BOSTON, MA - Progressive Railroading reported on November 15th that next month the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) expects to take delivery of four new Orange Line cars manufactured by the China Railway Rolling Stock Corp. (CRRC).
Yesterday, the units arrived at the Port of Shanghai ready for shipping to Boston, MBTA officials said on Twitter.
Boston CRRC-built Subway Cars at Shanghai!
When the new units arrive in Boston, they'll begin months of "rigorous testing," MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo tweeted. The first six Orange Line cars will be shipped from China, with hundreds more to be built at CRRC's new plant in Springfield, Massachusetts. Last month, MBTA officials said the agency expects the new plant to be completed in winter, with full rail-car production slated to begin in April 2018. In 2014, CRRC was awarded a $566 million contract to design and manufacture 152 Orange Line vehicles and 132 Red Line units. In December 2016, the MBTA ordered 120 additional Red Line vehicles to replace the entire fleet on that line.
BROOKLYN, NY - The Friends of the Brooklyn-Queens Connector (BQX) advocacy group on November 13th unveiled a prototype vehicle for a proposed 14-mile streetcar line connecting the two New York City boroughs.
The unit has a seating capacity for 150 people, amNewYork reported. Alstom manufactured the Citadis X05 streetcar, which arrived from Nice, France.
An Alstom Citadis X05 vehicle!
More than 150 New Yorkers attended the unveiling, Friends of the BQX officials said on Facebook.
In his 2016 "State of the City" address, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio first unveiled plans for the $2.5 billion Brooklyn-Queens Connector project, which would run from Queens' Astoria neighborhood to Sunset Park in Brooklyn. Friends of the Brooklyn-Queens Connector Executive Director Ya-Ting Liu told amNewYork that her organization plans to "call on the city of New York and the mayor to take action and move this project forward" following de Blasio's re-election last week.
EL PASO, TX - For those of you wondering what the former ex-San Diego, ex-El Paso air-electric PCCs might look like after pantographs and air conditioning are installed, here are some excerpts from documents connected with that project. There are six PCC cars in the project, the former 1504, 1506, 1511, 1512, 1514 and 1516.
Cars 1511 and 1515 will be in the 1950's "Fruit Salad"/ National City Lines Paint Scheme
Cars 1504 and 1514 will be in the colors used in the 1960s.
Cars 1506 and 1512 will be in the colors used in the late 1960s and early 1970s until abandonment!
Both the use and the height of the pantographs suggest that there are future plans for this little system!
GLENDALE, CA - A little more detail about the proposed Glendale-Burbank streetcar line was obtained by the Times just before press time. The route that city officials envision would put a streetcar route between the Glendale Transportation Center, where the Metrolink stops, and Hollywood Burbank Airport, connecting Glendale and downtown Burbank along the way.
The route along Brand and Glenoaks Boulevards would echo an old Pacific Electric Railway route that once ran on those streets. The study would also explore potential alignments, ridership and cost estimates, and funding opportunities. It would only look into the portion of the route that falls within Glendale city limits, though the link to Burbank could be added later, says the News-Press. The study is expected to take between a year and 18 months to complete and will be paid for with funds from Glendale’s Community Development Department as well as a $200,000 grant from the Southern California Association of Governments. The study’s cost belies the hefty price tag for the streetcar. Current estimates for the 9.5-mile streetcar are between $97 million and $243 million, with the latter estimate factoring in those three miles through Burbank city limits to the Burbank airport.
LOS ANGELES, CA - New state legislation boosting funding to the California Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program could be a boon for the proposal to return streetcar service to Downtown Los Angeles as reported by "urbanize.LA".
According to a motion introduced on November 21st by 14th District Councilmember Jose Huizar, the Streetcar project has contracted AECOM to prepare a grant funding application through the TIRCP Program, which provides grants through its Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. Huizar's motion notes that similar streetcar projects have received "significant" funding through the program in years past. This action is intended to minimize the project's reliance and impact on local funding sources, which included a local tax district centered around the proposed route.
Artists concept of two-truck low floor streetcar similar to those currently in operation in Cincinnati, Kansas City and Tucson!
Measure M - the countywide transportation tax measure passed by voters one year ago - also earmarks $200 million for the streetcar, although that money would not be accessible until the 2050s under the current expenditure plan. Cost estimates for the streetcar have more than doubled from the $125 million project approved by Downtown voters in 2012, and now range between $278 and $290 million. Nonetheless, Huizar's office has previously stated that the streetcar currently has $390 million in committed state and local funding for operations and construction. The City has also considered a public-private partnership as a method for bringing the project to fruition. The 3.8-mile streetcar loop would cut between numerous Downtown neighborhoods following thr suggested route below, mostly traveling along Hill Street and Broadway.
Current projected route of the LA Streetcar!
The $2.6 million utility relocation contract for the 12.4 mile extension of the current Metro Gold Line to Montclair was awarded in September, as reported by Tramways & Urban Transit magazine. Work started in October and will take three years. The extension is expected to open to revenue service in 2026.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - The Oklahoma City Streetcar (OKC Streetcar) is an $131 million project funded entirely from the 2009 MAPS3 city-wide 1 cent sales tax. Six streetcars will be used to open the line and they are being built by Brookville Equipment Corporation in Brookville, Pennsylvania. The "Liberty" vehicles are designed to hold 100 passengers. The colors and design will be painted on the streetcars. EMBARK, the OKC city transit authority, has decided that there will be two Bermuda Green cars two Clear Sky Blue Cars and two Redbud cars.
Herzog Transit Service will operate the line and the Storage and Maintenance Facility will be located at SW 7th Street and Hudson Avenue. The route of the OKC streetcar is shown below:
The dark blue line currently represents the planned D line, which will run Monday through Saturday every 12 to 14 minutes while the light blue line represents the planned B line which will run every Friday and Saturday every 15 minutes. It appears that no service is planned for Sunday at this time.The website recently provided some photos of the progress on the line as follows:
Non-revenue track on Hudson leading to the Storage and Maintenance Facility at SW7th Street!
Hudson just south of Reno!
Reno between Mickey Mantle and Joe Carter!
Inside the Storage and Maintenance Facility!
One of the over 20 stations on the two lines is the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. An artists rendering of that station is shown next:
Bricktown Ballpark Station Concept with an Bermuda Green Streetcar!
The OKC streetcar is expected to be in operation by the end of 2018 and the first car should be on site by the time you read this! For all doubters, the streetcar appears to be back and back big!
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - The first five of San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency's (SFMTA) third generation light-rail vehicles have been cleared for passenger service, the agency announced during the second week of November.
The units, built by Siemens at their Sacramento, CA facility and called model S200, arrived in January 2017, completed all phases of testing and began revenue service on Friday, November 17, 2017.
Siemens-built 2001 at Metro East in July 2017!
Under the agency's contract with Siemens, the current 151-car Breda fleet will be completely replaced. The fleet also will be expanded with 64 new units. In a few months, SFMTA expects to receive the next five to six cars. By 2018's end, the agency will take delivery of the first 24 vehicles.
Each vehicle needs to be cleared, and subsequent multi-car configurations must be approved separately.
(The same process is being applied to Los Angeles' new KinkiSharyo cars... now you know the source of some of the delays...). The first car will be dedicated to longtime Muni employee and former Transport Workers Union Local 250-A President Larry Martin.
In August, SFMTA completed all required testing for the first five of its next-generation light-rail vehicles, but was awaiting certification from the California Public Utilities Commission.
215 of these new Siemens cars will enter service in the next few years replacing all 151 of the current Breda cars and adding 64 cars for expansion of the light rail service. These cars are the 5th generation of streetcars and the 3rd generation of light rail vehicles to serve the City By The Bay since 1975.
Car 2006 in service on Friday, November 17, 2017!
 Operator cab - Car 2006B
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 Interior View - Car 2006B
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Meanwhile, San Francisco F-line PCC 1063, formerly in the Baltimore yellow and gray since 1995, returned to San Francisco on October 26th from its rebuilding in the original Baltimore Transit Company scheme shown next:
SAN JOSE, CA - The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) will increase adult fares from $2 to $2.25 in January 2018.
The cost of a monthly pass will jump from $70 to $80. However, VTA will decrease youth fares from $1.75 to $1. The new fare structure also includes free transfers for two hours between all VTA vehicles for riders who purchase electronic fares, agency officials said in a press release.
One of VTA's KinkiSharyo Low Floor Light Rail Vehicles!
VTA also will increase frequency on Line 902 light-rail route. Trains on that line will arrive every 15 minutes during the week compared to every 30 minutes.
When Bay Area Rapid Transit's (BART) Silicon Valley Extension begins passenger service in June 2018, VTA will roll out additional service changes and unveil new system maps, time guides and new station signage.
In addition, VTA's light-rail lines will be designated by color once the BART extension opens.
VTA operates three light rail lines using 42.2 miles of revenue track. From 1987 to 2003, they operated a fleet of 50 Urban Transportation Development Corporation (UTDC) traditional light rail vehicles. Starting in 2002, they began operating the current fleet of 99 KinkiSharyo low floor light rail vehicles and sold 29 (cars 802 to 830) to the Utah Transit Authority (TRAX) and 20 cars (cars 831-850) were sold to Sacramento Regional Transit. Car 801 was kept as an historical vehicle and a wrecker.
One of the 29 vehicles obtained by Salt Lake City from VTA (still in VTA stripes)!
SEATTLE, WA - According to Tramways & Urban Transit magazine, the Seattle DOT has awarded a $50 million contract to CAF USA to supply ten new double ended Urbos trams with off-wire capability for the 2020 opening of the 1.2 City Center Connector (CCX) line which will connect the two separate, stand-alone tram lines in that city.
The first of the two lines, the South Lake Union (SLU) is a 1.3 mile line connecting the South Lake Union neighborhood with Downtown Seattle. Service began in December 2007 using three Inekon 12-Trio three section articulated low floor streetcars built in 2007. They are numbered 301, 302 and 303. A fourth car, an Inekon Trio Type 121, numbered 407, went into service in 2015.
Inekon 301, the first car northbound on Westlake Avenue of the South Lake Union line,
crossing the wires of the 70 trolleybus on Stewart street.
The other line is called the First Hill line named for the Hill on which is operates. The 2.5 mile line opened in January 2016 using six Inekon Trio Type 121, numbered 401 though 406. The first three cars were assembled in the Czech Republic and the last three in Seattle. This line uses overhead wire power for the uphill portion and battery power for the downhill portion.
Inekon 407 on East Yesler Way passing a new apartment building!
The CCX will run along Stewart St, First Avenue and South Jackson street and thus join the 1.3 mile South Lake Union (SLU) line with the 2.5 mile First Hill (FH) Line, which features off-wire operation. The existing First Hill Inekon Trams have off-wire capability but the three Inekon trams used on the South Lake Union line do not. They will most likely be sold to Portland. The CAF contact has an option for ten additional trams.
TACOMA, WA - Seattle-based Sound Transit, the operator of the Tacoma modern streetcar line had ordered five Brookville "Liberty" modern low-floor streetcars for an extension of that urban line, according to the "railway age dot com site on November 21st. Sound Transit has begun construction on a 2.4-mile extension of the line, with service slated to begin in 2022. The project will extend service to the Stadium and Hilltop neighborhoods in Tacoma, Washington. It will operate on Stadium Way, west on Division street to Tacoma General Hospital and south on Martin Luther King Jr. Way to South 19th Street near Saint Joseph Medical Center. The current Theater District station will be move one block north to and headways on the line will be lowered to 10 minutes. The agency also is expanding the operations and maintenance facility where the cars will be stored, Sound Transit officials said in a press release. "Ordering more light-rail cars … will ensure sufficient fleet capacity to run trains on the expanded line," said Sound Transit Vice Chair and Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland. The contract with Brookville includes an option to procure up to five additional light-rail vehicles.
TORONTO, ONT, CANADA - According to Tramways & Urban Transit magazine, Toronto received Bombardier Flexity vehicle 4446 in September, 4447 and 4448 in October and 4449 in November in what is turning out to be the worst contractor performance in delivering new vehicles to a major city in our knowledge. The often revised delivery schedule currently calls for four vehicles monthly and Bombardier can't seem to even meet that for the third month in a row.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Amtrak derailment that killed two track maintenance workers on April 3, 2016 was caused by "deficient safety management" across the railroad, which resulted in a lack of a "clear, consistent and accepted vision for safety," the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced on November 14th and reported by Progressive Railroading.
The results of the April 3, 2016 incident!
The derailment in Chester, Pennsylvania occurred when an Amtrak train traveling from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C., struck a backhoe, killing the backhoe operator and a track supervisor. Thirty-nine other people were injured. Prior to the derailment, the train engineer saw the equipment and people working on the track and applied the emergency brake that slowed the train from 106 mph to 99 mph at the time of impact.
Factors that led to the accident included:
Allowing a passenger train to travel at maximum authorized speed on unprotected track where workers were present, The absence of shunting devices,
The foreman's failure to conduct a job briefing at the start of the shift, and
Numerous inconsistent views of safety and safety management throughout Amtrak.
"Amtrak's safety culture is failing, and is primed to fail again, until and unless Amtrak changes the way it practices safety management," said NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt in a press release. "Investigators found a labor-management relationship so adversarial that safety programs became contentious at the bargaining table, with the unions ultimately refusing to participate."
Also contributing to the accident was the Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) failure to require redundant signal protection, such as shunting, for maintenance-of-way work crews, board members said. Post-accident toxicology tests found that the backhoe operator tested positive for cocaine, the track supervisor tested positive for codeine and morphine, and the train engineer tested positive for marijuana. The board determined that while drug use was not a factor in the accident, it was symptomatic of a weak safety culture at Amtrak.
As a result of its investigation, the NTSB issued 14 safety recommendations: nine to Amtrak, two to the FRA and three to the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division, American Railway and Airway Supervisors Association, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, and Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen. Among its recommendations, the board called on both Amtrak and the unions to work together to ensure everyone is participating in safety programs; to develop a viable safety reporting system; and to implement a safety management system throughout the railroad. In response to the NTSB report, Amtrak officials said in a prepared statement that the railroad has been "transforming" its safety culture since the derailment. The railroad already has begun implementing many of the actions that the NTSB called for in its recommendations. "We have a team of 20,000 employees who understand that safety is our No. 1 priority, and together we safely operate more than 500 trains across our 21,000-mile network every day," Amtrak officials said.
Car 1062 on Market St in San Francisco in 2009. 
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