Amtrak Seattle and Vancouver BC service returns
Amtrak service between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia has resumed after being suspended since March 2020 due to the covid pandemic. The return of the Amtrak Cascades train is welcome news for travelers who have been relying on Amtrak’s four daily buses. But service is returning slower to start, with one daily roundtrip. A second daily trip will be added in the future as Amtrak staffing and equipment allow. [king5.com]
Caltrain’s new electric trainsets previewed
Caltrain has provided the first public viewing of its new electric train cars at an event attended by federal, state, regional, local officials and community members. Caltrain calls the new train cars the centerpiece of its electrification project, which not only brings a new power source to the Caltrain fleet, but will also deliver an increase in service and train speeds. [masstransitmag.com]
Light rail called easiest option for Brooklyn-Queens
To build a new transit connection between Brooklyn and Queens, a streetcar may be what the MTA desires. Transit officials have identified light rail train cars as the easiest way to realize the proposed Interborough Express, which aims to bring passenger service to a 14-mile set of freight tracks from Bay Ridge to Jackson Heights. Officials have also examined using the line for conventional commuter trains or construction a dedicated roadway. [masstransitmag.com]
Architects tapped for $7B NYC Penn Station reno
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has picked a group of architecture and engineering companies to design its $7 billion Penn Station renovation. The MTA Board has approve hiring WSP, FXCollaborative, and British firm John McAslan and Partners for the job at a base contract of $58 million. The companies will be tasked with coming up with a design for the renovation of the notoriously claustrophobic Manhattan transit hub into a light-filled and better-connected station based off of the Penn Station Master Plan. [amny.com]
