PENNSYLVANIA’s Department of Transportation has been authorised to buy a fleet of diesel multiple-units for the 176 km ’Keystone Corridor’ from Philadelphia to Harrisburg. Governor Tom Ridge has approved a package combining $18·7m of federal and $4·7m of state funding.
Costed at $1·5m per vehicle, the two or four car sets will be owned by PennDOT and operated by Amtrak. They must be able to accelerate rapidly, and run at 177 km/h. Ridge hopes to see a contract awarded before the end of the summer. The winning bidder will be asked to supply interim DMUs for a sample service within six months, in March 1998, and have the trains ready by autumn 1999.
- Amtrak is to demonstrate its two leased Adtranz IC3 Flexliners in revenue service between St Louis and Kansas City from April 8 to May 1. Two daily trains each way supported by Missouri DoT have made this corridor one of Amtrak’s fastest growing routes. The IC3s will operate a daily round trip on six days a week. o
