Your weekly source of fresh takes on news affecting America's passengers. See also the NARP Blog.
December 23, 2015
A major rail milestone was reached this week, with Amtrak activating Positive Train Control technology on all its between Washington and New York, reports the Washington Post. PTC is now operational on nearly all the Amtrak-owned or maintained track along the Northeast Corridor, which stretches from Washington to Boston, said D.J. Stadtler, the rail company’s vice president of operations. Howev...
December 18, 2015
Congress unveiled a $1.1 trillion omnibus budget bill on December 16 to keep the government funded in 2016, including $57.6 billion in transportation funding. The final document, read by NARP Vice President Sean Jeans-Gail, clocks in at just over 2,000 pages, which—given the wide-ranging focus of the budget bill—has industries and advocacy groups all across the country scrambling to see what t...
December 11, 2015
Amtrak President Joe Boardman Amtrak President Joe Boardman announced his retirement from the rail corporation in a letter to employees. He will leave in September 2016 after nearly eight years on the job. “One of the reasons why I gave our board notice so far in advance of my planned retirement is because I want them to have the time to think about the next leader they will select and have...
December 4, 2015
For the first time in a decade, Congress has successfully passed a long-term surface transportation bill, sending the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act to the desk of President Barack Obama. The bill cleared the Senate (by an 83-16 vote) and the House (by a 384-40 vote) on Thursday. The White House has indicated the President will sign the bill today. NARP Vice President Sean J...
November 27, 2015
NARP Council Member Barry Green made the case for strong investment in America's passenger trains in the Billings Gazette this week, calling on Congress to invest in connecting people, not in paving roads: "Our country is at a crossroads with our transportation needs as a U.S. House/Senate Conference Committee reconciles the differences within the Surface Transportation Bill, H.R. 22, known as t...