Draft recovery plan OK’d for troubled Honolulu transit project
The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation’s (HART) board has voted 7-to-1 to approve its draft recovery plan in an effort to secure $744 million in federal funding for the project. But the proposal is getting pushback from Central Oahu residents who say they’re being left out. HART and the city say they only have enough money to build to the Civic Center station and are calling for the elimination of the last two stations and the final 1.25 miles of the guideway. The recovery plan also postpones construction of the park and ride facility. HART officials expect the Federal Transit Administration to approve the funding. [hawaiinewsnow.com]
Restoration of Ontario’s Northlander passenger rail pledged
Provincial politicians are pledging to improve road and rail transportation in northern Ontario, including investing $75 million to restore the Northlander passenger rail service between Toronto and Timmins. Premier Doug Ford said the formerly shuttered rail service would also be expanded by extending the Northlander to Cochrane, and adding a connection point to Polar Bear Express service to Moosonee. The Northlander rail service was canceled in 2012 by the then Liberal government, who said at the time it was too costly to subsidize. [globalnews.ca]
Mexican tourist train raises fears for subterranean treasures
Bulldozers sit idle next to tree stumps along the disputed route of a new Mexican tourist train. The rail link under construction between popular Caribbean beach resorts and archeological ruins is at the center of a legal battle between authorities and activists. Last month a judge suspended work on part of the roughly 1,500 km (950 mi) long Mayan Train. Opponents fear that a section between the resorts of Playa del Carmen and Tulum will cause irreparable damage to a subterranean network of caves, rivers and freshwater sinkholes known as cenotes connected to the Caribbean Sea. [france24.com]
Athens-Thessaloniki travel time drops to 4 hours with new trains
New, state-of-the-art trains going into operation on Sunday, May 15th will reduce the Athens-Thessaloniki travel time to 4 hours, TrainOSE, the Italian-owned Greek rail operator, said on Friday. Normally, the travel time between the capital and the major northern city takes closer to 6 hours. The new ETR470 trains will have nine wagons, including a restaurant/bar and three first-class wagons. Each train has a seating capacity of 600 people. [greekreporter.com]
