Chatgpt generated: The Hudson River Tunnel, a critical rail artery, left in limbo by federal funding cuts during the 2025 shutdown
The Trump administration’s October 2025 decision to cancel $26 billion in clean energy and transportation infrastructure funding came as a surprise only in its breadth. The cuts were rolled out during a federal shutdown and framed by the administration as an act of fiscal prudence, even as they disrupted ongoing … [continued]
Building upon my initial experiences at Climate Week NYC, I shifted from thinking globally to focus on how actions are being taken on the state and city level. While the foolish actions of Trump seem intent on taking the wrong side of history, states are showing leadership. New York is … [continued]
Revisions to VAT (value added tax, or sales tax) for passenger transportation are coming up in Europe, and various organizations are pushing for changes that will make travel by rail more competitive. “The new Youth on Track coalition wants EU decision makers to seize upon the unique chance to boost … [continued]
This new type of electric train is on track to electrify the US freight rail network and push diesel trucks off the highways, too (image courtesy of Parallel Systems).
The US startup Parallel Systems is on the way to commercializing a railcar-based electric train solution, with an assist from the US Department of Energy.
The seemingly effortless execution of the green initiatives was perhaps the most impressive part. Environmental impact was being reduced while the experience was made better and more convenient. It didn’t try to attract massive attention and didn’t come off as greenwashing. It just made sense when you thought about it, but you didn’t have to think about it.
ChatGPT generated panoramic illustration of Canada’s mass timber value chain, from forest harvesting to sawmills, bioenergy plants, CLT factories, and modular housing assembly
Canada’s opportunity in mass timber is not just about building more mills or adding capacity here and there. It is about creating an integrated value chain that runs from forests to finished housing modules. That means linking sawmills, energy systems, adhesives, logistics, and modular factories into a coherent industrial strategy. … [continued]
ChatGPT generated panoramic image of a vast open-pit platinum mine with giant haul trucks, contrasted against a small line of hydrogen cars to show the scale of resource demand
Hydrogen advocates have a habit of ignoring the obvious constraint sitting at the core of their preferred technology. They speak of cost declines, of economies of scale, and of green hydrogen pipelines, but rarely acknowledge that the chemistry of proton exchange membrane fuel cells depends on a scarce and irreplaceable … [continued]
ChatGPT generated panoramic image of idle Alstom hydrogen trains in a rail yard, weathered with cobwebs and dirt, symbolizing the decline of fuel cell transport
Alstom’s hydrogen train experiment has hit the buffers again, with operators in Germany reverting to diesel because replacement fuel cells are not available. Only four of the 14 Coradia trains Lower Saxony purchased are in operation. It is tempting to dismiss this as a simple supply chain hiccup, but the … [continued]
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A recent poll from Politico California and UC Berkeley’s Citrin Center for Public Opinion Research shows 67% of registered California voters, including 82% of Democrats, support the continued construction of the 500-mile bullet train project connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco — an increase of more than … [continued]
The EU should reduce its emphasis on megaprojects to focus future funding on rail infrastructure upgrades which would generate more rapid and widespread benefits for connectivity, efficiency and resilience. Europe does not have a coherent strategy to fund rail that will make cross-border travel a reality for millions of Europeans, a … [continued]
