Thursday morning rail news:
— The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has pulled some of its new Orange Line cars from service for a third time, in this case to deal with problems with trucks on the CRRC-built cars, MassLive.com reports. The problem is with the cars’ trucks, specifically the bolster that allows the wheelset to turn. The cars have previously been removed from service after a door opened while trains were in motion, and because of noises related to a different underbody problem. CRRC says it is not involved in the repair process and continues to complete cars for the 152-car Orange Line order.
— Updated numbers in California’s Marin and Sonoma counties show that roughly 51 percent of voters approved extension of a quarter-cent sales tax to fund the local rail system, well short of the two-thirds majority needed for approval. The Santa Rosa Press-Democrat reports the vote split roughly 50-50 in Sonoma County, with 54% in favor in Marin County. The 2008 vote which approved the start of Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit passed with 70% support. The initiative sparked the most expensive campaign in the area’s history, with opponents and supporters spending more than $3 million. About $2 million was spent by opponents, who attacked SMART over accountability and a lack of financial oversight, the newspaper says.
— U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) has introduced a bill aimed at helping expand commuter rail service between Manchester, N.H., and Boston. The Capital Investment Grant Program Improvement Act would increase funding for the existing grant program and prioritize projects connecting smaller cities to existing passenger rail in larger cities.
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