Metra

STB Rejects CN’s Springfield Line Bid

CN’s request regarding conditional approval of the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger on the sale of KCS’s Springfield Line to CN has been denied by the Surface Transportation Board (STB), which on March 23 provided notice that its Office of Environmental Analysis has terminated the review of the proposed divestiture.

Commentary

Chicago Regional Rail Leaders Plan for Post-COVID Future

For the past three years, Railway Age has been reporting the progress of our railroads, including regional/commuter, as the emergency caused by the COVID-19 virus worsened and, more recently, has begun to subside. While ridership on the nation’s regional/commuter railroads still lags far behind pre-COVID numbers, including during traditional peak commuting hours, it is now picking up, and managers are thinking about what the future will be like as we enter a new era.

LACMTA’s Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project schedule.

Transit Briefs: LACMTA, Metra, Valley Metro

Work is advancing on the rail proposal for Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (LACMTA) Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project. Also, Metra is installing new grade crossing monitoring across its commuter rail system in Chicago; and Arizona’s Valley Metro is teaming with a professional soccer franchise to boost light rail ridership.

Forbes has recognized Amtrak as one of 500 “Best Large Employers” in America for 2023. (Photograph Courtesy of Amtrak)

Transit Briefs: Amtrak, BART, Brightline, Metra, NCTD, TransLink

Amtrak earns a spot on the Forbes 2023 list of America’s Best Large Employers. Also, San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) launches a domestic violence prevention campaign; Brightline targets the opening of its Orlando, Fla., passenger rail extension, and plans three wildlife overcrossings for its Los Vegas-to-Southern California high-speed rail project; Metra’s Board signs off on the Chicago commuter railroad’s 2023-27 strategic plan; North County Transit District (NCTD) launches pilot fare products to meet the needs of San Diego County’s hybrid workforce; and members of the metro Vancouver community can scrap their cars for 16 months of free transit.

From Left to Right: ASLRRA Chairwoman Judy Petry; RTA CFO Kevin Bueso; and INRD Director, Safety and Training Austin Milton.
  • News

People News: ASLRRA, RTA, INRD

American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) Chairwoman Judy Petry retires from Farmrail. Also, Chicago’s Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) welcomes Kevin Bueso as new Chief Financial Officer (CFO); and Indiana Rail Road (INRD) promotes Austin Milton to Director, Safety and Training.

The Gateway Program will eventually double rail capacity between Newark, N.J., and New York. (GDC)

Biden Announces Investment in ‘Mega Projects’

President Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Jan. 31 announced that the Biden-Harris Administration has awarded nearly $1.2 billion from the new National Infrastructure Project Assistance (Mega) discretionary grant program to

KC Streetcar operates a 2.2-mile route along Main Street in downtown Kansas City, Mo., with 16 stops served by six streetcars. Due to increased ridership, weeknight service hours will be extended starting Jan. 21. (Photograph: William C. Vantuono)

Transit Briefs: KC Streetcar, LACMTA, Metra, NCDOT, WMATA

Responding to increased ridership, KC Streetcar in Missouri extends weeknight service hours. Also, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) holds community open houses for the Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project; North Carolina’s intercity passenger rail service breaks annual ridership record; Chicago’s Metra highlights record-breaking year for competitive federal grant funding; and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) offers college students a new mobile fare collection option, U-Pass SmarTrip®.

GoTriangle has released the results of the Greater Triangle Commuter Rail Feasibility study and seeks public feedback on proposed regional passenger rail service through Durham, Cary, Raleigh and Clayton, N.C.

Transit Briefs: DART, GoTriangle, MARTA, MBTA, Metra, SunRail, Transit Tech Lab

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) launches a redesigned website. Also, Durham, N.C.-based GoTriangle releases a regional passenger rail feasibility report; Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) Deputy General Manager Josh Rowan steps down; Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) calls out CCRC for railcar manufacturing quality issues; Chicago’s Metra commuter railroad and Pace Suburban Bus seek design feedback on their joint Harvey Transportation Center project; SunRail commuter rail could serve Central Florida’s Orange County Convention Center as early as 2030; and applications are open for the New York region’s Transit Tech Lab competition.