Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner
Commentary

‘Dear Mr. Tilley’

I am responding on behalf of Anthony Coscia, Amtrak’s Chairman, to your Feb. 13 letter regarding Amtrak’s long-distance fleet. Since I already addressed many of your assertions (in bold italics below) in

Biden’s FY25 Budget Request: Increased Funding for Public Transit, Passenger Rail

President Joe Biden on March 11 released his Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Budget request, outlining his Administration’s priorities for the next year. It proposes increased funding for public transit and passenger rail,

“FTA looks forward to working with these communities to advance transit projects that will provide new transit options,” FTA Acting Administrator Veronica Vanterpool said March 11.

USDOT: $3B to Support 9 Rail Transit Construction Projects

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) on March 11 recommended that nine large rail transit-related projects in five states receive approximately $3 billion in federal support for construction as part of President Biden’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Budget Request to Congress.

Commentary

FRA L-D Study: Two Outreach Issues

On Feb. 21, I reported on 15 potential long-distance routes that Amtrak could operate someday, in theory, anyway. These routes resulted from a two-year evaluation and selection process sponsored by the Federal

Senate Budget Committee Advances REEF Act

The Senate Budget Committee on March 6 voted unanimously to advance the bipartisan Railroad Employee Equity and Fairness (REEF) Act, which aims to protect railroad employees from cuts to unemployment and sickness insurance and eliminate mandated cuts to the Railroad Retirement Board’s Unemployment Insurance Account.

TriMet photo

Transit Briefs: Amtrak, TriMet, Metrolinx

Amtrak increases Northeast Regional service. Also, TriMet celebrates the opening of the Gateway North MAX station; and Metrolinx cancels a deal with Vandyk Properties for a new station and transit-oriented community.

“The tremendous growth in ridership is a result of the substantial investments North Carolina and Virginia are making to expand and improve passenger rail,” Amtrak Vice President Ray Lang said on Feb. 28. “Customers are taking advantage of a sustainable way to travel to the many destinations our network offers.” (Amtrak Photograph)

Transit Briefs: Amtrak, NYMTA, Metrolinx

Virginia and North Carolina are home Amtrak’s busiest stations in the Southeast. Also, the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) provides an update on expanding Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer; New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) Chief Accessibility Officer earns Presidential Volunteer Award; and Metrolinx’s maintenance and storage facility for the Finch West LRT project in Toronto receives LEED Silver Certification.

With a Delivery Partner Selected, Hudson Tunnel Project Moving Into ‘High Gear’

MPA Delivery Partners, a joint venture of Parsons Corporation, Arcadis of New York, Inc., and Mace North America Limited, will serve as Delivery Partner for the $16 billion Hudson Tunnel Project, the

(Image: Brightline)

Transit Briefs: Amtrak, NJ Transit, SEPTA, Brightline

Amtrak Northeast Corridor (NEC) trains transition to fixed forward and backward seating. Also, Gov. Phil Murphy’s $55.9 billion budget includes a plan for NJ Transit by taxing businesses; the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) Transit Police Department upgrades to CODY Systems’ cloud-based Public Safety Suite; and Brightline ranks No. 59 on Inc. Magazine’s list of the Southeast region’s fastest-growing private companies.

Premium

STB Orders New Status Report on Amtrak Gulf Coast Service

The Surface Transportation Board (STB) on Feb. 26 decided the Amtrak Gulf Coast Service proceeding will remain in abeyance and directed the parties to file a joint status report by March 15 covering issues raised during this month’s hearing on the slow pace of getting two Amtrak trains in each direction running between New Orleans and Mobile.

LOAD MORE