CRC UNVEILS NEW WEBSITE

 The Commuter Rail Coalition this week released its fully redesigned website. With the website upgrade comes changes to the CRC’s weekly bulletin of news and events.

As the voice of commuter railroads, the CRC’s new website provides a visually appealing, easy-to-navigate forum for sharing that voice with industry stakeholders.

FIRST MILE SOLUTIONS

NCTD this week began operating the COASTER Connection to provide first-mile/last-mile service for COASTER riders who disembark at the Sorrento Valley Station in San Diego. The 41-mile, eight-station Coaster line runs from Oceanside to downtown San Diego.

NEHLS READIES RAIL SAFETY RESPONSE

Politico reported this week something CRC’s government affairs director John Cline (Cline Strategic Consulting) has been telling members for months.  The chairman of the House Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials subcommittee is, with Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton, outlining railway safety legislation for release following the National Transportation Safety Board’s report on their investigation of the East Palestine derailment.

“I want to wait for the report. I have a good draft that has received a lot of — I've received a lot of input from labor, from stakeholders.  I feel it's a good bill.” Rep. Troy Nehls to POLITICO.

CRC has indeed been one of the stakeholder groups working with the chairman and his staff, including pointing out the adverse implications that the Senate’s version will have on commuter rail operators.

The NTSB is scheduled to report its findings on June 25.

HOW WILL CARB IMPACT THE NATIONAL RAIL NETWORK

The House Committee on Science and Technology subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight met this week to discuss the California Air Resources Board (CARB) decision to approve a goal of zero emissions from diesel locomotives.  The CARB rule goes further than federal standards and went into effect in January, but requires an EPA signoff before it can be enforced.   The Committee, led by  Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.), heard from several in the industry who have spoken out against the regulation, including Ian Jefferies, President and Chief Executive Officer, Association of American Railroads, and Chuck Baker, President, American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association.

House Republicans will continue applying pressure on the EPA to reject the CARB rule, and CRC is monitoring how implementation will impact CRC member agencies’ rolling stock.

Watch the hearing here.

WHAT WE’RE READING

• The Next Crisis Will Start With Empty Office Buildings (The Atlantic)

•  Special Report: 2024 Trends in Passenger Rail (Mass Transit)

•  Project 2025 Would Increase Costs for Commuters, Defund Transit Maintenance, and Undermine Economic Growth (Center for American Progress)

•  Boston’s MBTA ridership rebounds, emphasizing mid-day and night service (Greater Greater Washington)

•  People News: CRC, UTA, MBTA (Railway Age)

•  Latest Argonne National Laboratory study reveals implications if public transit was eliminated in Chicago region (Mass Transit)

•  Voters could decide on a commuter rail connecting parts of the OKC metro by 2025 (KOCO News 5)