Wednesday morning rail news:
— The California High Speed Rail Authority has reached agreement with LA Metro on a preliminary funding plan for the Link Union Station project, which will make the landmark facility a through station for passenger trains rather than the current stub-end terminal. The memorandum of understanding reached on Tuesday to secure $423 million in funding from state Proposition 1A includes four key points: an agreement to build the project in a manner that will accommodate all present and future operators; an outline of a funding agreement for the first phase of the project, including $18.7 million for design and environmental review; an agreement to work toward shared use of Metrolink right-of-way in Palmdale, portions of the Valley and River subdivision, and at Union Station; and a provision to attempt to acquire additional funding to complete the project prior to the 2028 Olympics. A video on the project is available here.
— Wisconsin’s Office of the Commissioner of Railroads has turned down a request by the town of Richmond for a 120-day stay on a planned hearing on Canadian National’s combined autoport and intermodal facility in New Richmond, scheduled to open later this year. RiverTowns.com reports that the Richmond wanted moretime to review new information relating to addition of intermodal service to the site, and that townships remain concerned about mitigation of safety, financial, and logistical concerns related to the project. A hearing is scheduled for June 9.
— Two stations on NJ Transit’s Hudson-Bergen Light Rail line will reopen Saturday after lengthy closures for utility work related to the Route 440 extension project, NJ.com reports. The MLK Drive and Garfield Avenue stations have been closed since last June. A third station, West Side Avenue, continues to be servied by shuttle buses.
