PRESIDENT-elect of the United States Mr Donald Trump has nominated Ms Elaine Chao as his administration’s secretary of transportation.

AMTRAK achieved a record for unaudited ticket sales for the 2016 fiscal year, which ended on September 30, of $US 2.14bn which is $US 12m more than in 2015.

CHARLOTTE Area Rapid Transit System (Cats) has selected Siemens as preferred supplier for a contract to supply six LRVs for the second phase of the Lynx light rail Gold Line.

NEW York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and its Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) subsidiary announced that they have received four design proposals from qualified engineering firms for the modernisation of LIRR’s part of Penn Station as part of plans to transform Penn Station and the historic James A. Farley Post Office into a transport hub.

PUBLIC transport across the United States was a major winner in the November 8 election as 33 of the 48 local and state-wide public transit measures up for a vote were approved; a passage rate of 69%, based on unofficial results.

VOTERS in the Seattle area approved the Sound Transit 3 (ST3) Proposition 1 ballot measure on November 8, unlocking a $US 53.8bn 25-year investment in the region’s public transport network, which includes more than 100km of new light rail lines by 2041.

SIEMENS announced on November 1 that it has received an order for 45 new S70 LRVs from San Diego Metropolitan Transit System, expanding their 35-year-long partnership.

SHAREHOLDERS of Providence & Worcester Railroad (P&W) have voted to approve the proposed acquisition of the railway by Genesee & Wyoming (GWI).

MINNEAPOLIS St Paul Metropolitan Council has awarded Siemens a $US 118m contract to supply 27 LRVs for the expansion of the light rail network in the Twin Cities.

FAIVELEY Transport announced on October 26 that it will sell its US freight wagon braking business to Amsted Rail as a condition of the company’s planned $US 1.8bn acquisition by Wabtec.