President-elect Joe Biden said he was “heartened” by the compromise in Congress, noting it was “a first step and down payment on more action that we’ll need to take early in the new year to revive the economy and contain the pandemic.”
Addressing the dire financial needs of transit agencies and helping to keep their systems running is what this round of funding will attempt to do. New York MTA, for instance, will receive $4 billion, allowing it to avert drastic service cuts of up to 50% and layoffs of some 9,400 in 2021. It still faces deficits in subsequent years.
The $25 billion of appropriated CARES Act funds for public transportation can only go so far. As of Dec. 3, 2020, public transit agencies had obligated 94% of those funds through 763 grants totaling nearly $23.5 billion; 59% of these funds had been fully expended, according to the Federal Transit Administration.
Passenger Rail Outlook: Building Back Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
RAILWAY AGE, JANUARY 2021 ISSUE: First, getting through the pandemic then, building a new normal. Amid uncertainty, there is cautious optimism for passenger rail in 2021. That was the general consensus of industry experts Railway Age interviewed in December.
President-elect Joe Biden said he was “heartened” by the compromise in Congress, noting it was “a first step and down payment on more action that we’ll need to take early in the new year to revive the economy and contain the pandemic.”
Addressing the dire financial needs of transit agencies and helping to keep their systems running is what this round of funding will attempt to do. New York MTA, for instance, will receive $4 billion, allowing it to avert drastic service cuts of up to 50% and layoffs of some 9,400 in 2021. It still faces deficits in subsequent years.
January 05, 2021
January Railway Age Digital Edition On Line Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
Railway Age’s January 2021 issue is now available digitally. It features a cover profile of Canadian Pacific President and CEO Keith Creel the 58th annual recipient of Railway Age’s Railroader of the Year Award.
“Creel has been instrumental in Canadian Pacific forging a leadership role in the industry, while acknowledging the railroad’s place in history and its role in driving the North American economy forward,” Editor-in-Chief William C. Vantuono writes. “He has helped renew Canadians’ and CP employees’ sense of pride in a company that connected a nation, and connected Canada to the rest of the world. Under his steady hand, and under very difficult circumstances this past year, CP has been a safe, efficient and productive railroad, enabling its customers to connect with domestic and global markets.”
The 41 railroads subject to the statutory mandate comprising all seven Class I’s, Amtrak, 28 commuter railroads, and five short lines/regionals that host intercity or commuter service plus industry associations, suppliers and other service providers, have worked for more than a decade to reach what FRA called “a landmark achievement” and what FRA Administrator Ronald L. Batory said was an “unprecedented undertaking” for the nearly 100 stakeholders.
FRA has certified that each host railroad’s PTC system complies with the technical requirements. Additionally, interoperability has been achieved between host and tenant railroads operating on PTC-governed main lines.
Most railroads had reached the finish line some months ago. As of the end of third-quarter 2020 (Sept. 30), the railroad industry reached 99.6% of fully implementing PTC. At the end of 2019, PTC was in operation across 98.5% of the required Class I route miles.
FRA Administrator Ronald L. Batory
Positive Train Control (PTC) is now in operation on all 57,536 required freight and passenger railroad route-miles, ahead of the federal deadline of Dec. 31, the Federal Railroad Administration reported Dec. 29.
The 41 railroads subject to the statutory mandate comprising all seven Class I’s, Amtrak, 28 commuter railroads, and five short lines/regionals that host intercity or commuter service plus industry associations, suppliers and other service providers, have worked for more than a decade to reach what FRA called “a landmark achievement” and what FRA Administrator Ronald L. Batory said was an “unprecedented undertaking” for the nearly 100 stakeholders.