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The Curious Case of the Union Pacific’s Wellton Branch: Opportunity in the ‘Phoenix West Line’
Brian Yanity There is great potential in re-establishing a direct passenger train service between Phoenix and Los Angeles. Re-opening of the Union Pacific Railroad’s Wellton Branch west of Phoenix would allow the return of a daily Sunset Limited to Phoenix and support new regional trains. The business case for refurbishing the Wellton Branch is based […]
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Join us on Zoom for Rail Passenger Association of California and Nevada (RailPAC) Annual Meeting: November 5, 2022
Rail Passenger Association of California and Nevada 2022 Annual Meeting When: November 5, 2022 Time: 2:00 PM (Pacific) Where: Zoom Virtual Meeting Registration: railpac2022.eventbrite.com Agenda: Welcome The 2022 Annual Meeting is being held in remembrance of Dana Gabbard, a dedicated transit and rail advocate. Guest Speaker- Darren Kettle, Chief Executive Officer of Metrolink RailPAC Business […]
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Arrow line from San Bernardino to Redlands to open on October 21.
For more information on San Bernardino County Transportation Authority’s Arrow rail project, click here.
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Passenger Rail to the Imperial Valley
[also published in 3rd Quarter 2022 issue of Steel Wheels] Brian YanityVice President-South, RailPAC (photos by the author unless otherwise noted) (background map: OpenStreetMap.org, annotations by author) An exciting prospect for new passenger rail in Southern California is an Imperial Valley extension to the Coachella Valley Rail passenger service, currently under development. As currently proposed, […]
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Steel Wheels 3rd Quarter 2022 issue available online
The 3rd Quarter 2022 issue of RailPAC’s quarterly magazine Steel Wheels can be downloaded by clicking here. In this issue: Passenger rail to the Imperial Valley Introducing the ‘Aurora Group’ advocating for Amtrak’s National Network Amtrak Beech Grove National Network shops Passenger train planning- best practices How many tracks do train stations need? Arizona News […]
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Central Coast Railroad Festival set for October 7-9, 2022
The 12th Central Coast Railroad Festival is set for October 7-9, 2022. Many events will be held at multiple venues around the Central Coast. For more information, click here. The Festival is designed to attract the attention of avid and casual rail fans as well as curious folks from across the Western United States. It […]
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The Prospects for Future LA-Phoenix Passenger Rail
Brian Yanity Vice President-South, RailPAC [this is an updated version of an article which first appeared in the Q1 2021 issue of Steel Wheels] The fast-growing Phoenix metropolitan area, the Valley of the Sun, is home to nearly 5 million people- two-thirds of all Arizonans. Phoenix itself has a diverse population of nearly 1.7 million […]
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RailPAC sends letter of support for San Dieguito Double Track Project Phase 2 grant application
The Honorable Pete ButtigiegOffice of the Secretary of TransportationUnited States Department of Transportation1200 New Jersey Ave, SEWashington, D.C., 20590 May 14, 2022 Subject: Letter of support for NCTD’s Application for Funding from the INFRA and MEGA Programs Dear Secretary Buttigieg: I am writing on behalf of the Rail Passenger Association of California and Nevada (RailPAC), […]
