Empire State Passengers Association

Brightline Orlando construction highlights Brightline has supplied a drone video which shows how right-of-way construction has progressed at the Orlando airport station and vehicle maintenance facility, and on the route paralleling highway 528 between Orlando and Cocoa. The project is now more than 50% complete, with all 35 miles of right-of-way cleared and all 21 bridges under construction. South of Cocoa, 90% of clearing for the second main track is complete, construction at 22 of 155 double-tracked highway grade crossings is finished or underway, and work has begun at nine of the 29 bridges. The entire extension is expected to conclude by the end of 2022, with service to begin the after testing is completed the following year. TRAINS MAGAZINE... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwG5Dimu5pE

First order of hydrogen trains in France a historic step towards sustainable mobility YOUTUBE VIDEO... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cm_ElqtfyCk PRESS RELEASE... https://www.alstom.com//first-order-hydrogen-trains-france

Vermont AOT announces restart of Amtrak and inter-city transit service We are very pleased to announce the restart of these vital transportation services for Vermonters and those who wish to travel to and from Vermont by train or bus, said Transportation Secretary Joe Flynn. With the Governor’s announcement this week of the Vermont Forward Plan to re-open Vermont fully during the next few months, we now have a target date for when we will be able to safely resume Amtrak an...d transit services in July." VTRANS PRESS RELEASE... https://vtrans.vermont.gov//04.08.2021%20-%20Agency%20of%2 MOUNTAIN TIMES ARTICLE... https://mountaintimes.info/agency-of-transportation-announ/

NY: Cuomo to get limited version of $1.3 billion in borrowing for Penn project in budget. Gov. Cuomo is getting a scaled-back version of the $1.3 billion in bonding authority he requested for a controversial plan to redevelop Penn Station and surrounding Midtown Manhattan blocks. MASS TRANSIT MAGAZINE... https://www.masstransitmag.com//ny-cuomo-to-get-limited-ve

Congratulations to Buffalo's own Howard Noll for being one of the select current & former Amtrak employees highlighted on the 50th Anniversary Celebration site. https://www.amtrak.com//50th-anniv/employee-spotlight.html Howard, who retired from Amtrak in 2015 as WNY District Manager, started his 40 years of railroad service briefly with Penn Central here in Buffalo before his lengthy Amtrak tenure.