State examines rail alternative to I-10 October 9th, 2011
A good article in the Daily Wildcat: State examines a rail alternative to the [sic] I-10:
The possibility of riding the rails between Phoenix and Tucson was raised during an Arizona Department of Transportation open house on the UA Mall on Friday.
Although the process for an intercity rail system is in the preliminary research stage, the idea of having a faster means of transportation between Tucson and Phoenix has been around for several decades. The first study was completed in 1980, according to Michael Kies, assistant director of planning and programming for the Department of Transportation. The plan wasn’t adopted until March earlier this year.
Dallas to inaugurate new regional rail line this Saturday June 13th, 2011
At a time when transit advocates in Fort Worth and other areas of North Texas are struggling to pay for and build new rail lines, officials in Denton County have managed to get the A-train up and running quickly — and without federal funding.
On the first day of revenue service, commuters will be able to catch trains at any of five Denton County stations for a ride to Trinity Mills in Carrollton. There, they can transfer to the Dallas Area Rapid Transit light-rail system and connect to the extensive Dallas-area transit network…
Full story at: A-train commuter line is set for its first run between Denton and Carrollton, in the Star-Telegram, 11 June 2011.
NS Gives Green Light to Georgia Regional Rail May 24th, 2011
According to an article on ‘Political Insider’ Norfolk-Southern says: If voters approve, we’re ready to negotiate Macon-Atlanta passenger rail.
Funding sources absent in Arizona’s rail-network plan March 28th, 2011
From the Arizona Republic, 2011-03-28:
A state transportation panel has approved Arizona’s first comprehensive rail plan, which is necessary to build a passenger rail network but doesn’t address the question of how to pay for improvements…
Arizona Department of Transportation planners recommend linking, by various types of rail, Phoenix with its suburbs, neighboring cities and the rest of the country. The wide-ranging plan calls for short- and long-haul passenger rail and freight improvements. It envisions new tracks and restored freight lines that could be used to carry people and goods.
Specifically, the plan calls for a commuter-train system connecting the East and West Valley suburbs, plus an intercity system to connect Phoenix and Tucson.
It also envisions longer-haul passenger rail lines, with track to reach Las Vegas, Los Angeles or both with high-speed bullet trains…
Rest of the story here.
Commuter-rail system envisioned for Valley December 3rd, 2009
Enough people would board a train in the Valley’s suburbs that a future commuter-rail system would be as popular as some of the busiest lines in the West, new studies have found.
A trio of yearlong rail studies, in nearly final form, indicates commuter rail could carry almost 18,000 passengers a day by 2030. Planners at the Maricopa Association of Governments say, based on the findings, they favor a 105-mile, X-shaped system that could feature 33 stations and cost roughly $1.5 billion. That’s a little more than the Valley’s 20-mile, light-rail starter line.
The commuter-rail network would use existing freight track through downtown Phoenix
, with lines from Queen Creek to Buckeye and from Chandler to Wittmann…
