Is Amtrak Really Coming Home to Alabama?
GulgIs this New Orleans-to-Mobile Amtrak commuter-like train proposal “a rather complex story,” like the meaning behind the lyrics of the 1974 Lynyrd Skynyrd hit, Sweet Home Alabama?
High Performance
Amtrak Debuts Long-Distance Train Improvements
Amtrak unveiled refreshed railcar interiors and other onboard improvements for riders this week at Chicago Union Station, as part of a three-year, $28 million initiative to modernize more than 450 long-distance service cars.
Senate Commerce Committee’s Bipartisan $78B Surface Transportation Bill Advances
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation has passed its five-year surface transportation bill authorizing $78 billion for rail, freight, safety and research programs; it is a bipartisan measure supported by the Association of American Railroads (AAR) and the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA).
Texas Central: Contractor Secured. Funding?
Privately funded high-speed rail developer Texas Central has signed a $16 billion “final agreement” with Italian firm Webuild Group and its U.S. subsidiary Lane Construction Corp. to build its 236-mile line connecting Dallas and Houston. Funding, however, is still yet to be secured.
APTA, AASHTO Release High-Performance Rail ROI Report
The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) have issued a new high-performance rail return on investment report, quantifying the economic and social benefits of passenger rail corridor investments.
Senate Commerce Committee Debuts $78B Bill for Surface Transportation
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation has released a bipartisan five-year surface transportation bill authorizing $78 billion for rail, freight, safety and research programs; it is a companion to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works’ (EPW) recently advanced, and also bipartisan, $303.5 billion Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act of 2021.
CHSRA Federal Funding Restored
The Biden Administration and the State of California on June 7 reached a settlement to restore a $928.6 million grant agreement that Donald Trump had tried to kill—an action that prompted a lawsuit.
OLI, AAR Observe International Level Crossing Awareness Day
Operation Lifesaver, Inc., (OLI) and the Association of American Railroads (AAR) are among those in the global rail community marking International Level Crossing Awareness Day (ILCAD) on June 10.
Wabtec Unveils New Additive Manufacturing Facility
Wabtec Corp. has opened a 11,000-square-foot additive manufacturing facility at Pittsburgh (Pa.) International Airport’s Innovation Campus.
Transit Briefs: CTA, Infrastructure Canada, LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency, WMATA, ICM Mobility Group
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has unveiled its updated “Pride Train”; Infrastructure Canada has announced the recipients of its Knowledge Synthesis Grants on mobility and public transit; Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency has received American Public Transportation Association (APTA) awards for best marketing and communications on COVID-19; Washington Area Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA) has launched SmarTrip for Android™ in Google Pay; and ICM Mobility Group has acquired mobile ticketing and payment specialist Unwire.