TSA confirms Amtrak screening program underway
The Transportation Security Administration has confirmed that the screening of some rail passengers’ travel records against a terrorist watchlist “has already occurred.” The vetting is part of an Amtrak Rail Passenger Threat Assessment to determine if known or suspected terrorists have been riding America’s rails. Initial watchlist searches are limited to “several months” of travel records from trips in the Northeast Corridor. The TSA is releasing only statistical information on any matches with individual names omitted. [wcvb.com]
Construction on key NE corridor rail bridge OK’d
Construction to replace a century-old rail bridge on the Northeast Corridor between Boston and Washington, D.C. has received the go-ahead to start. New Jersey Transit (NJT) will proceed with the Portal North Bridge project to replace a swing bridge over the Hackensack River that occasionally becomes stuck after opening for passing boats. The bridge carries hundreds of Amtrak and commuter trains daily. Construction is expected to take between five and six years. The project is being funded jointly by the Federal Transit Administration, NJT, and Amtrak. [apnews.com]
New tests and late fixes delay next-gen Acela till 2023
Testing of Amtrak’s next-generation Acela trainsets on the Northeast Corridor has shown that further modifications will be necessary, pushing back the date the equipment will be placed in service because additional testing will be necessary. Now, the first of the 28 nine-unit trainsets being built by Alstom are not expected to enter revenue service until sometime in 2023. The debut originally expected in 2021 had been pushed back last year. [trains.com]
New Mexico Rail Runner to enact 75% fare reduction
Fares for New Mexico’s Rail Runner Express will by cut by 75% from April 18 through July 31, and possibly longer to help bring back riders who avoided the commuter railroad during the COVID-19 pandemic. The reductions will apply to all one-way, day passes and monthly passes. The cost of traveling between Albuquerque and Santa Fe will fall to $2.50 for a day pass and to $27.50 for a monthly pass under the new fares. State officials hope the lower fares will lure riders back to the commuter train, which runs between Belen and Santa Fe. [abqjournal.com]
Construction begins on KC Streetcar extension
Federal, municipal and transit officials have joined to celebrate the start of track construction on the 3.5-mile KC Streetcar Main Street Extension. The $351-million project will connect the current southern terminus at Union Station to the University of Missouri – Kansas City (UMKC). The project is seen by some as a “game-changer” for Kansas City public transit with KC Streetcar Authority Executive Director Tom Gerend explaining the extension elevates the streetcar line from a downtown circulator to a regional system spine. [masstransitmag.com]
New Orleans-Baton Rouge proj moving forward
With Amtrak onboard, the possibility of a passenger train between New Orleans and Baton Rouge is one step closer to reality. Funding for the train is now available under the recently passed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The New Orleans-Baton Rouge Intercity Passenger Rail would use existing freight rail tracks that connect New Orleans and Baton Rouge that are currently owned by Norfolk Southern. There is no timetable for completion, but the passenger rail was included as a priority in Amtrak’s Connects US strategic plan. [wgno.com]
