If a Transcontinental Railroad were Built Today

Union Pacific transcontinental railroad construction crew

Construction crews working westward on the Union Pacific encountered rough going when they reached Utah’s Weber Canyon. Trains collection If you built a transcontinental railroad today from scratch, how long would it take, given the regulatory environment of the modern world? Nobody knows for sure, but the best guess is about 57 years. Here’s a […]

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Year-by-year, a timeline of completing the Transcontinental Railroad

Timeline Union Pacific transcontinenta lrailroad building Archer Wyoming

Union Pacific trains and ocvered wagons congregate near the end of track at Archer, Wyo., in 1867 during construction westward. Union Pacific 1832: Proponents call for transcontinental railroad 1845: New England merchant and traveler, Asa Whitney begins advocacy for Pacific Railroad 1853: Congress appropriates $150,000 for survey of five routes 1855-1860: 12 volumes of findings […]

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FTA releases Washington Metro to local control NEWSWIRE

WMATA

WASHINGTON — More than three years after the Federal Transit Administration took the unprecedented step of assuming direct safety oversight of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Metrorail system, the FTA has returned supervision back to local control. The Washington Metrorail Safety Commission, an independent body established by Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia in […]

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MBTA sets meetings on future of historic streetcars NEWSWIRE

MBTAPCCMiltonMA

An MBTA PCC streetcar stops in Milton, Mass., in December 2018. The MBTA has proposed replacing the 70-year-old cars. Justin Franz BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority will hold three public meetings in the coming weeks to gather input about the future of Boston’s historic Mattapan-Ashmont High Speed Line. Earlier this year, MBTA officials […]

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Railroads brace for Mississippi River flooding NEWSWIRE

NWS

DAVENPORT, Iowa – Railroaders are working “around the clock” this week to restore and maintain service along water-logged routes in the Midwest, but the worst may be yet to come as communities along the Mississippi River brace for major flooding in the coming days. Over the weekend, flooding affected hundreds of miles of BNSF Railway […]

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Suburban Atlanta county votes on MARTA expansion NEWSWIRE

MARTA Logo

ATLANTA — Suburban Gwinnett County is voting today on whether to fund an expansion of the Atlanta-area MARTA transit agency, including an expansion of its heavy rail system, into the county. The referendum asks voters to approve a contract between the county and MARTA that would allow MARTA to take over existing Gwinnett County transit […]

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