logo
Superstorm Sandy aftermath: East River Tunnels set for rehabilitation

Superstorm Sandy aftermath: East River Tunnels set for rehabilitation

Yahoo16-05-2025

NEW YORK (PIX11) — The next big transit project is on track to begin May 23rd in the East River Tunnels.
Amtrak is the owner of the tunnels that connect Long Island to Penn Station.
More Local News
Railroad officials and project planners inspected the area overnight and released this video.
One of the tunnel tracks will be closed for extensive repairs and rebuilding. It should take 13 months. Then the work moves to a second track for another 13 months.
The Long Island Rail Road and Gov. Kathy Hochul have expressed concerns about possible service disruptions if issues arise.
Amtrak and the LIRR have been coordinating schedules and working on the planning. Amtrak believes any disruptions will be kept to a minimum.
This is the next major rehabilitation work to repair and restore the tunnels after Superstorm Sandy in 2012.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Fate of Oklahoma-Texas Heartland Flyer uncertain
Fate of Oklahoma-Texas Heartland Flyer uncertain

Yahoo

timea day ago

  • Yahoo

Fate of Oklahoma-Texas Heartland Flyer uncertain

The Heartland Flyer pulls into the Norman Station, Sunday, Aug. 6, 2023. (Photo by Kyle Phillips/For Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY – The fate of passenger rail service between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth is on shaky ground after the Texas Legislature declined to fund that state's portion. 'The state of Oklahoma cannot fund that operation of our own accord,' Tim Gatz, Oklahoma Department of Transportation executive director, told his governing board Monday. Gatz previously said the rail line would close as early as this month if Texas failed to fund it. He was not available for comment Tuesday and Wednesday. Gov. Kevin Stitt said he was disappointed Texas did not provide the funds. 'We're not going to pick up their end of that,' Stitt said Wednesday. 'And so we're not sure exactly what's going to happen with that connection.' The Heartland Flyer, an Amtrak route between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth, is a jointly funded partnership between Texas and Oklahoma City. Oklahoma's portion for 2025 was $4.5 million. The Texas Department of Transportation's budget for fiscal year 2025 included $2.81 million for the Heartland Flyer, said Laura Butterbrodt, a spokeswoman. She referred additional questions to Texas lawmakers. Oklahoma lawmakers last month passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 10 urging Texas legislators to continue funding the service. The service was reestablished in 1999 after ending in 1979. 'The Oklahoma State Legislature acknowledges the importance of the continued existence of passenger rail in Oklahoma, and understands that once removed, it would be extraordinarily challenging to restore this service and continue to provide an additional option for Oklahomans,' the SRJ said. Nearly 82,000 rode it last year. Officials were considering expanding it into Kansas allowing travelers to connect to other major routes. 'Kansas recently provided dedicated funding and authority for KDOT (Kansas Department of Transportation) to support passenger rail for the Heartland Flyer extension,' said Philip Harris, a spokesman. 'If the project were to stall in the study phase, evaluating the future use of those funds could be needed.' If the project continues, its targeted operational date is 2029, he said. Amtrak did not respond to a request for comment. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE

How freight rail fueled a new luxury overnight train startup
How freight rail fueled a new luxury overnight train startup

Yahoo

timea day ago

  • Yahoo

How freight rail fueled a new luxury overnight train startup

Can a passenger rail startup bring back the glamour of luxury overnight trains connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco that haven't been seen since the 1940s? Co-founders Joshua Dominic and Thomas Eastmond think so — and there's a connection to freight rail at the heart of their proposal. Dreamstar is a private venture reimagining medium-length passenger service in a setting that harks back to the heyday of first-class trains with all-bedroom accommodations, onboard gourmet dining and five-star hotel hospitality. 'Dreamstar started from a deeply personal frustration with the state of American travel,' said Dominic, in an interview. 'After experiencing modern rail across Europe and Asia in my 20s, I kept asking, 'Why don't we have this in the U.S.?' Years later, after hundreds of business and leisure trips that forced a choice between wasting precious daytime or sacrificing sleep, the idea crystallized: Build a better alternative. Dreamstar is our answer — a rail service that brings rest, reliability and elegance to medium-distance travel.'The Southern Pacific's Lark was the last domestic all-sleeper train to run exclusively in one state, operating two daily trains between San Francisco and LA. Espee added coaches after the Second World War; Amtrak's all-sleeper California Zephyr ended service between Chicago and Emeryville, California, in 1997. Dreamstar plans to run over much of the Lark's route, having signed a memorandum of agreement for track access with Union Pacific, which merged with SP in 1996. That includes 400 miles between San Jose and Ventura, which the partners say has minimal overnight freight and passenger traffic. Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) in a statement confirmed that it is in formal negotiations with Dreamstar but offered no details. Freight tracks are an essential component of the original proposal, like another recent passenger train startup, Brightline, which started out running on the tracks of sister company Florida East Coast said Dreamstar is working on access agreements with commuter agencies Caltrain and Metrolink, as well as the agency that manages Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal. 'The flagship route is designed as an overnight, limited-stop service optimized for uninterrupted rest,' said Dominic. 'We aim to keep stops to a minimum while ensuring operational viability and regional access.' The startup also claims its trains will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 75% compared to flying. Conceptual renderings emulate the proportions and outlines of contemporary passenger equipment. The cars follow the profile of the original Budd Hi-Level cars of Santa Fe's El Capitan, an all-coach train running between Los Angeles and Chicago, that were passed on to Amtrak and eventually replaced by the bilevel Superliners, also manufactured by Budd, which included sleeping accommodations. There are four classes of accommodations — called private cabins — including standard, bedroom, stateroom and family room sleeping six, as well as lounges, dining spaces and a spa. The renderings also depict Dreamstar's Auto Ferry, car transporters similar to those of Amtrak's Auto Train. Dreamstar's original proposal in 2018 called for construction of an all-new train. Now, the company plans to rebuild four previously owned cars. 'We've completed the concept development phase in partnership with BMW Designworks,' Dominic said. 'The next step is further refinement and engineering drawings. We've identified a handful of potential suppliers and are evaluating next steps.'The Los Angeles design studio has worked with aircraft maker Embraer, John Deere and Singapore Airlines, among many other clients. Construction of rolling stock is expected to take 18 to 24 months, with service to begin prior to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. A locomotive supplier has yet to be selected, 'but we've identified several viable options that align with our performance and emissions goals. We've reviewed a few promising options and are continuing to explore the right partners for both operations and maintenance.' The company said location planning is underway for maintenance facilities in parallel with operational modeling. Dominic said Dreamstar is working with industry experts to smooth the way through regulatory approval processes. At the same time, California homebuilder Bill Lyon has dropped $100,000 on Dreamstar. 'We've received additional support beyond Mr. Lyon, though we're not disclosing specific names at this stage,' Dominic said. 'Investors do include a mix of real estate families, early-stage angels and mission-aligned private backers.' Dominic did not say what total costs will be to get trains rolling, but added Dreamstar itself does not currently own any property along the proposed route. 'Our cost model is built from the ground up using data from international private rail benchmarks, infrastructure partnerships and real-world U.S. market factors,' said Dominic. 'Unlike legacy operators, we're able to build leaner and smarter — with no statutory obligations or route mandates. Our model prioritizes capital efficiency, operational control and long-term financial sustainability.' Subscribe to FreightWaves' Rail e-newsletter and get the latest insights on rail freight right in your inbox. Find more articles by Stuart Chirls & Knox runs first revenue train on Maine's Rockland Branch Norfolk Southern board chair Mongeau resigns BNSF stands up shortline rail team Regulator concerns pause Watco's Michigan shortline rail deal The post How freight rail fueled a new luxury overnight train startup appeared first on FreightWaves.

Richmond's Amtrak trains are fuller — and slower
Richmond's Amtrak trains are fuller — and slower

Axios

timea day ago

  • Axios

Richmond's Amtrak trains are fuller — and slower

While more people than ever are hopping aboard an Amtrak train in Virginia, train delays in the state seem to be getting worse. Why it matters: The on-time performance (OTP) rate for trains along the Northeast Regional line in Virginia — the line that runs through Richmond — is down 10% from fiscal year 2019, according to an Axios review of rail stats. The big picture: Like many travel sectors, Amtrak has been experiencing a post-pandemic surge in ridership. Last year, the rail company set an all-time ridership record nationwide with 32.8 million passengers hopping aboard a train in the last fiscal year. But its OTP has been ticking down overall, dropping from 80% in 2020 to 74% in 2022 and 2023, according to the most recent stats from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Zoom in: The Richmond corridor's OTP has been closer to 70% in recent years, slightly higher than the 69% for the whole Northeast Regional line, per Virginia Passenger Rail Authority data. That OTP comes as the Virginia Amtrak routes just set another all-time ridership record, this time for April. By the numbers: Thus far this year, Richmond's OTP is 65.4%, lower than the 71.9% for all Virginia Amtrak routes. In 2024, Richmond's OTP was 71% vs. 72.3% on all Virginia routes. In 2023, Richmond's OTP was 75.6%. The state's: 74.3%. ✈️ For comparison, the Richmond airport's on-time rate for departures is at 79% thus far this year, per the latest Bureau of Transportation Statistics data. It was 80% or higher for the previous five years. The fine print: The Richmond corridor includes all trains between D.C. and Richmond, Karina Romero with VPRA tells Axios. VPRA tracks OTP by the calendar year, while Amtrak does it by fiscal year. And according to both, OTP represents the percentage of stations where a train arrives within 15 minutes of its scheduled arrival time, Romero says. Between the lines: There are multiple reasons trains end up running late, including accommodating more riders, but the most common in Virginia tends to be heat restrictions, Romero says. That's because hot weather and the rail's steel lines do not mix well. Other issues that can delay trains include winter weather and, critically, interference from freight trains, which share tracks with Amtrak. In Virginia, two big freight lines, CSX and Norfolk Southern, also happen to own most of the tracks, too. Plus, there can be a domino effect. If a train is delayed heading south out of D.C., which is often where the Virginia bottleneck starts, it'll be delayed the rest of the way through Richmond. Yes, but: There's hope to speed up those trains.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store