RAIL Magazine @RAILMag Twitter profile

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RAIL Magazine

3 years

In lieu of our usual Control Point (CP) Sundays edition this morning, we have an updated Transformative Rail Vision Map ready (), including MTL-TOR HFR, Ethan Allen to BUR, Vermonter to MTL & a couple glaring gaps: Big Sky Explorer to Sandpoint & KNX-CHT.

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Last Seen Profiles

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

6 years

When you’re white, wealthy & emotionally estranged, you view everyone else as an inconvenience at best and a threat at worst. @elonmusk proves time and again he should have no role in planning communities.

Laura J. Nelson 🦅

@laura_nelson

6 years

Elon Musk on public transit: "It’s a pain in the ass. That’s why everyone doesn’t like it. And there’s like a bunch of random strangers, one of who might be a serial killer, OK, great."

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4 years

Thinking about the Boeing assistance situation today? If they need $60b & are valued at $71b, then people should own it outright. This happened in transportation before with Conrail. The government formed it for $7m in ‘76, sold for $1.65b in ‘87. Return profits to taxpayers.

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@RAILMag

1 year

Bill introduced in Minnesota Senate for $99 million for MSP-Duluth Northern Lights Express construction; total estimated capital cost: $425 million (federal at 80% would be $340 million) [scoop by @ThunderWolf08 ] #trains #rail #MN #WI #TwinCities #Amtrak

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@RAILMag

2 years

Transit & bikes: always an obvious pairing. This was captioned 1898 where I saw it.

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@RAILMag

5 days

Tyler’s question below seems sincere, and wanted to share that this is one of the common fallacies presented towards transit/rail: if it doesn’t work for everyone, how can it work for anyone? Modes don’t need to capture market share in order to be successful.

Tyler | Kenji Capital

@KenjiCapital

6 days

A new high-speed rail system just broke ground that will connect Las Vegas to Southern California in a little over 2 hours. I'm all for it and love it! But you can hop on a flight for $19 right now that'll take a little over 1 hour. How does this train make sense?

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

6 months

Let’s help the rail & transit industry understand why window wraps so diminish the customer experience. Here’s video of the same type of vehicle on the same day: ⁦ @GoBrightline ⁩’s Siemens Venture coaches on their 125mph stretch between Orlando & Cocoa (different directions)

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

1 year

Happy 2023! Some big-time rail projects set for opening this year: Brightline (W. Palm Beach-Orlando Intl. Airport) Honolulu HART (East Kapolei-Halawa/Aloha Stadium) Montreal REM (Central-Brossard) Ottawa Trillium Line extension Metrolinx Eglinton Crosstown MBTA S. Coast Rail

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

1 month

New Orleanians: modern streetcars would ruin the character of a historic city like New Orleans. Prague:

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

9 months

My friend just sent me this photo from where she’s staying in rural Switzerland. Says it's safe, reliable, and beautiful. These regional MUs connect medium-sized cities at a low cost. In America this would be unthinkable. What is the sickness that has infected our democracy?

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

4 years

Stop. Using. Police. To. Enforce. Transit. Fares. 🚐🚌🚎🚃🚋🚞 💺🚇🚊

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

7 months

Thoughts before Brightline's MCO debut tomorrow: •Its close integration a Class 1-quality freight RR is rare and few other corridors are comparable. •It can't get rid of most of the grade crossings. •The 125 mph top speed is noteworthy, but not as much as its hourly frequency.

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

1 year

Run more trains & people will ride them…

Steve Fainer

@SteveFainer

1 year

Wednesday, November 23 is shaping up as a monumental day for train travel. Locally, the Vermonter northbound and Valley Flyer 494 are both sold out. Southbound Vermonter and Flyer 471 are at 90%! Maybe add a car or two!

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

7 months

Apparently, this weekend saw the launch of intercity/regional passenger rail service between Salina Cruz to Coatzacoalcos in Mexico, which seems to be branded as Corredor Interoceanico using former Amtrak and UK equipment. Details are sparse on service level. Some links are below

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

7 months

Long-distance trains are empty is an arrogant and inaccurate take. The Empire Builder averages 410 riders per trip. They have 348 seats to sell on the train (maybe less these days with the Superliner shortage). Yes, they can sell seats more than once, and they do.

Gamma Factor

@yFactr

7 months

The massive profit Amtrak makes on these tickets will go to subsidizing empty trains in North Dakota instead of investments in the northeast corridor that improve speed and capacity so we can have better trains with lower ticket prices

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

7 months

I think Brightline has plenty of work to focus on with its Sunshine Corridor->Tampa expansion and Vegas-SoCal project to occupy itself for the better part of a decade, but if I had to pick which corridor they should pursue next, it would be Charlotte-Atlanta. Here’s why…

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

30 days

@yitgordon New Orleans enters the chat…

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

8 months

Space & purpose of parking Avelias in Philadelphia is dwindling as the timeline from Alstom for launch on the NEC remains indefinite, so new sets are being stored by a shoreline in Upstate N.Y. until needed. Evidence abounds of the profound lack of urgency in U.S. passenger rail

John Kucko

@john_kucko

8 months

Morning Glory: Spectacular start to the day in Andover, NY—rare sighting, too, as new @Amtrak Acela train is pulled through here. Eventually these “next gen” trains will be put into service along Northeast Corridor. @Brennan_Somers @BobLonsberry @spann @wxbywilliams @JimCantore

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

5 months

Except for electric railroads. Anything but electrified railroads. @JoeBiden never talks about electrified railroads. @SecretaryPete never talks about electrified railroads. @USDOT doesn’t mandate or even incentivize railroad electrification. Cars, buses, trucks: all great!

U.S. Department of Transportation

@USDOT

5 months

The future of the auto industry is electric, and we’re working to ensure that future is Made in America.

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

3 months

This rendering is gonna give some of y’all conniptions, innit?

Amtrak

@Amtrak

3 months

🚄 Contract award for the Frederick Douglass Tunnel moves us closer to solving the Northeast Corridor bottleneck. More details in our latest release: . #Amtrak #FutureOfTravel

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

1 year

Boston University 1938 vs now, with streetcar line that became today’s Green Line B route in dedicated lanes back then. Planning a list of N American colleges & universities directly served by rail transit (within a 5-min walk of a classroom or dorm); share your contributions👇

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

1 year

Run trains frequently enough that photographers or directors won’t be tempted to do shoots or music videos on them…

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

5 months

WMATA: still not covering windows with wraps. Creative is colorful and multi-faceted. Don't accept window covering elsewhere.

Metro Forward

@wmata

5 months

Tis the season for holiday joy! We come bearing gifts 🎁. Check out our wrapped train that entered service early. Don’t worry, there’s more where that came from! Metrobus up next, starting Dec. 1. Happy holidays! #wmata

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

6 years

@ZelkoDvorak And making sweeping, particularly paranoid generalizations about the people who ride transit.

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

5 years

In a shocking plot twist, transit operator reports that when you provide more service reliability & frequency, you attract more riders...

Urbanize LA

@UrbanizeLA

5 years

Bucking the trend of declining transit usage in LA County (and nationwide), Metrolink has announced record ridership for 2018-2019

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

4 years

Any normal, well-adjusted human being is captivated by a passing or stopping train. It's the connection to the larger world. In frontier towns in the 1800s, the day's entire routine was based on the arrival of the train.

Francis Brennan

@FrancisBrennan

4 years

WATCH: Joe Biden gets easily distracted by a train.

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

2 months

Currently, speeds are limited to 65 mph, but @metra is exploring up to 90 mph in some sections. IMO, the agency’s vision under CEO Jim Derwinski has been much more ambitious than it had previously.

Metra project underway to increase speeds on Electric District - Trains

CHICAGO — Jim Derwinski hates the phrase “that’s the way we’ve always done it.” At a Wednesday presentation for Northwestern University’s Sandhouse Rail Group, Derwinski, Metra’s CEO/Executive...

www.trains.com

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

6 months

RETVRN

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

1 year

Wanted to note that from a policy/advocacy level, the transit industry is pushing for better marijuana testing that tests for immediate impairment, not past use weeks later. It’s a major issue related to the hiring challenge in states with decriminalization. No fed law changes.

SharXIII

@SharXIIl

1 year

I miss it ngl

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

2 months

The recent Battery-Electric Multiple Unit (BEMU) order by Metra is encouraging, as while standard EMUs are always better, anything that gets more agencies accustomed to even a bit of catenary & pantograph loosens the ground for & opens the possibility of full ⚡️later.

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

9 months

Not sure I get the point of someone opining the obvious “Seattle Link should have been a metro” every hour or so. Is there any practical way for it to be rebuilt as such at this point? The conversation in the late 90s/early 2000s wasn’t “LRT or metro?” but “rail or no rail.”

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

5 months

Seen a few "this should be rail" reactions to this news. The only meaningful rail solution for PHL-PIT true high-speed rail with bridges & tunnels over/through the mountains. The historic Pennsy main line won't get much faster. Fortunately, we only need to start in Harrisburg.🚄

Ryan Deto

@RyanDeto

5 months

Low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines is announcing new twice-daily service to from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, which will come as welcome news to those looking to avoid the ever increasing tolls on the PA Turnpike.

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

11 months

N. America Rail Transit Openings Update •LA Metro Regional Connector: today! •Honolulu Rail Transit (Skyline?) Phase 1: June 30 •Ottawa Line 2: October (?) •MBTA South Coast Rail, Montreal REM Phase 1, Edmonton Valley line, Toronto Eglinton Crosstown: all TBA

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

6 months

Look what @wmata was able to do for its Veterans Day wrap: not cover any windows! Still conveys the visual impact they were striving for...

Metro Forward

@wmata

6 months

Join us in honoring veterans. Today, Metrorail will operate from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. with normal weekend frequencies. Metrobus will run on a Saturday Supplemental schedule. To learn more, visit: #wmata #VeteransDay

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

1 year

Be sure to check out the video. This portion showing the train's ease in handling this slight curve and downgrade is worth the watch alone. Lots of new ballast dust kicked up that will be less common as the railbed is worn in. And the sound of the top speed is identifiable...

Trains Magazine

@TrainsMagazine

1 year

Brightline announced one its trains reached a record speed in testing.

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

2 years

People in Columbus, OH (pop. 2.1m) don't disproportionately love their cars more than those in Brunswick, ME (pop. ~20k). 100 Brunswicks could fit in the Columbus metro area. But Brunswick has 5 daily roundtrips a day to Portland & Boston. Columbus has 0 trains/day to anywhere.

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

2 months

Since Connecticut is perpetually unable to keep the full, 4-track New Haven Line in reliable & reasonable condition, a federal entity of some kind needs to obtain ownership, guarantee the number of existing New Haven Line trains & upgrade infrastructure to increase Amtrak speeds.

Hayden Clarkin

@the_transit_guy

2 months

Something crazy about me: I don’t think it should take 104 minutes to travel from NYC to New Haven, or just 38 miles per hour, on the world’s biggest economy’s only ‘high-speed’ rail line.

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

5 months

Imagine you can finally take the train from Detroit-Toronto. You've settled in your seat. But, 10 mins into the trip, the train will sit in Windsor for 3 hours while you get off the train with all your stuff, be cleared thru customs, maybe get a drink and wait. Sounds awesome!🚆

RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

5 months

@ryangs @winteri44425404 "The proposed schedule would see a three-hour layover at Windsor’s train station..." 3 hours! Why would you take the train from Detroit to Toronto if you had any choice in the matter if there was an extra 3 hours on top of the travel time?

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

5 months

On Corridor ID program: -FRA will hold at least one more round of project applications/selections, next year. Projects that didn’t apply or weren’t selected this year have another chance, but -These projects are a step ahead now and likely will reflect federal priority.

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

1 year

But keep telling us how horrific it to start a new passenger rail route - - anything at all - - to give anyone an alternative to highways.

Anoop

@Anoop_Khatra

1 year

Witnessed and recorded the most INSANE car crash yesterday, you can see Autopilot also swerve and avoid the rouge tire for me $TSLA

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

2 years

Here’s your @GoBrightline 110 mph video, folks. Welcome to higher-speed rail in Florida! 🚄

Thomas Weber

@thomasjweb

2 years

Here’s the 110-mph test. Looks similar to 90, but it has a noticeably quicker approach Clears the crossing in a few seconds:

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

4 months

Wooo boy… Bring on the Alstom doomscrolling

CA High-Speed Rail 🚄💨

@CaHSRA

4 months

We just released our shortlist of qualified potential suppliers for California High-Speed Rail’s electrified trains! The shortlist includes two teams: @AlstomUSA @SiemensUSA We look forward to moving this process forward to get high-speed trains here in California.

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

5 months

For the “no one rides Amtrak” crowd, 2 rider stories from this train I’ve heard today: 1) grandma traveling from Birmingham to Slidel, LA for a funeral; she doesn’t like to drive long distances or at night and no one flies Birmingham-New Orleans, let alone Slidel. (Cont. for #2 )

RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

5 months

Good morning from the ATL, as @Amtrak #19 - the southbound Crescent - arrives at Peachtree Station. This will be the live ride thread; boarding passengers wait in the station for arriving passengers to come through. Will post some shots from platform level once settled aboard…

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

6 months

This is not AI. It’s Norfolk Southern’s (fmr Erie) Southern Tier Line thru Letchworth State Park in Western N.Y. When NS need to replace the speed-limited Erie bridge over the Genesee River, it didn’t need years of public meetings, EIS steps or referendums. They just rebuilt it.

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

10 months

A bit of a busy news day with announcements of both MARC extending to Newark, DE and Metra selected to operate Chicago-Rockford service breaking today. Frequency of both operations has led reactions so far... (Newark ext. map by @theGreaterMarin ; Rockford by @KetuAlbrecht )

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

5 months

So, if the public will have at least a 1/4 stake in Brightline West, can we push for a permanent connection between the new infra and UP's Cima Sub so that future Desert Wind conventional service to Salt Lake City could use the high-speed network south of Vegas? See map below...

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

28 days

Exciting News: a group of investors has proposed reactivating the former Florida East Coast’s Overseas Extension between Miami and Key West, seeking to emulate Brightline’s successful model. It will be known as the Florida Overseas-Over Land System & launch 1 year from today!

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

15 days

We need to emphasize the many ways passenger rail/rail transit in North America can be better but it’s also helpful to recall in most instances it’s much better than 40-50 years ago. This was NJ Transit’s Somerville station in 1981 vs today. Platforms & equipment were derelict.

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

1 month

Folks, we did it! @GoBrightline has listened to voices calling for no window coverings with vehicle wraps on their latest advertising partnership. Let’s the Florida sunshine in on their trips that are getting more crowded by the day!

The Roaming Railfan

@RoamingRailfan

1 month

@GoBrightline has released a new train wrap for its partnership with Red Bull. They paid attention to rider feedback and this new wrap does not completely cover the windows. The train debuted on 3/22 in association with a special onboard experience for the Ultra Music Festival.

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

7 months

Honest question here, seeking responses: is Brightline’s MCO-Cocoa Jct segment the first purpose-built, exclusively passenger intercity railroad in U.S. history? There’s a couple commuter lines, for sure. But the NEC was not built as exclusively passenger. Nor the Cutoff.

The Palm Beach Post

@pbpost

7 months

Just east of Orlando Brightline is booking — but are we hitting 125 miles per hour??

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

9 months

😡 •Ridership is low so we can’t build new subway •Ridership is low because frequency is bad •Frequency is bad because 4 routes share one line thru downtown •Subway would improve frequency, but there will be no subway…

Jim Charlier

@TheCharlier

9 months

The Dallas downtown subway transit project, on drawing boards for years, has been shelved. DART announced Tuesday that the project has been removed from the 20-year financial plan.

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

1 year

Secret Tunnel Saturday (this will not be a regular series, but perhaps an occasional one) There’s a number of former abandoned rail/subway/streetcar tunnels in the U.S. (and elsewhere)…can you name these 4 closed-off tunnels (all in the U.S. shown here?

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

7 months

It’s possible to take a train from this station (pop. 3,600) some times of the year to Duluth (86,000), while it is impossible to take a train at any day of the year from Dallas to Houston, Cleveland to Cincinnati, Atlanta to Nashville or Las Vegas to Los Angeles.

DMercer

@53viroqua

7 months

Train Station, Two Harbors, MN

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

1 year

Happy 110 MPH Operation in Illinois Day! These changes to UP’s operating rules are the culmination of nearly two decades of work and PTC delays in achieving higher speeds for Chicago-St. Louis Amtrak trains, and finally turning the page on federal ARRA funding from 2009…

SubwayStalinist

@ALC42Charger

1 year

@RAILMag Lincoln Service 110mph starts tomorrow, May 3rd.

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

2 months

The FRA/Amtrak Long-Distance crayon is exciting; service to all these places is needed. Anything beyond 500 miles is concerning, but even playing within the PRRIA minimum 750 miles, most routes are way too long. I'll look at each route in optimal segments below...

Rail Passengers Association

@RailPassengers

2 months

HOT OFF THE @USDOTFRA PRESSES! Read, analyze, draft, and comment by March 8th. Go!

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

1 year

This happened to @GoBrightline yesterday, service is now restored. While the truck driver is immediately at fault for being unaware his trailer was sitting on the tracks but the signaling system on the parallel roadway didn’t cycle to green to clear the cross street in time.

Joel Franco

@OfficialJoelF

1 year

Car transport truck just sitting on the tracks gets rammed by Brightline earlier today. This prompted suspension of service between Miami and Fort Lauderdale (via TikTok)

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@RAILMag

4 years

Plenty of people know what to do with this: restore passenger rail service from Scranton to New York. The problem is the bridge is owned by NJ but service restoration benefits Pennsylvania. Federal investment & leadership is needed for an interstate asset.

njdotcom

@njdotcom

4 years

This N.J. rail bridge is beloved by many, but nobody knows what to do with it

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

3 years

@MarkWarnerVA Senator, imagine - if you will - a system where you didn’t have to deal with highways. Based on proven, environmentally-friendly technology. Thar serves downtowns directly. That’s @AmtrakVA & we need to you to support improvement and electrification!

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

6 years

@warnerw @elonmusk For the record, Musk didn't build a single solar panel himself. Didn't even develop the technology himself. Just invested (however wisely). It's the hardworking people in my hometown of Buffalo, N.Y., that built them, some of whom took public transit to get to work.

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

3 months

@ajc You’re not reporting here. You’re attempting to influence public opinion by using the phrase high-speed to make it seem incongruous with the ethos of the Belt Line. Stop editorializing in reporting.

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@RAILMag

6 months

Pete on HSR: "...federal dollars get stretched thin no matter how many of them there are, so we definitely don't feel any pride of authorship that it has to be public sector, but nor should we fall into the idea that it has to pencil-out & be profitable to be a good investment."

chyea ok

@chyeaok

6 months

@PeteButtigieg at a Hunter College event answers a question about how he views the potential for high speed rail in the United States.

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

9 months

N. American cities: you are not a real city unless you have one of these (and pro sports). Vancouver, Honolulu & Montreal are smirking at you. Your taxpayers will leave you for them. Their automation is so much bigger. Beyoncé & Taylor + their fans will never be allured by you.🤭

Oh The Urbanity!

@OhUrbanity

9 months

REMarkable!

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

3 months

Often the poor service levels in Cincy are painted as reflecting service levels everywhere without the context that Brunswick, Maine (for example) has 5 roundtrips per day. Cincy + elsewhere have poor service because their states (so far) choose not to invest in passenger rail.

Mike Lydon

@MikeLydon

3 months

Cincinnati’s train station blew my mind today. On one hand it’s adaptive reuse is an incredible revitalization story. On the other it offers a sad commentary on the state of America’s passenger rail system. I was told one train a day comes thru, at 2am 🤯

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

6 months

Before you see the train: please not Brightline, please not Brightline…

Crazy Clips

@crazyclipsonly

6 months

Truck driver gets stuck on train tracks 😳

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@RAILMag

5 months

Now the S Line gets $1 billion... $11.4 billion available for non-NEC. -$3b Brightline West -$1b S Line =$7.4b remaining DC/VA looking for about $800m for Long Bridge... Plus everything else, but I expect many Corridor ID project just to be shortlisted with $500k planning funds.

Joe Bruno

@JoeBrunoWSOC9

5 months

Wow: Senator Thom Tillis is announcing a $1 billion grant to build passenger rail from Raleigh to Richmond. The funds are from the bipartisan infrastructure law, which Tillis supported @wsoctv

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@RAILMag

1 year

This morning, @GoBrightline opened ticket sales for Miami-Orlando service with availability no earlier (so far) than September 1. First NB departure at 6:50 am, arriving at 10:15 am; first SB departure at 5:00 am, arriving 8:30 am. Shortest trip 3h 25m. $79/one-way for SMART.

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

11 months

Not disagreeing here overall, but that upper level was never really bustling even when the rest of the hall was flourishing. There was a time when a mall was the most obvious & our lucrative use for large spaces; we’re no longer in that period.

Casey Mattox

@CaseyMattox_

11 months

It’s just wild to me how Union Station, a 5 min walk from the Capitol, is now a complete ghost town.

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@RAILMag

5 months

Ukraine is under wartime conditions and is managing to improve its international rail connectivity. The U.S. & Canada have been at peace for more than 200 years and have massive economic synergy. Yet there's a total of 4 scheduled daily roundtrips between the two counties. 🇺🇸🇨🇦

Ukrainian railways || Укрзалізниця

@Ukrzaliznytsia

5 months

Starting from Dec 10, 2023, a new direct train 143/146 Vienna - Chop - Vienna will run. The arrival of several trains from Kyiv, Rivne, Lutsk, Lviv has been adjusted to connect with this train in Chop. Tickets for train No. 143/146 are available at international ticket offices.

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

2 months

Crime is ⬇️ on WMATA because ridership is ⬆️. Ridership is ⬆️ because service is more reliable & frequent. These other steps play a factor but the normative pressure of more people to behave is the most effective crime prevention measure.

Mass Transit magazine

@MassTransitmag

2 months

. @wmata reports crime down 14 percent following security steps. The authority has increased MTPD patrols in stations, began utilizing cameras throughout its system and works with a team of crisis intervention specialists to bolster safety. #TransitSafety

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

7 months

Often lost in discussions about Acela is it represented a significant increase of NEC trips and seating capacity vs the Metroliners they replaced. Amtrak had more railcars available to host more riders with Acela trainsets joining Northeast Regionals.

Edward Russell

@ByERussell

7 months

Americans don't ride trains 🙃 From 2001-2020, @Amtrak 's share of DC-New York travelers jumped to 80% of the air+rail market from 45%.

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

11 months

Do you ever just get spontaneously upset how SEPTA, the State of PA & Lehigh Valley regional leaders just gave up on the Reading’s Bethlehem Branch, the easiest & best connection between the Lehigh Valley and Northeast Corridor for passenger rail? 😡

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

24 days

We need run-through regional rail infrastructure projects fully-funded in the following downtown cores producing massive ridership ⬆️: •LA Union Station •Boston North-South Rail Link ( @NSRailLink ) •Chicago (concept by @StarLineChicago ) •Bay Area (concept by @theGreaterMarin )

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

11 months

Yeesh: why is the phrase "commuter train" so pervasive with U.S. Americans? Just as a reference for your headline editors, @DLNewspapers : no one is commuting the 252 miles from Fargo to St. Paul. These are intercity passenger trains.

MN Rail Notes

@MNRailNotes

11 months

Commuter train from Fargo to St. Paul would include additional stops in Detroit Lakes, Staples - #GoogleAlerts

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

2 months

I see your Charlotte and raise you Buffalo…

Jared Blank

@jaredsblank

2 months

I see your DC metro and raise you Charlottes light rail system

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

2 months

Pretty sure no other state interferes with transit in its largest city like Indiana does with Indianapolis. Texas generally has allowed its cities to build what they want. Alabama didn’t stop Birmingham from building its BRT. It’s a low bar, folks. (WI dumps on transit often tho)

Curtis L. Tate 🤷‍♂️

@tatecurtis

2 months

@d_yetter Headline: Despite opposition, House committee passes bill effectively killing Indianapolis Blue Line

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

3 months

Still might have a few miles left in them…

Jeremy "Looking for Arrows" Zorek🚰

@jeremyzorek

3 months

An Acela passing Princeton Junction in the snow at 150 MPH

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

6 months

State capitals with most # weekday daily roundtrip trains (approx; Amtrak & commuter): Boston: lots Trenton: 108 (+ River Line: 156) Salt Lake City: 35 Austin: 17 Harrisburg: 14 Hartford: 14 Albany: 12 Santa Fe: 10 Raleigh: 6 Springfield: 5 Salem: 3 Jefferson City: 2

RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

6 months

Current states connecting largest city/metro region to state capital (those where they’re different places): CT, NY, NJ, PA, VA, WV, NC, IL, MN,* NM, OR, CA *Minneapolis (largest city)-St Paul (capital) one region but connected by light rail -AK, HI essentially impossible to link

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

6 months

@the_transit_guy This is clearly a train schedule. Hot/Iced is only a seasonal stop. The first trip is an early morning short-turn for the earlybird commuters. The 4th trip is truncated before the terminal due to overnight trackwork. Pretty simple to understand…

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

3 years

“a developed [city] is not a place where everyone has a sleigh. It's where the Easter Bunny takes public transit" - Gustavo Petro

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

5 months

Good morning from the ATL, as @Amtrak #19 - the southbound Crescent - arrives at Peachtree Station. This will be the live ride thread; boarding passengers wait in the station for arriving passengers to come through. Will post some shots from platform level once settled aboard…

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

2 years

US commuter rail systems/lines impacted if a Class I RR strike: •MARC Brunswick & Camden •VRE (both lines) •Metra (4 lines) •Northstar (MN) •Sounder (both lines/not sure about Lakewood segment) •Altamont Commuter Express •Caltrain (San Jose-Gilroy) •Metrolink (5/7 lines)

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

22 days

Metro Center. No notes.

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

1 year

30 years ago, Amtrak brought is X2000 tour to Buffalo on the Empire Service route, seen here passing under Main St. & along the Niagara River (footage by @WGRZ ). Today, Amtrak still is basically running the same equipment and the same exact number of trips (thanks Cuomo 😉)

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

9 months

The Empire State Passengers Assoc. routinely shares Amtrak ridership data for trains operating in N.Y. Empire Service, Maple Leaf & Ethan Allen are all carrying more passengers than in 2019, Lake Shore Ltd, is just a bit shy. And, then there’s the poor Adirondack…

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

2 months

Summary-New U.S. rail transit equipment orders announced recently: -Metra: 8 battery-electric FLIRTs from Stadler (instead of battery-electric locomotives) -TRE: 5 new Siemens Chargers to replace aging engines -MTA Maryland: will replace light-rail fleet with low-floor LRVs

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

4 months

This (PDX) is actually the largest Amtrak station I could understand some protective measures by station staff in restricting access to the platforms prior to boarding. The platforms are at rail height and there’s almost no barriers preventing absentminded wandering into danger.

Yaakov Bressler

@YaakovBressler

4 months

All aboard the Christmas Train from Portland to Seattle! @Amtrak_Cascades @Amtrak

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

12 days

Not shooting the messenger ( @TravelPulse ) here but we need to reinforce that reducing Amtrak/transit emissions is fine, but a vastly larger emissions impact is more reliable, frequent & speedy Amtrak/transit service that attracts more drivers...

Amtrak Continues Toward Goals of Zero Emissions

As of April 16, 2024, Amtrak has filed a Request for Information (RFI) to further help the rail operator achieve its goals of building an emission-free fleet in the near future.

www.travelpulse.com

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

6 months

Yep. Drug cartels in Mexico will sense a huge opportunity to send more drugs to the U.S. because a train extends 3 miles further than it does now. But let’s not pretend she doesn’t know the logical absurdity. It’s just a smokescreen for racism.

The Columbian

@thecolumbian

6 months

Leslie Lewallen said she opposes light rail in the I-5 Bridge. She claims light rail would increase the amount of drugs coming up from the southern U.S. border. #Election2024 #Clarkwa #Vanwa

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

6 years

@stowington This was a quality response.

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@RAILMag

1 year

Discussion topic: Is the Grand Canyon Railway a standard intercity passenger rail operation? Pro: •Operates bidirectionally every day but Christmas •Serves 2 distinct stations •Tickets available for trips on different days & one-way travel •Most riding not only to ride train

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

3 months

Just imagine if this was Massachusetts' East-West rail, rolling out a modern, double-tracked mainline dedicated to passengers...

Chris: Rail Focus

@EngFocus

3 months

A video looking at East West Rail progress will drop today at 16:00

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

6 months

Open discussion question: does the U.S. passenger rail/transit sector insist on operating over track that’s too perfectly modernized for regional service at conventional speeds? Look at videos of shorter routes elsewhere in the world? They’re not all concrete ties & fresh ballast

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

11 months

@the_transit_guy I mean, the U.S. airline industry is not leading the charge on this at all. It’s overseas carriers because they pay higher fuel taxes.

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

3 months

Initial thoughts: -The premium "cocoon" looks impressive -"Comfort" looks a lot like the Midwest/CA & Brightline Venture coach seats -Before you go ape about the 3 seats in Flex, note family/group use & the pull-down table in the middle seat when unoccupied. Also, cheaper fare.

Trains Magazine

@TrainsMagazine

3 months

Renderings offer several options; photos show mock-up

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

1 year

Maine DOT proposes $3 million for pilot of Brunswick-Rockland RDC service | ⁦ @TrainsMagazine ⁩ #rail #trains #ME #Downeaster #Amtrak

Maine DOT proposes $3 million for pilot of Brunswick-Rockland RDC service - Trains

PORTLAND, Maine — The prospect of regular passenger service on a state-owned route between Brunswick and Rockland, Maine, received a big boost last week when Maine’s Department of Transportation...

www.trains.com

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

5 days

In this case, Brightline doesn’t need to get most LA-Vegas travelers to purchase tickets. They have to get *enough* travelers to justify their operations. The public also has a non-profit motive investment in offering travel alternatives. All together, this is how this works…

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

3 months

Dear, lord, @USDOTFRA : you managed to find a video showing freight under wire - clearly outside the U.S. while the FRA and @USDOT does absolutely nothing to encourage railroad electrification? Sloppy work, social media team.

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

1 year

This isn't to pile on the folks running the Metro North social media, but the ongoing inability to maintain all four tracks of the New Haven Line in active service severely limits the infrastructure's capacity for both MNRR & Amtrak on the Boston-New York portion of the NEC.

Metro-North Railroad

@MetroNorth

1 year

Never stand on a bridge plate while waiting for your train. Always wait on the platform until the train arrives and comes to a complete stop at the station. #MNRTracks

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

4 months

Amtrak trains in New York State in 2023 were near or above their 2018 & 2019 ridership levels (aside from the Adirondack after this summer’s troubles) Data compiled by Empire State Passengers Association

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RAIL Magazine

@RAILMag

6 months

Most NHL arenas are within an easy walk of a transit station or rail terminal, including several (BOS, NYR, WAS) where the arena is on top of the station. Not convenient arenas: Senators, Hurricanes, Panthers, Islanders, Blue Jackets, Predators, Golden Knights. Jets have BRT.

TSN

@TSN_Sports

6 months

William Nylander takes the subway because he hates being in traffic 😅

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