Passenger Trains > Six Rail Lines to receive Federal Grants for Service Improvements

Seen on MSN via Trains.com
One of the grants for Amtrak operations, $21.1 million for operating expenses for the still-to-come Gulf Coast service, was announced previously by U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker [see "Amtrak Gulf Coast service to receive …," Trains News Wire, Jan. 6, 2025]. Newly announced are:- $38.6 million for Amtrak's Borealis between Chicago and St. Paul, Minn. The funds will cover most of the second-year expenses as well as part of those in years three through six.- $33.8 million to Brightline to help cover extending train consists from five to seven cars in two increments during 2025, with a sixth car added early in the year and a seventh later.- $27.1 million to California's LOSSAN Rail Corridor to help expand Pacific Surfliner service by adding the 11th, 12th, and 13th round trips between Los Angeles and San Diego, restoring service to pre-COVID levels. The funding will support six years of service.- $14 million to North Carolina's Piedmont service to help fund the addition of café cars on the four daily roundtrips between Raleigh and Charlotte, N.C.- $11.6 million to expand service on CTRail's Hartford Line with a ninth daily round trip, as well as adding a weekday round trip between New Haven and Hartford; extending four New Haven-Hartford trains to Windsor Locks, Conn., and extending customer service hours at the Hartford station. The funding will support three years of service, beginning in year four.



Six Rail Lines to get federal grants

Jerry Martin
Los Angeles, CA
Central Coast Railroad Festival

".....$33.8 million to Brightline....."  So "private sector" Brightline
is now federally funded? Really! What was the criteria FRA used
to choose these six lines? Read article but no information available.

On the Piedmonts, I wonder if that grant means replacing the ancient (1953, I think) bike/vending/cafe cars with something newer like Amfleet or Horizon club-dinettes displace from other routes by newer equipment until North Carolina can arrange for Airo trainsets or something else new?  This sounds like it could get the Piedmonts away from vending machines, or the Amfleet/Horizon service counters could be replaced by vending machines.  The club seats in the dinettes could be removed to create baggage/bike sections, admittedly with only small passenger doors on each end like VIA's Rennaissance trains started out with.

NPRocky Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> On the Piedmonts, I wonder if that grant means
> replacing the ancient (1953, I think)
> bike/vending/cafe cars with something newer like
> Amfleet or Horizon club-dinettes displace from
> other routes by newer equipment until North
> Carolina can arrange for Airo trainsets or
> something else new?  This sounds like it could
> get the Piedmonts away from vending machines, or
> the Amfleet/Horizon service counters could be
> replaced by vending machines.  The club seats in
> the dinettes could be removed to create
> baggage/bike sections, admittedly with only small
> passenger doors on each end like VIA's
> Rennaissance trains started out with.

"$14 million to North Carolina's Piedmont service to help fund the addition of café cars"

I can't imagine several relocated Horizon cars need $14 million. Maybe those are addtional cars for their yet-to=build Airo sets. 

I hope these wonderful grants are safe from being "clawed back" by the soon to arrive cost-cutters.

I have this terrible feeling that Trump, Elon Musk, and the DOGE team
will consider them "wasteful Government spending"

ronald321 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I hope these wonderful grants are safe from being
> "clawed back" by the soon to arrive cost-cutters.
>
> I have this terrible feeling that Trump, Elon
> Musk, and the DOGE team
> will consider them "wasteful Government spending"

Well, we shall see. Let's hope not. Until then, good news is good news. Glad to hear that these grants have been made. Good small steps for some progress for passenger rail.

MC

It sounds like NCDOT is getting serious with replacing their Heritage coaches, F59PH, and F59PHI locomotives. I would not be surprised if NCDOT purchases Siemens Venture cars. For a route that is the distance of the Piedmont, the seats in Siemens Venture Cars assigned to the Piedmont probably would be just fine.

As for Ctrail north of Hartford, it is definately a start to have more trips running to WNL but it will be even better when those trips would be extended to Springfield. For more trains to run north of WNL, that would mean some more double track being added. The Connecticut River Bridge, on the Springfield Line, must get replaced with a double track bridge. By the way, on Saturdays and days that Ctrail Hartford LIne is following a Saturday schedule, there is a four plus hour gap between southbound Amtrak Train # 467 and Ctrail Train # 6411, making it too long of a gap between southbounds.

ronald321 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I hope these wonderful grants are safe from being
> "clawed back" by the soon to arrive cost-cutters.
>
> I have this terrible feeling that Trump, Elon
> Musk, and the DOGE team
> will consider them "wasteful Government spending"

So what, I've heard this crap everytime a Republican takes office!

Posted from Android

ProAmtrak

You call it "crap", but you have forgotten something.

In his first term, Trump sent Congress ZERO Amtrak budgets.  I don't call this crap.

I say, Amtrak dodged a bullet, thanks to a few friendly Republican votes (thank God) 

This time around -- with Musk on the scene -- and Congress seemly terrified of the President,
Amtrak (and all passenger rail),  might not have the friends they had last time.

Without friends in DC -- bad thing can happen.  That's my fear.

Jon Tester isn't in Congress anymore. A good Amtrak friend.

Posted from Android

ronald321 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ProAmtrak
>
> You call it "crap", but you have forgotten
> something.
>
> In his first term, Trump sent Congress ZERO Amtrak
> budgets.  I don't call this crap.
>
> I say, Amtrak dodged a bullet, thanks to a few
> friendly Republican votes (thank God) 
>
> This time around -- with Musk on the scene -- and
> Congress seemly terrified of the President,
> Amtrak (and all passenger rail),  might not have
> the friends they had last time.
>
> Without friends in DC -- bad thing can happen. 
> That's my fear.

Like I said, it's been like this everytime a Republican takes office, you're one of those Chicken Littles who always assumes the worse will happen!

Lets not get political. If so, go back and look at train-offs/cuts under both parties' rule. It's not pretty. I agree - lets celebrate the victories that are bestowed. Any claw backs or re-arrangement of funds - my position is it wouldn't happen if Amtrak was run properly. You always need to be pre-emptive instead of making yourself vulnerable to the wolves. Amtrak's dealt with this scrutiny since their creation. Do I think there will be musical chairs at Amtrak on Massachusetts Ave - ABSOLUTELY. I am sure current management is "setting themselves up" quite well in the mean time. 

ProAmtrak

Shame on you.  Bashing your fellow railfans (like me), and calling us names.

I know you want me to engage in a political fight of  "Us versus Them", or, "Blue versus Red"

I refuse to do this.

My fear is that Amtrak has the potential of being  severely damaged by the soon to arrive Cost-Cutters.
Like every trainfan -- I hope Amtrak will escape such a fate.  But, the potential is there--bigtime.

ronald321 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ProAmtrak
>
> Shame on you.  Bashing your fellow railfans (like
> me), and calling us names.
>
> I know you want me to engage in a political fight
> of  "Us versus Them", or, "Blue versus Red"
>
> I refuse to do this.
>
> My fear is that Amtrak has the potential of
> being  severely damaged by the soon to arrive
> Cost-Cutters.
> Like every trainfan -- I hope Amtrak will escape
> such a fate.  But, the potential is
> there--bigtime.

Like I said, you're Chicken Little!

Should Amtrak suffer harm from the about to arrive cost-cutters, (like Mush).

you will owe me an apology.

However, if none of this happens, and Amtrak is spared completely of any cost-cutting,

I will owe you an apology

ronald321 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Should Amtrak suffer harm from the about to arrive
> cost-cutters, (like Mush).
>
> you will owe me an apology.
>
> However, if none of this happens, and Amtrak is
> spared completely of any cost-cutting,
>
> I will owe you an apology

Fair enough!