North Carolina passenger rail ridership up 42%
Governor Roy Cooper says more people rode the N.C. Department of Transportation’s intercity passenger rail service in September than any previous month in the 32-year history of the NC By Train service. The Carolinian and Piedmont trains handled 48,488 passengers last month, which marks an increase of 32% over the average pre-pandemic monthly ridership levels from 2014 to 2019. The service is operated by Amtrak. [jocoreport.com]
Storm-swept San Clemente track repairs to start
The Orange County Transportation Authority has hired a geo-technical firm to stabilize railroad tracks in San Clemente. The emergency work is expected to safely restore passenger rail service between Los Angeles and San Diego. The current plan is to complete the work as soon as possible, with a projected construction timeline of approximately 90 days. Amtrak and MetroLink service to San Diego County has been suspended since Sept. 30, after the storm surge from Tropical Storm Kay caused movement of the track. [timesofsandiego.com]
Rising costs force Austin to review transit plans
With costs soaring, Austin is eyeing ways to revise its transit expansion effort — including paring down planned subways in downtown. Project Connect is still slated to tie Austin together, though planners are looking at running downtown light-rail lines at street-grade as part of a wider project review. Cost estimates for the plan had risen from $5.8 billion to $10.3 billion by April. The Orange Line would link North and South Austin and the Blue Line would run from the airport to downtown. A commuter rail line and additional bus service are also part of the plan. [axios.com]
NoCal’s Valley Link buys hydrogen production site
The Tri-Valley – San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority took a step toward becoming the first California rail system to run on self-produced, green hydrogen, following the finalization of a purchase agreement for land to build its hydrogen facility. The 200-acre property provides the critical land area needed to implement the green hydrogen production facility that will support the authority’s vision of sustainability for the Valley Link rail project, as well as support the clean energy goals of other transit and heavy truck operators in the region. [masstransitmag.com]
