Mexico revives dream of San Antonio-to-Monterrey rail service
For more than three decades, politicians and rail advocates have dreamed of building a passenger train link between San Antonio and Monterrey, northern Mexico’s largest city. Each time, they’ve woken up with no financial commitments or concrete development plans. Nevertheless, top Mexican rail officials are back at it. They plan to begin a $2 million feasibility study for San Antonio-to-Monterrey service by the end of 2021. It will examine the potential costs of building and operating a rail line, and gauge passenger demand for service between the two cities, which are 300 miles apart. [mysanantonio.com]
Seattle introduces new names and color coding for rail lines
Seattle’s Sound Transit is renaming and color-coding its rail transit network, reflecting the continued growth of a system that will eventually grow to include five light-rail routes, two commuter-rail lines, and three bus rapid transit lines. The current Link light rail line will become the 1 Line, color-coded green; Tacoma Link light rail will become the T Line, orange; Sounder North commuter rail will become the N Line, and Sounder South will become the S Line, both colored light blue. Colors and numbers have also been set for the still-to-come 2 (bright blue), 3 (pink) and 4 (purple lines). Bus rapid transit lines will be colored yellow. [trains.com]
Maryland adds fare options to match flexible commuter schedule
CharmFlex, a new discounted fare option, has been launched by the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) to accommodate Marylanders returning to onsite work in more flexible or hybrid work schedules. CharmFlex three- and 10-day passes are available only on the CharmPass mobile fare payment app and can be used on local bus, light rail, Metro subway, commuter bus and MARC Train. Using CharmFlex fares, riders will pay about 15 percent less compared to the cost of a day-pass or single-trip fare. [masstransitmag.com]
New service from Toronto to Chicago proposed by Amtrak
Amtrak is proposing a new route that would connect Chicago, Illinois with Toronto, Ontario. As part of its “2035 Vision,” released this spring, the American passenger rail service outlined plans for expansion, including a proposed route connecting Chicago-Detroit-Toronto. The new route would transport passengers between the two cities in just under ten hours, making 23 stops along the way. Service from Toronto to Detroit would take just under five hours. Amtrak says the train would make one daily round-trip. [ctvnews.ca]
Does hyperloop make sense in flood-prone Fort Lauderdale?
Few basements, or other underground structures, exist in South Florida because the water table is just 3 to 8 feet below the land’s surface. Much of the state is built on reclaimed wetlands, and flooding is getting worse with climate change, as are the drenching storms like hurricanes. With those conditions, how feasible is The Boring Co.’s unsolicited proposal to build an underground hyperloop transit project in Fort Lauderdale? [smartcitiesdive.com]
