SEPTA Strike Six-Day
On November 1, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority and Transportation
Workers Union
Local 234 failed to negotiate a contract agreement. Over 4,700 TWU members began a strike that shut down the City Transit Division. By November 7, just a day before the national elections, SEPTA and Local 234 announced a tentative five-year contract that brought its 4,700-plus employees back to work, ending the six-day strike. The strike was the ninth since 1975. The agreement provides wage increases and pension improvements, and maintains health care coverage levels while addressing rising costs.
The proximity of the strike to election day made things interesting politically. The Democratic leadership of the city was concerned a strike on election day could suppress voter turnout; Philadel- phia is a usual Democratic stronghold. City officials even sought an injunction for the strike to be suspended just for election day. The settlement reached the day before made the injunction moot.
NJ Transit Moves Forward with PTC
On October 26, New Jersey Transit announced it has acquired a lease authorization of the radio spectrum to advance its implementation of Positive Train Control to meet the 2018 deadline. The approval of the lease authorization by NJT’s Board of Directors allows the agency to execute a lease agreement with the Metropolitan Transportation
Authority for the last component of radio spectrum needed for NJT’s PTC system. The
radio spectrum
provides the
wireless link which allows information to pass between the rail vehicles and wayside equipment, ensuring that the onboard PTC system is getting the most accurate and up-to-date safety data. NJT must have its own radio bandwidth or spectrum so transmissions do not overlap or interfere with any others in the region.
Siemens to Supply Cars for Minneapolis
On October 27, the Minneapolis-area Metropolitan Council awarded Siemens a $118 million contract to build 27 light rail vehicles for the Green Line extension. Based on the popular S70 light rail vehicle, the new cars will have several updates including pantograph ice cutters and a redesigned midsection designed for better passenger movement. By choosing an updated version of an existing car operated by Metro Transit, the new equipment helps the system save money on development and mainte- nance costs. Plans call for the cars to be constructed at Siemens’ Sacramento plant.
Vancouver SkyTrain Opens New Extension
The Millennium Line Evergreen Extension of the SkyTrain serving Vancouver, B.C., was scheduled to open December 2. The new line adds six new stations and 11 kilometers (6.6 miles) of new track, providing customers with a direct ride from Coquitlam and Port
Moody to the VCC–Clark Station. The Evergreen Extension connects the
to existing SkyTrain system,
regional bus network, and West Coast Express commuter rail new
and Burquitlam. Once line. The six
Millennium Line stations will include Lafarge Lake–Douglas, Lincoln, Coquitlam Central, Inlet Centre, Moody Centre,
the
Evergreen Extension is operational, Metro Vancouver will have the longest, fully-automated, driverless,
rapid
transit system in the world. In other SkyTrain news, the agency recently placed in service a fleet of its new Mark III trains. The seven new trains incorporate an updated design making the Mark III more energy-effi- cient and comfortable for passengers. The Mark III is lighter and has improved LED lighting
and a longer-lasting
battery system. Each train is made up of four connected cars so passengers can walk from one end to the other and move freely within the train. Watch the “Meet the Mark III” video, available at
youtube.com/translink.
Blue Line Extension DART Opens
Dallas Area Rapid Transit opened a key part of its system, the Blue Line extension, on October 24. The new three- mile extension connects the University of North Texas at Dallas with the rest of the system. Launched in 1996, DART light rail riders now enjoy a 93-mile regional system with 64 stations.
PLEASE SEND YOUR TRANSIT NEWS to Bob Gallegos at
transit@railfan.com.
Holiday Rush on Amtrak
A set of New Jersey Transit Arrow
commuter cars wander outside their home territory, passing through Holmesburg Junction in Philadelphia on November 28. Two sets of NJT Arrows (along with one set of MARC commuter equipment from Maryland) were leased by Amtrak to operate as Holiday Specials on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, the busiest travel day of the year. Holmesburg Prison is in the background.
PHOTO BY STEVE BARRY
20 JANUARY 2017 •
RAILFAN.COM
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76
