Amtrak’s Acela set to hit 150 mph in New Jersey
Infrastructure improvements in New Jersey will allow Amtrak’s Acela trains to reach 150 mph on a 16-mile segment between New Brunswick and South Brunswick, the railroad has announced. That will mean quicker travel times for premium passengers on the Northeast Corridor between New York and Washington. The upgrade is part of the railroad’s New Jersey High-Speed Rail Improvement Program, which will include an expanded higher-speed zone by 2024 and other changes meant to make traveling by rail more appealing. [usatoday.com]
Feds order improvements for Boston’s MBTA
Federal Transit Administration officials have issued a series of orders to the Boston area’s troubled public transit agency to address the system’s “overall safety program and safety culture.” FTA directives require the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to better staff its operations control center; improve track maintenance; address unintended and uncontrolled train movements in facilities and rail yards; and ensure that all employee training certifications are up to date. The MBTA — known locally as the T — is already developing a plan to implement the orders. [apnews.com]
Pro-rail vote saves idle Northern California tracks
Parallel to California’s Santa Cruz coastline there’s a train track being slowly overtaken by brush. The Santa Cruz Branch Line was built in 1876 and runs across 32 miles of the county, about 70 miles south of San Francisco. On June 7, about 70% of Santa Cruz County voters chose to reject a measure which would have supported replacing a portion of the tracks with a bike path and pedestrian trail. Instead, voters affirmed a plan to keep the rails and to possibly introduce regular passenger train travel, along with building some form of adjacent walkway. [bloomberg.com]
Mayors try free transit to draw people back downtown
The push for free buses and trains has long been heralded in progressive circles as a way to boost access to transportation, mitigate carbon emissions and bridge racial disparities. Now, it’s increasingly popular as gas prices hit new records and Covid-weary mayors and governors grow desperate to entice people and businesses back to urban centers. Some transit advocates say improving service would do more to boost ridership, get cars off the road and assist low-income riders than eliminating fares. [politico.com]
Enviro report issued for NoCal high-speed segment
The California High-Speed Rail Authority has released the Final Environment Impact Report for a 43-mile segment between San Francisco and San Jose. If approved by CHSRA’s board, the section will receive full environmental clearance and move a step closer to being “shovel ready” when funding becomes available. An interim rail station is planned to be built at Fourth and King streets in San Francisco until the connection to Salesforce Transit Center is made. [progressiverailroading.com]
Ambassador’s ‘Train Geek’ diplomacy a hit in Japan
Rahm Emanuel, the US ambassador to Japan, is trying a more diplomatic tack by eschewing the standard armored BMW and choosing to take trains and subways as he traverses the country. Since he assumed the job in January, the former Chicago mayor has been using his Twitter feed to share photos of his official travels aboard Japan’s rail network. He raved about his first trip aboard the famed shinkansen high-speed trains, and has also been seen walking to meetings with Japanese officials rather than going by car. [bloomberg.com]
