VIA Rail unveils new fleet for Windsor-Quebec City corridor
VIA Rail has previewed the first of 32 new Siemens trains to be used on the Windsor-Quebec City corridor, serving destinations such as Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto. The diesel -powered, bidirectional trainsets are environmentally-friendly. Enhanced features include wider aisles; touchless interior doors; and high-speed wifi. The trains are also fully accessible, and each includes onboard wheelchair elevators, large accessible washrooms, braille, and signage. Passengers are expected to board the new trains by the end of 2022 following an extended testing period. [ottawa.ctvnews.ca]
Feds greenlight Hudson River rail tunnel construction start
A major and final bureaucratic hurdle has been cleared by the Gateway Tunnel project after the U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers issued a permit to allow construction of the tunnel and tracks through the Meadowlands and under the Hudson River. The permit allows construction of the $12.3 billion project to build two new tunnels and rehabilitate the exiting 111-year old tunnels to start in summer 2023, once funding is secured. Construction of new tunnels and rehabilitation of the existing tunnels is estimated to be completed in 2035. [nj.com]
USDOT officials test ride new Caltrain EMU
Representatives from the U.S. Department of Transportation have completed a test ride of Caltrain’s Stadler-built KISS EMU (electric multiple-unit), which is now in the final stages of testing in Pueblo, Colorado. A comprehensive set of instrumented operational tests began along a railroad test track earlier this year. Stadler is building 19 seven-car trainsets for the Caltrain project. In June, Caltrain announced that the $2.3 billion project’s launch would be delayed until late 2024, due to complications related to signal system installation, track conditions, and Covid-related supply chain issues. [railwayage.com]
Laos-China railway launching as debt to Beijing mounts
Laos is opening a $5.9 billion Chinese-built railway that links China’s own poor southwest to foreign markets but piles on potentially risky debt. In the past, some borrowers have complained that Chinese-built projects are too expensive and leave too much debt. The 1,035 km (642 mi) line from the Laotian capital, Vientiane, to Kunming, will initially be limited to cargo transport with passenger service delayed due to anti-pandemic travel curbs. The Kunming-Vientiane railway is a link in a possible future network to connect China with Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia and Singapore. [apnews.com]
