Construction underway on Vancouver’s $2.8 B Broadway subway
Major construction on Vancouver’s SkyTrain subway extension along the Broadway Corridor is officially underway. The westward extension of the Millennium Line will run from VCC-Clark Station to a new terminus station at Arbutus Street. Six underground stations will be built along the 5.7 km route, including a Canada Line interchange hub at Broadway-City Hall Station. Upon opening in 2025, the Broadway Extension is expected to see 130,000 passengers per day. [dailyhive.com]
New light rail vehicles enter Seattle passenger service
Sound Transit’s new Link light rail vehicles have begun passenger service in Seattle. The first of the Series 2 LRVs have entered service ahead of the October opening of the Northgate Link extension. So far 41 of the 152 new vehicles have been delivered, tested, and added to the fleet. The vehicles, being manufactured by Siemens, feature several improvements over current Series 1 LRVs, including more seats, larger windows, wider center aisles, and increased capacity for luggage and bicycles. [mynorthwest.com]
Calls mount for more studies before Amtrak Gulf Coast return
The Port of New Orleans has joined the Port of Mobile to request completion of a Rail Traffic Control (RTC) study before Amtrak Gulf Coast service is resumed. Regional railroad associations are also asking the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) to require the RTC study. Amtrak wants to restore trains between Mobile and New Orleans beginning on New Year’s Day. Hurricane Katrina forced the service’s closure 16 years ago. The STB will determine the service’s viability based on findings of the RTC study. [al.com]
Azerbaijan launches new railway to facilitate inland travel
Traveling from Azerbaijan’s capital Baku to the city of Gabala, one of the country’s main touristic destinations, has become a lot faster thanks to a newly launched railway. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev inaugurated the single-track Laki-Gabala railway which connects a northern district with a central settlement of the country on a 44.5 km route. The new railway extends to the Laki station of the Baku-Boyuk Kasik railroad, which stretches across Azerbaijan from the capital Baku on the east to the border with Georgia on the west. [caspiannews.com]
