Regional Rail

BART Station

The Perilous Future of Bay Area Transit

Bay Area Rapid Transit, a hugely successful system pre-pandemic, is now struggling to close a massive projected budget gap, with no certain solutions on the table.

March 14, 2023 - San Francisco Chronicle

San Diego Trolley car

Report: San Diego Trolley Extension Cost Double the Average for U.S. Light Rail

Experts attribute the high cost of the project to local opposition and call on state and federal leaders to give transportation agencies more authority over local jurisdictions.

January 24, 2022 - San Diego Union-Tribune

Alstom Train

The High Cost of Adapting Commuter Rail for the Post-COVID Future

U.S. commuter rail systems, primarily designed to bring workers to and from central business districts, must adapt to serve a broader population as the traditional workday changes.

May 25, 2021 - Governing

New Jersey Transit

Opinion: 'Commuter Rail' Must Adapt to the New Commute

The sharp historic division between commuter rail and other forms of transit has limited the ability of regional rail systems to serve more users.

May 2, 2021 - Governing

Train Station Conceptual Renderings

New 'Capital Regional Rail Vision' Revealed

An idea to expand regional rail service around D.C. has new substance after the Greater Washington Partnership revealed the first details of a plan to convert the MARC and VRE commuter train systems into high-frequency, all-day regional service.

March 28, 2021 - The Washington Post

Virginia

A Regional Vision for Virginia, Maryland, D.C. Rail

Expanding rail service to more communities in Maryland and D.C. could enhance the benefits of Virginia's recent investments in intercity rail.

February 9, 2021 - The Virginia Mercury

Western Massachusetts

Reviving an Old Regional Rail Route to Spur Tourism in Western Massachusetts

The Berkshire Mountains have long been a popular destination for sightseers, tourists, and weekend warriors. A pilot Amtrak route is designed to attract new waves of New Yorkers to the region.

June 13, 2019 - Curbed Boston

Dutch Fyra Train

Federal Railroad Administration Clears the Way for the Modern Era of Train Technology

New rules adopted by the Federal Railroad Administration will make it easier for commuter rail and inter-city rail systems to operate cheaper and more efficient trains.

November 27, 2018 - Streetsblog USA

A SEPTA R5 commuter train heading for Doylestown, Pennsylvania from Lansdale station.

A Proposal to Extend Rail Service to a Town in Pennsylvania Is Ambitious. Proponents Are Undeterred

A plan to get a SEPTA Regional Rail link to Phoenixville in record time has its skeptics, but advocates are convinced they can make it happen.

August 30, 2018 - PlanPhilly

Orlando Rail Transit

Orlando SunRail Opens Southern Expansion

SunRail's new expansion includes four new stations, stretching down to Poinciana in Osceola County.

August 16, 2018 - Global Rail News

Siemens Train

New Locomotives Hit the SEPTA Tracks

Philadelphia regional commuters will get some fancy new trains to ride.

July 12, 2018 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

A SEPTA R5 commuter train heading for Doylestown, Pennsylvania from Lansdale station.

SEPTA Trains Running on Schedule for the First Time in Two Months

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority returned to a normal commute schedule today, after making sufficient repairs to new trains that didn't start on the right track.

October 3, 2016 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

A SEPTA R5 commuter train heading for Doylestown, Pennsylvania from Lansdale station.

SEPTA Expects to Be Operating at Normal Fleet Size in *November

After 120 of Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority's new but faulty Silverliner V cars were grounded in early July, regional rail service was drastically reduced. Repaired cars will begin returning to service this month.

August 6, 2016 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

RTD Train

Denver's Commuter Rail Cars: Same as SEPTA's But Without the Defects

Denver's transit agency is running very similar Hyundai Rotem EMUs on their new A Line to the airport. The car shells are imported from South Korea and assembled in the same Philadelphia plant as SEPTA's problem-plagued Silverliner V cars.

July 11, 2016 - Billy Penn

SEPTA Train Tracks

SEPTA Forced to Take 120 Regional Trains Out of Service for Repairs

SEPTA commuters traveling to and from Delaware will spend the summer in transit gridlock, as 120 trains undergo necessary repairs to a serious structural flaw.

July 6, 2016 - NewsWorks

Lack of Productivity Afflicts U.S. Commuter Rail

What the U.S. does with twenty-five workers, Spain does with nine; 'work rules' are part of the problem when it comes to the lack of productivity and high costs of America's regional rail systems.

August 31, 2012 - Bloomberg

Metra Announces Price Hikes

Metra, Chicago's regional rail provider, has announced that it will increase fares starting in February 2012. For over 300,000 weekday riders, the price increase will mean hundreds of dollars more in fares per year.

November 10, 2011 - World Socialist Web Site

BART Looking at Vendors to Boost Revenues

The San Francisco Bay Area's BART regional transit system is considering a plan to expand the amount of retailers and vendors it allows within its stations as a way to boost revenue.

June 27, 2009 - San Francisco Examiner

Metrolink: Understaffed and Underfunded

The Sept. 12 crash of a Metrolink commuter train with a U.P. freight train resulting in 25 deaths has brought attention to Southern California's regional rail system, revealing that it is a weak 'stepchild' to the larger, better funded LA MTA.

September 22, 2008 - Los Angeles Times

Locals Apprehensively Excited About Sydney's Big Transit Plans

A recently announced $12.5 billion metropolitan rail system plan for Sydney has many in the region excited about finally getting a good mass transit system. But they are also wary, as many other proposals promising similar services were never kept.

March 24, 2008 - The Sydney Morning Herald

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HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

HUD’s 2023 Innovative Housing Showcase

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

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