To date, 106 individuals have been named to the Hall of Leaders, U.S. Travel’s highest honor.
08.11.2023 - 00:43 / euronews.com / Trump / Joe Biden
Joe Biden is bolstering his reputation as the US’s biggest Amtrak fan.
The president has long been known for his love of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, or Amtrak for short, which runs inter-city services in most US states.
Visiting a train maintenance shop in his home state of Delaware yesterday, Biden showcased more than $16 billion (almost €15bn) in federal investments for rail travel along the busy Northeast Corridor.
He’s travelled the route which stretches from Boston to Washington DC. “thousands” of times.
“We're finally getting it done,” he said of long-delayed improvements.
The president highlighted spending to modernise 25 passenger train projects along the rail line at an event in Bear, about 12 miles (20 kilometres) from his home in Wilmington.
“Why, in the United States of America, do we not have the best rail system in the world?” Biden asked.
Noting that better train service in some of America's busiest locales would help ease car traffic and potentially reduce fossil fuel use, he added, “There's so much more we can do to better the environment and quality of life.”
Amtrak runs about 800,000 trips daily on its Northeast Corridor, the White House says, which makes it the nation’s busiest rail corridor. Monday's event combined two things close to Biden’s heart: Amtrak and Delaware.
“It’s good to be home,” he declared. “There’s no better place to make this announcement than in my home state.”
The funding for the rail improvements comes from the roughly $1 trillion (€0.94 trn) bipartisan infrastructure law that Biden signed nearly two years ago. It’s one of several legislative achievements he’s trumpeting in a presidential race that could feature a rematch against former President Trump.
From the law, Amtrak will get about $66 billion (€62bn) in new investments, according to the White House.
“I’ve been talking about this for a long time, I know," Biden said of rail improvements. "Finally, finally we’re getting it done.”
Biden, who has made infrastructure spending a centerpiece of his reelection campaign, used his speech to criticise Republican backers of Trump's “Make America Great Again” movement for wanting to “slash” Amtrak's budget.
“We're trying to make train travel easier, faster, safer, more reliable,” he said. “They're trying to make it slower, harder and less safe.”
Before his formal remarks, a beaming Biden chatted and laughed with Amtrak maintenance shop workers. He asked one how she was doing and when the reply came, “Good, how are you?" Biden responded, “Well, I got about $16 billion for you,” drawing laughs.
He told another of the coming public works spending, “You know you’re going to be getting a lot of new trains, man."
A blue and white sign along the tracks read “Northeast
To date, 106 individuals have been named to the Hall of Leaders, U.S. Travel’s highest honor.
The airline is also focused on accelerating the resumption and launch of more international and regional flights, aiming to better cater to the growing market demand for travel to and from China.
Train journeys are booming in popularity thanks to dozens of new rail routes and more eco-conscious travellers who want to avoid the hassle of flight delays.
The head of China’s civil aviation regulator, Song Zhiyong, met with the U.S. Ambassador in Beijing Nicholas Burns, and exchanged views on pushing for a substantial increase in flights between the two countries, the regulator said on Wednesday.
Brightline opened in September as only the second high-speed rail network in the US, cruising along 235 miles of track between Orlando and Miami at 125 mph.
New Hotels in the Cayman Islands for 2024 Scheduled to open in Q2 2024 is Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman. The 282-room 10-storey beachfront property will provide an upper midscale experience featuring multiple restaurants, a 6,700 square foot ballroom, a pool deck and a rooftop bar. Indigo’s restaurants and bars around the world are known as a favourite destination for visitors and locals alike. With sustainability in mind, the hotel is being built to LEED standards, which ensures high-performance buildings that have less of an impact on the environment. Hotel Indigo will use a geothermal/ice storage combination and will feature insulated glazing throughout to reduce energy consumption. The latest in Cayman real estate developer, Dart’s, hospitality portfolio, Hotel Indigo is expected to generate several hundred jobs when it opens. In 2022, Dart launched its Hospitality Training Programme, which provides Caymanians with the opportunity to obtain first-hand industry experience via a three-month work experience within the Dart hospitality portfolio.
Airbnb announced today that it has appointed former White House chief of staff and a prominent figure in Democratic circles Ron Klain as its chief legal officer. A close Biden aide, Klain will begin his role at the company starting January 1.
Revisiting Panem, the dystopian country in which The Hunger Games novels and movies are set, in prequel film The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes offered director Francis Lawrence an opportunity to present the world through a new lens. Set 64 years before those earlier works, the new film (based on a 2020 novel of the same name) showcases the familiar country just 10 years post-war—the thriving political Capitol, 12 outlying districts. As part of reconstruction, the Capitol has introduced the series' titular competition.
With the majestic domes of the Royal Pavilion as its backdrop – lit in magical neon colours if you go after dark – this real ice rink is a popular highlight of Brighton’s yuletide offering, and the only one in the UK powered by renewable energy. Families are warmly welcomed, with penguin skate aids available for £5 and a beginners’ rink where young skaters can safely build confidence on the ice. Rinkside, a covered bar and café and outdoor terraced areas offer mulled wine, mince pies, cakes, snacks and a decent children’s menu – and a great place to sit and watch if you don’t want to risk the ice yourself.Adults and children aged 12 and over £18, concessions £15, 12 and under £14, royalpavilionicerink.co.uk; family room, B&B, from £179, queenshotelbrighton.com
As inflation continues to sting, more travelers are expected to hunt for bargains this year, and the industry is responding by offering deals across the travel landscape, from hotels to cruises and tours.
The U.S. and China will improve air connectivity and streamline visa processing, said Chinese President Xi Jinping in public remarks on Wednesday. Xi made the remarks at a dinner hosted by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations and US-China Business Council.
One British childhood winter experience remains the same, despite all the changes of the past century. It’s the one where you gaze out of the window, mesmerised by the falling snow, and start fantasising about building an igloo or a snow cave, then sleeping in it overnight. A few fortunate kids get to follow that up, but for most the fantasy is quickly quashed. The blizzard stops, the snow melts, you lob some slush at your mates then go inside to watch Ski Sunday.