Registration for the 2024 Commuter Rail Summit is now open for Coalition members.

Make plans to join us in Boston October 14 - 16 as the MBTA hosts the 2024 Summit. And extend your stay to golf on October 17 in support of students attending this year’s program.

Follow this link for full details, registration rates, and to book your reservation at the Hilton Park Plaza.

Non-members can waitlist here.

DCTA is the newest agency member of the Commuter Rail Coalition. Led by CEO Paul Cristina, DCTA is the operator of the A-train, a 21-mile commuter rail line connecting Denton and Dallas Counties. The A-train connects with the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Green Line at the Trinity Mills Station in Carrollton, TX. Passengers can transfer to DART’s Green Line, which provides access to DART’s Red, Orange and Blue Lines and the Trinity Railway Express (TRE). The A-train operates Monday through Saturday, excluding major holidays. DCTA has five A-train stations – two in Denton and three in Lewisville.

Passengers can ride the A-train free in the designated "free fare" zones between the Downtown Denton Transit Center and the MedPark Station, as well as between the Hebron Station and the Trinity Mills Station.

The CRC warmly welcomes DCTA to the coalition of agencies and other stakeholders supporting the commuter rail industry. With the addition of DCTA, CRC members move 98.5% of all riders in the US.

To establish a mechanism to allow grantees to work together to purchase rolling stock, FTA created an online tool to support current and potential joint procurement participants. The Joint Procurement Clearinghouse was developed with input from the transit industry and is available to transit agency procurement staff through the TrIAD platform.

Transit procurement staff from throughout the country can use the site to post information about potential opportunities for joint procurement of rolling stock, including buses, railcars and ferries. The tool is useful to both large and small transit providers looking to pool purchases and create economies of scale.

The Clearinghouse includes fields for procurement officers to list information such as bus size, engine type, and other features. The tool includes filters and search fields to help users explore and find specific joint procurements to fit their agency’s needs.

To help grantees navigate the tool, see the Joint Procurement Clearinghouse User Guide or contact the help desk at
877-561-7466.

Links:
Joint Procurement Clearinghouse Webpage
TrIAD Platform Login
Joint Procurement Clearinghouse User Guide

On May 13, NICTD celebrated the commencement of double-track service for its riders, marking a significant achievement in improving the South Shore Line Service. Indiana Governor Eric J. Holcomb was joined by US Senator Todd Young and Reps Rudy Yakym and Frank Mrvan, along with numerous community partners for the ribbon cutting. The entire project was delivered on time and under budget thanks to the dedication and support of the following CRC members:

• Herzog/Walsh JV: Main Construction Contractor

• Modern Railway Systems

• WSP: Construction Management

• AECOM: Engineer of Record

• HDR: Led 30% engineering, environmental clearance and program management of the FFGA

• Metra: Acquired train slots for new service on Metra for the double track new trains

• Alstom: Signal equipment

Watch the event video HERE.

• A lingering effect of the pandemic is making traffic worse in these US cities (The Hill)

• Public transit in the post-pandemic world: Views diverge at congressional hearing (Smart Cities Dive)

• Big changes are needed for more sustainable, inclusive transport (World Bank Blogs)

• Illinois Gov. Pritzker, IDOT launch largest infrastructure multi-year plan in state history (MassTransit)

• Northern Virginia Approves $30M In Projects to Ease Traffic Congestion (Metro)

• T board approves pilot program for electric trains along Fairmount corridor (Dorchester Reporter)