November - 2018

Walt Disney World Might Be A New Stop for Brightline/Virgin High Speed Rail System

Despite all of the transportation options these days, visitors to Walt Disney World might have an easier way of getting to Orlando International Airport and Tampa if a proposed Brightline stop comes to fruition. Brightline had previously announced plans for a high-speed passenger rail system to run up through Florida, from Miami to Orlando. The end goal was to allow easier travel between these two major metropolitan cities, not only for locals, but for tourists as well. Now,

The Texas bullet train now looks likely. Here’s what to expect

Texas Central said it will break ground late next year on the first bullet train line in the United States, which will connect Dallas to Houston, and the train, technology and much of the know-how is coming from Japan. “We will start the construction next year,” said Masaru Yosano, Chief General Manager of Central Japan Railway Company. Yosano flies to Texas once a month to help coordinate the project with partners at Texas Central Railway Company, the private firm that’s dev

Brightline, Virgin Group to form Virgin Trains USA

Brightline, the private intercity passenger-rail company in Florida, announced late last week it has reached a strategic partnership and trademark licensing agreement with billionaire Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group. The partnership calls for Brightline trains, stations and future developments to be marketed under the brand Virgin Trains USA, Brightline officials said in a press release. In May, Brightline launched service between Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm B

Amtrak touts 'best operating performance' in FY2018

Amtrak announced late last week it posted record revenue and earnings for fiscal-year 2018, which ended Sept. 30. Total revenue increased 2.2 percent to $3.38 billion over FY2017, according to unaudited and adjusted figures. Meanwhile, the railroad logged an operating loss of $168 million, which Amtrak officials said was a 13.3 percent improvement over FY2017 and the its "best operating performance to date." Systemwide ridership clocked in at 31.7 million customer trips,

Even in a Year Marred by Accidents, Amtrak's Losses Shrink

Amtrak’s operating losses narrowed to a new best in its 2018 fiscal year even while the railroad experienced a spate of high-profile accidents and rushed to install new safety equipment ahead of a federal deadline, according a preview of its annual results released by the company. Amtrak’s adjusted earnings -- its preferred method that excludes depreciation and other expenses -- were an operating loss of $168 million in its year ending Sept. 30, a 13 percent improvement from

Audit cites flaws in costly California bullet train project

Flawed decision-making and poor contract management contributed to billions in cost overruns and years of delays in the as-yet unbuilt California's high-speed rail line between Los Angeles and San Francisco, state auditors said Thursday. The project is now estimated to cost $77 billion and is 15 years from completion. State auditor Elaine Howle faulted the California High-Speed Rail Authority for starting limited construction in 2013 before it completed critical tasks like bu

Supersonic trains to be developed by Geely Holding and CASIC

The agreement will enable the two companies to together develop supersonic trains using Maglev technology and next-generation mobility technologies. The agreement will enable the two companies to together develop supersonic trains using Maglev technology and next-generation mobility technologies. Zhejiang Geely Holding Group (Geely Holding) has signed a strategic framework agreement with China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) to cooperate on the development

DOT’s Fiscal Year 2019 Top Management Challenges

https://www.oig.dot.gov/sites/default/files/DOT%20Top%20Management%20Challenges%20FY2019%5E11-15-18.pdf What We Looked At As required by law, we report annually on the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) most significant challenges to meeting its mission. We considered several criteria in identifying DOT’s top management challenges for fiscal year 2019, including their impact on safety, documented vulnerabilities, large dollar implications, and the ability of the Department

Millennials Unhappily Stuck in their Parents’ Transportation System

Baby Boomers love cars. Their kids? Not so much. That’s the upshot of a new survey by the research firm Arity, which reveals a stark generational divide about cars and driving — and how few alternatives Americans of any age have for getting around. The main common ground? Everyone — Baby Boomers, Generation X and Millennials — drives. And they drive a lot. The average person in the study, by an arm of Allstate Insurance, spent about seven hours a week in his or her car, loggi

NRF: Retail imports remain strong ahead of tariffs

Port of Savannah Photo – http://gaports.com/port-of-savannah Imports at the major U.S. retail container ports have slowed from their pre-holiday peak but remain at "unusually high" levels, the National Retail Federation (NRF) announced late last week. U.S. ports covered by the NRF's Global Port Tracker report handled 1.87 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEU) in September, which was down 1.3 percent from August levels but up 4.6 percent year over year, according to an NRF