Major expansion approved for Vancouver transit
The British Columbia government says a Surrey-to-Langley SkyTrain line and electrified bus fleets are among the projects that will benefit from a $2.4B ($1.9B USD) investment in Metro Vancouver transit. TransLink, announced the funds Friday, saying people throughout Metro Vancouver will have more affordable and convenient travel options, while reducing climate pollution. The provincial government is committed to fund 40 per cent of the 10-year vision for transit outlined by the regional mayors’ council on regional transportation. [ctvnews.ca]
New NYC terminal dubbed Grand Central Madison
The MTA has been building an $11 billion terminal for Long Island Rail Road trains under Grand Central Terminal for 15 years now. As construction wraps up and the agency plans to open it by the end of the year, it’s also decided to spruce up the decades-in-the-making terminal with a new name. When commuters from Long Island disembark, they’ll be arriving at Grand Central Madison. The new terminal, located more than 100 feet underground, is accessible by escalators and elevators to exits from 38th to 50th Street along Madison Avenue. [gothamist.com]
Atlanta signals desire for downtown Amtrak hub
The Atlanta City Council has approved a resolution urging Amtrak to include a new Downtown Atlanta station in regional expansion plans. As Amtrak looks to expand Southern service including Atlanta to Savannah and Nashville, Councilmember and resolution sponsor Jason Dozier, said benefits of a Downtown Atlanta Amtrak hub would extend beyond the city. Atlanta currently has a small Amtrak station at 1688 Peachtree Station, between Midtown and Buckhead. The station is on the Crescent line that runs to New Orleans and New York City. [reporternewspapers.net]
Amtrak seeks new operating agreement with CN
Amtrak has asked the Surface Transportation Board to establish the terms and conditions of a new operating agreement in which Amtrak trains will have access to CN rail lines and property. Under the agreement, Amtrak will pay incentives to CN — or CN will incur penalties based on the performance of Amtrak trains on its track. The Federal Railroad Administration has already issued a final rule that established a “customer on-time performance” metric that assesses the performance of Amtrak trains based on on-time passengers arrivals at destination stations. [progressiverailroading.com]
