New Caltrain Stadler EMUs bound for SF Bay area
The first two seven-car Stadler KISS bi-level EMUs for California commuter rail operator Caltrain have departed Stadler’s facility in Utah, for testing in California. EMUs will replace Caltrain’s diesel fleet, as part of the San Francisco-San Jose electrification project. After awarding Stadler a $551 million contract in 2016 for 16 six-car EMUs, Caltrain exercised options in 2018 extending the trains to seven cars, and adding three more trains. EMUs have spent the past year testing at speeds of up to 115 mph (185 kmh). Testing on part of the 51 mi (82 km) Caltrain line is expected to start soon with service commencing in 2024. [railwayage.com]
Plan for new Amtrak tunnel through Baltimore rejected
Maryland transportation officials have declined a quixotic plan proposed by startup AmeriStarRail to dig a tunnel through downtown Baltimore and reroute Amtrak trains through a downtown hub that would replace the city’s Penn Station. The plan hinged on halting construction to replace a portion of Amtrak’s aging Baltimore and Potomac Tunnel and using an influx of federal infrastructure money to dig a four-track, 10-mile tunnel through Baltimore linking the Northeast Corridor to a new station downtown. [baltimoresun.com]
Gondolas proposed as Seattle light rail alternative
Citing lesser costs and a quicker timeline for completion, a local group is advocating for an urban gondola system to be considered as an alternative to Sound Transit light rail expansion in West Seattle. SkyLink, a self-described “citizen advocacy group,” claims a gondola system could be up and running from West Seattle to SoDo by 2026, while the current delays on the light rail project estimate completion around 2032. SkyLink’s hope is for Sound Transit to commission gondola experts to study the potential impacts of such a system in the Seattle area. [king5.com]
Mediation sought in Amtrak Gulf Coast case
CSX, Norfolk Southern Railway, the Alabama State Port Authority and its affiliated railroad are asking the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to order mediation with Amtrak over it’s proposed Gulf Coast service. They noted that both sides have expressed a willingness to discuss compatibility of freight-rail service with Amtrak passenger-rail service between New Orleans and Mobile on track owned by CSX and NS. Amtrak service ended after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Saying the request is premature. Amtrak has asked the STB to postpone a decision on the mediation request until after an April 4th evidentiary hearing. [trains.com]
Brightline Orlando rail extension will be made in US
Brightline says it’s not just connecting a high-speed rail service from South Florida to Central Florida, it’s also creating jobs. Brightline officials say that everything inside and outside of one of their trains is 100 percent made in America. Construction of the Orlando extension is approximately 75 percent complete, thanks to more than 1,000 local workers, with more jobs to come. Brightline’s vehicle maintenance facility, located just south of Orlando International Airport, for example, is where the trains will go to be serviced. Construction on Brightline’s Orlando extension is set to be completed this year. It will start carrying the first passengers sometime in 2023. [wftv.com]
