Historic rail trolleys returning to downtown Galveston
After over a decade out of service, Galveston Island Trolley cars will resume operating Friday, October 1st. Electric trolleys first ran in Galveston between 1891 and 1938. Fifty years later in 1988, they returned as a heritage streetcar system which continued to operate downtown until September 2008, when Hurricane Ike severely damaged all four of the vintage trolley cars. Now, the vintage trolley cars have been repaired and are returning to service. They will operate on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. During its debut weekend, trolley rides will be free. [click2houston.com]
Seattle opening three new Link light rail stations
Crews with Sound Transit are putting the finishing touches on three new Link light rail stations in Seattle. When the stations open on Saturday, October 2nd, it will be the first time in five years that Sound Transit has added a new station. Planning for the Northgate Link Extension Project started in 2006. Voters in King County approved the project in 2008 and construction on the 4.3 mile extension began in 2012. Sound Transit says their baseline budget for the project is $1.9 billion. However, officials believe the project will be under budget at completion.[king5.com]
South Africa’s vaccine train takes doses to poor areas
When Wongalwethu Mbanjwa tried to get a COVID-19 vaccination and found his local center closed, a friend told him there was another option: Get one on the train. So Mbanjwa did. Not any train, but South Africa’s vaccine train — which has now made its way to the small town of Swartkops on the country’s south coast. Carrying doctors, nurses and, crucially, vaccine doses, it has a mission to bring vaccines closer to people in small towns and poorer parts of South Africa, which has the continent’s highest number of coronavirus infections at more than 2.8 million. [apnews.com]
Amtrak to install photo walls as part of 50th anniversary
As part of Amtrak’s 50th anniversary celebration, a series of colorful graphic photo canvases will soon appear in train stations around the country. Amtrak is encouraging customers to post photos on social media of themselves in front of these 10-by-8 foot “walls” with #Amtrak50 to share their enthusiasm for train travel with their family, friends and followers. The wall-size canvasses were created through a collaboration with Amtrak and Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). Together, they sponsored a designer competition which resulted in the selection of the winning canvases. [progressiverailroading.com]
