![“Thanks to Secretary Pete [Buttigieg], USDOT, the Federal Railroad Administration and all our partners for making the S-Line passenger rail a reality!!” NCDOT Secretary Joey Hopkins said in a July 1 LinkedIn post. “Thanks to the hard work of our NCDOT team we broke ground on the first construction project in the Raleigh to Wake Forest segment, a $19M project to grade separate Durant Road 7 months after the grant announcement!!” (Photograph Courtesy of Joey Hopkins)](https://www.railwayage.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/slinelead-315x168.png)
State and federal officials on July 1 participated in a groundbreaking ceremony in North Carolina for the S-Line Project, part of the Raleigh to Richmond Innovating Rail Program to create a faster passenger rail route between the two cities, according to Gov. Roy Cooper’s office.
The City of Charlotte, N.C., and the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) have each filed separate petitions for exemptions to the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to acquire and operate certain assets of
Amtrak debuts accessibility improvements at its four Bay Area, Calif., stations. Also, Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) and Norfolk Southern (NS) discuss a new rail agreement; and the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) advances the proposed St. Joseph-to-Kansas City passenger rail project.
Tri-Rail introduces new express train service. Also, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) announces “Refresh & Renew” work across the system and celebrates diversity and inclusiveness with the return of its Pride Train; and Amtrak Virginia rolls into summer with record ridership.
The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) has released its draft Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-2030 Six-Year Improvement Program (SYIP), which allocates nearly $6.2 billion for public transportation and freight and passenger rail over the next six fiscal years.
Amtrak will advance several initiatives this year as part of its goal to double annual ridership to 66 million by Fiscal Year 2040. Also, Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) details three proposed Christiansburg-area station alternatives, as part of the Amtrak New River Valley Project; and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Office of Inspector General introduces a Whistleblower Award Program.
A project is under way to unify San Francisco Bay Area transit maps and signs. Also, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) renames the West Santa Ana Branch Corridor Project to avoid rider confusion; and Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and Amtrak Virginia set ridership records in 2023.
The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) has been awarded a grant totaling $729 million from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) via the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program (FSP-National). This will allow the VPRA
The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) on Dec. 6 reported selecting Skanska/Flatiron Joint Venture for the Long Bridge-North Package and Flatiron/Herzog Joint Venture for the Franconia-Springfield Bypass. “Selecting construction partners for the Long Bridge-North
Virginia’s Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) Executive Director Jennifer DeBruhl will retire at the end of June, according to a Richmond Times-Dispatch report.
