Montreal kills elevated portion of light-rail project
Montreal and Quebec are taking over the REM de l’Est light-rail project, putting an end to a controversial design in downtown Montreal that was ridiculed by the public. The elevated line that was proposed will now be abandoned completely. As an alternative, the eastern section of the REM will only be developed on sections that already have been approved by the public. The REM de l’Est will be linked to the metro. [rtands.com]
Org says Biden Amtrak board picks favor Northeast
The Rail Passengers Association is calling on President Joe Biden to appoint people to Amtrak’s board who represent multiple geographic regions. Only one of Biden’s five new nominees — Mayor Chris Koos from Normal, Illinois — is from outside the Mid-Atlantic states. “Amtrak’s trains run throughout the Southeast, the Southwest, our border with Canada and the Pacific Coast,” RPA President and CEO Jim Mathews said. “Where are the nominees who will serve as the voice of the passengers from these regions?” [progressiverailroading.com]
London’s long-delayed Elizabeth line due May 24
London’s Elizabeth line is to open on May 24th ,Transport for London (TfL) has announced the long-delayed central tunnel section of the £19bn Crossrail project is now ready for passengers. The line will massively boost transport capacity in London and south-east England, cutting journey times, adding stations, and using longer trains trains. The Elizabeth line will initially operate as three separate railways, with the overground services already running in the west and east connecting directly with the central tunnel section this autumn. [theguardian.com]
Shorter Honolulu rail plan threatens ridership
The city’s plan to shorten the Honolulu rail route could shrink the number of people who will use the trains on a daily basis, new data shows. The rail authority’s newly released recovery plan estimates that about 84,000 people will use the rail each weekday in the year 2030. A full 20-mile route going to Ala Moana was expected to have a daily ridership of more than 100,000. The plan also proposed the deferral of the Pearl Highlands parking garage, which would reduce boardings by about 11% and overall rail ridership by 1.7%. [hawaiinewsnow.com]
Eurostar expansion to ease European travel
Traveling to some of Europe’s coolest destinations could soon get a whole lot easier thanks to a new alliance between Eurostar and Thalys. The two railway companies have joined forces to create a new holding company, Eurostar Group. Both will remain fully independent, however, the new partnership will create more stops and routes around the continent, and do so in a much more sustainable fashion. [travelandleisure.com]
