Commuter Rail – Page 41 – Railfanning.org

Metro-North Train Speeding at Time of Crash, NTSB Says

December 2, 2013 Railfanning.org News Wire

The Metro-North train that crashed Sunday in the Bronx and left four people dead was traveling 82 m.p.h. as it took a curve with a speed limit of 30 m.p.h., various media reported today. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating whether human error or brake failure is to blame, The Associated Press reported. But, the NTSB said on Twitter there “were 9 station stops prior to the derailment. We are not aware of any prior issues with the brakes.” “The zone leading up to that curve is 70 miles per hour and yes, there was an excess of speed,”

Train Derailment Kills 4 in New York

December 1, 2013 Voice of America

A train carrying more than 100 passengers derailed in New York early Sunday, killing four people and injuring more than 60. Officials say 11 of the injured passengers were in critical condition.

Four Killed, 40 Injured Following Metro-North Derailment in the Bronx

December 1, 2013 Railfanning.org News Wire

At least four people were killed and 40 more were injured when a Manhattan-bound Metro-North train derailed just north of the Spuyten Duyvil station, according to various media reports.

With No Funding, No Rail Link to Orlando Airport, Newspaper Reports

November 27, 2013 Todd DeFeo

It will be at least five years before SunRail trains connect with Orlando International Airport because there is no source of funding for the estimated $100 million it will cost to build the connection, the Orlando Sentinel newspaper reported. Despite that, SunRail officials are looking at a Orlando Utilities Commission-owned spur, which runs alongside airport property and could be expanded to two tracks, as a possibility for a rail link between the airport and the commuter rail system, the newspaper reported. “This is a startup commuter-rail system. It’s going to evolve over time,” the newspaper quoted Steve Olson, a spokesman

Northeast Corridor Must Not be Taken for Granted, Amtrak Head Says

November 15, 2013 Todd DeFeo

The Northeast Corridor is an “asset of national importance” and requires significant upgrades in order ensure it remains in good working order, the head of Amtrak recently told a subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

Design Unveiled for Futuristic Transport Hyperloop

August 14, 2013 Voice of America

Imagine being able to travel from San Francisco to Los Angeles in about 30 minutes — in half the time that it now takes to fly the nearly 650-kilometer distance. That is the idea announced Monday by entrepreneur Elon Musk.

SEPTA Sets Record for Regional Rail Ridership

August 14, 2013 Railfanning.org News Wire

PHILADELPHIA — SEPTA set a new Regional Rail ridership record, with 36,023,000 trips taken by customers during Fiscal Year 2013, the Authority announced last month. Fiscal Year 2013 was the 12-month period from July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013. Ridership on SEPTA’s 13 Regional Rail lines increased by 2.2 percent over the course of the year. System-wide, SEPTA recorded 337.3 million trips during the year on its trains, buses and trolleys. While total ridership was down slightly from the 339.3 million trips in Fiscal Year 2012, the numbers for FY 2013 were impacted by a two-day shutdown due to

R Montague tubes close for 14 months of Sandy-related repairs

August 14, 2013 Railfanning.org News Wire

MTA New York City Transit has started so-called “Fix&Fortify” work to the R Subway Line Icon Montague Tubes. The work, which began Aug. 2, will last for 14 months. The MTA is well into the most extensive and wide-ranging reconstruction effort in its history after Superstorm Sandy decimated the subway system last fall. The Greenpoint and Montague Tubes suffered extensive damage during the storm, when they were flooded with salt water along with seven other interborough subway tubes. The work amounts to a near rebuilding of the link which connects Downtown Brooklyn with Lower Manhattan. The work will be completed

Commuter Rail

N.J. Transit approves FY 2014 budget with no fare increase

August 14, 2013 Railfanning.org News Wire

NEWARK, N.J. — The N.J. Transit Board of Directors last month approved a Fiscal Year 2014 operating budget that calls for no fare increase for the fourth consecutive fiscal year. The budget also includes a capital program to supports continued investments in infrastructure and equipment to maintain the system in a state of good repair and improve the overall customer experience. “This budget will enable us to maintain and enhance New Jersey’s robust transportation system while responding to the needs of the customers who rely on our service to conduct life’s daily business,” N.J. Transit Executive Director James Weinstein said

Central Florida’s SunRail scheduled to open next year

July 26, 2013 Todd DeFeo

ORLANDO, Fla. – Work on Central Florida’s first commuter rail line is progressing, and the line is expected to open by next year. Work to convert the corridor for use by SunRail remains ongoing and the headway is quite apparent. For example, new platforms are nearing completion at the Amtrak stations in Orlando and Winter Park; the stations will continue to serve the national passenger railroad once SunRail starts operations. As part of the 12-stop, 32-mile first phase, trains will operate between DeBary, north of Orlando’s city center, and Sand Lake Road in Orlando. When the second phase opens in