Railroad News

(Editor's note: This story was updated at 11:56 a.m. on March 20 due to new developments.)

Caltrain has suspended plans to increase the cost for single-ride fare and monthly passes on its Clipper fare card in April due to economic challenges facing the San Francisco Bay Area as a result of the coronavirus, the commuter-rail officials announced March 19.

(Editor's note: This story was updated at 11:56 a.m. on March 20 due to new developments.)

Caltrain has suspended plans to increase the cost for single-ride fare and monthly passes on its Clipper fare card in April due to economic challenges facing the San Francisco Bay Area as a result of the coronavirus, the commuter-rail officials announced March 19.

Caltrain will increase the cost for single-ride fare and monthly passes on its Clipper fare card in April, officials with the California commuter railroad announced yesterday. 

The cost of Caltrain’s single-ride adult fare and adult monthly pass will increase by 30 cents and $9, respectively.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in New York City tomorrow will draw down $1 billion of emergency funds on its existing line of credit to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, MTA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Patrick Foye announced yesterday.

“These emergency funds are critical as the agency encounters a fiscal cliff due to significant, sustained revenue losses and increased expenses resulting from the coronavirus pandemic,” Foye said.

OmniTRAX Inc. has hired Robert Walker to serve as chief financial officer.

For the past 10 years, Walker has been the chief operating and financial officer at The Madison Cos. and affiliates, where his responsibilities included oversight of accounting, finance, tax, financial planning, treasury, human resources and IT functions. 

Falling intermodal volumes — likely impacted by the coronavirus outbreak — contributed to the 7.6 percent decline in U.S. freight railroad traffic during the week ending March 14 compared with the same period a year ago, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

Railroads logged a combined 463,017 carloads and intermodal units during the week. Total carloads fell 5.9 percent to 226,039 units, while intermodal volume tumbled 9.1 percent to 236,978 containers and trailers.

Falling intermodal volumes — likely impacted by the coronavirus outbreak — contributed to the 7.6 percent decline in U.S. freight railroad traffic during the week ending March 14 compared with the same period a year ago, according to Association of American Railroads (AAR) data.

Railroads logged a combined 463,017 carloads and intermodal units during the week. Total carloads fell 5.9 percent to 226,039 units, while intermodal volume tumbled 9.1 percent to 236,978 containers and trailers.

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) earlier this month launched a campaign to increase public awareness about the benefits of transportation, including rail. 

The campaign includes an interactive online map to highlight transportation projects in 40 states that are reducing travel times, improving safety, protecting the environment or boosting the economy, association officials said in a press release.

The Port of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) is open and operating under normal conditions amid the health crisis associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, port officials announced Monday.

Port officials are coordinating with federal, state and local agencies — including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection — to address public health and safety concerns, according to a PANYNJ newsletter.

The Alaska Railroad Corp. (ARRC) tomorrow will suspend its Aurora Winter Train passenger-rail service between Anchorage and Fairbanks through April 30.

The suspension, led by efforts to limit the spread of the coronavirus, will affect nine round-trips of the passenger-rail train but does not affect freight service, ARRC officials said in a press release.

U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.), who chairs the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials, lost a primary race last night to his progressive challenger, Marie Newman.

Newman, a business consultant and founder of an anti-bullying program, beat Lipinski by two percentage points, with 493 of 500 precincts reporting early today, The New York Times reported.

MTA Metro-North Railroad has been operating its Harlem and Hudson Lines in positive train control (PTC) since March 14, Metro-North officials announced yesterday. 

The coverage includes all trains along the Hudson Line’s 74 miles from Grand Central Terminal to Poughkeepsie and the Harlem Line’s 82 miles from Grand Central to Wassaic in New York,  including Amtrak and CSX trains.

The Federal Railroad Administration announced a grant award of $10.7 million from the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program to fund Metrolink passenger-rail improvements in the Burbank-Anaheim rail corridor in Southern California. 

The grant will partially fund the improvement of tracks and signal controls between Metrolink’s Burbank Airport-South and Glendale stations on the Ventura County and Antelope Valley lines in Los Angeles County. 

The Federal Railroad Administration announced a grant award of $10.7 million from the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program to fund Metrolink passenger-rail improvements in the Burbank-Anaheim rail corridor in Southern California. 

The grant will partially fund the improvement of tracks and signal controls between Metrolink’s Burbank Airport-South and Glendale stations on the Ventura County and Antelope Valley lines in Los Angeles County. 

As Congress works on coronavirus response legislation, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) is requesting $12.9 billion for public transit agencies and passenger railroads to offset their direct costs and revenue losses related to the outbreak.

"Public transportation organizations are taking extraordinary efforts to protect the health and safety of riders and employees while working tirelessly to maintain essential services. We want to ensure that the federal government includes aid to public transportation agencies to help offset the additional costs and lost revenue related to COVID-19," APTA officials said yesterday in a legislative alert to member agencies.

Transdev North America promoted Dick Alexander to chief executive officer of Transdev’s United States operations. Alexander will succeed Yann Leriche, who is returning to France and leaving the organization in June. Alexander previously led the company’s business development team. In recent years, he oversaw Transdev’s autonomous vehicle implementations in North America, developed early pilots of microtransit services and piloted the integration of transportation network companies in paratransit contracts. Alexander is a member of the company’s North American Executive Committee.

Teleste Corp. will provide on-board passenger information and surveillance solutions for Alstom’s high-speed trains, which will be delivered to SNCF Mobilites in France. Teleste will provide passenger information management functions and a new passenger information control interface, as well as on-board video surveillance, audio and video recording, public address and LED displays.