Amtrak passenger rail service to return to Vermont in July
The state of Vermont is preparing to welcome the return of Amtrak passenger rail service and inter-city bus services to the state. Amtrak service, which was suspended last year because of the coronavirus pandemic, will resume July 19. The Amtrak Vermonter travels between St. Albans and Washington DC and runs through Massachusetts and Connecticut. The Amtrak Ethan Allen Express runs between New York City and Rutland, via Albany, New York. Intercity bus service provided by Vermont Translines and Greyhound, are also set to resume in July. [apnews.com]
Denver RTD eyes federal money to restart planning for Boulder train
Denver’s Regional Transportation District will restart planning of its long-delayed commuter rail line between Denver, Boulder and Longmont, with a focus on a bare-bones version that could get rolling sooner. The agency’s board of directors has signaled its support for new environmental and engineering work that will likely take 18 to 24 months and cost $5 million to $8 million. Formal approval is expected this summer. The planning work is meant to capitalize on the possibility that RTD could receive federal funding through President Joe Biden’s recent infrastructure proposal. [cpr.org]
Keep the Eurostar running after Covid and Brexit
Eurostar’s passenger numbers are down 95%, with just two daily trips compared with 50 before the coronavirus hit. Yet even as the U.K. and France have thrown lifelines to flag-carrier airlines like British Airways parent IAG SA and Air France, the Eurostar has received no such generosity. The problem is its ownership structure. Brits see the company as a French affair, given state rail company SNCF owns 55%. The French see it as a U.K.-based firm that runs on a British-owned chunk of high-speed rail. Ultimately, France and the U.K. should strike a deal to keep the London-Paris link alive. [bloomberg.com]
Amtrak launches 50th anniversary website
Amtrak has launched a website in recognition of the national intercity passenger railroad’s 50th anniversary. The Amtrak 50th Anniversary website will serve as a central hub for information about Amtrak’s history and milestones, and spotlight individual employees, Amtrak officials said in a news release. Nearly 50 years ago, the first Amtrak train left the station on May 1, 1971, traveling from New York City to Philadelphia. [progressiverailroading.com]
