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Nov 03, 2006: Hotline #474November 3, 2006
Amtrak’s Keystone Corridor saw inaugural ceremonies and a V.I.P. special on Monday. Speakers at a pre-departure ceremony in Harrisburg included Pennsylvania DOT Deputy Director Karen Rae, Amtrak President and CEO Alex Kummant, State Rep. Rick Geist (R; chair of the House Transportation Committee), and former PennDOT Deputy Secretary Richard Peltz (who now works in Washington as federal co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission). On the platform, Rae, Kummant, Peltz and former Rail and Public Transportation Bureau Secretary Joe Daversa did the traditional ribbon cutting. In his prepared remarks, Kummant said, “If you look at the environment today, it is absolutely the right time to be having this discussion [about improving passenger rail]. Record fuel prices, high highway congestion, record volume on the freight railroads, I think this is the time to be talking about putting capital into the system.” Rae noted the disparity between highway, aviation and passenger rail funding and said that a federal-state funding match is critical for continued development of passenger rail projects. Speakers at the counterpart Philadelphia ceremony included Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA) and State Rep. Babbette Josephs (D). The State of New York and Amtrak are nearing an agreement to operate an Albany-New York City “super” express. The trains, which appear in the new Amtrak timetable with a footnote that service will begin “on a date to be announced.” They would reinstate a service last operated in 1998 which was very popular with state employees. The Albany Times Union also reported this week that the new train will feature food service (which was removed from all Albany-New York local trains in June 2005). An article in the New York Times highlights a growing movement to target airline pollution as a significant contributor to global warming. Former Vice President Al Gore’s film, “An Inconvenient Truth” has highlighted the impact of pollution on the long term health of the environment and caused many to look at aviation emissions as a key culprit. Quoting the article, “Eurostar, which runs the high-speed train service linking London to Paris and Brussels via the Channel Tunnel, has started running ads in travel trade publications asserting that a journey (on their train) produces only one-tenth the carbon dioxide emissions of a comparable flight.” NARP issued a news release today, drawing attention to the benefits rail can have towards the reduction of greenhouse gases. You can also read Ross Capon’s November 2 NARP blog entry. Among the actions taken by the NARP Board at its recent meeting in Austin, Texas was the approval of a resolution calling for the Department of Transportation and the Access Board to abandon their efforts to require “full length level boarding” for all passenger rail facilities. The proposed federal regulations, if adopted as written, likely would both stunt the growth and expansion of passenger rail and threaten existing services. View the news release and resolution here on our website. Make your reservations now for Thanksgiving Amtrak travel! Amtrak is selling travel on additional departures on the Cascades, Northeast and other corridor routes. Remember that NARP and other affinity discounts require that reservations be made at least three days prior to departure and that Amtrak Guest Rewards redemption travel is blacked out for most of the holiday. Nov 10, 2006: Hotline #475The Democratic Party retook control of both the House and Senate in Tuesday’s elections. Reps. Jim Oberstar (D-MN) and David Obey (D-WI) and Senators Daniel Inouye (D-HI) and Robert Byrd (D-WV) are expected to replace their Republican counterparts as key, full committee chairmen in Amtrak-related authorizing committees and the appropriations committees. While this should mean a more favorable climate for rail, it does not erase budgetary constraints—money still will be hard to get. It is more important than ever now that you take the time to communicate with your elected officials; both incumbents and those who are newly elected. Formal Washington, D.C. offices of new members will not open until January, but many are beginning to set up district offices and may have web pages. Stephanie Vance of Advocacy Associates, LLC, summed it up well in an email sent out earlier this week, “Elections serve as important reminders to ‘those people in Washington’ that the people play a critical role in our American democracy. Newly elected members and incumbents alike are thinking about their constituents right now. Take advantage of this time to have your voice heard!” Go to our Action Alert Center for full details. In other election news, it was another bright day for transit referendums. Mirroring successful efforts in 2004 and 2005, many state and local transit and intercity rail funding projects passed. NARP issued a news release today trumpeting the success of these ballot initiatives. Amtrak’s new service in Illinois is off to a strong start. Over 7,000 reservations have been made for the new trains, and most runs over the Thanksgiving weekend are already sold out. Massive cuts in 1995 eliminated frequencies in Illinois, which, according to Illinois DOT Rail Division Chief George Weber served, “as a wakeup call” to the communities along the route. He told the Peoria Journal Star this week that the loss of service led to a grass-roots movement amongst online communities and rail advocates. “It takes time and circumstances, but I think it’s what the cities want, it’s what they conveyed to their legislators…The governor and the General Assembly heard the message.” Amtrak and Buffalo Metro passengers are being screened for explosives in a pilot Transportation Security Administration project. Passengers boarding Amtrak trains and Metro light rail trains have their carry on luggage screened for explosives with a cloth wand device (similar to those found in airports). The cloth is then analyzed by a machine. Typical screening takes 30 seconds. Brett O’Neil, TSA’s Buffalo spokesman, told the Buffalo News that the first day of screening at Amtrak’s Depew station, “went really well. The travelers we screened were extremely cooperative, and the screenings were as quick and easy as we expected.” This apparently is the first, security-related project where rail passengers are not allowed to board if they refuse to undergo screening. The pilot project next moves to several Metro stations. The Silver Star was involved in a grade crossing accident involving a tractor trailer just outside of Tampa on Wednesday. The driver of the tractor was killed. The Amtrak engineer in Wednesday’s accident was Billy Parker, who was also the engineer of the Silver Star on March 17, 1993 when it struck a loaded gasoline tanker truck near Fort Lauderdale. After the Fort Lauderdale accident, Parker began working full time as Amtrak’s liaison to Operation Lifesaver, a national program to promote grade crossing safety. Parker returned to the locomotive cab about three years ago. A preliminary investigation into Wednesday’s accident indicates that the tractor trailer driver tried to back up, and then got the truck stuck on the crossing. Parker won the Dr. Gary Burch Memorial Safety Award in 1995. The German government expects to sell railway Deutsche Bahn (but not the tracks) by 2009. Financial Times reported today that this final big privatization in Germany followed “months of haggling” on the subject between Christian Democrats and Social Democrats. Conventional wisdom says that Santa arrives behind eight reindeer. However, sometimes a train locomotive substitutes! Santa has several plans to ride Amtrak before Christmas; here is a list of events that we know of thus far:
Amtrak service in the Pacific Northwest has been disrupted due to record rainfalls last week—with more rain anticipated as another storm approaches—and resulting mudslides and flooding. If you are traveling on Cascades service or the Empire Builder, call Amtrak prior to travel to check on the schedule of your train; many services have been operating with busses due to track blockages.
Nov 17, 2006: Hotline #476Another continuing resolution may push consideration of appropriations language into next year, possibly a good thing for Amtrak. Republican fiscal conservatives so far are insisting on this because they feel their party has not been tough enough on federal spending, and they presumably would rather criticize Democratic bills next year than endorse bills they think have too much spending. Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS) rejoined the Senate Republican leadership Wednesday, when—on a secret ballot—he beat Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) 25-24 to become minority whip, the party’s second highest Senate post. Michigan transportation officials report that fiscal year 2006 was the best ever for Amtrak in the state. More than 664,000 people rode Amtrak trains between October 2005 and October 2006, generating over 20 million dollars in revenue on the three Michigan routes. Ridership on the Blue Water Route experienced an 11 percent increase in ridership and a 22 percent increase in ticket revenue. The Pere Marquette saw a 6% ridership increase and a 20% increase in ticket revenues. Ridership on the Wolverine increased by 7.9%, while ticket revenue increased by 22%. MARC Penn Line service did not operate today because a two coal cars derailed about 7:30 PM last night on a CSX freight train at Bowie, MD, and were dragged a mile along Northeast Corridor track, damaging catenary. The empty coal train was returning from Morgantown, MD, to the Benning Yard in Washington, DC. Amtrak’s engineering department recovered well from the derailment, with Amtrak service restored today on single track, running with 20-25 minute delays, and only a few trains cancelled. Customer service on last night’s trains that were terminated in Baltimore did not fare as well. The CSX freight-only Anacostia River Bridge—part of the railroad equivalent to I-95—in Washington DC is closed to traffic, with some freight being rerouted as far west as Cincinnati. At least some traffic is diverted through Washington Union Station; the first such trains were last night and early this morning, apparently one UPS train in each direction. The CSX web site now says “Bridge piling repair/replacement through estimated completion date of Dec. 8.” The National Surface Transportation Policy and Review Study Commission (NSTPRSC) this week held field hearings in New York City and Memphis. The Commission was established in the big TEA-LU law (six-year highway/transit reauthorization enacted last year) law, due in large part to the law’s failure to provide new revenues even as it allowed federal highway and transit spending to rise. Many are hoping the commission “will lead us to the promised land” much as the Baker Commission faces huge expectations for what it can recommend about Iraq. Of particular NARP interest at the New York City hearing, nationwide intercity passenger rail was endorsed by five speakers—David King, General Manager, Triangle Transit Authority (and a former long-time NC DOT official); New Jersey Transit’s D. C. Agrawal, who is Assistant Executive Director—Corporate Strategy, Policy and Contracts; Drew Galloway, Amtrak’s Chief of Corridor Project/Development; James Boice, Connecticut DOT Deputy Commissioner; and New York State DOT Commissioner Tom Madison. The first four comprised a panel captioned “Intercity Rail, Mass Transit and Regional Interconnectedness in 2056”; Madison was on a panel called “Meeting the Needs.” Past NSTPRSC presentations are at the commission’s website and this week’s likely will be posted there in the near future. The federal gasoline tax has not been increased since October 1, 1993, although 4.3 cents originally sent to general revenues (“deficit reduction”) was diverted back to the Highway Trust Fund four years later, except that freight railroads continued to pay into general revenues. So the tax rate has been unchanged for over nine years, with revenues eaten away both by inflation and—since the tax is charged on a per-gallon basis—by declines in gasoline sales when the price gets high. Tables showing history of the federal gasoline tax and its uses are in a brief paper on gasoline tax history can be found here. Early this year, Rep. Ann Northrup (R-KY) asked then-DOT Secretary Norman Mineta at a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing why he wasn’t more alarmed about the impending highway trust fund crisis, given that the timeline was so much shorter than for the much-discussed Social Security problem. He said, “We have two years to solve it,” as if that would be easy. Of course, Mineta is gone, and as a result of the election so is Northrup. Gasoline prices are lower now but, according to today’s Financial Times, “Francisco Blanch, commodity strategist at Merrill Lynch, said the current stability of crude oil prices might not last long due to a strong outlook for demand growth in emerging markets, an energy investment shortage and weaker production from non-OPEC countries. Analysts at Barclays Capital said: ‘The market is ultimately going to face over-tightening and the longer it takes before a more significant move up, the more vicious is likely to be the whiplash when they do start to move.’” NARP has expressed concern to Amtrak about failure to open the northbound Coast Starlight to sales for travel local to the Eugene-Seattle corridor even though some Cascade trains are sold out next week, but so far to no avail. Amtrak is concerned that the train is still not reliable enough for local travel. Nov 22, 2006: Hotline #477Legislators are in their home districts for the Thanksgiving recess. Current members of Congress need to hear strong support for passage of the Senate level of Amtrak funding ($1.4 billion), but without damaging, micro-managing language. New members of Congress should be told to support an Amtrak reauthorization. Go to our Action Alert Center for full details. Governors need to hear about the importance of passenger rail. Some newly-elected ones have their transition teams (energy, transportation, etc.) posted on the web. Here, for example, is the one for New York; complete with brief statement about each member. NARP’s Ross Capon was interviewed November 16 on a Denver/Boulder radio station for about 20-25 minutes. The interviewer and all the callers were pro-rail. To hear the archived report, go to the website of KGNU Radio. At the bottom, select “archives of past shows,” then Morning Magazine for November 16. Skip in about 30 minutes to get to the rail segment. This opportunity came from our November 3 release on rail and global warming, found here on our website. At a Novemer 14 news conference, Rep. James Oberstar (D-MN), the likely next chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure said, “I want to meet with (Amtrak CEO Alex) Kummant, get his estimate [of Amtrak’s funding needs] and discern whether it’s his number or OMB’s. We need to look at a system, not just pieces.” Asked about a push to allow longer, heavier trucks, Obersstar said, “I’m opposed to triples. I think doubles are dangerous. 5,000 people a year die in car/truck crashes. In four years, trucks have doubled in length, while cars have gotten smaller. We need more vigorous administration of the Hours of Service Act.” A global warming tax on aviation tickets is gradually gaining attention in Europe. The Nov. 20 Financial Times reports a poll “carried out this month by Harris Interactive in Germany, France, the UK, Italy and Spain found that 86% believed that humans were contributing to climate change, and 45% thought it would be a threat to them and their families within their lifetimes.” The report highlights just two specific actions—“43% either strongly or somewhat supported a charge on airline passengers environmental to pay for environmental damage, while 36% opposed it; pm…only 30% [were strongly or somewhat in favor] of investment in new nuclear [electric power] capacity.” “Where are the limits on air travel?” is one question heard November 16 when M.P.’s were reacting to the Queen’s Speech, an annual event. The bills she proposed are summarized on the BBC’s website; a global climate change bill (labeled “toothless” by the Green Party); “necessary powers to build Crossrail, a railway stretching east to west across London”; and a bill to “give free off-peak travel for over-60s and disabled people on local bus services in England.” Amtrak and Norfolk Southern have appealed a court ruling that orders the railroads to pay damages stemming from a 2001 accident in Lancaster, PA (Hotline #473). A jury awarded two men who, at the age of 17, climbed a parked boxcar and suffered burns when they got close to (but not touching) the overhead catenary wire. Pro-highway elected officials in Atlanta continue to plow ahead with ideas to build as much as 1,100 miles of roads, including a “Big Dig-style” double deck tunnel through the city. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution wisely editorializes against the proposal, put forth by anti-transit advocates, calling it “worthy of Dante’s Inferno.” On a more positive note, the state Department of Transportation took another small step towards beginning the state’s first commuter rail line (between Atlanta and Lovejoy). California’s Capitol Corridor had a 9% ridership increase in October compared with one year ago. The Sacramento Bee notes that the 9% increase above fiscal 2005 occurred even though gas prices have dropped. Bill Bronte, chief of Caltrans’ Rail Division, told The Bee, “In the run-up of gas prices, people discovered that there was this alternative out there.” The California Zephyr continues to encounter significant, consistent delays on Union Pacific, due to slow orders in Nevada. Train 5 routinely leaves Denver on or close to schedule, yet arrival at the Emeryville California terminal was under three hours late only once in October, and four times in November. Train 6 has done only slightly better, arriving Denver less than three hours late nine times in October and six times so far this month. Union Pacific got badly behind in its tie program in Nevada, but the railroad is now moving to fix that. However, the full program will take up to two years, although some speed limits are being raised this month to give Amtrak benefit of the normal “passenger differential”. Beyond that, it is likely that some time will be added to the schedule temporarily, perhaps starting in mid-January, to improve on-time performance; Amtrak has taken similar moves on other railroads in the past. To protect connections in Chicago and scenic viewing out West, adjustments will be mainly in Nevada and California—earlier eastbound times and later westbound times. For next summer, Amtrak asked Union Pacific to do as few Wyoming reroutes as possible between Memorial Day and Labor Day, when the greatest number of passengers would be affected by loss of the scenic route through the Colorado Rockies. Union Pacific also plans to speed up tie replacement work in the Pacific Northwest. Rail service was disrupted over the weekend by a BNSF Railway freight train derailment in Everett, WA. Train service was disrupted on Monday, with most trains resumed by Tuesday. Amtrak got its third (and final) main track restored to service in the Bowie, Maryland, area on Monday morning, following last week’s derailment of an empty CSX coal train. Although the derailment happened on CSX trackage, the train moved about 1-1/3 miles before coming to a halt; the repairs cost Amtrak a lot more than the damage CSX incurred on its three freight cars. NARP wishes you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving! |
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