Commuter Rail
Is it Fair to Blame Commuter Rail Woes on Private Operators?
Recent problems on the commuter rail operations contracted out by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and Denver's Regional Transportation District caught the eye of Governing's transportation and infrastructure reporter.
Bronx Pays More Than its Share for Rail Service
Higher per mile prices push, lower-income Bronx commuters to use other means of travel.
Detroit Ballot Measure Puts Regional Transit in Reach
Involving four counties and $4.6 billion, the measure proposes a system that could put a million residents (and a million jobs) within a quarter mile of transit.
SEPTA Trains Running on Schedule for the First Time in Two Months
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority returned to a normal commute schedule today, after making sufficient repairs to new trains that didn't start on the right track.
Denver's B Line to Westminster Now Open for Service
After Monday's celebrations at the new, electrified commuter rail line's only two stations, Union Station and Westminster Station, commuters now have the option of taking an 11-minute, six-mile ride to Denver, costing $2.60.
$1.25 Billion Approved for Caltrain Electrification; More Funding Needed
At their July 7 meeting, the Caltrain Joint Powers Board, a 3-county body that administers the crowded San Jose-to-San Francisco commuter rail line, unanimously approved $1.25 billion in contracts to rail and infrastructure firms for electrification.
Virginia Railway Express Wants to Upgrade its Transit Status
How do you take regional commuter rail and turn it into rail transit? Just add frequencies.
Denver's Commuter Rail Cars: Same as SEPTA's But Without the Defects
Denver's transit agency is running very similar Hyundai Rotem EMUs on their new A Line to the airport. The car shells are imported from South Korea and assembled in the same Philadelphia plant as SEPTA's problem-plagued Silverliner V cars.
SEPTA Forced to Take 120 Regional Trains Out of Service for Repairs
SEPTA commuters traveling to and from Delaware will spend the summer in transit gridlock, as 120 trains undergo necessary repairs to a serious structural flaw.
Denver's New Commuter Train to the Plane Achieves Record Ridership
Ridership on the electrified A Line, which opened to great fanfare on Earth Day, reached a weekday average of 16,910 as of June 5. The 23-mile line operates from Union Station to Denver International Airport. Not all is perfect though.
Transit Planners Put Ann Arbor-Detroit Commuter Rail in Motion
A long-stalled, but partially built-out, commuter rail line has achieved institutional legitimacy with the Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan. Novembers will have a chance to decide on the idea in November.
New Hampshire House Denies Federal Funding for Boston to Concord Rail Study
New Hampshire House Republicans don't like rail. By removing the New Hampshire Capitol Corridor rail expansion project from the state's transportation plan, they deny the state Department of Transportation $4 million in federal funding for the study.
Strike Averted! New Jersey Transit Unions Reach Tentative Agreement
Thirty hours before rail workers would have begun a strike that would have paralyzed commuting between New York and New Jersey, transit agency and rail unions reached a deal, though it must still be ratified by workers.
New Jersey Transit Strike Looms Large on Sunday
The nation's second largest commuter railroad may go on strike this Sunday. New Jersey Transit's bus and light rail operations are not affected. Eleven rail unions have been operating without a contract since 2011.
New Hampshire Wants Commuter Rail to Boston
A strong coalition is pushing for a $4 million planning effort to lay the tracks for commuter rail between New Hampshire and Boston.
Changes Ahead for Amtrak
New pilot projects authorized by the FAST Act include allowing private operators to bid on operating three of Amtrak's 15 long-distance lines for up to eight years "provided they reduce the need for taxpayer support" and allowing pets on trains.
Denver's New Commuter Rail Line to Airport to Open in April
You will be forgiven for thinking you are looking at an East Coast commuter rail line: It's electrified with level boarding, mostly 15-minute headways, with bike and luggage racks, operating 22 hours a day from Denver's Union Station to the airport.
Transit Use Thrives on Destination Density
If jobs, services, and other urban amenities are concentrated downtown, suburbanites can use transit to get there quickly without a car. Job sprawl makes transit useless outside central districts.
SunRail Phase II Receives $93.4 Million FTA Grant
Florida's SunRail commuter rail received a $93.4 grant from the Federal Transit Administration to extend the 61-mile line. The grant will cover half the capital costs for the 17.2-mile extension from Orlando to Osceola County.
A New Algorithm to Predict Train Delays
An algorithm developed in Sweden adds an extra layer of reliability for rail commuters.
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