Covering rail projects along the Twin Cities – Milwaukee – Chicago Corridor, and delving into the history of the Hiawathas, Zephyrs, and 400s which raced through this region in excess of 100 mph in the 1930s, '40s, and '50s.
Central Corridor light-rail construction on the western stretch of University Avenue is said to be finished (at least in terms of laying track and reconstructing the road surface) and ready to fully reopen to car traffic. I haven't had a chance to see it for myself yet, though.
Work on the Saint Paul Union Depot's headhouse has progressed enough to allow Christos, the Greek restaurant in the lobby, to reopen on Thursday, December 1st.
Rather shaky but informative video of a walkthrough of the headhouse work, starting downstairs in the new carriageway area:
In southern Minnesota, a spur to Hartland has been abandoned and is expected to become a bike trail.
The state of Michigan has received $150 million from U.S. DOT in order to acquire the rail line to Detroit. This action should pave the way for repairs and upgrades to the track to allow 110-mph service.
President Obama signed legislation that should allow federal dollars to be matched against the unique private funding for the planned M-1 light-rail line in Detroit.
Incidents
Service along MTA Metro-North Railroad's Port Jervis line has resumed in New York. It was severely damaged in Hurricane Irene. Despite resumption of service, repairs are expected to continue until June 2012.
In a Thanksgiving Eve post, Ray LaHood described the efforts of two Amtrak crew members to assist passengers following the deadly crash in Nevada this summer. The two won the U.S. DOT's Award for Heroism for their actions.
Duluth businessman Jeno Paulucci has died, passing away just days after his wife. I only mention it because he played a role in one of my favorite train-related finds on YouTube:
No comments:
Post a Comment