Amtrak’s B&P Tunnel Replacement Hits Key Manufacturing Milestone, With First TBM More Than Half Complete

The first tunnel boring machine is over halfway built, major construction is underway in West Baltimore, and design tweaks promise a simpler tunnel — but opening day remains 2036.

HS2 Builds Its First Green Tunnel Out of Its Own Spoil

HS2's first cut-and-cover green tunnel at Copthall reused 1.2 million cubic metres of excavated earth from the nearby Northolt tunnel, eliminating 100,000 truck movements.

AfDB Approves €205 Million for Morocco High-Speed Rail Extension to Marrakech

The African Development Bank approved a €205 million loan to Morocco on July 8, 2026, to finance the high-speed rail extension and conventional upgrades on the Kenitra-Marrakech corridor.

USDOT Awards $1.74 Billion in BUILD Grants With Roads and Bridges Taking the Largest Share

The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded nearly $1.74 billion in BUILD grants to 127 transportation projects across all 50 states, with roughly 77% of the funding directed toward road and bridge work.

Andy Burnham Sworn In as UK Prime Minister, Pledges Infrastructure Devolution and HS2 Reinstatement

Andy Burnham became the UK's sixth prime minister in a decade on July 20, 2026, immediately signaling plans to reinstate the northern leg of HS2, devolve infrastructure control, and borrow billions to invest in transport and energy networks.

California HSR Authority Links Up With High Desert Corridor at Palmdale

The California High-Speed Rail Authority and High Desert Corridor Joint Powers Agency signed a memorandum of understanding on July 20, 2026, to coordinate environmental work, station integration, and design at Palmdale Station, while also expanding into joint procurement to reduce costs. The agreement supports nearly 90 miles of completed guideway across the SF-LA/Anaheim corridor, where 463 of 494 miles have already secured environmental clearance and construction activity is currently supporting approximately 19,200 jobs.

Italo Signs €3 Billion Siemens Deal for German High-Speed Rail Entry

Italian high-speed rail operator Italo Holding signed a €3 billion contract with Siemens Mobility for 26 Velaro trains, with services planned for 2028 on Munich-Cologne and Munich-Berlin-Hamburg corridors.

The Hudson Tunnel Project Survived a Funding Freeze. Now It's Racing the Riverbed.

A $16 billion rail tunnel under the Hudson River is finally close to boring — but only after a federal funding pause halted construction earlier this year, and only once 500 buried piles from a 19th-century pier are cleared out of the way.

Brightline West Is Rising Out of the Desert — Just Not on Schedule

Real construction is visibly underway on America's first true high-speed rail line, from Las Vegas to Southern California. A stalled federal loan just pushed its finish line to late 2029.