TRAINS: David Lassen
Wednesday morning rail news:
New Senate bill would provide virus relief funding for transit, Amtrak
Transit systems would receive $15 billion and Amtrak would get $1 billion under a new $908 billion, bipartisan Senate COVID-19 relief proposal introduced Tuesday. Reuters reports that in all, transportation — including airlines, airports, and private buses — would receive $45 billion under the plan, which is designed to provide assistance for four months, leaving the new Congress and President-elect Joe Biden to decide on further aid next year. The White House and Congressional leaders have not yet indicated if they support the plan. Transit agencies have sought $32 billion in aid, while Amtrak has asked for more than $4.8 billion, including its annual funding request and pandemic aid [see “Amtrak increases funding request to Congress …,” Trains News Wire, Oct. 8, 2020].
Teachers end blockades in Mexico after 59 days
Blockades of rail lines in the Mexican state of Michoacán ended Monday after 59 days when the federal government committed to meeting with teachers to discuss their demands. Mexico News Daily reports the teachers ended blockades in the communities of Uruapan, Pátzcuaro, and Morelia after Interior Minister Olga Sanchez agreed to a meeting. The teachers are demanding payment of late salaries, bonuses, and scholarships, as well as the automatic allocation of jobs to graduates. Trains are expected to begin operating on Thursday after inspections of the blockaded areas, allowing Kansas City Southern de Mexico to start addressing a backlog of more than 4,500 containers at the port of Lázaro Cárdenas.
