Minneapolis lays first tracks for Southwest Green Line LRT extension
The first light-rail transit (LRT) tracks have been placed for Minneapolis’s Southwest Green Line light-rail extension (Southwest LRT). The rail was installed in Hopkins, Minnesota, near the future Downtown Hopkins in Hennepin County. The new Southwest LRT line will extend 14.5 miles and will serve 16 stations including Minneapolis, St. Louis Park, nearby Edina, Hopkins, Minnetonka and Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Currently, Southwest construction is past the halfway mark, with 11 of the 16 stations under construction or nearly complete. [progressiverailroading.com]
Canada issues vaccination mandate for train, air and cruise ship passengers
Canada has announced that it will require all train, air, and cruise passengers to be fully vaccinated by fall. The new vaccination requirement applies to all passengers on inter-provincial trains, commercial air travelers, and passengers on large, marine vessels such as cruise ships. The new policy will take effect as soon as possible in the fall and no later than the end of October. [forbes.com]
Canadian luxury scenic train line debuts its first US route
One of Western s most-decorated luxury scenic train lines, the Rocky Mountaineer, launched its first US route on August 15 through its namesake mountain range, running two-day, one-night trips back and forth between Denver, Colorado and Moab, Utah. The new route, known as Rockies to the Red Rocks, joins the line’s three rail offerings in Western Canada (Vancouver to Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper) and takes passengers through several distinct regions of Colorado before cruising into the heart of canyon country in Southern Utah. [cnn.com]
China’s most frost-resistant Fuxing bullet train conducts first test
A frost-resistant model of the Fuxing bullet train has completed its first test run in northeast ‘s Heilongjiang Province. The test run took place on the Mudanjiang-Jiamusi high-speed railway, the country’s easternmost rail line. The frost-resistant model of the Fuxing bullet train is designed to run at ultra-cold environments. With a speed of 350 kmh (217 mph), it can run in an extremely cold environment of minus 40 degrees Celsius. [globaltimes.cn]
