SacRT has teamed with the Sacramento Public Library to launch the area’s first library train. (Photograph Courtesy of SacRT)

Transit Briefs: Amtrak/VPRA, DART/DCTA, Metrolinx, SacRT, Sound Transit

Amtrak’s Virginia route ridership hit record highs last month. Also, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) and Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) in Texas are launching a joint rail operations facility; Metrolinx is employing Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design on its Finch West light rail transit (LRT) project in northwest Toronto; Sacramento Regional Transit (SacRT) riders can sit back and read on the new Library Train in California; and the Fare Ambassador program at Sound Transit in Seattle, Wash., is now permanent.

Caltrain on Aug. 22 reported that its third and fourth EMUs of 19 on order have arrived at the Centralized Equipment and Maintenance Facility in San Jose. (Photograph Courtesy of Caltrain, via Twitter)

Transit Briefs: Caltrain, Metrolinx, NYCT, Sound Transit

Caltrain’s third and fourth new Stadler-built KISS EMUs (electric multiple unit) arrive in San Jose, Calif. Also, GO Transit debuts DC character-themed PRESTO fare cards for FAN EXPO Canada in Toronto; a new cohort of MTA New York City Transit (NYCT) train operators graduates; and Seattle’s Sound Transit takes delivery of the first two of 11 new commuter railcars from Alstom.

Go Transit union employees have voted to strike if an agreement on a new contract cannot be reached with parent agency Metrolinx.

Transit Briefs: GO Transit, Amtrak, UTA, Ottawa LRT, LA Metro

GO Transit union workers vote to strike. Also, Amtrak sports marketing campaigns highlight the benefits of train travel on the Northeast Corridor (NEC); the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) features Gretchen Devine as

The TriMet Board has approved a $1.93 billion FY 2023 budget.

Transit Briefs: Metrolinx, SEPTA, Shore Line East, TriMet, Valley Metro

Metrolinx selected Ricardo Certification to perform safety assessments for the GO Expansion project in Toronto; SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) released three options for its Reimagining Regional Rail project; Connecticut’s Shore Line East commuter rail is now operating M8 Electric Multiple Units (EMU); the Board of Directors for Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet) approved the FY 2023 budget; and Valley Metro launched its Tempe (Ariz.) Streetcar system.

Metrolinx has awarded a Railway Track, Signal and Station Works contract to Dagmar Construction for the Kitchener GO Corridor Expansion project.

Transit Briefs: CTA, Metra, Metrolinx

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) will repair 28 stations this year as part of its “Refresh & Renew” program. Also, Chicago’s Metra has broken ground on an Electric Line commuter rail station rehab project; and Metrolinx, the Toronto-area regional transit agency, has awarded an approximately C$62 million Railway Track, Signal and Station Works contract for the Kitchener GO Corridor Expansion project.

Metrolinx, the city of Toronto, and the province of Ontario have launched the procurement process for the first of five new SmartTrack GO stations across the city. (Metrolinx photo)

Transit Briefs: Metrolinx, TEXRail, TransLink, VIA Rail, WMATA

Metrolinx is advancing construction of the first of five new SmartTrack GO stations in Toronto. Also, Trinity Metro’s TEXRail promoted its second female engineer; TransLink unveiled the first 10 years of “Transport 2050” priorities for metro Vancouver; VIA Rail Canada released a five-year sustainability plan; and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) installed its first solar canopy as part of a four-station project expected to provide nearly 10 megawatts of renewable energy to the local grid.

“This contract will provide job stability for our employees while contributing to economic growth in Northern Ontario,” Ontario Northland President and CEO Corina Moore (pictured, right) said during the announcement of the award, which will have the company upgrade 56 GO Transit bilevels. “Our continued partnership with Metrolinx, specifically for refurbishment projects, confirms our exceptional skillset and reputation for high-quality remanufacturing services right here in North Bay.”

Ontario Northland Wins $86.2MM GO Bilevel Rehab Contract

Ontario Northland on May 30 will begin upgrading 56 GO Transit bilevels for Metrolinx at its remanufacturing and repair center in North Bay.

An electric powered GO train moves across a bridge, in this artist rendering. (Metrolinx image)

GO Expansion Program Procurement Advances

ONxpress Transportation Partners (ONTP) has been identified by Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx as the First Negotiations Proponent to design, build, operate and maintain GO Transit’s 25-year Rail Expansion Program in the Greater Toronto Area. The project would involve transforming much of GO’s network into a system that will ultimately offer bidirectional all-day service.

San Diego MTS and Affirmed Housing have broken ground on a new five-story transit-oriented housing development featuring 124 studio and one-, two- and three-bedroom units reserved for households earning 30%-60% of the area median income. (Rendering Courtesy of Studio E Architects)

Transit Briefs: Brightline, San Diego MTS, Metrolinx

Brightline, Florida’s private-sector passenger rail operator, has ordered revenue management software from Accelya. Also, San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) and Affirmed Housing have broken ground on a new transit-oriented housing development located at the Grantville Trolley Station; and Metrolinx is naming the 11-mile, 19-station Hurontario Light Rail Transit project as the Hazel McCallion Line.

Alstom will overhaul 94 of GO Transit’s Series VII bilevels over the next two years at its Thunder Bay, Ontario, facility.

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.

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