Commuter Rail – Page 65 – Railfanning.org

MARTA Ridership Jumps 13.2 Percent in July

September 5, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

ATLANTA — MARTA provided service for over 14 million passengers during July – a 13.2 percent jump in ridership over July of last year. Ridership increased across the board for all modes of transportation including increases of 12.9 percent (7.8 million boardings) for rail, 13.6 percent (6.2 million boardings) for bus, and 18.2 percent (37,000) for MARTA’s mobility paratransit service for seniors and disabled customers. “Thanks to rising gas prices, we’ve had a great opportunity to introduce new customers to the system, and we are extremely pleased that more people are taking advantage of the affordable cost and convenience of

Tempe Events Celebrate First Arizona Light Rail Opening

September 5, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

TEMPE, Ariz. — The City of Tempe is celebrating the opening of Arizona’s first light rail system with special events from Dec. 27-31. The cities of Phoenix and Mesa will also have parties along the line, creating a 20-mile celebration. Tempe is the only Arizona city to have a light rail system that runs from one city border to the other. The $1.4 billion, 20-mile line joins Tempe with Mesa and Phoenix to create an integrated transportation system connecting rail, buses and bicycles. Downtown Tempe is minutes from Sky Harbor International Airport and Tempe is surrounded by freeways, creating a

Amtrak California Corridor Ridership Continues to Soar in July

August 25, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

OAKLAND – July was an historic, record-breaking month for Amtrak California trains. More than half a million passengers traveled on the three state-supported services (Capitol Corridor, San Joaquins and Pacific Surfliner ), the most passengers Amtrak California has ever carried in a single month. The most significant ridership increase was on the Amtrak San Joaquins service (San Francisco/Oakland-Sacramento-Bakersfield) where more than 100,000 passengers traveled the route, a 32 percent increase over the previous year. Over 300,000 passengers rode the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner trains (San Diego-Los Angeles-San Luis Obispo), a rise of more than 12 percent compared to the same month

Officials Tour Trenton’s New Transit Center

August 18, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

NEWARK, N.J. — With the construction phase of the Trenton Transit Center project coming down the home stretch, Governor Jon S. Corzine joined federal, state and local officials today to tour the rebuilt, expanded and renamed facility — heralding a new era of transportation in the state capital. The newly expanded transit center comfortably accommodates more than 16,000 passenger trips each weekday, making it N.J. Transit’s third-busiest outlying station. “This attractive and functional facility demonstrates what we can achieve with the wise use of state and federal funds,” said Governor Corzine. “This project advances our policy of promoting public transportation

Amtrak: July 2008 Amtrak Ridership Sets All-Time Monthly Record

August 14, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – Amtrak ridership in July Fiscal Year 2008 increased to 2,750,278, nearly a 14 percent increase, marking the most passengers carried in any single month in Amtrak’s 37 year history. Total ridership for the Fiscal Year to date — October 1, 2007 – July 31, 2008 — reached 23.7 million, topping the 21.3 million from the same period last year. Total ticket revenue for the fiscal year to date reached $1.4 billion, a 14.1 percent increase over the same period in FY07. For the month of July, ticket revenue increased by 18.6 percent to $168 million. “Increasing fuel prices,

N.J. Transit Buys Additional Multilevel Vehicles

August 13, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

NEWARK, N.J. — The N.J. Transit Board of Directors approved the purchase of 50 additional Multilevel Vehicles to help meet increasing ridership demand on the corporation’s busiest commuter rail lines. “These vehicles have helped provide a near-term solution to capacity demands while we, in partnership with The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, advance a long-term response to ridership growth through the Access to the Region’s Core (ARC) tunnel project,” said Governor Jon Corzine, who this morning rode an MLV train on the Northeast Corridor. The purchase will bring N.J. Transit’s total number of the popular rail cars

Man Convicted of Metrolink Murders

August 6, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

LOS ANGELES — A California man has been found guilty of multiple murders in a fatal January 2005 Metrolink train wreck. Juan Manuel Alvarez is on trial for first-degree murder and other charges. His trial could continue until July. Police said Alvarez parked his SUV on the Metrolink tracks with the intent of killing himself, but changed his mind, left his SUV on the tracks and watched the wreck unfold. However, prosecutors are challenging whether Alvarez was trying to commit suicide when he parked his SUV on the tracks and now say he may “have even been carrying out a

Ambitious State Proposals to Improve Intercity Passenger Rail Service Compete for Federal Funding Under New DOT Grant Program

August 6, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Twenty-five forward-thinking proposals from 22 states to improve intercity passenger rail service and help relieve traffic congestion in many regions of the Nation will compete for $30 million in federal funding under a new Bush Administration grant program, announced U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters. “Our goal is to achieve long-term improvements in intercity passenger rail service by supporting state investments that get real results,” Peters said. She said the Department is currently reviewing the proposals and will determine final grant awards in September. Peters explained that the state proposals received are generally designed to improve the

N.J. Transit Buys New Dual-Powered Locomotives

July 18, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

NEWARK, N.J. — N.J. Transit took another step forward in the modernization of its rail fleet, as the Board of Directors approved the purchase of 26 dual-powered locomotives to replace its aging diesel fleet.The Board awarded a contract to Bombardier Transit Corporation for the purchase of 26 dual-powered locomotives — which can operate in both electrified and non-electrified territory — at a total cost of approximately $310 million, including design, engineering, manufacturing, training and spare parts, with the option to purchase additional locomotives in the future. “With gas prices over $4 a gallon and climbing, New Jersey commuters are flocking

N.J. Transit Adopts $1.7B FY09 Operating Budget

July 18, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

NEWARK, N.J. — The N.J. Transit Board of Directors adopted a Fiscal Year 2009 Budget that supports historic ridership levels by increasing seat capacity, modernizing the bus and rail fleets and maintaining the system in a state of good repair. The N.J. Transit Board approved a $1.7 billion FY09 operating budget and a $1.29 billion capital plan that advances major capacity-enhancing projects, funds improvements at bus and rail facilities and supports the purchase of transit vehicles to replace aging equipment. “Ensuring that the residents of New Jersey have a safe, efficient and reliable public transit system has been a priority