VIA Rail

The DART Police Department has been reaccredited by the Texas Police Chiefs Association Foundation (TPCAF).

Transit Briefs: DART, GoTriangle, NYMTA, Metrolinx, Caltrain, VIA Rail, MBTA

The Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Police Department has been reaccredited by the Texas Police Chiefs Association Foundation (TPCAF). Also, a new study gives a clearer picture of commuter rail project in Research Triangle, N.C.; Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) commuter railroads set ridership records, Metrolinx selects development partner to transform Spadina-Front GO Station; Caltrain improves Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) connections and increases San Francisco and South San Francisco service with new weekday schedule; new report details “critical need” for the return of VIA Rail Canada’s commuter train service along the Kingston to Toronto corridor; and the City of Boston, along with Boston Public Schools (BPS) make Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) M7 student passes available year-round.

Amtrak, in conjunction with the Washington State DOT, Oregon DOT, VIA Rail Canada and other federal agencies, will restart service to Vancouver via Cascades on Sept. 26. (Photograph Courtesy of Amtrak)

Transit Briefs: Amtrak, CTA, Gateway, LACMTA, SFMTA/Muni, SMART, VIA Rail

Amtrak Cascades service to Vancouver, B.C., is resuming this month. Also, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has released a combined Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)/Record of Decision (ROD) for Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) Red Line Extension Project; the Gateway rail tunnel project price tag has risen to $16.1 billion, with a new construction start-date of 2024; Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) has expanded its student fareless pass program; San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) has launched the MuniSafe campaign; Northern California’s Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) marked its fifth anniversary last month; and VIA Rail Canada has released its second-quarter 2022 report.

Terms of the agreements include an average wage increase of 3.83% over three years, flexibility for VIA Rail’s modernization projects, and stability for passengers looking for travel options.

VIA Rail, Union Collective Agreements Ratified

Following tentative agreements reached on July 12, VIA Rail Canada (VIA Rail) announced on Aug. 2 the ratification of collective agreements for approximately 2,400 VIA Rail employees represented by Unifor. The current

Unifor VIA Rail Master Bargaining Committees (CNW Group/Unifor)

VIA Rail, Union Reach Tentative Deal

A strike threatening to suspend passenger rail services across Canada has been averted after Via Rail reached tentative agreements with Unifor hours before the July 11 deadline. The tentative deal follows a

“Like many companies in the transportation industry, VIA Rail continued to face the impacts of the various waves of the pandemic,” Chief Financial Officer Marie-Claude Cardin reported. “Nonetheless, as we have always done over the past two years, we found ways to strike a balance between our important public service mandate while proactively managing the financial impacts on our operations.” (VIA Rail)

VIA Rail Releases 2021 Annual Report

“Despite the upheaval caused by the pandemic, we have successfully pursued our strategic plan, including the unveiling of our new fleet and the advancement of the High Frequency Rail project,” VIA Rail Canada Board Chair Françoise Bertrand said upon release of the railroad’s 2021 Annual Report.

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.

Pictured: Alstom’s Innovia automated people movers carrying riders at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.

Transit Briefs: DFW, TransLink, Metrolink, Metrolinx, UTA, VIA Rail, WMATA

Alstom has landed a 10-year people-mover contract with Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). Also, Metrolink locomotives powering regional/commuter rail service in Southern California are now using renewable fuel; Metrolinx is upgrading the Mimico GO Station in Toronto; Vancouver’s TransLink is launching in-tunnel video advertising; Utah Transit Authority on April 18 is taking out of service its FrontRunner Comet cars; VIA Rail Canada is resuming most services by the end of June; and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) has teamed with MITRE to improve its safety management system.

Two Years After COVID: Amtrak Lags, VIA Rail Hopes

Amtrak and VIA Rail Canada took major hits in the two years since COVID-19 pushed much of the world into lockdown mode. Today, Amtrak’s service recovery has stalled, while VIA Rail is looking forward to something of a comeback under difficult circumstances later this spring; a comeback that has already begun in part.

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