MBTA
Keolis Commuter Services (Keolis), MBTA’s Commuter Rail system operator and maintainer, has released a request for proposals (RFP) to finance new BEMU trainsets. It is seeking proposals from qualified parties for the purchase and lease of the trainsets, which are slated to run on the Fairmount Line in Boston starting in 2028.
Interested parties looking to participate in this finance procurement process must reach out to rsprocurement@keoliscs.com, according to Keolis, which announced the RFP on June 11. Proposals are due in August.
Keolis in December 2023 submitted an innovation proposal to MBTA with a plan to introduce the BEMUs onto the Fairmount Line—the shortest of the Commuter Rail lines with nine stations. The MBTA Board of Directors on July 25, 2024, approved the $54 million plan, which, the agency said, “will ultimately result in more frequent service and lower emissions in surrounding communities.”
Earlier this year, Keolis also released an RFP to procure the new BEMU trainsets. Keolis said it is seeking proposals from qualified parties for the design, manufacture, testing, and commissioning of rolling stock “capable of operating under the overhead catenary system and via the use of on-board traction batteries.”
Keolis said it expects to finalize contracts with the selected financier and selected rolling stock manufacturer in late 2025.
Further Reading: MBTA, Keolis Launch Renewable Diesel Pilot
CTA
The Chicago Transit Board on June 11 authorized an agreement for the sale of vacant CTA-owned land to the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) for the development of Malcolm X College South Campus, a new health care-focused campus on the city’s South Side, according to the transit authority. This transaction, it said, “supports the continued revitalization of the Washington Park neighborhood” and CTA workforce development.
In exchange for the approximately 0.9-acre parcel—which was appraised at $370,000 and is no longer required for transit operations—and as part of the agreement, CCC will provide the equivalent value of the property in tuition credits to CTA employees over a five-year period.
The future Malcolm X College South Campus will be located just north of the Garfield Green Line station. CTA said it will retain rights under the agreement to receive a portion of resale profits if the land is sold again within five years. It noted that the transaction includes standard indemnification terms, environmental release provisions, and conditions for reversion in the event of early resale.
“This latest partnership is a win for transit, education, and the surrounding neighborhood, and further demonstrates how CTA connects people, jobs, and communities,” CTA Acting President Nora Leerhsen said. “By working together, we are creating new opportunities that will help residents across the Chicago region discover new career paths and move towards their professional goals.”
“City Colleges of Chicago creates pathways to upward mobility for talented Chicagoans across our great city, and this future campus will help to connect South Side residents to in-demand health-care careers,” CCC Chancellor Juan Salgado said. “We’re pleased to partner with CTA on this unique exchange that benefits Chicago communities and the Chicago transit workforce.”
Further Reading: Reports: Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Replace Chicago RTA
Amtrak
Effective June 16, the Amtrak® Pacific Surfliner® train service will offer more daily roundtrips between Los Angeles and San Diego, according to the Los Angeles–San Diego–San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency. The LOSSAN Agency oversees the management of Surfliner service, which spans 351 miles through six counties and serves 29 stations from San Diego to San Luis Obispo. The new schedule (above) will feature an additional southbound and northbound train:
- Southbound Train 582: Departs Los Angeles Union Station at 4:10 p.m., arriving at San Diego Santa Fe Depot at 7:04 p.m.
- Northbound Train 593: Departs San Diego Santa Fe Depot at 8:10 p.m., arriving at Los Angeles Union Station at 10:57 p.m.
These additional roundtrips “fill key gaps in the schedule, giving customers more flexibility to travel at times that better fit their plans,” the LOSSAN Agency reported. “With tracks now fully open throughout the San Diego to San Luis Obispo corridor, Pacific Surfliner now offers 12 daily roundtrips between San Diego and Los Angeles, five daily roundtrips between San Diego and Goleta, and three daily full-corridor roundtrips between San Diego and San Luis Obispo.”
The move represents another step toward fully restoring service to levels that existed on the corridor prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, which included 13 daily Pacific Surfliner roundtrips along this segment of the corridor, according to the LOSSAN Agency. It noted that Amtrak Thruway Bus Service offers guaranteed connections to Pacific Surfliner trains, extending travel options north to Oakland through Santa Barbara, Solvang, San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles, and southeast to Indio through Fullerton, Riverside, Palm Springs and Palm Desert.
