Biden's executive order to impact rail competition

President Joe Biden today will issue an executive order (EO) on economic competition in which he'll call on the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to require freight railroads to provide rights of way to passenger rail and to strengthen their obligations to treat other freight companies fairly.

The order includes 72 initiatives by more than a dozen federal agencies “to promptly tackle some of the most pressing competition problems” across the U.S. economy, according to a White House “Fact Sheet” on the EO.

Among the initiatives: Biden will encourage the STB to require railroad track owners to provide rights of way to passenger rail, an initiative that likely would impact Amtrak’s effort to gain easier access to freight railroads’ track on which Amtrak trains operate.

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Amtrak and freight railways agree to small step toward Gulf Coast passenger route

Amtrak has gained some access to the freight-owned tracks it needs to begin a Gulf Coast passenger route. But whether Amtrak’s desired Jan. 1 start date will go on as planned is still unclear.

Despite an ongoing battle through a federal transportation board, freight operators have given Amtrak limited access to their properties on the Gulf Coast. The agreement, outlined in letters given to the board, allows Amtrak workers on freight-owned property to survey and prepare for the possible Gulf Coast route.

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Will Gulf Coast train passenger service start on Jan. 1? Amtrak asks feds to hurry

Amtrak is still aiming to begin passenger train service between South Mississippi and New Orleans on or about Jan. 1.

With less than six months until the service is targeted to start, Amtrak this week asked the Surface Transportation Board to expedite its application so preparations can begin.

The motion said restoration of service between New Orleans and Mobile will alleviate worsening congestion on the highways and offer a more energy-efficient way of travel.

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Amtrak to spend $7B on new Siemens rail cars, locomotives

Amtrak yesterday unveiled a $7.3 billion plan to purchase new passenger-rail cars and locomotives, upgrading a fleet that’s nearly 50 years old.

Siemens Mobility Inc. will manufacture up to 83 multipowered modern trains that will be leveraged for state and northeast services, with further options for up to 130 additional trains to support growth plans, Amtrak officials said in a press release.

"These new trains will reshape the future of rail travel by replacing our aging 40-to-50-year old fleet with state-of-the-art, American-made equipment," said Amtrak Chief Executive Officer Bill Flynn. "This investment is essential to preserving and growing our Northeast Regional and state-supported services and will allow our customers to travel comfortably and safely, while deeply reducing criteria pollutants."

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Plan to sell rail line from Baton Rouge to New Orleans would help city, Edwards, Broome, BRAF say

A host of elected and business leaders from South Louisiana have come out in support of the Canadian National-Kansas City Southern merger and Canadian National’s plans to sell off the 70-mile rail line connecting Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

Gov. John Bel Edwards, Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome, the Port of New Orleans and the Baton Rouge Area Foundation have all filed letters in support of the deal with the U.S. Surface Transportation Board, the railways announced Monday.

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Senate Republicans and Democrats Agree To Double Amtrak's Funding

If a bill has the support of both Republicans and Democrats, be concerned. That's certainly the case with a bipartisan transportation bill moving through the Senate that would double the federal subsidies given to Amtrak.

Last week, the U.S. Senate's Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation voted 25 to 3 to advance a $78 billion surface transportation bill that gives the government-owned passenger rail service $19 billion over five years, for an average of $3.8 billion per year.

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Amtrak kicks off $28 million project to upgrade long-distance ride

Amtrak has launched a $28 million, three-year project to improve the rider experience aboard its long-distance trains serving overnight routes across the country.

Modernized interiors of Amtrak’s bi-level “Superliner” fleet, serving primarily midwestern, southern and western routes, will improve comfort with new seating cushions and upholstery, carpet, LED lighting, tables and curtains, according to a news release. 

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Washington must be part of plan to expand nation’s passenger rail network, says Amtrak president

America’s passenger railroad has put out a map and a vision for what an expanded rail network could look like by 2035. Imagine 39 new routes and increased frequencies on 25 existing routes. The expansion could mean 20 million more passengers annually using Amtrak, which had a record 32.5 million passenger trips before the coronavirus pandemic hit.

Amtrak President Stephen Gardner spoke to The Washington Post about the passenger rail’s plans and the challenges to reaching them.

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Amtrak Gulf Coast Service: Analyzing the Blame Game

Amtrak is attempting to start service between Mobile and New Orleans, along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. CSX and Norfolk Southern (NS) oppose Amtrak’s plan, and the issue is now before the Surface Transportation Board (STB). The issues are purportedly operational, having to do with rail capacity at the Port of Mobile, although there are also procedural issues to the controversy. There is a political dimension, too, with essentially the entire political establishment in Mississippi supporting Amtrak’s position and all of Alabama’s opposing it.

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Amtrak ‘Corridor Vision’ report addresses expansion plans, calls for $75 billion

Amtrak today released a report offering more details on the “Connect US” map it released earlier this year for service expansion. What the company is calling its “Corridor Vision” report calls for a $75 billion federal investment over 75 years to add 39 new routes and enhance service on 25 others, leading to service in 47 of the 48 contiguous states and new stations in more than half of those states.

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