North America – Page 33
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NewsMetrolink switches to renewable fuel
USA: Southern California commuter rail agency Metrolink says it is the first US operator to switch its entire diesel locomotive fleet to renewable fuel made from recycled natural fats and vegetable oils. The move follows a pilot project launched in early 2021; it aims to reduce ...
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Metro Report InternationalMinneapolis Blue Line extension route recommended
USA: Following two years of stakeholder consultation and technical analysis, Minneapolis Metropolitan Council and Hennepin County have published a recommended route for the Metro Blue Line light rail extension. This would extend the Blue Line north from Target Field stop, running along West Broadway Avenue in ...
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NewsSTB approves CSX takeover of Pan Am Railways
USA: CSX Transportation expects to take control of Pan Am Systems Inc on June 1, having received Surface Transportation Board approval for its application to acquire the New England regional railway group.
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Metro Report InternationalMontréal metro interlocking contract
CANADA: Montréal transport operator STM has awarded Thales a contract to provide computer-based interlockings at a further eight metro stations. This is an extension of contract awarded in 2018 which covered signalling renewals at an initial eight stations and depots. The project aims to improve the ...
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NewsAmtrak unveils the interiors of the next generation of Acela trains
USA: Amtrak and Alstom have unveiled the interiors of the 28 Avelia Liberty trainsets ordered for use on Acela Express services on the 735 km Northeast Corridor between New York, Washington DC and Boston. Formed of two short-wheelbase power cars and nine ...
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Metro Report InternationalWork starts on Toronto’s Ontario Line
CANADA: Construction of the Ontario Line metro in Toronto was officially launched with a groundbreaking ceremony at the future Exhibition Place station site on March 27. Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford, and Transport Minister Caroline Mulroney were joined for the celebrations by Federal Minister of Transport Omar ...
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Metro Report InternationalTacoma Link Liberty NXT light rail vehicle ready for delivery
USA: Brookville Equipment Corp has completed the first of five Liberty NXT light rail vehicles ordered by Sound Transit for the Hilltop Tacoma Link Extension project. The 2·6 km Tacoma Link line is being extended by 3·9 km to serve Tacoma’s Stadium ...
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NewsWabtec to modernise 330 Norfolk Southern locomotives
USA: Norfolk Southern has awarded Wabtec Corp a multi-year contract to rebuild a further 330 Dash 9-44CW diesel locomotives to AC44C6M, improving their efficiency and reducing emissions. The modernised locomotives will feature the FDL Advantage engine upgrade, as well as Trip Optimizer, SmartHPT and Distributed Power ...
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In depthUSA: Let the Games begin!
With Los Angeles selected to host the 2028 summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, Southern California’s commuter rail agency Metrolink has started an enhancement programme to handle increased ridership and deliver long-term benefits, as recently appointed CEO Darren Kettle explains to Dave Lustig.
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NewsHitachi picks Maryland site to build US rolling stock production hub
USA: Hitachi Rail has announced that it is to build a $70m rolling stock assembly factory on a 16·5 ha site near the Hopewell Valley industrial park west of Hagerstown, Maryland.
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NewsNuclear transport rolling stock on test
USA: Specialist rail vehicles are being developed for the transport of military and civilian nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste to disposal and storage facilities. The US Navy has initiated a project to replace its ageing fleet of Rail Escort Vehicles, which are designed to provide ...
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Metro Report InternationalBoston inaugurates GLX phase 1
USA: The first phase of Boston’s long-planned Green Line Extension was opened for revenue service on March 21, when light rail trains began running through onto the Union Square branch in Somerville.
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NewsStadler reports ‘best year’ since IPO
SWITZERLAND: Stadler has reported record orders and earnings before tax for the 2021 financial year.
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NewsTTCI becomes MxV Rail as it prepares to relocate
USA: The Transportation Technology Center Inc subsidiary of the Association of American Railroads has been renamed MxV Rail and is to relocate to new site, as its contract to manage the Federal Railroad Administration’s test track in Pueblo, Colorado, comes to an end. TTCI has managed ...
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NewsFederal funds allocated to Atlanta – Savannah high speed line study
USA: The Senate has allocated $8m to conduct an environmental impact study for a proposed 400 km high speed line between Savannah and Atlanta via Macon.
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NewsOhio railway buys battery loco
USA: OmniTRAX’s Newburgh & South Shore Railroad has purchased its first battery locomotive, supported by a grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s Diesel Mitigation Trust Fund. The FRA-compliant 1 700 hp shunting locomotive was rebuilt by industrial and off-road battery equipment supplier AMPS Traction from ...
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NewsFederal grant to boost Twin Cities to Chicago passenger service
USA: The federal government is to provide a $31·8m grant for the Twin Cities – Milwaukee – Chicago Intercity Passenger Rail Project to facilitate the operation of a second daily passenger train each way between St Paul and Chicago by 2024. The TCMC project will modernise ...
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NewsCP and KCS trial Mexico – Chicago intermodal service
NORTH AMERICA: Canadian Pacific Railway and Kansas City Southern have trialled a direct intermodal service linking the Mexican port of Lázaro Cárdenas with Chicago. CP says the first international through train to be operated over the route was aimed at bypassing the delays caused by a ...
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Metro Report InternationalNew York Port Authority proposes 14 alternatives to LaGuardia peoplemover
USA: The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey has drafted 14 options for enhanced public transport access to New York’s LaGuardia airport which could offer an alternative to the now-aborted peoplemover link promoted by former state governor Andrew Cuomo. Upon taking office, Cuomo’s successor ...
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NewsContract negotiations underway for Toronto’s GO Expansion programme
CANADA: Greater Toronto & Hamilton Area transport agency Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario have selected a consortium to negotiate the largest single contact for the GO Expansion passenger rail enhancement programme.