Commuter Rail

Metra North Central Service Line Riders Push for More Service
A new report imagines more robust service on one of Metra's regional commuter lines in Chicago.

New York MTA Seeks Federal Funding Relief as Ridership Plummets
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has seen significant ridership drops due to the coronavirus. The agency is asking Congress for $4 billion to help it through the crisis.

Opinion: Improved Commuter Rail Services Would Better Serve Chicago’s South Side Residents
The city’s South Side residents need more transit options, but an extension of the Chicago Transit Authority’s Red Line would be a costly and less effective alternative.

Less Free Parking for Transit Commuters in Southern Ontario
Transit planners in the region around Toronto are planning a "parking modernization" program that will charge for parking at GO stations and hope to provide new ways to access the system—without a car.

Research Triangle Commuter Rail Studied
A 37-mile commuter rail line under study in North Carolina could connect cities Raleigh, Cary, and Durham in North Carolina, but the system will cost a pretty penny, and it will have to succeed where light rail previously failed.

Plan Would Shift High-Speed Rail Funds to Burbank-Anaheim Commuter Corridor
Improvements to the commuter rail connections between Los Angeles and Orange counties are among the possibilities for the future of rail planning in California as uncertainty about high-speed rail continues.

Seattle Fare Enforcement Disproportionately Punishes Blacks, Data Show
Sound Transit says its fare enforcement system is design to be unbiased, but analysis about fare evader data indicates disparities.

Another New Commuter Rail Station for Chicago's South Side Transit Deserts
A South Side Chicago neighborhood with a history of neglect and disinvestment will soon be adding a new train station on the regional commuter system.

New York MTA Looks to Suburban TODs as Funding Source
The agency is selling land outside of the city on a commuter rail line in a move that could become more common as a revenue-generating strategy.

Southern California's Metrolink Defies Declining Ridership Trends
Primarily serving commuters in the Greater Los Angeles metro area, Metrolink just attained the highest annual ridership in its 27-year existence. Officials chalk up the increase to a significant investment in marketing.

S.F. Bay Area's Caltrain Proposes Major Expansion
The agency wants to increase service and extend its infrastructure to move Caltrain from a commuter rail system to an integrated urban transit network.

Study: Good Access to Transit Attracts Startups
Startups are increasingly abandoning the suburban office park to try their luck in denser urban cores. According to this study, good transit is one factor behind that trend. But it's not the only one.

Op-Ed: Toll Revenues Could Fix Aging New York-Connecticut Rail Connection
Rather than bonds, an op-ed makes the case for electronic tolls to pay for improvements to commuter rail lines between New York City and Connecticut.

G-Line Commuter Rail Opens Today, Connecting Denver to Suburbs
A new commuter line is open today in Denver, after facing challenges and delays that continue to plague other previously opened rail lines in the region.

New Policy Would Likely Close Commuter Rail Stations on the South Side of Chicago
A new station evaluation policy, expected for adoption by the Metra Board of Directors in May, would make it easier to shut down "underperforming" stations.
Delayed Opening for TEXRail Blamed on Federal Shutdown
Trinity Metro ended up delaying the opening of the new TexRail line for five days—from Saturday, January 5, until Thursday, January 10.

In Cities, Transit Isn’t Just for Commuting
A closer look at commuting and ridership shows the differences between urban and suburban transit patterns.

Commuter Rail, Bus Rapid Transit Plans Approved for Atlanta Region
Approval of two plans to bring new transit modes to the Atlanta region, reaching into the suburbs, mark a turning point in the transit history of the Southeast.

Boston Region Looking for Commuter Rail Fixes
The North-South Rail Link has been under discussion in the Boston region for Decades now. A new 'Rail Vision' process continues the discussion again.

Federal Railroad Administration Clears the Way for the Modern Era of Train Technology
New rules adopted by the Federal Railroad Administration will make it easier for commuter rail and inter-city rail systems to operate cheaper and more efficient trains.
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