Amtrak, U.S. state rail agencies need $1 billion after coronavirus outbreak
U.S. railroad Amtrak said the passenger rail service and its state partners need $1 billion in government assistance after a dramatic decline in travel because of the coronavirus pandemic. Last week, Amtrak said bookings had plunged 50% since the outbreak and forecast losses of hundreds of millions of dollars. [reuters.com]
The NYC subway’s new tap-to-pay system has a hidden cost — rider data
New York City’s subway system is synonymous with archaic technology. But, last year’s introduction of OMNY, a $574 million contactless payment system, buckd that trend. Now however, experts say the OMNY payment scheme’s collection of significant amounts of user information, including smartphone device identifiers and location coupled with payment and transportation data, could be used to map out riders’ patterns of life in minute detail and create a privacy nightmare. [theverge.com]
Tri-Rail executives shares insights on South Florida’s commuter rail
With the area’s road system already strained, the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA) is seeking to increase mobility through a public transportation network that includes traffic-reducing options like SFRTA’s Tri-Rail service. Almost 4.5 million riders use Tri-Rail each year, traveling along 73.4 miles of track spanning Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. [bizjournals.com]
White Pass & Yukon Route upgrades its locomotives
Skagway, Alaska’s world-famous tourist railway is getting six new locomotives this spring. The new locomotives will replace the railway’s aging fleet of locomotives from the 1960s. The 3,000 hp, 120,000 kg (130 ton) locomotives are about 30 per cent larger than the old ones. The White Pass & Yukon Route scenic railway runs every summer on the 110 km (68 mi) route between Skagway and Carcross, Yukon. [cbc.ca]
Borders close in Europe halting international train services
Germany’s decision to close its border with Austria, Switzerland, France and Denmark due to the coronavirus pandemic means that international passenger services to most of these countries have been canceled. This follows the decision by Poland and the Czech Republic to close their borders with neighbouring countries. [railjournal.com]
