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Reposted by Californians for Electric Rail

Stan Oklobdzija @stano.bsky.social · 15h

Pretty incredible that California policymakers would rather build essential infrastructure using expensive and polluting technology when there's a cheaper, cleaner and far more widely adopted technology whose only downside are overhead wires that upset the only weirdest and dumbest people on Earth.

Californians for Electric Rail @calelectricrail.org · 16h

Hydrogen rail is not the answer for the Sprinter. With the need for equipment, the Sprinter should be modernized and electrified instead of rolling out unproven, polluting hydrogen trains. thecoastnews.com/hydrogen-rai...

Commentary: Hydrogen rail not the answer | The Coast News Group

The Coast News recently reported that NCTD plans to pilot hydrogen trains for the Sprinter. However, hydrogen is not as great as it seems.

thecoastnews.com

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Californians for Electric Rail @calelectricrail.org · 16h

Hydrogen rail is not the answer for the Sprinter. With the need for equipment, the Sprinter should be modernized and electrified instead of rolling out unproven, polluting hydrogen trains. thecoastnews.com/hydrogen-rai...

Commentary: Hydrogen rail not the answer | The Coast News Group

The Coast News recently reported that NCTD plans to pilot hydrogen trains for the Sprinter. However, hydrogen is not as great as it seems.

thecoastnews.com

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Californians for Electric Rail @calelectricrail.org · 16h

calelectricrail.org/against-patc...

Against Patchwork Funding: How Multi-Year Investment Frameworks Can Deliver Rail Service Infrastructure Cheaper and Faster
Californians for Electric Rail, June 2025

Image shows a dollar bill on a train track being cut into tiny pieces

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Reposted by Californians for Electric Rail

Railfan & Railroad Magazine @railfanandrailroad.bsky.social · 1d

A proposal is being floated to revive the isolated Black Mesa & Lake Powell Railroad in northeastern Arizona for tourist operations railfan.com/potential-bl...

Potential Black Mesa & Lake Powell Tourist Revival

Another proposal is being floated to revive the isolated Black Mesa & Lake Powell Railroad in northeastern Arizona for tourist operations.

railfan.com

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Californians for Electric Rail @calelectricrail.org · 4d

The Antelope Valley Line has the closest to real all-day service. The San Bernardino Line has more mid-day service but still very constrained hours. Ultimately we want to see truly all-day, 15 min service on all lines, but the latest schedules are a step in the right direction.

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Californians for Electric Rail @calelectricrail.org · 4d

Metrolink has already implemented all-day service with pulsed scheduling, and is now up to 71% ridership recovery. But Metrolink must follow Metra's lead in other ways through consolidation of governance and electrification.

Alex Wenzel @alexwenzel.bsky.social · 4d

Wonderful news. I grew up a block from a Metra station. My dad commuted downtown every day, so did many of my friends' parents. But the era of the 5-day/week same-time commuter is over and Metra has to meet people's actual needs now if it's going to grow past ~30% post-2020 ridership recovery.

The bill also lays groundwork for transforming Metra from rush-hour commuter service into true regional rail—running all day, in all directions, serving everyone. It creates a planning body to coordinate trains, buses, and local transit statewide. And it stabilizes funding for transit agencies facing a fiscal cliff that would otherwise force brutal service cuts starting January 2026.

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Californians for Electric Rail @calelectricrail.org · 4d

Illinois' transit reform bill not only combats the fiscal cliff, it consolidates regional transit governance, institutes service-led planning and multi-year investment frameworks, and pushes Metra towards regional rail service. When will California follow suit? www.hsrail.org/blog/illinoi...

Illinois Transit Bill Could Deliver the First Real Money for Intercity Rail | High Speed Rail Alliance

HB3438 funds intercity rail, secures transit, and begins Metra’s shift to regional rail—building a connected future for Illinois.

www.hsrail.org

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Californians for Electric Rail @calelectricrail.org · 4d

Unfortunately this webinar has been postponed as one of our panelists is unable to serve due to the government shutdown. We'll keep you updated with the new date and time.

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Californians for Electric Rail @calelectricrail.org · 4d

Unfortunately this webinar has been postponed as one of our panelists is unable to serve due to the government shutdown. We'll keep you updated with the new date and time.

Californians for Electric Rail @calelectricrail.org · 5d

Join us next Wednesday for a webinar with @seamlessbayareaca.bsky.social and @publicenterprise.bsky.social to learn how the shape, type and speed of investment can improve service outcomes and affordability for transit and passenger rail projects. actionnetwork.org/events/trans...

Full Steam Ahead: Funding Transformational Transit

Transit and passenger rail investment in the United States struggles for adequate investment. Despite some improvements in top line figures for transit and passenger rail, federal and state transporta...

actionnetwork.org

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Reposted by Californians for Electric Rail

Governor Gavin Newsom @governor.ca.gov · 9d

@caltrain.com just celebrated one year of fully electrified train service in the Bay Area — with surging ridership and faster, more frequent services.

California is driving our clean tech dominance forward and laying the groundwork to hook up to our @cahsra.bsky.social high-speed rail.

Caltrain @caltrain.com · 15d

“Today we celebrate one year of electrified Caltrain – using clean technology to connect more communities and economies throughout our state while laying crucial groundwork for high-speed rail.” (1/2)

Thank you Governor Newsom (@governor.ca.gov) for your support & celebrating one year!

Governor Gavin Newsom speaking behind Caltrain podium

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Californians for Electric Rail @calelectricrail.org · 4d

Tragedies like this are a reminder of the need to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. Let's electrify our trains, run more service, and get people out of their cars so we can rely less on refineries. #ElectrifyMetrolink

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 4d

A fireball lit up the sky across the Los Angeles area on Thursday night after an explosion at a Chevron refinery in El Segundo, alarming nearby residents who said it felt like an earthquake. The cause of the explosion was not clear. No injuries were reported. nyti.ms/42pPCaW

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Californians for Electric Rail @calelectricrail.org · 5d

Join us next Wednesday for a webinar with @seamlessbayareaca.bsky.social and @publicenterprise.bsky.social to learn how the shape, type and speed of investment can improve service outcomes and affordability for transit and passenger rail projects. actionnetwork.org/events/trans...

Full Steam Ahead: Funding Transformational Transit

Transit and passenger rail investment in the United States struggles for adequate investment. Despite some improvements in top line figures for transit and passenger rail, federal and state transporta...

actionnetwork.org

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Californians for Electric Rail @calelectricrail.org · 5d

We already have an electrical grid, while H2 requires totally new distribution infrastructure. Green hydrogen uses 3x more energy than electrification - inherently pricier. If CA has to go it alone on zero-emissions rail, we should be going with the most efficient, proven technology.

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Californians for Electric Rail @calelectricrail.org · 5d

Trump is trying to cancel California's hydrogen hub funding, threatening a continued reliance on fossil hydrogen and/or H2 fuel shortages. Should we really be running H2 trains on the Surfliner that require Trump's largess for their fuel supply chains? www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Trump Set to Cancel West Coast Hydrogen Hubs Amid Shutdown Fight

The Trump administration is planning to cancel billions of dollars earmarked for hydrogen projects in California and the Pacific Northwest as part of its first tranche of funding cuts following the go...

www.bloomberg.com

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Californians for Electric Rail @calelectricrail.org · 6d

Happy #CleanAirDay! The Inland Empire has the US's dirtiest air, and LA is not far behind. The top source of ozone precursors is cars and trucks. Let's get dirty cars and trucks off the road by electrifying freight and passenger rail!

Sources of NOx emissions, Southern California, 2020. Mobile - On-Road is the largest source about 2/5ths, with Mobile - Off-road is about 1/5, Locomotives are about 1/8th, and everything else is about 1/4

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Californians for Electric Rail @calelectricrail.org · 6d

bsky.app/profile/cale...

Californians for Electric Rail @calelectricrail.org · 6d

Incidentally, this article contains several errors:
- The initial cost projection in 2023 was $12 B, not $16B as the article claims
- The top speed of Brightline West will be lower than 200 mph, those speeds are not possible with the grade and curves of the I-15 median alignment.

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Californians for Electric Rail @calelectricrail.org · 6d

bsky.app/profile/cale...

Californians for Electric Rail @calelectricrail.org · 6d

Incidentally, this article contains several errors:
- The initial cost projection in 2023 was $12 B, not $16B as the article claims
- The top speed of Brightline West will be lower than 200 mph, those speeds are not possible with the grade and curves of the I-15 median alignment.

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Californians for Electric Rail @calelectricrail.org · 6d

Incidentally, this article contains several errors:
- The initial cost projection in 2023 was $12 B, not $16B as the article claims
- The top speed of Brightline West will be lower than 200 mph, those speeds are not possible with the grade and curves of the I-15 median alignment.

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Californians for Electric Rail @calelectricrail.org · 6d

Brightline's experience shows cost escalations aren't a sin unique to the public sector or specific design choices made by California High-Speed Rail. We need systemic reform so we can build more green infrastructure like electric, high-speed rail.

Yonah Freemark @yonahfreemark.com · 6d

The construction costs of Brightline West—the high speed rail line now under construction that will link Las Vegas with the outskirts of the LA region—are now expected to reach $21.5 billion, up from $16 billion.

California-to-Vegas High-Speed Rail Costs Jump $5.5 Billion

The price tag for building a private high-speed passenger railroad from Southern California to Las Vegas has swelled by nearly 35%.

www.bloomberg.com

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Californians for Electric Rail @calelectricrail.org · 6d

Celebrating the #WeekWithoutDriving? Don't leave out regional rail! Ride Metrolink, Capitol Corridor, ACE, Coaster, SMART or Caltrain for those >10 mile trips that make up the lion's share of VMT. If we want people to give up their cars, we need fast, frequent ELECTRIC regional rail.

California light vehicle travel patterns in 2023. Chart shows 0-1 mile trips, replacable by walking and biking make up 1% of VMT, 1-3 mi trips make up 5%, 3-10 mi trips make up 20%, these categories being replaceable by local high frequency bus, BRT, light rail, heavy rail. trips 10-50 mi are 50% of VMT, trips > 50 mi are 25%

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Reposted by Californians for Electric Rail

Seamless Bay Area @seamlessbayareaca.bsky.social · 6d

Yesterday the State Transit Transformation Task Force finally, at its last meeting, made recommendations to the state legislature about operating funding. But they ran out of time to make recommendations required by the legislature on service coordination.

Californians for Electric Rail @calelectricrail.org · 7d

Unfortunately, the final report will not include any recommendations on regional service coordination-- despite many comments from the public and SB 125 specifically requesting this when the task force was created. Nor will multi-year funding frameworks or funding at advanced design.

Californians for Electric Rail @calelectricrail.org · 8d

The SB 125 Task Force is putting together its final report TOMORROW, but they are in danger of leaving out important project delivery reforms and a permanent solution to transit's perpetual funding crisis. Speak out for lower costs and more funding here: actionnetwork.org/letters/keep...

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Californians for Electric Rail @calelectricrail.org · 7d

Transit agency reps from BART, MTS, and Tri-Delta were strongly opposed to service coordination because it would change their operating practices. They ran out the clock on that item, leaving no time for changes to the capital project delivery recommendations.

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Californians for Electric Rail @calelectricrail.org · 7d

Caltrain schedules that don't mesh with BART? 40+ minute transfers between Metrolink and Coaster? Connecting bus service that ends before Metrolink does, leaving riders stranded? All fine, according to MTS.

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Californians for Electric Rail @calelectricrail.org · 7d

Unfortunately, the final report will not include any recommendations on regional service coordination-- despite many comments from the public and SB 125 specifically requesting this when the task force was created. Nor will multi-year funding frameworks or funding at advanced design.

Californians for Electric Rail @calelectricrail.org · 8d

The SB 125 Task Force is putting together its final report TOMORROW, but they are in danger of leaving out important project delivery reforms and a permanent solution to transit's perpetual funding crisis. Speak out for lower costs and more funding here: actionnetwork.org/letters/keep...

Keep CA Transit Moving: Demand Operating Funding and Reform

Right now, the state of California is finalizing recommendations that promise to fundamentally transform transit construction and operations in our state. The SB 125 Task Force has been meeting since ...

actionnetwork.org

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Reposted by Californians for Electric Rail

dereksagehorn.bsky.social @dereksagehorn.bsky.social · 8d

Kinda interesting how — under California institutions — catenary poles and wires going through 1950s suburban locations or coastal areas are objectionable due to aesthetic and visual impacts while Italy is out there wiring up underneath 278 year old aqueducts.

Marco Chitti @chittimarco.bsky.social · 9d

Yesterday, this view became a thing of the past, with the activation of the first segment of the "fast double-tracking on a new alignment" (raddoppio veloce in variante) of the Napoli-Bari between Cancello and Frasso Telesino.

The old line passed below the 18th c. Acquedotto Carolino.

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