Crain's Chicago Business on LinkedIn: Amtrak gets go-ahead for 110 mph speed between Chicago and St. Louis (2024)

Great deep dive by Angie Schmitt on the promise and challenges of Amtrak's windfall for expansion and modernization. The bottom line is a massive influx of funding can't quickly overcome decades-long atrophy of management expertise and capacity to deliver projects, obstinance from the Class I railroads, and competing demands from across the country for what amounts to token service. These next several years will be critical for Amtrak to clear bureaucratic/administrative hurdles, deliver several quality projects, enhance service frequency and reliability on existing corridors, and modernize its rolling stock, infrastructure, and image.Put best in the article's kicker:"The RPA’s Mathews says the important thing for rail-hopeful states right now is not to get bogged down in studying these routes to death."“It’s a five-year authorization,” he said. “There’s no time to call lots of consultants to chew on the end of their pencils. We don’t need more studies. What we need is someone to take the study that was finished three or four or five years ago and say, ‘Now we have the money: Let’s do it.’” #transportation #rail #sustainability #mobilityhttps://lnkd.in/g7g4M2dK

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We're excited to be identified by Preble County, Ohio as a way to reduce collision risk, traffic congestion, and first responder delays at their rail crossings. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/g5RGYK_BAs noted in this news story, trains are getting longer and their volumes are increasing. This is generally a good thing from an economic perspective, but it can lead to safety and traffic congestion risks. In the video, JD Vance for U.S. Senate Inc. states: "I don't think long trains are inherently a problem, you just need to have the proper safety precautions in place when you have a longer train." TRAINFO Corp. agrees. We believe it's possible to have both - more, longer trains and a stronger economy with fewer collisions and traffic delays. We work collaboratively with railroads, public agencies, and industry partners to make it happen. Visit us at https://trainfo.ca/ to learn how.

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Byford defines high-speed as trains that can go at least 160mph. Amtrak's lines currently achieve far lower speeds, such as the six-hour line from Boston to Washington, D.C., which averages 70mph. "It takes that long because the train cannot go at its full speed," Byford says.Turns out, having speedier trains requires more changes to the tracks than the trains themselves. Around 97% of the railways Amtrak's trains run on are not owned by Amtrak, creating delays getting stuck behind freight trains and regional lines. Even Amtrak's Acela service, which it bills as high-speed, has trains "capable of 150mph, but the line itself—the infrastructure over which it runs—is the problem," Byford explains.High-speed tracks must be primarily straight, without any sharp curves, crossings, and limited stops along the way. They must run between two highly populated areas with consistent ridership, and easy access to other forms of public transit on either end. Taking a long Uber upon arrival could undermine the convenience of the train and compel riders to drive instead, Byford says.His team has identified a set of "compelling city pairings" where this type of rail could thrive. So far, Dallas to Houston has emerged as the top candidate. The 3.5-hour drive between them is "just short enough that you don't want to fly," Byford says, yet drivers consistently encounter traffic."We're looking at the revenue projections and so far it looks really positive, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's a reality yet," Byford says. His team is also evaluating a Vancouver-Seattle-Portland-Eugene line, and considering other potential candidates such as Charlotte to Atlanta.https://lnkd.in/g9_CJu95

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Transit Briefs: LA Metro continues to increase ridership; RTD approves new fare structure and equity analysis; ridership on VPRA's Amtrak Virginia service reaches an all-time high; and an early decommission of TTC's SRT line is possible:https://lnkd.in/esYeexDe

Today we released details of our 28th May network changes. This is the result of more than 5 months of work crunching running times data, analysing customer numbers, gathering feedback from drivers, control and customer services and rescheduling bus working on more than 70 services and crew schedules across our five garages. This work was brought together by a great team.There will be lots of changes to ensure our network will continue to meet the needs of our customers and prepare for the extension of the Trams to Newhaven.⏳ Review of running times on most services to improve reliability of services in our congested city. 🔄 Enhanced frequencies where required to provide capacity for customers and room for growth🗺 New links to key facilities such as Hospitals or Universities🚏 New services, revised routes and a service withdrawn (but replaced by other services)Details:https://lnkd.in/e8EYjCs5#publictransport #transport #hastus #scheduling #team

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Transit Briefs: LA Metro continues to increase ridership; RTD approves new fare structure and equity analysis; ridership on VPRA's Amtrak Virginia service reaches an all-time high; and an early decommission of TTC's SRT line is possible:https://ow.ly/XMpC50PlVXU

Watch this.A simple concept of a "fixed span with a higher clearance".But the benefits are palpable - safety, reliability and economic resilience.

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The Federal Railroad Administration is looking for comments for their Amtrak Long-Distance Rail Study to evaluate which passenger rail routes to revive and which new routes to add. PLEASE GO COMMENT! I have provided a live walkthrough on how to do so. The comment period ends on March 8th!!! Like, comment, share, and subscribe to the Transit Equity Network YouTube channel and join our Facebook group for more transit-related content!

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🧐Did you know that railroads help reduce congestion on U.S. highways? A railcar carries three to four times the amount of freight that a truck carries. 🚂One train consisting of 100 railcars will remove 300-400 trucks from the road. Consider the large amount of freight moving on the 🛤️road in the U.S., and you will quickly see the significant reduction in highway congestion, less wear and tear on infrastructure, decreased taxpayer burden for roadway maintenance, and ultimately an increase in safety on our nation's roads.

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This is a great column from Angie Schmitt! Whenever the topic of improving passenger rail in the US comes up, most people tend to focus on drawing comparisons to our European counterparts, high-speed trains, and larger cities. What gets lost is the necessity of a larger network with frequent and reliable trains that can connect smaller towns to the resources and opportunities of larger cities. 90% of Amtrak's current long-distance ridership aren't people riding the lines end-to-end, they're riding them between intermediate points that are too far to drive but too close to fly (or the option to fly isn't available). America needs to walk before it can run and, while high-speed service in needed between our biggest cities and highest-demand routes, what is necessary is a system of short- to medium-distance trains that operate multiple times a day and are competitive with driving time.

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