Start-up wants to privatize Amtrak service on Northeast Corridor
AmeriStarRail wants to privatize the rail system along the Northeast Corridor. The group doesn’t want to replace Amtrak, but simply enhance it, they say. Under the proposal, trains would operate on Amtrak’s lines and stations, and passengers would board Amtrak trains using Amtrak tickets. AmeriStarRail would arrange private financing to convert the fleet to compartment-style trains and increase high-speed trains while making travel more affordable for families. The plan also includes more direct routes and increased service. [whyy.org]
San Francisco streetcars and cable cars returning this year
Cable cars are coming back, and with them, San Francisco’s mojo, supporters say. Plans to bring the F-Line historic streetcars back in May and cable cars this fall, have been revealed by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Board of Directors. While nobody from the city has yet detailed a plan to pay for the service, advocates say the return of streetcars and cable cars would be a great symbol of the city’s comeback from the coronavirus. Restoration of the lines will be a boon for San Francisco’s hospitality industry, which has taken a massive hit as a result of the pandemic. [sfexaminer.com]
Orange County Republicans take aim at California’s bullet train
Newly elected Orange County Republican leaders are pushing back against funding for California’s controversial high-speed train. A new bill from freshman Assemblywoman Laurie Davies, R-Laguna Niguel, calls for shifting $54 million currently set aside for the train and using it to help fund local transit and infrastructure projects impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, Rep. Michelle Steel, R-Seal Beach, has introduced legislation that would block any federal funding from being used to support California’s high-speed rail project. [ocregister.com]
Passenger rail on Colorado’s Front Range still needs a strategy
In its few years of existence, Colorado’s Front Range Passenger Rail Commission has done a flurry of work — from ridership forecasts and cost estimates to some commissioners pushing for a public vote to raise funds to build the long dreamed of train from Pueblo to Fort Collins. That vote has not yet happened. And that’s OK because, according to one commissioner, the commission first needs to answer a very basic question: What does it want to accomplish? [coloradoan.com]
Germany to Invest €12.7B in Its Rail Network in 2021
Deutsche Bahn, the federal government and the individual state governments will invest a total of €12.7 billion ($15.1 billion USD) in Germany’s rail network in 2021. This is the highest-ever single-year investment in modernizing, maintaining, building, and expanding the network and stations. Funds will impact 1,900 km (1,181 mi) of track, around 140 bridges, and roughly 670 stations. The program will run under the heading ‘New Network for Germany’ and aims to prepare the country’s rail network for the Deutschlandtakt – a highly co-ordinated, nationwide timetable. [railway-news.com]
Pets will now be welcome on Amtrak’s weekday Acela trains
Amtrak is making it easier than ever to travel with your furry friends, expanding its pet program to allow four-legged passengers on Acela trains during weekdays. Dogs and cats up to 20 pounds will be allowed in all cars (except first class and café cars), but must remain in a carrier at all times. Amtrak will offer eight pet spaces per departure – and one per customer – for the cost of $26 per pet or 800 Amtrak Guest Rewards points. Previously, pets were only welcomed on Amtrak Acela trains on weekends. [travelandleisure.com]
