UP train derails near Lordsburg, N.M., disrupting Sunset Limited
No injuries were reported when about 50 cars of a Union Pacific intermodal train derailed Monday afternoon near Lordsburg, N.M. The Grant County Beat website reports the accident occurred about 3:30 p.m. local time. Sunset Limited service in both directions was disrupted, with trains holding in San Antonio and Tucson, Ariz., and bus service provided between those cities, according to the Amtrak Alerts Twitter feed. The route is expected to be reopened today, according to UP.
New Colorado law allows RTD to reduce fares, make other changes
Denver’s Regional Transportation District has new flexibility to reduce rail and bus fares, charge for use of park-and-ride lots, and contract out services thanks to a bill signed Monday by Gov. Jared Polis. The Denver Post reports the bill removes a longtime mandate that at least 30% of the agency’s revenue come from fares. The RTD’s CEO and general manager, Debra Johnson, said the agency would soon begin a review of its fare structure, which includes some of the highest in the nation.
VRE attorney joins agency on fulltime basis
Arlington County, Va., Attorney Steve MacIsaac, who has served as part-time counsel for Virginia Railway Express since its formation in the 1980s, will join VRE in a newly created full-time position as the agency’s general counsel. The website ARLnow reports MacIssac is leaving the county position after two decades, and will join VRE next week. “We are losing, in my opinion, the finest county attorney in the Commonwealth of Virginia,” county board member Christian Dorsey said at a meeting last week. “That is a tough pill to swallow.”
