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Oct 07, 2005: Hotline #419The Transportation/Treasury/HUD appropriations bill is expected to be first on the agenda when the Senate returns October 17 after next week’s recess. The top priorities are still to [a] maintain the $1.45 billion for Amtrak in the Senate committee’s bill while eliminating the damaging, micro-managing language about on-board service. Please contact your senators about Amtrak funding; see our Action Alert page for full information. Be sure to keep an eye on your local newspaper and television newscasts for any town hall meetings that your Members of Congress may be holding during its recess. There is a danger that Amtrak funding could be cut as Congress tries to find ways to “pay for” hurricane expenses. This would be ironic considering the work Amtrak has done to help with evacuation, to provide aid to flood victims, and to restores service early. In addition, personnel from Amtrak’s Office of the Inspector General continue to assist in providing security in New Orleans. House Budget Chairman Jim Nussle (R-IA) has called for an across-the-board 2% cut to all discretionary spending bills; the danger also remains that efforts could be made to do something worse to Amtrak. Legislators should be cautioned against this. New York City Transit is once again on heightened alert after city officials revealed yesterday having received a “specific, credible” threat of an impending terrorist bombing of the city subway. Homeland Security downplayed the credibility of the threat as “doubtful.” However, NYPD has stepped up patrols of the subway and resumed random inspection of passenger belongings, and is discouraging passengers from entering the subway with suitcases, briefcases, strollers, or other packages. Other transit agencies and transportation providers in the region and across the country have increased patrols of their systems. Amtrak says it remains on a heightened state of alert as it has been since July. Part of New York Penn Station was closed for over an hour today while a hazardous materials team removed a suspicious soda can left near Amtrak’s ticket counters that was feared to have contained a toxic substance. New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly called the incident a “prank” and said the liquid was a “Drano-type substance.” Unrelated to the terror threat, Amtrak Northeast Corridor service north of New York City was disrupted on October 4 after a gas truck overturned on a highway in the South Bronx near Amtrak’s line, killing the truck driver and damaging Amtrak’s overhead catenary system. Metro-North honored Amtrak tickets between New Haven, CT and New York Grand Central Terminal, while Amtrak operated limited service between New Haven and Boston. On Wednesday and up to Thursday afternoon, Regionals were operating through the affected area with 30- to 45-minute delays, while Acela Express service was cancelled north of New York. A car drove slowly into the path of Amtrak Acela Express 2153 on September 28. The 62-old driver and her grandson, 8, were killed instantly; the other occupant, a granddaughter, 4, was left brain dead and died this morning. This was just west of New London, in Waterford, CT at one of the few remaining grade crossings on the Northeast Corridor (there are none between New Haven and Washington). This was the first grade-crossing collision for Acela Express in its five-year history. The speed limit at this location is 75 mph. The four-quadrant gates at the Miner Lane crossing reportedly worked properly, closing 52 seconds before the train’s arrival. The crossing also has a device that detects a standing highway vehicle, and applies the train’s brakes if necessary, but the town’s planning director, who was a witness, said the automobile crawled went into the path of the train when it was on four feet away. The Norwich Bulletin quoted Waterford First Selectman Tony Sheridan last week as admitting that aesthetic concerns trumped safety in the town’s input of Amtrak’s crossing redesign before the launch of Acela Express. “I think the major concern was the ugliness,” said Sheridan. Last year, Stonington First Selectman William Brown had petitioned the FRA to ban train horns at crossings in his town, which likely would have created a more dangerous situation. This week, he asked that his request be delayed pending the investigation of the Waterford incident. Amtrak will resume service to New Orleans on October 9. The City of New Orleans and Crescent will both arrive and depart New Orleans for the first time since August 26, when service was suspended ahead of Hurricane Katrina. According to an Amtrak press release, Sunset Limited service into New Orleans from Los Angeles and points west will be restored on a date to be announced. Service eastward to Orlando will remain suspended until 2006 “at the earliest” due to the severe damage to the CSX. Greyhound service to New Orleans remains cancelled until further notice. Amtrak is advising New Orleans passengers that services in the city, including local transportation and taxis, remain limited. Amtrak has established a Hurricane Katrina Amtrak Employees’ Relief Fund to enable supporters to make monetary donations to employees who have suffered as a result of the hurricane. Approximately 370 employees work in the New Orleans area. An Amtrak Committee will direct the distribution of funds to Amtrak employees who have been impacted by Hurricane Katrina. The Fund has applied to the Internal Revenue Service for non-profit status so that donations can be claimed tax-exempt by donors on their income tax returns. If and when the IRS approves the application, donors will be advised. Donations may be made by sending a check payable to National Railroad Passenger Corporation Employee Relief Fund to the following address:
Folk singer Arlo Guthrie will ride Amtrak’s City of New Orleans from Chicago to the New Orleans area in December to collect donations for musicians affected by Hurricane Katrina. According to a press release, Guthrie will depart Chicago on train 59 on December 5, stop at cities along the way to collect donations and rally support, and arrive into New Orleans on or around December 17. Guthrie is famous for his 1972 rendition of the Steve Goodman song about the fabled train and the threat of route elimination. Since then, Guthrie has been an outspoken advocate of improved national Amtrak service and has encouraged his fans to join in the cause. Amtrak will eliminate 17 maintenance positions in Albany-Rensselaer, NY. The Albany Times Union reported that Amtrak is consolidating passenger car preventive maintenance functions in Washington, DC to streamline operations and cut costs. According to Amtrak spokesman Cliff Black, “It is possible, through retirements and transfers to some other positions in Rensselaer, that we won’t lose 17 employees. It could affect as few as half of those.” US DOT Secretary Norman Mineta named Clifford Eby as the Federal Railroad Administration’s deputy administrator. According to the DOT, Eby, who was appointed on October 3, will assist in overseeing daily administrative operations and will be responsible for FRA’s rail financial assistance programs. Amtrak will modify its lost ticket policy effective with the October 31 schedule change. From that date, passengers must repurchase their ticket if it is lost. The current practice of ticket replacement for a $30 charge will be discontinued. However, passengers may apply for a refund. If, after five months, the lost ticket is not spoiled, refunded, exchanged, or lifted, a refund will be given. A $75 charge will apply, as will a 10 percent refund fee if an actual refund (not an exchange voucher) is requested. Amtrak says it is making this change to bring its policies in line with travel industry standards. Amtrak’s Carolinian and Piedmont will make special stops in Lexington, NC for the Lexington Barbecue Festival on October 22. Tickets are available through normal Amtrak booking channels (except “Julie”) using station code LEX. Oct 14, 2005: Hotline #420The Transportation/Treasury/HUD appropriations bill will be first on the agenda when the Senate returns October 17 after next week’s recess. The top priorities are to [a] maintain the $1.45 billion for Amtrak in the Senate committee’s bill and eliminate the damaging, micro-managing language about on-board service. Please contact your senators about Amtrak funding; see our Action Alert page for full information. The Amtrak Board of Directors has directed Amtrak management to “take all appropriate action to create” a subsidiary that would take title to Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor infrastructure. The extensive work, which presumably includes identifying every asset and deciding whether or not it belongs in the subsidiary, is to be completed “on or before the meeting of the Board of Directors scheduled for January, 2006.” Actual creation of the subsidiary is “subject to final review and approval by the Board.” The board approved its resolution on September 22 Board meeting. The New York Times reported it October 12. The directive appears to be at odds with the publicly stated position of Amtrak President and CEO David L. Gunn, with Amtrak Chairman David M. Laney’s own Senate testimony, and with the Amtrak Board’s own FY 2006 Grant Request and Strategic Reform Initiatives. NARP issued a media advisory summarizing the problematic nature of the Amtrak Board’s actions. In a statement, Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), said, “The Bush administration wants to hold a fire sale on Amtrak and dump its best asset, the Northeast Corridor. Selling the Northeast corridor is the first step in President Bush’s plan to destroy Amtrak and intercity rail service in America.” The Times quoted NARP Executive Director Ross B. Capon: “[The current US Department of Transportation’s] dream is an Amtrak crisis where the commuter trains are unaffected and, therefore, the political power behind the protest is that much smaller, and they can go ahead and do whatever they want with or to Amtrak.” The US Government Accountability Office issued a report critiquing federal efforts to enhance passenger rail security. In Passenger Rail Security: Enhanced Federal Leadership Needed to Prioritize and Guide Security Efforts (requires Adobe Reader), the GAO acknowledges that, while risk assessments by the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration have made headways, coordination between these agencies, the Department of Transportation, its subsidiaries, and transit agencies must be improved. The report urges the development of uniform methodologies for risk assessment, and of best practices for measurable, enforceable security standards. The GAO also notes that security practices used overseas may be useful if adopted here. According to the report, “DHS, DOT, and Amtrak reviewed a draft copy of this report and generally agreed with [its] recommendations.” In the wake of the GAO report and ongoing rail transit security concerns, Rep. Michael Castle (R-DE) will soon introduce an ambitious bill entitled the Rail Security and Public Awareness Act of 2005. It would authorize $500 million to be appropriated for railroad employee security training programs and for security personnel and technology. In a nod to the GAO report (which Rep. Castle, in part, requested), the bill would require the TSA to develop a comprehensive, national rail security policy and would direct the DHS to study security measures used by foreign rail operators. It would also direct the DHS to ramp up public awareness campaigns. The bill comes as Congress recently reduced the DHS appropriation for rail transit security, which lags far behind that for aviation. “Several engineering and construction companies have agreed to pay the federal government nearly $24.75 million to settle a dispute related to claims on some Amtrak projects, the Justice Department said.” That quotation is from the Oct. 12 New York Times. The settlement stems from a whistleblower case brought under the False Claims Act and involves the New Haven-Boston Northeast Corridor electrification project. Ian Cartwright, a former employee of Balfour Beatty Construction, which managed the project consortium, alerted the US government to the alleged fraud, under which Amtrak was purportedly overcharged. Cartwright will be awarded $3.9 million of the recovered amount. AP said “the case was settled after a lengthy investigation by the Justice Department, along with the FBI and Amtrak’s Office of Inspector General.” New Jersey Transit will add more Northeast Corridor service with its October 30 schedule change. The next day, two new express round-trips between Trenton and New York will replace all remaining Amtrak Clockers. Amtrak had said it would eliminate Philadelphia-New York Clocker service by next spring, transferring local commute service to SEPTA and NJT, but was allowed to move up this change due to NJT equipment availability. NJT says it is adding 3,000 additional peak commute seats into and out of New York. For more information, see NJT’s service changes. Service south of Trenton will see a net reduction, but Cornwells Heights, PA will retain Amtrak Regional service. NJT Northeast Corridor trains will eventually be re-equipped with recently unveiled Bombardier bi-level coaches that offer a roomy 2-2 seating configuration and meet the required Penn Station tunnel clearances. The westbound Capitol Limited will resume station stops at Elyria and Sandusky, OH effective with the October 31 schedule change. Other highlights of the new schedule include an added stop for the Silver Star at Cary, NC, (suburban Raleigh stop already served by the Carolinian and Piedmont), and adjustments to Pacific Surfliner schedules north of Los Angeles. The new timetable was published before the resumption of service to New Orleans; passengers seeking those trains’ schedules should watch for panel cards for the individual routes. Vermont Transit is once again canceling its St. Albans-Montreal route, severing the Montreal connection to and from the Amtrak Vermonter. This is effective with the October 31 schedule change. Passengers already ticketed to Montreal on that date or beyond will be offered refunds or a reroute via New York on the Adirondack. Amtrak suffered a number of service disruptions this week. Amtrak service in upstate New York was severely disrupted by a CSX freight derailment in Amsterdam on October 12. Amtrak bussed over 900 passengers between Syracuse and Albany and cancelled some trains south of Albany. Passengers on train 284 were bussed from Utica to Albany. Yesterday, trains 281, 283, and 286 between Niagara Falls and Albany. Train 284 were cancelled outright. No alternate transportation was provided. Train 257 was cancelled south of Albany. The Lake Shore Limited and Maple Leaf did operate in both directions. Service disruptions were expected to continue into the weekend. Amtrak’s Coast Starlight bussed both ways between Klamath Falls and Portland yesterday after a Union Pacific freight derailment. Amtrak’s California Zephyr was disrupted by a Union Pacific freight derailment on October 11, which affected both trains 5 and 6. Amtrak’s southbound Silver trains were severely delayed by a broken rail south of Sebring, FL on October 11. Amtrak Vermonter northbound and southbound passengers were bussed between Springfield and White River Junction beginning October 10 after heavy rains caused a section of rail to wash out on the New England Central Railroad in Putney, VT. The Brattleboro Reformer reported today that repairs were about 40 percent complete as of yesterday. Amtrak’s Southwest Chief bussed both ways between Winslow and Albuquerque on October 10 after a BNSF freight derailment between Winslow and Gallup. Amtrak’s eastbound Southwest Chief train 4 had a fire in one of the coach restrooms on October 9. Amtrak and Albuquerque police suspect the culprit was a passenger smoking (either tobacco or an illegal drug). Initial reports given to first responders said a botched methamphetamine lab might have caused the blaze. Amtrak spokeswoman Marcie Golgoski said the fire started in trash receptacle. The passenger in question was taken to the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque to be treated for burns, and was released to the police. The coach was cut from the train in Albuquerque to be retained as a crime scene, and train 4 proceeded to Chicago. Oct 21, 2005: Hotline #421The Senate approved $1.45 billion for Amtrak in FY2006 last night as it passed H.R.3058, the Transportation/Treasury/HUD bill. The Senate also unanimously approved an amendment that deleted the damaging, micro-managing language about dining and sleeping car service. Thanks to NARP members for making their voices heard! The bill will now move to House-Senate conference to reconcile the $1.17 billion House level and the $1.45 billion Senate level. The next legislative priority will be passage of S.1516, the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act (Lott-Lautenberg Amtrak reauthorization), which may get Senate floor time in the next few weeks, and possibly as early as next week. Please contact your Senators regarding this important bill! See our Action Alert page for the latest information. A statement by NARP Executive Director Ross B. Capon was submitted for the record of the September 21 hearing of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Railroads Subcommittee. The topic of the hearing was Amtrak Reform proposals. In his statement, Capon stressed the need for secure federal funding, investment in rolling stock, achieving mechanical stability of the existing fleet, improving customer service, and harnessing efficiencies in on-board service without harming service quality. To read Capon’s statement, click here. Amtrak announced a third consecutive year of record ridership this week. FY2005 saw nearly 25.4 million Amtrak passengers, shattering last year’s record of 25 million riders with an increase of 1.3 percent. The increased numbers are remarkable given the sharp reduction in seat availability due to the discontinuation of the Three Rivers and reduction in cross-Pennsylvania services from two to one, the truncation of the Palmetto in Savannah (from Miami), the phase-out of Clocker service (being handed over to New Jersey Transit), and hurricane-related service disruptions. Northeast Corridor ridership increased one percent despite the temporary sidelining of the Acela Express fleet. Elsewhere, large gains were seen by the Silver Meteor (+35.6%, likely picking up former Florida Palmetto traffic), Heartland Flyer (+23.1%), Keystones (+18.6%), and Blue Water (+18.3%). All Midwest corridors saw large gains. All long-distance trains were up except the truncated Palmetto (-41.9%), Sunset Limited (-15.6% due mainly to hurricanes), Coast Starlight (-10.4% due to Union Pacific dispatching problems), and City of New Orleans (-3.6% due to Hurricane Katrina). The Lake Shore Limited increased ridership by 11.8% (now being the only daily thru New York-Chicago train) and the Empire Builder by nine percent. Long-distance ridership was up 1.1 percent overall. For more information, see Amtrak’s press release. Amtrak’s Sunset Limited will return to New Orleans next month. Train 2 will depart Los Angeles on November 2 and arrive New Orleans on November 4. The first westbound train 1 will depart New Orleans on that date. Sunset service restoration east of New Orleans to Orlando will not be possible until next year due to severe damage to the CSX. The Ohio Hub regional rail plan received a major boost on October 17 after the Ohio State Controlling Board gave a “green light” to the Ohio Rail Development Commission to proceed with a detailed economic impact study (DEIS) of the plan using state funds. The next step would be an environmental impact study (EIS). According to ORDC Executive Director Jim Seney, “If we can complete these two studies, the Ohio Hub Plan can become an officially recognized federal transportation project that is ready for funding.” More information about the Hub Plan may be found at the ORDC web site. Madison, WI may run commuter rail demonstration service next month, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. As early as mid-November, service might operate for one week along 13 miles of the Wisconsin and Southern Railroad between Middleton and East Towne Mall. Trips would be limited to peak rush hours and would utilize makeshift platforms. High gas prices have sparked calls for this service, which had been proposed three years ago in the Dane County Transport 2020 regional alternatives analysis. Sacramento Regional Transit’s light rail extension from Sunrise to Folsom opened on October 15. The new 7.4-mile Gold Line brings the system to 37.1 miles. Under construction is the next expansion, a 0.55-mile spur from St. Rose of Lima Park to the Amtrak station. Anaheim, CA is moving forward with plans for a new regional transportation center that would replace the current Metrolink and Amtrak station at the Angel Stadium parking lot. The Los Angeles Times reports that the Orange County Board of Supervisors agreed on October 18 to negotiate the sale of a parcel of land farther south at a site called the “Platinum Triangle.” It would serve as a regional hub for rail, bus, and future bus rapid transit and high-speed rail. The location would still serve Angel Stadium, as well as the Arrowhead Pond arena and the Grove of Anaheim concert hall. Anaheim city leaders envision mixed transit-oriented development at the site, including 9,000 condominium and apartment units and 7 million square feet in office and retail space. www.Amtrak.com may now be accessed at www.Amtrak.travel. Amtrak was among the first members of the travel industry to take advantage of the new .travel top-level internet domain. Hurricane Wilma is disrupting Florida Amtrak service. Today’s Auto Train departures in both directions have been cancelled, as have southbound Silver trains 91 and 97. Northbound Silver trains 92 and 98 are leaving Florida today with additional capacity for evacuees. Tomorrow, the Auto Train and both Silver trains have been cancelled. For October 23 and 24, northbound Silver trains 92 and 98 are cancelled. Amtrak may make further service adjustments as conditions necessitate. Amtrak Capitols will bus between San Jose and either Fremont or Oakland through October 23 to accommodate Union Pacific tie installation. Southbound Coast Starlight train 11 will terminate in Oakland, with a bus bridge to San Jose, to continuing train 1011. (Train 14 will not be affected.) These changes will also repeat during track closures November 1-8 and 16-19. Severe New England flooding shut down Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor between New Haven and Boston, and Amtrak’s New Haven-Springfield Line, on October 15. While no alternate transportation was provided, service was restored the next day. A tank car carrying propylene gas exploded in Union Pacific’s Texarkana, AR yard on October 15, killing a nearby resident and forcing thousands to evacuate. Amtrak southbound Texas Eagle train 21 was rerouted around the site, and Eagle delays were expected to continue until the site was cleaned up. Amtrak’s California Zephyr was disrupted due to a rock slide on the Union Pacific in Byers Canyon (west of Granby, CO) on October 15. At least one Zephyr was rerouted via Cheyenne, WY. NARP’s Board of Directors is meeting this weekend in Minneapolis. Items on the agenda include a review of this year’s accomplishments and plans for next year. Oct 28, 2005: Hotline #422The next step regarding Amtrak’s Fiscal 2006 appropriation is a House-Senate conference committee. It is important to urge legislators to press for the Senate funding level $1.45 billion and make sure that the micromanaging language about food service and sleeping cars, which the Senate deleted last week, does not return. A return is possible because the key people who got the language deleted are not on the conference committee. S.1516, the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act (Lott-Lautenberg Amtrak reauthorization), still may get Senate floor time before Congress adjourns. Adjournment is now planned for November 18. Please contact your Senators regarding this important bill! See our Action Alert page for the latest information. NARP’s Board of Directors met last weekend in Minneapolis. The Board approved two resolutions expressing concern about the Amtrak Board of Directors’ action creating a Northeast Corridor infrastructure subsidiary, and about the current status of the Amtrak Board’s vacancies. Hurricane Wilma has caused Silver service to remain suspended between Orlando and Miami. However, Thruway motorcoaches are operating between Orlando, Tampa, Fort Myers, and intermediate points connecting with both the Silver Meteor and the Silver Star. (The Fort Myers route normally connects with the Star at Tampa, so that round-trip has been extended to Orlando). Commuter rail service between Baton Rouge and New Orleans may be in the works. According to the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report, a preliminary agreement has already been forged between Amtrak and Kansas City Southern Railway. The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development hopes to secure a $25 million initial operating grant, either from FEMA or other federal sources, to operate the line for three years and fulfill what is seen as an emergency need. However, such monies would not finance capital upgrades or other expenditures, such as intermediate stations. (Baton Rouge Memorial Stadium and New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal have been designated for future use by commuter rail service.) Amtrak California will add additional Thruway service with Amtrak’s October 31 schedule change. All of these services connect with the San Joaquins. The Stockton-San Jose route will extend to serve Caltrain commute stations at Sunnyvale (station code SVL), Mountain View (MNV), and Palo Alto (PLC). Benicia (BCI) will be added to Thruways from Martinez. A new Merced-Monterey route will start, with two round trips between Merced, Los Banos (LBO), Hollister (HLR), San Juan Bautista (SJB), Salinas, and Monterey. Service between Bakersfield and the Coachella Valley will double, with a new round-trip to Indio via Palm Springs. A second bus will also serve Hemet via Ontario and Riverside. A robust network of connecting Thruways has been a key element to the success of Amtrak California routes. Amtrak Hiawatha service will gain new amenities with the October 31 schedule change. Every train will feature checked baggage service between Chicago and Milwaukee, as well as a Quiet Car. Quiet Cars, which have been very successful on Northeast Corridor and Capitol Corridor trains, provide a refuge from loud conversation, cell phones, and other noise-making electronic devices. New Jersey Transit will extend Hudson-Bergen light rail one station north from Lincoln Harbor to Port Imperial in Weehawken beginning tomorrow, providing connections with New York Waterway ferries and NJ Transit buses. The new station will be served only on weekends for now, as construction continues on the further extension to Bergenline Avenue in Union City and Tonnelle Avenue in North Bergen. Full opening of the extension is expected this winter. The renovated Fresno, CA Santa Fe depot will open to passengers after resolution of a months-long funding dispute between Amtrak and the City of Fresno. Fresno had threatened to sue Amtrak for failure to provide $607,000 in station improvement funds. Amtrak claimed that the funds were solely in its FY2003 budget and that Fresno failed to respond to two requests for invoices at that time. Fortunately, Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA) secured alternative funding through the California Transportation Commission to cover the shortfall. His office said that Amtrak should complete relocation from the old Santa Fe freight office, to the restored 1899 passenger depot, by the second week of November. The station was supposed to be open by May. The latest of dozens of new or recently rehabilitated Amtrak stations in California, Fresno’s was renovated over three years at a cost of $7.34 million. Construction begins today on a new Richmond, CA intermodal station. The neighborhood redevelopment project will improve BART and AC Transit facilities, integrate them with the new Amtrak platform, and eventually provide for transit-oriented housing and retail development. The station itself will cost $6.4 million, while the transit village will be financed through a $110-million public-private partnership. The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority is offering aggressive fare promotions for the holiday season, according to the Stamford Advocate. The discounts are being financed by $50 million of the MTA’s $833 million budget surplus this year. Discounts include half-priced NY City Transit fares on weekends beginning after Thanksgiving and going through the end of December, as well as for the entire last week of December. Also, a 30-day MetroCard will include four bonus days if activated between Thanksgiving and the end of December. Additionally, frequent Metro-North Railroad passengers will get a break: December monthly pass holders will get a free ten-trip ticket, and those who purchase ten-trip tickets between November 20 and December 19 will get a free round-trip ticket. Free tickets must be used by January 31. Virginia Railway Express is eliminating a Manassas round trip to help plug a $1.2-million current annual budget deficit exacerbated by rising diesel fuel costs. The 10:15 AM from Broad Run (and the 8:30 AM from Washington, primarily an equipment positioning move) will be eliminated effective Monday, November 28. VRE says the 10:15 carries fewer than 60 passengers and cannot grow until more parking is provided, and also notes: “The termination of the train is being made in lieu of a mid year fare increase.” Also, no VRE trains will run the day after Thanksgiving. Moreover, the Potomac News reports that VRE is eliminating 10 Amtrak-contracted maintenance positions. VRE says these initiatives will save about $1 million annually. Amtrak’s southbound Coast Starlight train 11 made a historic detour on October 23 between Sacramento and Los Angeles via Tehachapi Pass. The train was carrying Amtrak President and CEO David Gunn and the Beech Grove business car. Mr. Gunn needed to get himself and the car to Los Angeles for the Southwest Division presentation of the President’s Safety and Service Awards. That would not have been possible on the normal route due to scheduled Union Pacific trackwork between Fremont and San Jose that we reported last week. Train 11 took the San Joaquin route between Sacramento and Bakersfield, stopped once in Bakersfield to change crews and get a UP pilot, and continued to Palmdale on the UP, then to Los Angeles on Metrolink tracks. Train 11 arrived at Los Angeles before 5:30 pm, over three and a half hours early, even after having departed Sacramento about an hour late. It was the first time since 1974 that Amtrak operated over Tehachapi. Stub train 1011 also operated as scheduled between San Jose and Los Angeles to carry passengers boarding at Bay Area stations and/or detraining at Central Coast stations. A dedicated motorcoach met train 11 in Sacramento to connect with train 1011 in San Jose (train 11 otherwise would have terminated in Oakland). Amtrak southbound Regional train 177 was delayed by a bomb threat on October 25. The Associated Press reported that a man called Amtrak in Boston to say that a bomb was “set to go off” on that train. Passengers were evacuated at Westerly, RI, and the train was moved onto a remote siding where Amtrak, federal, state, and local law enforcement officials thoroughly searched the train. Passengers’ belongings were also searched, and no bomb was found. The train proceeded after a nearly two and a half hours delay, and five other trains also were delayed by the bomb scare. FBI and TSA have joined the investigation of an October 15 incident in which a 150-pound boulder was placed, apparently intentionally, between the rails on the Canadian Pacific in Watertown, WI and was struck by eastbound Amtrak Empire Builder train 8. The train did not derail, but the lead locomotive was damaged. Amtrak’s eastbound California Zephyr train 6 was delayed on October 22 after the trailing locomotive caught fire. It was set out in Lockridge, IA, and the train continued to Chicago with one engine. Two Norfolk Southern trains collided head-on on October 21 in Millbury, OH, near Toledo. One of the crew members was slightly injured, and Amtrak passengers were bussed around the derailment site. On October 18, another freight derailment occurred at the east end of the Toledo terminal while Amtrak’s eastbound Lake Shore Limited was in the station. That train was delayed about eight hours. Subsequent Amtrak trains also took severe delays. This NS line seems to have growing freight congestion even without derailments. |
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