Washington State bypass reopening 4 years after derailment
Almost four years after a deadly derailment on the Point Defiance bypass near DuPont, Washington, Amtrak Cascades service will resume on the bypass on November 18th. Amtrak said a total of eight trains — including Amtrak Cascades and Coast Starlight — will use the bypass daily, with additional trains added in the months ahead as COVID restrictions ease. Use of the bypass is resuming after the addition of safety measures and the implementation of most of the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) recommendations following the 2017 derailment. [seattletimes.com]
Boston’s MBTA is opening 2 new Green Line stations
Two “proper” new stations are coming to Boston’s MBTA Green Line’s B branch. After over eight months of work, the two new fully accessible stops — a relocated Babcock Street station and newly named Amory Street station — will open Monday. They’ll replace four stops — the previous Babcock Street stop, along with Pleasant Street, St. Paul Street, and Boston University West — that were all located within a half-mile distance, contributing to delays on a branch that is so notoriously slow that amateur athletes have been able to outrun B line trolleys. [boston.com]
Ohio governor’s support sought for Amtrak expansion
The head of a passenger rail advocacy group is calling on Gov. Mike DeWine and state legislative leaders to start pushing for Ohio’s share of new Amtrak funding, included in the new infrastructure bill, in the hopes of reviving plans for train service between Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati. “The governor needs to step up,” said Stu Nicholson, executive director of All Aboard Ohio. “The time for looking into it and examining it is done. There is real money on the table. Ohio needs to take this seriously.” [cleveland.com]
Egypt starts rolling out vaccines at Cairo metro stations
The Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population has announced that centers stationed inside subway stations have begun receiving coronavirus vaccines. A statement by the ministry said that this comes in coordination with the Ministry of Health’s “Together We Reassure.. Register Now” campaign to distribute further vaccines. The first day of operation on Saturday witnessed up to 500 citizens were vaccinated during the first hours through the two vaccination centers installed at the Sadat station. Centers are to be added at three stations in all. [egyptindependent.com]
