Updates: Ellis on the Rails, Grand Central Madison, Amtrak, Metrolink, Brightline West
Saluting 1st Anniversaries for Grand Central Madison, Ellis on the Rails
Just over a year ago I began this SubStack with a post about riding the historic first Long Island Rail Road train to Grand Central Terminal, i.e. Grand Central Madison. I wanted to experiment with this new communications vehicle to keep my skills sharp in retirement by writing about my passion, trains. Since then I have produced 50 posts and my subscriber count is approaching 200. As I begin my second year I look forward to writing “good stories well told” and more interaction. Thank you for your support.
Speaking of anniversaries, Grand Central Madison turned one last week. Although its long (and deep) escalators are daunting and I am still trying to learn my way around the place, overall it is a winner IMHO. Since it opened more than 17 million travelers have used the station. On some days 40 percent of LIRR’s customers go through Grand Central instead of Penn Station. It has been a boon to people who live on Long Island and work on the East Side and vice versa. Additionally, Long Islanders can now transfer to Metro North trains for the Hudson Valley and Connecticut without having to first get across Midtown by subway, bus, car, or walking. Although many commuters complained at first about having to change trains at Jamaica, people are adapting to the new operating plan and realizing the new station’s advantages.
Here are updates to other stories I recently covered:
San Clemente Landslide Disrupts Surf Line Again
Another landslide at San Clemente, the third since September 2022, has suspended Amtrak and Metrolink service between Oceanside and Irvine indefinitely. The slide Wednesday, January 24 at the Mariposa pedestrian and bike bridge, sent boulders and debris onto the tracks. The bridge, which is owned by the city of San Clemente, closed two weeks ago because of a landslide that did not impact rail operations. Amtrak is busing passengers around the closed section. Metrolink is providing Uber vouchers for stranded passengers. Orange County officials have begun to investigate relocating the tracks away from the Pacific shoreline.
Amtrak Virginia Trains Get Huge Ridership Bump
Ridership on Amtrak’s Virginia trains rose by 29.8 percent year-over-year, according to the Virginia Passenger Rail Administration (VPRA). In FY 2023, 1.32 million passengers rode the eight state-funded services with a record 130,998 riders in August 2023. The Newport News corridor reported the largest gain – 36.8 percent. Other lines run to Washington from Norfolk, Richmond, and Roanoke and continue on to New York, Boston, or Springfield, MA. Newly funded capital projects, including a $2 billion bridge over the Potomac River, are expected to double capacity on the state’s routes.
Brightline West On a Roll
“When you’re hot you’re hot.” One month after receiving a $3 billion grant under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Brightline West was authorized by the U.S. Department of Transportation to sell $2.5 billion of private activity bonds. This is on top of $1 billion of private activity bonds authorized in 2021. The company is now more than halfway toward arranging the $12 billion financing it says it needs to build a 218-mile high-speed passenger rail line from Las Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Private activity authority enables businesses to issue bonds with tax-exempt interest payments.