On 20 May 2021, the government published its white paper for the railways in Britain after an 18-month delay due to the pandemic - ‘Great British Railways: The Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail’ (the Plan). The government...more
ANTITRUST and COMPETITION - German Court asks ECJ About Review of Rail Station Fees - The Berlin Higher Regional Court has lodged a request for a preliminary ruling with the European Court of Justice (ECJ) concerning railway...more
The recent High Court judgement in R (Packham) v Secretary of State for Transport revisits old arguments about the requirements for ‘promptness’ for judicial review claims. With the Government’s renewed focus and commitment...more
I believe this nation should commit itself to the goal - It cannot have escaped your attention that it was the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing last month. That historic achievement was the ultimate validation...more
The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (“Court of Appeals”) addressed in an August 6 opinion whether certain activities involving wood pellets qualified as “transportation by rail carrier” under the...more
Reversing a district court decision that had delayed work on the $2.4 billion Purple Line light rail transit project in Maryland, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has held that the Federal...more
In what will be the first project of its kind in South East Asia, the governments of Malaysia and Singapore have agreed to collaborate on a high-speed rail project connecting the two nations' capital cities. The bidding...more
As physical signs of California’s $64 billion railroad project come into focus across the State, a potential faceoff with the federal government regarding its jurisdiction over state environmental laws, at least with regard...more
In a decision that could have significant implications for California’s high-speed rail project, the California Supreme Court recently held in Friends of the Eel River v. North Coast Railroad Authority that the federal...more
In Florida, All Aboard Florida, a private entity, is about to launch passenger rail service from Miami to West Palm Beach, with future service extending to Orlando. In California, the California High-Speed Rail Authority is...more
Background - This note serves as an update to two earlier notes dated August 2015 and January 2017 on the landmark Kuala Lumpur – Singapore High Speed Rail (the “HSR”). The HSR - In 2013, Singapore and Malaysia...more
California's High-Speed Rail May Not Be Financially Feasible - The California Legislature's analyst released a report stating that the high-speed rail system planned for California is not economically feasible. Several...more
Environmental and Policy Focus - California court rules tiered water pricing plan violates Prop 218: Allen Matkins - Apr 21: California's local water suppliers, hit with reduction requirements varying from 8 percent to...more
Numerous CEQA-related developments have recently been in the news. Some of possible interest include: Kings and Kern Counties, the Kings County Farm Bureau, and a number of other groups filed a petition on February 9 with the...more
Environmental and Policy Focus - Ground broken on controversial California bullet train project - Los Angeles Times - Jan 8: On Tuesday, Governor Jerry Brown and other California leaders launched the state’s...more
The California High-Speed Rail Authority (“CHSRA”) is gaining more steam in keeping the High-Speed Rail Project (the “Project”) on track. Today, the California Supreme Court issued a decision declining to review an appellate...more
Environmental and Policy Focus - Appellate court upholds environmental work for high-speed rail via Pacheco Pass: Fresno Bee - Jul 24 -- State appeals justices on Thursday upheld a lower court's approval of an...more
Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx chaired a “virtual” town hall meeting, entitled “Moving from Uncertainty to Long-Term Transportation Investment,” on August 6, 2014. The town hall was open to the general public, as...more
The Third District Court of Appeal reversed a Sacramento Superior Court Judge’s ruling that prohibited the High Speed Rail Authority (HSRA) from selling bonds under Proposition 1A to construct the High Speed Rail Project...more
While CEQA actions are statutorily designed as special proceedings with priority over other civil actions, and thus mandated to be heard and resolved expeditiously, when complex or controversial projects with dedicated...more
Environmental and Policy Focus: Long-term money a big boost for California's high-speed rail - Contra Costa Times - Jun 17: Gov. Jerry Brown scored a win for California's $68 billion high-speed rail project by...more
Environmental and Policy Focus - Kings County lawsuit challenges Fresno-Bakersfield high-speed rail: Fresno Bee - Jun 5: The Kings County Board of Supervisors, the Farm Bureau, and a group of county residents filed...more
The use of public-private partnerships (P3s), especially in the transportation sector, is gaining steam in South Florida. Proposed projects have included Miami-Dade College Medical Campus expansion, red-light cameras,...more
The California High Speed Rail Authority’s (the “Authority”) Board of Directors unanimously voted on Wednesday to certify the Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement for the Fresno to Bakersfield...more
Despite recent obstacles, the California High Speed Rail Authority (the “Authority”) remains steadfast in its determination to complete the high-speed rail project (the “Project”), bolstered by recent approvals from various...more