Feds award $158M grant for Phoenix light rail extension project
Federal and local officials have announced a construction grant award of $158.1 million to the City of Phoenix and Valley Metro for the Northwest Extension Phase II Light Rail Project. Total project cost is $401.3 million. The 1.6 mi extension will provide light rail access to communities in north and west Phoenix, as well as Glendale and Peoria. It will link the Metrocenter area to the North Central Avenue office corridor, downtown Phoenix, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, and Arizona State University. The project, which includes three stations, a transit center, and a parking structure, is expected to open in February 2025. [rtands.com]
Restart of Amtrak passenger rail to Canada delayed until 2022
The return of Amtrak’s cross-border passenger rail service to Canada has been delayed until next year. Amtrak canceled all of its Canadian service in March 2020 when governments on both sides of the border limited travel to stop the spread of the Coronavirus. The Cascades (Seattle-Vancouver), the Maple Leaf (New York City-Toronto), and the Adirondack(New York City-Montreal), haven’t crossed the border since the health crisis began. Amtrak is working with customs and border protection in both countries with an eye toward restoring the current cross-border trains in early 2022. [cbc.ca]
Santa Fe Sky Railway excursion to launch with holiday rides
A group of local entrepreneurs who jointly purchased the old Santa Fe Southern Railway in 2020, will revive the railway’s 18-mile excursions between Santa Fe and Lamy next month. Santa will be aboard the first Sky Train as it pulls out of the Lamy depot December 3rd. Future excursions will feature a series of themed entertainments including music programs, a Wild West scene and, in October 2022, a Halloween-themed ride. The Santa-themed ride will be the train’s first passenger trip in eight years. Santa Fe Southern offered trips to Lamy for two decades before shutting down in 2012. [santafenewmexican.com]
Pacific Northwest leaders sign MOU for high-speed rail system
Governor Jay Inslee of Washington state, Governor Kate Brown of Oregon, and Premier John Horgan of British Columbia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that establishes ultra-high-speed transportation as a regional priority. The agreement reaffirms the shared commitment to developing a sustainable Cascadia Innovation Corridor. A 2018 study projected that a high-speed rail system linking Vancouver, Seattle, and Portland would spark up to $355 billion in economic growth in Cascadia while reducing harmful emissions and creating downstream benefits for affordable housing, environmental sustainability, and more. [greencarcongress.com]
Covid ridership decline prompts free bullet travel for kids in Japan
Children will be allowed to ride bullet trains that run through most of Japan’s biggest cities for free as part of a campaign to revive domestic tourism hit by the coronavirus pandemic. The campaign runs through December 19th and covers the Nozomi super-express services that stop at major stations, including Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, Shin-Osaka and Hakata, according to Central Japan Railway Co. and West Japan Railway Co. Child passengers must be between 6 and 11 years old and accompanied by an adult. Up to five children will be able to travel for free per adult passenger. [japantimes.co.jp]
Rocky Mountaineer tourist train’s inaugural US season a success
With the final run completed Friday, the Rocky Mountaineer is celebrating a successful first year in the U.S. and making plans for 2022. The train company specializes in luxury tourism and has transported travelers across the Canadian Rocky Mountains for about 30 years. The Mountaineer’s first U.S. line opened in August. Its two-day journey from Denver to Moab, Utah, with an overnight stay in Glenwood Springs, typically accommodates about 200 passengers. At the peak of operations in September, however, additional cars were added to haul more than 300 passengers through the sweeping vistas in Colorado and Utah. [aspentimes.com]
