Chicago plans to slash fares to boost ridership
Faced with budget shortfalls and reduced ridership, Chicago Transit Authority is proposing fare cuts to lure customers back. Prices of multi-day passes would be cut and transfer fees eliminated under the Chicago Transit Authority’s 2022 budget plan. The CTA says the strategy has already increased ridership. Reduced fare passes, tested during a summer promotion dubbed “More Fun, Less Fare,” were used to take more than 10 million rides. Those who bought the multi-day plans ended up riding trains and buses 56% more than users who purchased one-way fares. [bloomberg.com]
Spain’s Renfe looks to add Channel Tunnel service
Spain’s Renfe is looking at operating a new high-speed rail link between London and Paris, a move that would place it in direct competition with Eurostar. Renfe said it believed a rival service through the Channel Tunnel would be both “viable and profitable”, and added that it has received early support from Channel Tunnel operator Getlink and from HS1, the UK high-speed railway that connects London to the tunnel. While Eurostar does not have a monopoly, it has never faced competition. Eurostar was profitable before the pandemic but saw its business devastated by travel restrictions. [ft.com]
NYC Transit told to submit subway noise reports
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed legislation requiring MTA New York City Transit (NYCT) to produce annual reports detailing efforts to reduce subway noise. The legislation clarifies the authority’s responsibilities in reporting noise abatement. Various efforts to reduce noise — such as train car screeching, rail clacking and grease pumps — have been implemented to cut noise levels for transit systems as a result of legislation signed in 1982. Clarifying the Rapid Transit Noise Code’s annual reports aims to reprioritize noise as a problem. [progressiverailroading.com]
EU makes first-time investment in hyperloop
Dutch engineering spin-off Hardt Hyperloop has been awarded €15M ($27.4M USD) by the European Commission. It is the first time that the EU has directly funded the development of the ultra-fast transport concept. The EU is particularly interested in hyperloop because of its fit with the European Green Deal, and the commission’s strategy for sustainable and smart mobility. Hyperloop pods move autonomously through low-pressure tubes, propelled by fluctuating magnetic fields supplied by the “track” they float over. [globalconstructionreview.com]
