Amtrak to order 50 more long-distance Chargers
Amtrak has approved the purchase of further Siemens Charger diesel locomotives, Vice-President & Chief Mechanical Officer George Hull announced on February 8th. Speaking at Chicago Union Station during a ceremony to mark the launch of the first two ALC-42s on the Chicago – Seattle/Portland Empire Builder, Hull confirmed plans for another 50 locomotives to be delivered by 2024. Designed for a maximum of 200 km/h, the Tier-4 compliant ALC-42s are expected to be more fuel-efficient than the locos they replace. [spokesman.com]
First Brightline passenger train arrives in Orlando
Orlando won’t see passengers get to board Brightline trains until 2023, but the city has received the first train that will bring passengers down to Miami and back. The Bright Blue 2 train with four passenger coaches and two locomotives completed its 3,000-mile journey from Sacramento, California, to Orlando on Monday. The first train was delivered to West Palm Beach earlier this year. .There will be 10 trains operating initially for Brightline. [mynews13.com/]
Amtrak Gulf Coast plan spurs call for shippers’ input
CSX President and CEO James Foote is asking shippers to sign a petition expressing concerns to the Surface Transportation Board (STB) about Amtrak’s proposed Gulf Coast service. Amtrak has asked the STB to require CSX and Norfolk Southern Railway to allow passenger trains to run on the route. Foote states that Amtrak is acting “without consideration of the negative impact on freight service” or rail infrastructure. By law, freight-rail carriers are obliged to host Amtrak trains. Gulf Coast passenger trains haven’t run since the line was damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.[progressiverailroading.com]
Costs climb again for California’s high-speed rail project
Another $5 billion has been added to the cost of California’s long delayed high-speed rail line. According to new estimates, it could take $105 billion to finish the route from San Francisco to Los Angeles. The figures are from the California High Speed Rail Authority’s latest biennial business plan. The price has steadily risen since voters approved nearly $10 billion in 2008, when the total cost was pegged at $40 billion. Since then costs have climbed amid struggles to obtain land and other delays. Today, the authority is far short of the money it needs to complete the project. [apnews.com]
