Virgin Trains marks one million riders on South Florida route
Virgin Trains, formerly known as Brightline, has marked the service of one million riders during its first 18 months of operation. The passenger-rail service linking Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, Florida reached the milestone in June. [progressiverailroading.com]
Del Mar is weak link in San Diego’s coastal railroad
In the past year, landslides have forced the tempoary closures of railroad tracks along a fragile sandstone bluff in Del Mar, California. The tracks link San Diego with all points north and south. What would happen if the cliffs were to suffer a major collapse? The results, say officials, would be costly and far-reaching. [delmartimes.net]
Canada: VIA’s case for major rail project better without Montreal-Québec leg, according to fed document
VIA Rail’s case for a multibillion-dollar high-frequency-rail link between Toronto and Québec City would receive a boost if it ditched the Montreal-to-Québec City stretch according to a “top secret” assessment conducted for Transport Canada. Inclusion of the stretch would eat into the plan’s profitability. [nationalpost.com]
Virgin Trains seeks bonds for California-to-Vegas rail
Virgin Trains USA is accelerating plans for a high-speed line connecting Las Vegas to Victorville, a desert city 85 miles northeast of Los Angeles. The company is seeking approval from California and Nevada to raise as much as $3.6 billion in tax-exempt bonds to fund the project. [finance-commerce.com]
Australia: how Sydney destroyed its trams for love of the car
In the late 1950s Sydney ripped up its tram network, once one of the largest in the world. Nearly 1,000 trams were hauled away and set ablaze. Now, as the city painfully rebuilds a tiny part of its old system at vast expense, the decision to get rid of those trams looks more questionable than ever. [theguardian.com]
The World’s Fastest Trains: Asia, Europe, Africa And The Middle East Are Speeding Past The U.S.
When it comes to high-speed trains, China’s rail system is in a class by itself. According to a recent Railway Gazette International survey. China’s fastest trains, the G17 and G39 trains between Beijing and Nanjing, reached a top speed of 317.7 kph (197 mph). That’s about twice as fast as Amtrak’s Acela. [forbes.com]
