Amtrak

As I pack for a trip to New Orleans, La., to cover the inaugural run of Amtrak Mardi Gras service between New Orleans and Mobile, I am thinking about state-supported…

Canada’s Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx award a C$1.4 billion contract for the Yonge North Subway Extension project in Toronto. Also, Amtrak adds a new track and platform at Washington Union…

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) are seeking public input on a draft 2026-2030 transportation program and on projects to include in the…

Amtrak names Costin Corneau as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Also, Trinity Metro names Reed Lanham as Chief Operating Officer (COO); and Urban Engineers, Inc. (Urban) names…

If you think federal regulatory agencies—even federally owned Amtrak—have strayed from what former Southern Railway and Conrail CEO L. Stanley Crane termed, “stick to your knitting,” you’re not ridin’ the…

The Senate Committee on Appropriations on July 24 marked up S.2465, the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026 (THUD Appropriations Act). The bipartisan legislation was reported…

Railcar lessor American Industrial Transport, Inc. (AITX) elevates Erica Ray to Senior Vice President, Leasing–East. Also, Gateway Development Commission (GDC) appoints James Starace as Chief of Program Delivery, and Hamed…

Amtrak shares a first look at its new Airo trainsets. Also, Amtrak celebrates 100 years of Chicago’s Union Station; and LA Metro's expanded GoPass/WSS partnership results in nearly 17,000 students…

Amtrak celebrates the state-sponsored Borealis trains reaching a quarter-million riders. Also, the Amtrak Office of Inspector General (OIG) identifies opportunities where the company can improve its service to passengers with…

Our friends at Texas Rail Advocates (led by our own Chair Emeritus Peter LeCody) reported July 10 that the North Central Texas Council of Governments Regional Transportation Council has come…

“California Dreamin’” was one of the iconic songs of the sixties. It was about an Angelino enduring a New York winter and dreaming about his warm hometown (the inverse of…

Amtrak’s long-term closure of one of the tunnel tubes (Amtrak calls them “lines”) under the East River between Penn Station and Queens remains controversial. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, other…

There has been much talk lately about increasing participation by the private sector when it comes to running passenger trains in the United States. Brightline’s Florida operation and the company’s…

Skanska, in a joint venture with FlatironDragados, announced on July 7 that it has signed a $658 million contract with the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) to build the Long…

Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) lands $100 million in California state funding for the BART Silicon Valley Phase II project. Also, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) presents its…

Seattle’s Sound Transit Board identifies the preferred alternative for the Tacoma Dome Link Extension. Also, the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) issues a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) for…

Norfolk Southern (NS) on June 12 reported that Richard H. Anderson—the former CEO and Executive Chairman of Delta Air Lines, President of Optum Health, CEO of Northwest Airlines, and most…

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) seeks proposals to finance new BEMU (battery-electric multiple-unit) trainsets for its Commuter Rail system. Also, Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) invests in workforce development through a…

The American passenger rail renaissance is well-under way! Sold out trains, highly successful new services, and (justifiable) frustration about high ticket prices because of it: This is only the beginning.…

Is it the end of the line for the Heartland Flyer? Also, the Nevada Governor approves a regional rail transit study; and Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) reaches an…