#train

Alameda Corridor-East freight-rail trench to be dedicated

California state, federal and local municipal officials next week will dedicate the 1.4-mile San Gabriel freight-rail trench as part of the Alameda Corridor-East (ACE) project in eastern Los Angeles County. The project involved construction of four new bridges spanning the 30-foot-deep freight railroad trench at Ramona Street, Mission Road, Del Mar Avenue and San Gabriel Boulevard; and new railroad bridges over two storm channels in San Gabriel, California. The $293.7 mil

CA: SMART Toots its Horn After First Full Year of Service

Aug. 17--For the past year, county residents have been able to climb aboard commuter trains for the first time in decades, and many are hooked on SMART's green-and-silver cars that glide on 43 miles of track that link Marin and Sonoma counties. The $500 million Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit system that launched Aug. 25, 2017 is off to a solid start, reporting 700,000 passengers in its first year of service to date. The system has also carried more than 60,000 bicycles. "I ha

Kansas City Southern unveils 2017 sustainability report

The sustainability report highlights how the company implements "responsible business practices." Kansas City Southern has published its 2017 sustainability report, which highlights how the company implements "responsible business practices." The report follows the Global Reporting Initiative's latest standards for disclosing governance, economic, social and environmental topics. The standards provide for the disclosure of measurable data and specific information related to

AAR: August 'very good' for U.S. rail traffic

U.S. rail traffic rose 4.5 percent in August compared with the same month a year ago, according to Association of American Railroads' (AAR) data. U.S. railroads moved 2,828,946 carloads and intermodal units during the month. Carload activity rose 3.8 percent to 1,386,026 units, while intermodal volume climbed 5.1 percent to 1,442,920 containers and trailers compared with August 2017, AAR reported in a press release. Last month, 16 of the 20 carload commodity categories that A

High Speed Rail in the US: Myth or Near-Future Possibility?

In Europe, Asia and much of the developed world, high speed rail is convenient and accessible. Whether for business or pleasure, travelers are served by an efficient and extensive rail network that connects passengers to the desired destination on time and with relatively little effort. Although these train systems can travel as fast as 350 kilometers per hour, speed is not the only important factor. Rail stations in Europe, for example, are an integral part of the historic u

Ellis County residents express new concerns as high-speed rail project moves forward

Residents expressed growing concerns — some new and some old — surrounding the proposed high-speed rail project that plans to carve a path through eastern Ellis County. The Federal Railway Administration has now filed a draft of the environmental report on the train system’s impact in the latest milestone for the project. The reports claim the Dallas-to-Houston route would be built to avoid negatively affecting streams, wetlands, floodplains, and other natural and cultural fe

High-speed rail in America: Tracks to the future

Karen Philbrick, Executive Director of the Mineta Transportation Institute at San José State University, explores the benefits that high-speed rail will bring to America and how it will play a vital role in future mobility, especially as the country’s population continues to grow. “We must find ways to move more people, to move these people faster, and to move them with greater comfort and with more safety,” were the words spoken by President Lyndon B. Johnson when he signed

Automobiles, planes, and—oh yes—trains

Passenger trains don’t operate in a vacuum. They compete for business against air and motor vehicles. The results of the competition are reflected in, and measured by, their respective market share. Automobiles win the competition for the great majority of intercity travel, even in the highest-density corridors. Amtrak’s strongest single train, in market share, output and average trip length, is the one that serves the least populated, second-longest and most remote market in

High-Speed Rail: Now It's America's Turn

Andy Kunz, President and CEO of the US High Speed Rail Association (USHSR), shares the top 10 reasons for bringing high-speed rail to America. AMERICA stands at one of the most important crossroads in history. Climate change and peak oil are both coming into focus with the uncomfortable awareness that America is the world’s largest contributor to both problems (mainly from our very inefficient transportation system), while doing the least of any nation to address either probl

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