BOSTON, MA - The National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) investigation of the recent collision of two Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) light-rail trains continues as investigators gather information and evidence, according to an NTSB update.
On July 30, a westbound MBTA Green Line train collided with the rear of a MBTA Green Line train that was also heading westbound on the track ahead. Investigators secured data from the event recorder from the operating car of the striking train. A preliminary review indicated the train that was hit was traveling at about 10 mph, NTSB officials said in a news release. The striking train, led by Breda Type 8 3894 overtook the other train while traveling at about 30 mph. The car struck was Kinki Sharyo Type 7A 3705, shown above. Photos of car 3894 were not available to the Times.
As a result of the collision, two cars on the leading train and one car on the trailing train derailed. Twenty-seven people, including MBTA personnel, were transported to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) in North Carolina opened its CityLYNX Gold Line streetcar service on Monday, August 30. The streetcar will operate every 20 minutes from 5 a.m. to 2 a.m., seven days a week. The service will be fare-free until January 2022, CATS officials said in a press release.
The Phase 2 project extended the existing streetcar track by 2.5 miles on the east and west ends of the line, connecting the Historic West End to the Elizabeth neighborhood through uptown Charlotte.
With the opening of the line, CATS will operate a fleet of Siemens S700 vehicles. Designed with Siemens hybrid technology, the street vehicles will operate off-wire through the heart of uptown, maintaining a catenary-free zone. This line was formerly served by three Gomaco-built Birney style replica streetcars, which has been sold to another operator.
LOS ANGELES, CA - In August, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (L.A. Metro) has released the draft environmental impact statement/environmental impact report for the West Santa Ana Branch Transit Corridor. The report identifies potential environmental impacts and mitigations, and outlines the project's potential benefits. L.A. Metro has scheduled three virtual public hearings to provide information about the project and solicit feedback as part of a 45-day public review and comment period. The agency will accept public comments on the project until Sept. 13.
The proposed West Santa Ana Branch is a 19-mile light-rail line that would connect southeast Los Angeles County to downtown Los Angeles. The new line would serve Artesia, Cerritos, Bellflower, Paramount, Downey, South Gate, Cudahy, Bell, Huntington Park and Vernon.
L.A. Metro is evaluating the feasibility and potential benefits of delivering the project through a public-private partnership program.
SAN DIEGO, CA - The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) on July 31 marked the MTS Trolley's 40th anniversary with a community celebration. The MTS Trolley launched in July 1981. The 54.3-mile system registered more than 32 million passengers in fiscal-year 2019, MTS officials said in a news release. The trolley operates on four lines — Blue, Orange, Green and Silver — and serves 54 stations. The UC San Diego Blue Line opened first as the South Line, operating between downtown San Diego and San Ysidro, California. San Diego's trolley system represents the first modern light-rail service in the United States, a Siemens Mobility Inc. spokesperson said in an email. Siemens provided the first vehicles used in the trolley system, the spokesperson said. The first vehicles, "off-the-shelf" Siemens DuWag U-2s provided service from opening day of the first line to San Isidro/Tijuana, now part of the Blue Line until a few years ago when all were retired.
 First operator training class on the San Diego Trolley - 1981 |
On August 24, 2021, San Diego transportation leaders and transit advocates took the first official Trolley trip on the southern end of the Mid-Coast Extension of the University of California (UC) San Diego Blue Line. The Blue Line opened as the "Tijuana Trolley" in 1981. which was the first new Light rail Line in the State of California at the time. The extension will be operated by the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) as part of its expanding light rail network and was built by the San Diego Association of Governments. The $2.1 billion, 11-mile light-rail extension is expected to open in November 2021, according to the news release.
Attendees marked the occasion with a ribbon cutting at the Collocate Trolley Station and then rode the Trolley north to the new Claremont Drive and Balboa Avenue stations. Note car #5009, one of the new 45 S700 cars bought to provide service on the line.
The public was scheduled to be permitted to take the same ride on August 28, between 10 am. and 1 pm. MTS will run Trolley shuttles between the Old Town Transit Center and the Balboa Avenue Transit Center every 15 minutes during the Mid-Coast Community Celebration.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Progressive Railroading reported that the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency's (SFMTA) Central Subway project is advancing toward substantial completion. Critical testing and certification of project elements such as station escalators, elevators, track-work and radio communications is set to begin, agency officials said in a news release. The next stage also will include rail activation to begin testing operations, train control and other integral systems. The project has reached a number of significant milestones, including the laying of track along the route, the completion of stations, public art installations and the reopening of streets closed to vehicle traffic, SFMTA officials said.
To launch operations in mid-2022, the Central Subway will connect to some of San Francisco’s most densely populated communities, including Visitation Valley, the Bay view and Dog patch neighborhoods, and the city’s center.
 Mini Second Generation Light Rail Vehicle, Breda-built 1423. |
SANTA CLARA, CA - According to an August 25th report from Progressive Railroading, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is making progress on its plan to restart light-rail operations, which have been suspended since a fatal shooting occurred in May at the Guadalupe Light Rail Yard in San Jose, California.
The agency is inspecting track, retraining and re-certifying employees, and began testing light-rail vehicles on the track on August 24th. Non-revenue service trains (without passengers) are expected to run over the next two to five days, with revenue service to begin as soon as early as September 2021.
The process is part of a multiphase service restoration plan to "ensure employees feel safe, secure and confident" to return to their jobs, VTA officials said in the agency’s blog. The timeliness to restart light-rail service includes separate but parallel tracks focused on infrastructure and employees of the Guadalupe division, they said. On May 26, 2021 a VTA employee opened gunfire on coworkers at the Guadalupe Light Rail Yard. Nine VTA employees were killed. The shooter eventually died by suicide.
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA - Progressive Railroading reported in late August that Metrolinx had begun testing several Eglinton Crosstown light-rail vehicles (LRVs) along surface level tracks in Toronto's east end.
The tests involved vehicles coupled together as shown, increased speed analyses, brake tests and concurrent vehicle testing, Metrolinx officials reported in the agency's blog.
Earlier this spring, the first six LRVs were moved from the Eglinton maintenance and storage facility to a test location. Since then, crews have been commissioning the vehicles, including performing tests on communications systems and signals that interact with the LRVs and operating the vehicles at slow speeds. Testing is planned to continue regularly for the next few weeks. After all testing is completed in fall, the six vehicles will return to the maintenance and storage facility.
To open in 2022, the Eglinton Crosstown light-rail line will run more than 12 miles — with more than half of the mileage underground — and feature 25 stations along Eglinton Avenue. It will link to three Toronto subway stations and GO Transit lines.
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