Amtrak plans statewide Pennsylvania expansion
Amtrak plans to add three short-haul routes in Pennsylvania and double both Keystone Service and Pennsylvanian train frequencies. Proposed are three daily round-trips on the Scranton and Reading lines and two daily round-trips on the Allentown run. Under a best-case scenario and if President Joe Biden’s $1.2 trillion federal infrastructure bill passes the U.S. House of Representatives, the new routes could be running in as little as three years.[trains.com]
JTA to study Jacksonville-St. Augustine commuter rail
Someday, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority envisions commuter rail running between downtown Jacksonville and St. Augustine. To see what the potential is for private-sector support, JTA is hiring a private consultant to study the feasibility of transit-oriented development along a potential 38-mile light rail corridor between the cities. Private development of station-adjacent housing, retail and restaurants, could help to offset of project costs. [bizjournals.com]
SEPTA pushing Philly transit/Regional Rail fare parity
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) wants to make Regional Rail more affordable for Philadelphians by lowering fares and allowing bus, subway, and trolley transfers for people who use the commuter service to travel within the city. The move is intended to adapt to changing rider needs, including a decline in traditional commuting patterns. The one-way cash fare for using Regional Rail within much of the city is currently $6, compared to $2.50 for other transit services. [inquirer.com]
Denver RTD marks one year of N Line service
The Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD) is marking one year of operation for its N Line commuter rail service. The N Line runs between Denver Union Station and Eastlake-124th Station in Thornton via Commerce City and Northglenn. It is the first rail system in the USA to have positive train control (PTC) safety technology built-in from the ground up. N Line trains have traveled more than 310,000 miles since September 2020. Service availability and on-time performance are consistently above 90 percent.[masstransitmag.com]
