Michigan passenger trains to the northern part of the state now on the horizon
When a survey asked the people of Michigan where they would like to travel by rail, there answers hit close to home. Well, relatively close. Many wanted to take the train to the northern edge of the state to places like Traverse City. Now the search is on for a track that would reach northern Michigan. Passenger trains, like those taking fall color tours, between Ann Arbor and Traverse City could generate 1.5 million riders and $100 million annually by 2040. [rtands.com]
No light in sight for Del Mar, California train tunnel
In “a perfect world,” with construction money and permits in hand, a train tunnel could be built through Del Mar in less than 10 years, according to transit officials. But that’s not likely. In reality it probably will take two or three times that long to move the tracks off the eroding coastal bluffs, according to an update presented at a North County Transit District board meeting in Oceanside. In addition to the money, extensive planning and design, environmental studies and other work would be needed before construction can start. [masstransitmag.com]
From showpiece to goat track: the long, dangerous decline of Sydney-to-Melbourne rail travel
Australia’s big dreams of a high-speed passenger rail line connecting Brisbane to Sydney and Melbourne, capable of speeds that would make it competitive with air travel, have died time and time again. Last week’s tragic derailment of an XPT passenger train was the culmination of decades of neglect. What was once a premium service has now been reduced to a tortuous crawl between Australia’s two largest cities – one that stands in embarrassing contrast to the the development of fast rail in other countries. [theguardian.com]
Michael Hertz — designer of New York City subway map — dies at 87
Michael Hertz, whose design firm produced one of the most consulted maps in human history, the curvy-lined chart that New York City subway riders peer at over one another’s shoulders to figure out which stop they want, died on Feb. 18 in East Meadow, N.Y. He was 87. [nytimes.com]
