Passenger Ground & Sea Transportation

On Monday, a U.S. Judge in New York temporarily put her decision on hold. This forced the Trump Administration to lift the four-month-old federal funding freeze for the $16 Billion Hudson River Tunnel Project that connects New York City and New Jersey. U.S. district judge Jeannette Vargas had on Friday ordered that the funding be reinstated. Justice Department warned that it would have to pay up to $200m in funding for the Gateway Tunnel project by Monday at 1pm (1800 GMT), unless Vargas' order was halted. Vargas said that she would delay her order until Thursday, at?5 p.m., to allow...

According to a court filing, the U.S. administration of President Donald Trump appealed on Sunday against a decision that required the Transportation Department unfreeze federal funds for the $16 billion Hudson Tunnel Project in New York. U.S. district judge Jeannette Vargas issued a preliminary order on Friday requiring the federal government release funds to a project that will overhaul critical rail infrastructure throughout New York and New Jersey. On?Sunday, the Trump administration filed an appeal notice. The Transportation Department announced in September that funding was frozen pending an assessment of the project's conformity with the new federal bans on race...

Work on the $16 Billion New York City Hudson Tunnel Project is suspended at 5 pm. The Gateway Development Commission announced that the federal funding freeze imposed by President Donald Trump’s administration four months ago will remain in place until Friday at 2200 GMT. The project involves the repair of an existing rail tunnel as well as the construction of a new one beneath the Hudson River. This will expand a route which is a key part in rail travel between New York City and New Jersey. The Hudson Tunnel, built in 1910, and heavily damaged by hurricane Sandy in...

By David Shepardson WASHINGTON, February 5 - U.S. president Donald Trump offered to drop his block on funding last month for a $16 billion New York Hudson River Tunnel project in exchange for Democratic senator Chuck Schumer?supporting the name change of Washington Dulles Airport, and New York Penn Station, after Trump, according to a source. Thursday. Punchbowl News reported on the offer first citing four different sources. This was quickly rejected by?Schumer who informed the White House that he didn't have the authority to rename landmarks. A source confirmed this. White House declined to respond to a comment request, and...

Horizon Aircraft, a maker of air taxis, announced on Thursday that it had partnered with RAMPF Composite Solutions for the manufacture of the main body?of its Cavorite hybrid electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. Why is it important? Electric vertical takeoff-and-landing aircraft (eVTOL), or electric vertical takeoff-and landing aircraft, are competing for regulatory approval. They also want to lock in their suppliers for a market they believe will be a growth area. KEY QUOTES Horizon CEO Brandon Robinson said that early adopters are expected to be air ambulance, emergency service and critical cargo operators, who often lease aircraft. Military and...

GMS, a leading ship recycling company in Dubai, has told its CEO that it has applied for a U.S. licence to purchase and scrap vessels seized by the U.S. Government linked to Venezuelan oil trading. In recent weeks, the U.S. Coast Guard and military have seized seven vessels that either carried Venezuelan oil in their cargo or had done so previously. The seizure was part of Washington’s campaign to force Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro from power, which culminated with U.S. forces capture him on January 3. Oil spills are possible while the vessels remain in the water. They are part...

The?U.S. The National Transportation Safety Board announced on Friday that it will 'open an investigation' into the self-driving company Waymo after a robotaxi passed stopped school busses in Austin, Texas at least 19 different times since the beginning of the school term. Alphabet recalled over 3,000 vehicles in December to update software that caused the vehicles to 'drive past stopped school busses that were loading or removing students, increasing the risk of a collision. In October, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began an investigation into Waymo's vehicles when they were near school buses. Waymo stated that there were no...

BNSF Railway, owned by Berkshire Hathaway, said on Thursday that a winter'storm' will disrupt operations along major corridors. Heavy snow, high winds and extreme cold are all threatening train movement. Railroad warned that customers who were moving freight through storm-affected areas should expect delays and longer transit time. They also said that shipments could temporarily be routed in a nonstandard way, or pass through "unfamiliar" locations, or encounter atypical interlockings. Winter storms will hit the U.S. energy and transport infrastructure. They will also threaten major disruptions for airlines, railways, and power providers. BNSF stated that the storm would disrupt a...

Bipartisan funding agreement announced by U.S. legislators?Tuesday funds 2,500 air traffic control officers and $2.4 billion for U.S. passenger rail Amtrak while cutting funds for high-speed train and?electric vehicle charging? The funding agreement includes $514 millions to subsidize rural air services, also known as the Essential Air Service Program. This is in contrast to the White House's proposal to reduce the program by half. It also increases annual funding for modernizing air traffic control towers to $824 million. The budget bill includes $2 million for an independent study of the airspace around Washington, D.C. after a crash in January 2025...

The Wall Street Journal reported that activist investor Elliott 'Investment Management' has acquired a stake in a company called Stratolaunch. This hypersonic flight company has successfully tested a reusable hypersonic aircraft for the U.S. Military. The Journal reported that Elliott would also gain board representation at privately-held Stratolaunch and its investment is worth several hundreds of millions of dollars. The WSJ reported that the 'exact size' was unknown. Could not 'immediately confirm the WSJ report. Elliott and Stratolaunch didn't immediately respond to our request for comments. In May of last year, the Pentagon announced that Stratolaunch had been part of...

A committee of Israeli ministers approved on Sunday a law allowing shared ride hailing services like Uber and Lyft in Israel to operate in an effort to reduce taxi fares. The Transportation Ministry has proposed a reform that would allow "technology-based transport operators" to use models used successfully globally. However, this law still requires full approval from the Parliament. The Ministry noted that the Shared Transport Law, approved by the "Ministerial Committee for Legislation", would allow companies like Uber and Lyft to offer services via smart apps that connect private drivers and passengers. It was said that the move would...

Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority said that electric air taxis developed Joby Aviation will begin commercial operations in Dubai before the end of this year. Joby Aviation's first fully electric air taxi test flight in the emirate was conducted in June 2025. This is a significant milestone in Dubai's efforts?to introduce them to its existing transport networks. The Joby Aerial taxi, developed by a Californian company, is the "flagship" electric vertical take-off-and-landing aircraft. It can travel up to 160 km (100 miles), at speeds of 320km/h (200mph). Joby’s air taxi has zero emissions and is...

China will ban hidden car door handles starting in 2027. It is the first country that has banned a design pioneered and used by Tesla, as well as Chinese competitors such a Xiaomi. In both China and the United States, there are concerns about safety issues with the hidden handle design. It can be operated by a key fob, mobile phone, or manually. The U.S. Auto Safety Agency opened a defect investigation last year into the emergency door release controls on Tesla's Model?3 sedan. Tesla, who did not respond to the investigation at that time, failed to immediately reply to...

A state planning official announced on Thursday that China expects a record number of passenger trips during the 40-day Spring Festival holiday travel period. This is higher than the 9.02 trillion domestic trips made last year. China has for the first extended its official Lunar new year?holiday to nine days, in an effort to increase domestic consumption. The holiday will take place from February 15 through February 23. China has a new push for'services-led consumption' to boost the domestic market. Travel rushes during China's largest holiday are often viewed as a barometer for the economy and a test of its...

A railway power outage in Tokyo disrupted Friday morning commutes for approximately 673,000 passengers as two lines serving some of the busiest stations around the world were shut down. East Japan Railway (JR East's) Yamanote and Keihin Tohoku lines were shut down for up to 9 hours on Friday. JR East reported that both lines were left without power early Friday morning after overnight maintenance work at Tokyo's Tamachi Station. A spokesperson confirmed that smoke was visible coming from an equipment box located near the station. Firefighters and railway staff helped passengers disembark from the Keihin Tohoku train that was...

The Japan Meteorological Agency reported that a?earthquake? with a preliminary magnitude?of 6.2?hit the western Chugoku?region?of Japan?on Tuesday. This was followed by several large aftershocks. The agency stated that the epicentre of the earthquake was in eastern Shimane Prefecture. It added that there was no tsunami danger. Chugoku Electric Power runs the Shimane Nuclear Power Station about 32 km (20 miles) from the epicenter. The Nuclear Regulation Authority of Japan said that there were no irregularities in the plant. A spokesperson for the utility said it was checking any possible impact on the plant’s No.2 Unit, which is?operating? since December 2024...

The powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.6 that struck Japan's northeast late Monday prompted tsunami warnings and evacuation orders. The Japan Meteorological Agency said that a tsunami of up to three metres (10 feet), could strike Japan's northeastern coastline after an earthquake estimated at 7.6 magnitude occurred offshore, at 11:15 pm (1415 GMT), according to the JMA. JMA reported that tsunami warnings had been issued for Hokkaido and Aomori prefectures, as well as Iwate. A 40cm tsunami was observed in Aomori’s Mutsu Ogawara port and Hokkaido’s Urakawa port before midnight. The agency said that the epicentre was located 80 km (50...

The coast guard reported that a South Korean passenger ship carrying 267 passengers, crew and cargo got stuck on Wednesday when it ran aground near the southwest tip of the Korean Peninsula. A rescue operation is underway to get them back to land. The Yonhap News Agency reported that South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is currently traveling in the Middle East and has ordered the swift rescue of everyone on board. This will prevent any casualties. Details of the operation will be released as soon as possible. The coast guard stated in a press release that authorities were using...

Hinako, 22, moved to Tokyo in 2011 and chose to work at Don Quijote a discount retailer because it didn't really care about the colour of her hair. Mori, who was wearing ash blonde hair with dark and light blue streaks at the time of her interview, likes to change the colour of her hair every six weeks. She had a very different experience when she worked for a Japanese convenience store chain which required black or dark brown locks. "One day, I dyed my hair blonde. Mori said that the next morning, she was told either to wear a...

A review of public documents and interviews with executives revealed that critical mineral companies have increased their lobbying efforts to Washington in order to benefit from the ambitious investments made by U.S. president Donald Trump to firms considered essential to national safety. The review revealed that at least 12 companies, including those in the lithium, copper and rare earths industries, as well as geothermal, have signed agreements with Washington lobbying firms. Influence campaigns have increased dramatically in recent years to secure federal investment, permit support and long-term guarantees for procurement. The White House is shifting its focus from the historical...

These are the most popular stories from the New York Times' business pages. These stories have not been verified and we cannot vouch for the accuracy of these reports. Tesla unveiled on Tuesday new versions of two of its most popular models: Model Y, and Model 3. These will be sold for $40,000 each and $37,000 separately. A Los Angeles jury on Monday ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $966 Million to the family a California woman, who died of a rare cancer. The company had been found liable after a lawsuit claiming that its baby powder products caused cancer....

China's National Railway recorded 23,13 million trips during the first day the eight-day National Day Holiday on Wednesday. This is up almost 8% over a year ago and a record for a single day, according to state media CCTV. CCTV reported that more than 19 million trips would be made Thursday on the rail network. According to CCTV, the Yangtze River Delta Railway was expected to handle 4 million passengers. This is a 10% increase over last year. After the official end of the holiday on October 8, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism will release total travel data. On...

Two Chinese firms announced on Saturday that they would partner with local companies to launch robotaxi service in Singapore as the city-state expands its autonomous driving. Grab, a ride-hailing service operator in China, announced that it will partner with WeRide next year to launch services. Pony.ai, ComfortDelGro and others said they would be partnering for similar services. They were waiting on regulatory approval. Grab announced in a press release that it had been chosen by the local authorities to run two autonomous shuttle services in the Punggol region. WeRide will start taking passengers in five- and eight seater vehicles from...

A Manhattan federal judge is expected to approve the $740 million settlement DiDi Global reached with a lawsuit alleging it defrauded its investors in connection with their initial public offering in mid-October. The class action lawsuit accused DiDi, of hiding and disobeying a Chinese Government order to delay its June 2021 IPO. This raised more than $4 billion and valued DiDi around $67.5 billion. In July 2021, shares of DiDi fell as China's Cyberspace Administration of China banned the company from accepting new customers. They also ordered the removal of DiDi Travel from app stores for smartphones. In July, the...