinanced TIFIA Loan
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Build America Bureau has refinanced and increased a direct TIFIA loan to Empire State Development for the Moynihan Train Hall project in New York City.
Former FTA Deputy Joins WSP USA
Kenneth Feldman has been hired to lead WSP USA Advisory’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Grant Practice for major transit projects, following 19 years of FTA service.
Supply Side: Alstom, Brandt
Alstom and Hynamics are teaming to improve hydrogen-powered train refueling. In addition, the Brandt Group of Companies is providing aid for flood recovery efforts in British Columbia.
Transit Briefs: Brightline, MBTA, OC Transpo, TransLink, WMATA
Brightline is bringing BrightBikes to West Palm Beach, Fla. In addition, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) is providing commuter railcar-seat availability data online; OC Transpo in Ottawa, Ontario, is offering “unlimited no-charge transit” in December; riders of metro Vancouver’s TransLink will be able to pay with Interac Debit by year-end 2022; and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) will maintain reduced rail service levels through the end of 2021.
A Comprehensive History of Amtrak That Narrowly Misses Its Mark
BOOK REVIEW: Amtrak, America’s Railroad – Transportation’s Orphan and its Struggle for Survival. By Geoffrey Doughty, Jeffrey Darbee, and Eugene Harmon. Indiana University Press, 2021.
BLET, SMART-TD Challenge Amtrak on Vaccine Policy
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and the Transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers (SMART-TD) have filed suit against Amtrak over implementation of its COVID-19 vaccine policy.
Welcome Aboard: San Diego Opens Blue Line Extension
The $2.1 billion, 11-mile Mid-Coast Extension of the UC San Diego Blue Line made its official debut on Nov. 21; San Diego Trolley now connects the U.S./Mexico border with the university community.
Valley Metro Earns FFGA for Light Rail Extension
Officials from the U.S. Department of Transportation; Phoenix, Ariz.; and Valley Metro celebrated the signing of a $158.1 million Full Funding Grant Agreement for the Northwest Extension Phase II Light Rail Project on Nov. 19.