More Friday rail news:
— VIA Rail Canada has announced further service cuts because of the coronavirus pandemic, extending suspensions of the Montreal-Halifax Ocean, Toronto-Vancouver Canadian, and Jasper-Prince Rupert service until at least May 1, the CBC reports. Montreal-Senneterre and Montreal-Jonquiere, Quebec, trains will be reduced to one round trip per week, as will Sudbury-White River, Ontario, service, beginning March 23. On-board and in-station services such as baggage handling and restaurant access will also be reduced.
— Maryland’s General Assembly has passed a law that would extend MARC commuter-train service through Washington, D.C., and into Virginia. In one of its last acts before adjourning because of coronavirus concerns, the Washington Post reports, the legislature requires the Maryland Transit Administration to negotiate with Virginia, the District of Columbia, and host railroads to allow MARC trans to serve Arlington and Alexandria, Va., the Washington Post reports. It also requires similar negotiations with Delaware and railroads to extend MARC’s Penn Line an additional 20 miles from Perryville, Md., and Newark, Del. Gov. Larry Hogan has not indicated if he will sign the bill.
— Canadian Pacific will make its annual shareholders meeting a virtual event, to be held April 21 at 9 a.m. Mountain Daylight time (11 a.m. EDT), the railroad announced. Proxy materials and a link to the online meeting are available at the investor section of the CP website. Canadian National had previously announced similar plans for an online meeting [see “Trains News Wire Digest for Friday, March 13”].
— The Port of Savannah is adding 400,000 TEUs (Twenty-foot equivalent units, the standard measure of container capacity) of storage capacity to deal with a coronavirus-related downturn in demand. “With slowing demand related to the coronavirus, port users need space to stage their cargo until that demand returns,” Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Griff Lynch said in a press release. “With these new container stack areas, Savannah is delivering the flexibility our customers need.” The port’s Garden City Terminal is the largest single-operator container terminal in North America, and is served by CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern.
It only makes sense for Marc and Ctr to operate through, rather than to, union station. Less storage costs. More efficient operations. Kind of like trains passing through NY Penn Station. Allows the few thru travelers to remain on board.
Similar discussions happening for NJT and Long Island RR—at Penn Station.
Mister Lampman:
What makes you think service will be restored after the end of the emergency?
It will be nice to get this many service updates when things return to normal after this runs its course.
Why would Virginia want MARC providing service to the VRE service area. Maybe alternating or other cost /income sharing direct operations thru DC say Richmond – Baltimore.
VRE AND MARC are controlled by different states….no way VA gives up control of VRE. MARC can now pony up for some. $$ for the Long Bridge to reach VA. I am sure they will….
MARC and VRE should just be combined and operate as one agency.
Wouldn’t be easier to just say communter rail in the entire country is suspended? Sure seems that way. The virus news is way past getting old.
Just report other non-virus related rxr news.
MARC is goin places, kool