Amtrak touts record ridership, revenue for fiscal 2019
Amtrak carried a record 32.5 million passengers in the 2019 fiscal year with record growth on the Northeast Corridor and state-supported lines. Amtrak officials said the company also inched closer to breaking even and expect to turn a profit in 2020. [washingtonpost.com]
London Crossrail Delayed Until 2021 With Costs Set To Hit £20bn
The cost of the much-delayed Crossrail project is heading towards £20bn, and the railway through London will be more than two years late. The Elizabeth line, as the east-west link will be known when it finally opens, was due to start carrying commuters in December 2018. [independent.co.uk]
Amtrak’s new ticket rules won’t let passengers sue in a crash
Victims won a $265 million court settlement with Amtrak after a 2015 derailment in Philadelphia killed eight people and injured hundreds. But if such a crash happened today, a clause Amtrak has added to its ticket terms of sale would force the dispute into arbitration with no right to go before a judge or jury. [politico.com]
Feds extends funding deadline for Quad Cities-Chicago Amtrak route
Federal funding secured nearly a decade ago for a state-supported project to build an Amtrak Quad Cities-to-Chicago route has received a multiyear extension. USDOT has extended $177 million in funding secured in fiscal-year 2010 for a proposed Amtrak route between Chicago and Moline through 2024. [progressiverailroading.com]
Amtrak Charts Difficult Course to First Break-Even While Spending to Upgrade Operations
Former Delta CEO Richard Anderson is spearheading a revamp of Amtrak by boosting safety, driving more profits from its co-branded credit card, and creating a mix of more low-cost and premium services in the Northeast Corridor. Anderson’s tricky balance is being ambitious while trimming longstanding losses. [skift.comv]
Zaha Hadid Architects Designed an Estonian Train Station That’s Straight Out of a Sci-Fi Flick
Renderings of a large futuristic multi-modal transport hub, to be built adjacent Tallinn airport, illustrate a spatial geometry meant to make navigation easier and smooth the integration of bus, tram and rail lines for local, national and international travelers. [robbreport.com]
