Tuesday morning rail news:
North County Transit District
North County Transit District debuts new Coaster locomotives, refurbished cars
San Diego’s North County Transit District placed the first five of its new Siemens Charger locomotives into service Monday, along with several newly renovated passenger cars. The locomotives, which began testing in October [see “News Photo: New Coaster locomotives begin testing,” Trains News Wire, Oct. 8, 2020] and refurbished Bombardier coaches wear a new paint scheme; car interiors feature new upholstery and carpeting, upgraded lighting, and charging stations at some seats. “Today’s launch of the new Coaster locomotives and overhauled passenger cars underscores NCTD’s commitment to its mission to deliver safe, convenient, reliable, and user-friendly public transportation services,” Tony Kranz, district board chairman, said in a press release. “This roll out is a huge step in improving Coaster services. The new Coaster locomotives will increase service reliability, improve the rider experience, and are more environmentally friendly.” The new locomotives, substantially quieter than the F40s they are replacing, have led to increased efforts to address trespassing along the Coaster route [see “Digest: San Diego transit agency to increase trespassing enforcement,” News Wire, Jan. 28, 2021].
Metro-North seeks to abandon Beacon Line, remnant of New Haven’s Maybrook Line
Metro-North Railroad seeks to abandon its Beacon Line, a 41-mile remnant of the New Haven’s Maybrook line, the commuter railroad has informed the Surface Transportation Board. A portion of the route will become part of the 750-mile Empire State Trail. In its filing with the STB, Metro-North notes it received an exemption from most abandonment rules when it acquired the line, and is requesting an STB waiver and exemption form discontinuance rules only as they address the trackage rights of the Housatonic Railroad, which has not operated on the route for at least two years. The move will leave just two active segments of the Maybrook Line— a short segment in Maybrook, N.Y., operated by Middletown & New Jersey, and a portion between Danbury and Derby Junction, Conn., owned by Housatonic.
NJ Transit introduces new ‘Flexpass’ ticket option
NJ Transit has become the latest transit agency to offer new forms of ticketing as a result of COVID-19 changes in commuting habits, introducing a “Flexpass” that offers discounted travel between a single point of origin and destination selected by the purchaser. The Flexpass will consist of 20 one-way tickets, sold at 20% off the one-way fare, and will be available for rail, light rail, and bus travel. The tickets must be used in a 30-day period beginning with the use of the first ticket. “We are working to make transit as attractive as possible and traditional monthly, weekly and 10-trip tickets are not economically optimal for many of our customers based on their current commuting frequency,” NJ Transit CEO Kevin Corbett said in a press release. “Our hope is that we can encourage customers to return to transit by offering a flexible fare option that meets their needs.”
