LA’s Metro explores connection to XpressWest high-speed rail line
With construction on Brightline’s XpressWest high-speed rail train connecting Las Vegas with Southern California scheduled to begin later this year, the Metro Board’s Planning and Programming Committee has voted to reallocate $3 million toward the development of 54 mi (87 km) intercity rail service between Palmdale and Apple Valley – site of the future western terminus of the XpressWest project. The funding would be coupled with a $625,000 payment from XpressWest and a roughly $1.37 million state grant, accounting for a total budget of $5 million. [urbanize.la]
London’s Crossrail opening delayed until first half of 2022 as costs rise again
Crossrail Ltd has announced that the 21 km (13 mi) central London underground section of the new Elizabeth Line between Paddington, Stratford and Abbey Wood will not be ready to open until the first half of 2022 and could cost an additional £450 million ($600 million) to complete, a further blow to the project which was originally scheduled to open in December 2018. The latest cost estimate is £1.1 billion ($1.44 billion) over the financing package agreed to in December 2018, taking the total cost to more than £18 billion ($23.6 billion). Crossrail cites tunnel construction, station completion, and the effects of Covid-19 as main factors for the schedule delay. [railjournal.com]
Chicago Metra is falling further behind budget amid COVID-19 ridership decline
The Chicago area’s Metra commuter rail system has upped its projected two-year budget deficit to $682.5 million and warned that it will have to start cutting costs more aggressively without additional federal aid like the CARES Act passed in March. Metra, which operates 11 rail lines across six counties, has seen ridership plunge to about 10% of its pre-COVID-19 level, as remote working and school remain the norm for many commuters. [chicagotribune.com]
LG Display serves up travel info on subway train windows
While a transparent TV in your living room might prove to be a stunning talking point, there are more practical applications for see-through display technology. Now, LG Display has showed its vision for the future by installing transparent OLED partitions in subway train windows. For the project, 55-inch transparent OLED displays installed in trains in Beijing and Shenzhen provide commuters with real-time subway schedules, travel updates and lifestyle information such as weather and news. [newatlas.com]
