May - 2018

Europe’s top three high-speed and long-distance operators revealed in new report

A comparison report of Europe’s high-speed and long-distance train services has been published by Loco2, revealing that SBB, Deutsche Bahn and ÖBB are the top three train operators for passengers belonging to 12 types of audiences, including foodies, business travellers, pet owners, backpackers, families with children and many more… The Great Train Comparison report – an industry-first – was designed to review and compare the on-board services provided on trains run by 16 lea

Top 10 reasons to bring high-speed rail to America

According to the US High Speed Rail Association (USHSR), congestion relief, safety, economic development and an alternative to flying are just some of the top 10 reasons to bring high-speed rail to America… The US High Speed Rail Association (USHSR) states that America is in big trouble on multiple fronts, yet the majority of its ‘leaders’ are asleep at the wheel with no real solutions being worked on, evaluated, or proposed. In response, the USHSR has compiled a list of the

APTA to Trump: Use rescinded funds for rail, bus repairs

President Donald Trump has proposed rescinding $279 million of prior-year surface transportation funding, including $100 million of public transit and intercity passenger-rail grants, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) announced yesterday. In a "legislative alert," APTA said that the president's administration has proposed rescinding: • $47 million in Federal Transit Administration (FTA) formula grants that had been provided in federal fiscal-year 2005 a

US contractor Tutor Perini ordered to replace 5km of “substandard” rail on San Francisco subway

San Francisco city council has ordered a US contractor to rip up more than 5km of track on a light rail project and lay it again. The council claimed the track rails were made from “standard strength” steel, rather than the “high strength” material required in the contract’s specifications. The letter was sent by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) to Los Angeles-based Tutor Perini and subcontractor Con-Quest. The rail had to be “high-strength, control c

American cities now world’s most expensive places to build thanks to low productivity

Low productivity pushing up the cost of labor has been blamed for US cities being the most expensive places to build this year, while Singapore is leading the way on offsite manufacturing, keeping costs comparatively low. The US dominates this year’s league table, compiled by Dutch consulting engineer Arcadis, a striking change from last year when only one North American city made the top 10. San Francisco and New York placed first and second this year, and are joined in the

Tools for a Smoother Ride: Managing Rail Assets and Leveraging Competition

Public transit maintenance is not often headline news. Yet with high profile closures and disruptions to rail systems in major metropolitan areas like New York, Baltimore, and Washington, the condition of this infrastructure is very much in the public eye. These systems all need major track maintenance overhauls, but the real overhaul needs to be in how agencies conduct their asset management and maintenance programs. Together, major rail systems in U.S. cities move millions

AAR, NS want clear, supportive regulatory approach to automation

The Association of American Railroads and Norfolk Southern filed comments with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) on May 7 asking for a level regulatory playing field regarding automation. Specifically, AAR's comment asks the U.S. Department of Transportation "to take the same supportive regulatory approach with railroads that it has with automation of trucks and cars." "Railroads share the Department's

Amtrak-TX ticket deal #1 with a “Bullet”

Amtrak and a Texas high-speed passenger rail project will link ticketing and other services in the Lone Star state. An agreement between Texas Central and Amtrak will allow the former’s passengers to use Amtrak’s reservation system to buy tickets for through travel on both the planned $12.5-billion Texas Bullet Train and Amtrak’s national routes. The North-Texas to Houston bullet train plans to offer transfers between Amtrak stations in Dallas and Houston. The agreement also

Aim younger: logistics is going to need more than a million more employees

Logistics firms and their education advisors are now targeting children as young as 14 in an attempt to create more interest in the profession, as fears intensify of a gaping staff shortfall in the future. Ian Nichol, head of logistics at Career Ready, told delegates at Multimodal this morning that the industry is expected to need an additional 1.2m employees by 2022. “We have a ready-made training programme, but we need the industry to channel its knowledge and enthusiasm, b

Amtrak jumps on board Texas' bullet train with ticketing and shuttle partnership

A conceptual digital rendering showing the North Texas passenger station for the Texas bullet train, proposed to be in the Cedars neighborhood of Dallas, just south of downtown, near the Interstate 30 and Interstate 35 interchange. (Photo illustration by Texas Central Partners) Amtrak and Texas Central announced a partnership Friday to link the proposed bullet train from Dallas to Houston to the national passenger rail network. Passengers will be able to book their bullet tra