North America – Page 15
-
Metro Report InternationalSt Louis orders light rail vehicles with onboard energy storage
USA: Bi-State Development Agency has formally awarded Siemens Mobility a contract supply 55 high-floor light rail vehicles with battery onboard energy storage for the MetroLink network serving the greater St Louis region. Siemens was the sole bidder for the order, which the agency approved last year. ...
-
Metro Report InternationalMaryland’s Purple Line project pushed back
USA: The opening date for the 26 km Purple Line light rail route between New Carrollton and Bethesda in the Maryland suburbs of Washington DC has been pushed back again. ‘Despite significant achievements in the last year, including reaching project completion of more than 65%, an ...
-
In depthTraction Technology: The weak case for hydrogen
Reinhard Christeller examines the state of the art for using hydrogen in rail traction, and finds that the case for widespread adoption is weak, even if emerging ‘white hydrogen’ fuel holds more potential.
-
NewsMexican passenger rail reform plans unveiled
MEXICO: A package of 20 proposals for legislative reforms intended to support the restoration and development of passenger services on the existing rail network has been presented to the Chamber of Deputies. The proposals announced in February would give the government the power to grant concessions to ...
-
NewsNorfolk Southern rolls out train incident response data sharing
USA: Norfolk Southern has begun using the RapidSOS digital alert platform to provide first responders with access to information on train cargo and hazardous material data. In the event of a emergency, Norfolk Southern will initiate an alert to first responders transmitting critical information, the incident ...
-
Metro Report InternationalOntario Line guideway and stations contract awarded
CANADA: Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx have selected Trillium Guideway Partners to build the elevated guideway and stations for Toronto’s Ontario Line metro project. TGP comprises: Applicant leads: Acciona Infrastructure Canada and Amico Major Projects; Design: WSP Canada; Construction: Acciona Infrastructure Canada and Amico Major Projects. ...
-
NewsCancún – Playa del Carmen section of Tren Maya inaugurated
MEXICO: The latest section of the 1 525 km Tren Maya project was inaugurated on February 29.
-
NewsShort-haul shuttle trains could get lorries off Los Angeles roads
USA: A rail shuttle to an inland container terminal within 240 km of the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach could carry 3·1 million TEU/year, according to reports Anacostia Rail Holdings commissioned from Oliver Wyman and Leachman & Associates. A further opportunity exists for up ...
-
NewsHudson Bay Railway funding announced
CANADA: The federal and provincial governments have announced up to C$60m of funding for capital works on the Hudson Bay Railway, which provides year-round all-weather access to the port of Churchill and remote communities in northern Manitoba. The 1 000 km railway from The Pas to ...
-
In depthHigh Speed: FRA grant kick-starts Brightline West
Construction of a high speed inter-city passenger railway in the congested corridor between Las Vegas and Southern California is expected to get underway this year, following the approval of federal funding for the Brightline West project. Dave Lustig investigates.
-
NewsChicago’s Metra thinks outside the box with Stadler battery train order
USA: Chicago commuter agency Metra has awarded Stadler a contract to supply eight battery multiple-units. The $154m deal announced on February 21 includes staff training and spare parts. The first of the units are expected to be delivered from Stadler’s Salt Lake City plant in 2027-28. ...
-
Metro Report InternationalMontréal metro CBTC contract awarded
CANADA: Thales Ground Transportation Systems has been awarded a C$217m contract to supply and maintain a communications-based train control system for the Montréal metro Blue Line. This will include the 6 km five station extension from Saint-Michel to Anjou, where construction has begun and with bids ...
-
NewsCalifornia orders more hydrogen trainsets
USA: California’s Department of Transportation has ordered six more Stadler Flirt H2 hydrogen fuel cell multiple-units. The $127m order announced on February 15 has been placed using an October 2023 framework contract which included an $80m firm order for four trains with options for up to ...
-
Metro Report InternationalHyundai Rotem USA wins Los Angeles metro train contract
USA: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority has selected Hyundai Rotem USA as the winner of a contract to supply metro trains. The $663·7m order approved by the board on January 25 covers 182 vehicles, with an option to order 50 more. Designated HR5000, the trains ...
-
NewsTrainline targets airport users during Super Bowl
USA: Ticket retailer Trainline is to show an advertisement for European rail travel on TV screens at US international airport terminals during Super Bowl LVIII commercial breaks, while on-screen adverts will appear during the game. ‘The Super Bowl has a near-mythical status in US culture and ...
-
In depthUSA: Manhattan congestion charge is key to New York investment
New York MTA hopes its congestion charging scheme will go live in mid-2024, which could provide a revenue stream to kick-start investment in renewal and expansion of the Subway network, as Benjámin Zelki and Nick Kingsley explain.
-
Metro Report InternationalNew York’s first walk-through Subway trainset enters service
USA: The first R211T open gangway trainsets being supplied by Kawasaki Rail Car for the New York Subway entered service on February 1 on the C/Eighth Avenue Local Line linking Washington Heights and East New York. New York state Governor Kathy Hochul, Metropolitan ...
-
NewsBallard fuel cells to power CPKC shunting locomotives
CANADA: Canadian Pacific Kansas City has ordered a further 12 hydrogen fuel cell power packs from Ballard for delivery during 2024. The 200 kW FCwave fuel cells are intended to power a batch of locomotives to undertake shunting and local freight services in Alberta; they are ...
-
NewsAmtrak sets out 2024 plans as it aims to double ridership by 2040
USA: Amtrak has announced the steps it will take this year in support of its ‘ambitious’ plans to double annual ridership to 66 million passengers in 2040. On February 1, the national passenger operator’s President Roger Harris said Amtrak has two overarching objectives for 2024: ‘improving ...
-
Metro Report InternationalNew Jersey Transit pilots track monitoring ‘force multiplier’
Mock dashboard USA: Humatics has been awarded a 12-month contract to pilot its Focus track condition monitoring technology on the New Jersey Transit network. This will expand current trials from an initial 16 track-km of monitored track to more than 160 km. ...