San Franciscon Muni to resume some subway light rail service in May
San Francisco Muni will resume some subway light rail service in May, the next step in the gradual and long-delayed restoration of service halted because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The San Francisco Chronicle reports service on the N Judah and T Third line to the West Portal station will be the next step in the resumption of service that began with one line in December and another in January. The agency, which halted light rail service in March 2020, first attempted to resume service in August, but shut it down again after just three days because of overhead wire failures [see “Digest: MBTA chooses builder, …” Trains News Wire, Aug. 25, 2020]. It then discovered problems with two-year-old maintenance work in the Twin Peaks Tunnel that further delayed a return to service [see “Digest: San Francisco Muni could spend ‘tens of millions’ …,” News Wire, Nov. 20, 2020].
Ohio governor’s budget would cut transit funding by almost 90%
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has proposed a two-year budget that would cut transit funding to $7.3 million annually from the $70 million per year approved in the current budget, although the latter figure was cut to $63 this million as part of pandemic-related moves. Cleveland.com reports the budget would also reduce federal funding passed through to local agencies from $65.9 million (including CARES Act stimulus funding) to $50 million. The state’s largest transit agency, the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, received about $25 million under the current budget and used some of those funds to buy new buses and set aside $5 million for new railcars, purchases that would not be possible under the new proposal.
NS names Hunt Cary as vice president, operations efficiency
Norfolk Southern’s board of directors has elected Hunt Cary as vice president, operations efficiency, effective Feb. 15. The 28-year railroading veteran joins NS from Union Pacific, where he most recently served as vice president, intermodal operations. “Hunt’s leadership abilities and broad experience in network operations and logistics will help Norfolk Southern accelerate our implementation of precision scheduled railroading, continue to push improvement in our cost structure, and take our operational service performance to the next level,” Cindy Sanborn, chief operating officer, said in a press release. Cary will report to Sanborn.
