America Has Never Built an Airport Express Railway. Chicago Is About to Try. Nearly everyone agrees that there should be fast trains between downtown Chicago and O’Hare International Airport. The sticking point has always been how to make it happen: where the line...
Newsletter 7/12/24: Milwaukee Regional Rail & the Revolutionary Shinkansen
Metra’s UP North Line: A New Path to Chicago-Milwaukee Regional Rail
Chicago and Milwaukee are big enough, and close enough, that hourly service should be the minimum.
Rebuilding the Union Pacific’s lakefront line to extend Metra’s UP North service is the quickest way to make it happen. Intermediate cities like Racine, Kenosha, Waukegan, and Evanston make the case even stronger.
If done right, it can be a springboard to regional rail for Green Bay, Madison, and many other towns.
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Shinkansen: How High-Speed Rail Transformed a Nation
Translating to “new trunk line” from Japanese, the Shinkansen is Japan’s high speed rail network connecting many major cities and population centres across the country. First opening in 1964 for the Tokyo Olympics, the system heralded Japan’s emergence as a restored and booming economy, inspiring many other countries to create their own high-speed railways.
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Putting America Back On Track: The Case for a 21st Century Public Rail System
Maddock Thomas, an undergraduate at Brown University, presents a strong case for redeveloping the United States’ passenger rail system. The report is comprehensive in its exploration of public passenger rail, arguing for its return, its history in the country, its role in the present day, examining international systems, and analyzing models for successful service.
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Designing Brightline's New Las Vegas Station
When: Friday, August 2 at 12pm CT on Zoom
Join us for a discussion with Andrew Byrne, Managing Partner at Grimshaw.
We will provide more details about this webinar soon.
City Limits: A Conversation with Megan Kimble
When: Friday, August 16 at 12pm CT on Zoom
Join us for a discussion with Megan Kimble, author of the recently published “City Limits: Infrastructure, Inequality, and the Future of America’s Highways.”
Dallas Forces New Route for Bullet Train to Fort Worth
New Virginia-North Carolina Intercity Passenger Rail Line Starts Construction
Poor Planning Blocks the Way for a Vitally Needed Chicago Rail Connection (Chicago Tribune)
Final Version of Amtrak Cascades 2024 Preliminary Service Development Plan Released (PDF)
Amtrak’s Borealis From Twin Cities to Chicago, Sees Strong Ridership, Turns Early Profit
‘Three Nations’ Train Launched Between Germany and Belgium
Amtrak Award $1.3B Bridge Contract Along Northeast Corridor
Amtrak ‘Excited’ by Potential of New Atlanta Intercity Rail Hub
Amtrak’s New Twin Cities-Chicago Route Through Milwaukee Turns a Profit in First 11 Days
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