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Aug 03, 2007: Hotline #512Congress adjourns today for its August District Work Period. Most Members will be home, hosting town hall meetings and having other public events. Be sure to attend and remind your elected officials for the need to fully fund Amtrak’s appropriation request, resist White House efforts to futher cut funding, and to pass S.294. Go to our Action Alert Center for full details. NARP today expressed its concerns to the Surface Transportation Board regarding the proposed lease by Norfolk Southern of most of its rail lines in Michigan to a Class Three railroad, WATCO Industries. The NS route between Ypsilanti and Kalamazoo is used by 8 Amtrak passenger trains a day and is part of a Department of Transportation-designated High Speed Rail Corridor. It would also host commuter trains between Ann Arbor and Detroit now being actively studied. While many smaller branches in the proposed lease are ideally suited to operation by a short line railroad, NARP is concerned that WATCO may not have the resources to maintain the route in question to Class Four (79 mph) standards, or to be partners in future speed increased already implemented west of Kalamazoo. You can read the full statement here on our website. Amtrak removed all Cascades Talgo trainsets from operation last night after cracks were found in the suspension system of some Talgo cars. Nearly all Cascades trains have been annulled through Sunday, August 5, with no alternate transportation provided. However, trains 510 and 517 (the Seattle-Vancouver, BC, Canada round-trip), which operate with Superliner equipment, will continue to operate as usual, as will the Coast Starlight and Cascades Thruway motorcoaches. Tickets for local travel north of Eugene, OR are temporarily available for northbound Coast Starlight train 14 (though passengers are warned that it often runs late). Amtrak has stated that the Talgos are out of service for inspection and has not set a date for full resumption of service. It appears that Amtrak is shifting Amfleet equipment to the Pacific Northwest; today’s Capitol Limited was seen outside of the NARP office with four Amfleet cars in the consist. US DOT is set to gain authority to dictate routes for freight trains carrying hazardous materials, under the new Homeland Security bill passed by Congress last week. This provision, which tackles a controversial and legally murky topic among freight railroads and the locales through which they pass, does not specify which areas should be bypassed. However, US DOT is expected to work with affected stakeholders to weigh the risks of each route, first issuing a rule to direct railroads to conduct their own analyses of possible routes each year. Rerouting under this provision could begin by April 2009. New passenger rail car crash strength standards have been proposed by the Federal Railroad Administration. The proposed standards, which match those advocated by the American Public Transportation Association on behalf of the rail transit industry, dictate that frontal frame area of each car would have to withstand 300,000 pounds of force before breaking. Bipartisan legislation to create an independent national infrastructure bank has been proposed in the Senate by Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Chuck Hagel (R-NE). The bank would be a clearinghouse to vet federal funding requests for all transportation and other public infrastructure projects at state, county, and local levels, and is intended to bring sound methodology to scoring projects that might otherwise be ignored, or funded through Congressional earmarks without oversight. Funding would come from a variety of methods, including bonds, subsidies, and/or tax credits, and each package would have the full faith and backing of the federal government. The bank as proposed in the Dodd-Hagel plan would be overseen by a five-member board of directors who the President would appoint for Senate confirmation. The bill will first be debated in the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, of which Dodd is chair and Hagel is a member. CSX has entered into an agreement with the State of Kentucky to share intelligence and coordinate security activities. CSX hopes to enter into similar agreements with other states on their route network. Earlier this week, the State of Oregon legislature passed an innovative solution to funding its portion of Amtrak Cascades operations in its latest two-year transportation bill. Personalized (vanity) license plates cost $50 each for two years, and are expected to generate $8.6 million of the $9 million Oregon pays for Amtrak operations. The balance (including an additional $1 million for general state rail program expenses) will still come from the general fund, which will also fund litter removal previously covered by the vanity plates. The State of Michigan DOT has approved $1.4 million towards establishing commuter rail between Ann Arbor and Detroit. Public officials hope to have the line, which would relieve congestion on US route 23, operational by next year. The State of New Hampshire has created a commuter rail authority as a first step to establishing service in the state. The budget signed by Gov. John Lynch (D) directs the new authority to begin planning route, schedule, fare, contract, and other planning, and to work to secure federal funds. The governor’s budget also includes $1 million to erect station platforms in Manchester and Nashua. The State of North Carolina-owned North Carolina Railroad has hired a consultant to study the feasibility of establishing commuter rail service between Clemmons and Burlington, and between Burlington and Goldsboro. Results of the study, which would include costs and other projections, are due by the first quarter of 2008. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) has tentatively secured $200,000 in House appropriations towards a study to examine reinstating rail transit along the North Shore of Staten Island. While $4 million is needed before the study could proceed, Nadler and the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce are strongly pushing for the North Shore Rail Re-Activation, which would reinstate approximately 6 miles of service between Arlington to the west and St. George Ferry Terminal to the east. St. George is the northern terminus of the MTA Staten Island Railway and the gateway to Staten Island Ferry. VIA Rail Canada issued a strong denouncement against the stewardship of the Husdon Bay Railway by operator OmniTrax. Deteriorating conditions and a freight train derailment led VIA last week to indefinitely suspend operations of the Hudson Bay route between Winnipeg and Churchill, Manitoba. VIA President and CEO Paul Côte said in part, “[T]he management of HBR is failing to meet its responsibility to deliver VIA, its passengers and employees to their destinations safely or to make any serious effort to meet the critical transportation needs of the residents and communities of Northern Manitoba… We are tired of the apparent disregard of operating host railways in this country for the important public responsibility with which they have been entrusted.” British Airways has been fined $547 million to settle an ongoing investigation into price-fixing by the US Department of Justice and the UK Office of Fair Trading. The scandal erupted last year after Virgin Atlantic Airways blew the whistle on employees of the two carriers discussing collusion over fuel surcharges. Two high-ranking BA officials resigned last October for their alleged roles in the scandal. GrandLuxe Rail Journeys is offering a $100 on-board beverage credit to Amtrak Guest Rewards members who purchase travel on GrandLuxe’s special departures on the rear of Amtrak trains. However, a recent Associated Press article erroneously implied that the credit, which applies to alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, is available to Amtrak passengers on the Amtrak section of the train, which it is not. Credits such as these are common incentives to fill premium space in the cruise and hospitality industries. The misleading AP article was picked up by numerous other news outlets and as a result, Amtrak issued a news release clarifying the terms and conditions of the promotion. Miami’s future Intermodal Center near Miami International Airport will be funded in part through increased car rental fees, approved this week by Miami-Dade commissioners. The fee would increase 75 cents to $4 through 2011, and may increase an additional 60 cents once the center is operational. It will serve Amtrak, Tri-Rail commuter trains, a Metrorail extension, Metro buses, and a new car rental facility, all under one roof. The $1.3 billion station is also being funded through a $270 million federal loan and future contingent rent increases for the car rental companies once they relocate. Minot, ND will soon renovate the exterior its Amtrak station after Minot City Council agreed to provide a $42,000 loan to the Depot Restoration Committee, which is confident that private contributions will allow for repayment. This is on top of a city commitment of $106,000; the funding package will allow North Dakota DOT to release $290,000 in state grant money. The committee hopes to raise an additional $250,000 for interior, landscaping, and other improvements. Minot is a key service stop for the Empire Builder. Amtrak has agreed to help Dyer, IN improve its station, served by the Cardinal and Hoosier State. Amtrak will contribute $2,800 to replace the windows and door on the modest shelter, and will pay Dyer $1,000 a month for ongoing maintenance capital improvements. The Dyer Enhancement Team is seeking volunteers to help with ongoing caretaking at the station. Prospective volunteers may call Dyer Town Hall at (219) 865-6108 for more information. Amtrak’s Capitol Corridor will honor Robert Conheim, the late NARP Board member and organizer of Capitol Corridor Riders, with a special train on August 11. The Robert F. Conheim ‘Lord Mayor Limited’ will operate between Emeryville and Auburn to serve the planned Celebration of Bob’s Life at Auburn Recreational Park. Each passenger must RSVP at the web page, so that an accurate guest list can be compiled by the Conheim family. CSX is adding a third main line track in Washington, DC, south of the Capitol Hill tunnel near L’Enfant Plaza. This capacity increase will help reliability of Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express operations. However, on August 11 and 12, some Amtrak trains will be cancelled south of Washington to allow for track and signal cut-in, with no alternate transportation provided. On August 11, Regional trains 67, 195, 66, 82, and 88 will only operate north of Washington. On August 12, the same will apply for Regional trains 67, 66, and 88. Other trains are subject to delays of 20-30 minutes. Amtrak’s Picture Our Train Photo Contest is once again in season. The first prize winner will have their picture displayed on Amtrak’s 2008 wall calendar, and will receive a $1,000 Amtrak travel voucher. Details are available on Amtrak’s web site. Matthew Melzer has returned to the NARP staff to serve as Communications Associate. Aug 10, 2007: Hotline #513Congress is on recess for its August District Work Period. Most Members will be home, hosting town hall meetings and having other public events. Be sure to attend and remind your elected officials for the need to fully fund Amtrak’s appropriation request, resist White House efforts to further cut funding, and to pass S.294. Go to our Action Alert Center for full details. Increased gasoline taxes at federal and state levels are gaining momentum as a possible method to bolster transportation funding in the wake of last week’s I-35W Minneapolis bridge collapse. Rep. Don Young (R-AK), member and former chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, broached the possibility of a gas tax increase. “We have to, as a Congress, grasp this problem,” he said. “And yes, I would even suggest, fund this problem with a tax. May the sky not fall on me.” Rep. James Oberstar (D-MN), current House T&I Chairman, proposed on Wednesday a plan to dedicate funding to nationwide bridge repair. The bill, which will be considered when Congress reconvenes in September, would dedicate an as-yet unidentified source – possibly taxes on fuel or imported oil – to disburse repair funds based on a formula, with specific earmarks prohibited. It would also mandate states to immediately inspect bridges that have been deemed structurally deficient, as well as require the Federal Highway Administration to update inspection standards. As well, Minnesota Governor Jim Pawlenty (R) reversed his long-standing position against gas-tax increases, after having twice vetoed gas-tax increases, most recently in May, when he called a proposed 7.5 cent-per-gallon increase an “unnecessary and onerous burden on Minnesotans that could weaken the state’s economy.” Now, Pawlenty has offered to “extend an olive branch” to Democratic-Farm-Labor Party leaders in the Minnesota Legislature and revisit the issue of increasing the gas tax. President Bush once again dismissed increasing gasoline taxes as a method to fund transportation improvements. When asked at a White House press conference Thursday if he considered that a viable alternative, he deflected the question, and instead of presenting ideas to reform transportation funding he focused on Congressional earmarks and pet projects. “Before we raise taxes, which could affect economic growth, I would strongly urge the Congress to examine how they set priorities,” the President said. He made no mention of specific proposals such as the Oberstar plan or the bi-partisan Dodd-Hagel bill, which, as reported in last week’s Hotline, would create an independent board to objectively examine transportation spending needs and grant funding through a variety of sources. The federal gasoline excise tax of 18.4 cents per gallon has remained unchanged since 1993, while inflation continues to reduce the spending power of tax dollars. The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates that $1.6 trillion would need to be spent over five years simply to bring all existing national infrastructure into a state of good repair. The ASCE also estimates that $188 billion over 20 years would be required to repair existing bridges. The Homeland Security bill we reported on last week (Hotline #512) also contains security provisions for Amtrak, directing the Secretary of Transportation to spend $650 million of $1.987 billion in new railroad security funds between fiscal years 2008 and 2011 to upgrade Amtrak’s security infrastructure. This includes securing tunnel access points, stations, and the trains themselves, as well as obtaining a watchlist passenger identification system, bolstering Amtrak Police and security forces, improving communications with other agencies, and expanding employee security training. Another $3 million has been funded for Amtrak to begin preliminary planning of an alternate tunnel alignment through Baltimore. As well, the bill authorizes (but does not appropriate) $200 million between 2008 and 2011 to enact life-safety improvements in the Hudson and East River tunnels in New York and New Jersey, the Baltimore tunnels, and the Washington Union Station tunnels. Domestic airline on-time performance in June, 2007 hit its lowest level ever recorded, according to USDOT figures. 68.1% of flights arrived on-time; consumer complaints rose over 43% compared to June, 2006. Amtrak’s June, 2007 endpoint on-time performance rate was 68.3% (with 90.2% for Acela Express and 80.4% for other Northeast Corridor services), and 68.8% for the fiscal year-to-date. Departure of the inaugural flight of Virgin America from New York’s JFK airport was delayed nearly an hour on Wednesday due to severe weather (which also hampered transit service in the region). Those events notwithstanding, Virgin entrepreneur Richard Branson remarked to reporters, “The American airline industry is abysmal.” A passenger rail pact was signed on Wednesday between the North Central Texas Council of Governments and the East Texas Council of Governments. “Today a tree has been planted,” said Michael Morris, Transportation Director for the NCTCOG (the Dallas-Fort Worth multi-county regional planning agency). The Memorandum of Understanding was signed at the recently restored Mineola, TX Amtrak station with 75 supporters, including County judges, transportation officials, civic representatives, and rail advocates present to christen what some of the officials called a historic document. “Through this effort, we hope to be able to enhance the funding of transportation that affects not only this region, but also the North Central Texas region,” said Chad Adams, Ellis County judge. “If (high speed rail) stopped at the county line or region, it would be ineffective.” The councils now look for Congressional support to support passenger train service and upgrading of freight rail goods movement between the Texas two regions and beyond. Separately, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) addressed the Texas Transportation Summit in Dallas this week, and reiterated her support for an interconnected system of local, regional, and national passenger rail systems. “If we can keep these metro systems like DART up and running… and have regional transit like the Trinity Railway Express, we can connect these with Amtrak,” she remarked. A bipartisan group of Illinois State legislators has called for a significant capital investment to further expand their state’s burgeoning passenger rail program. In a Statehouse news conference organized by the Midwest High Speed Rail Association on Tuesday, lawmakers spoke to support $1.3 billion in new capital spending over the next five years to reinstate passenger service on corridors from Chicago reaching Rock Island, Galena, and Peoria, and to bolster existing service, which was expanded last year as Illinois increased its annual operating contribution to Amtrak from $14 million to $24 million. Mayors from several towns were also on hand to voice their support for the proposal, which would also increase the operating contribution to $28 million for the current fiscal year. The current proposed state budget also includes $400,000 to improve the Princeton Amtrak station. Amtrak is one of several partners in a new Federal Railroad Administration initiative launched in California this week to target railroad grade crossing safety education efforts at migrant and seasonal farm laborers. Bilingual educational DVDs will be distributed to agricultural companies as well as farmworker groups. According to the FRA, around 42% of private grade crossings in California are located on farms, and 25% of rail-related fatalities in California in 2006 occurred in the agriculture-rich San Joaquin and Salinas Valleys, where the educational outreach will be focused. Northstar commuter rail in the Minneapolis area may begin interim service as early as this fall in the wake of the I-35W bridge tragedy. Officials are hoping federal funds will allow them to install temporary platforms at four of the six proposed stations between Big Lake and Minneapolis, and deploy full service as early as October, 2008, a year ahead of schedule. Details of plans to redevelop New York Penn Station and the nearby Farley Post Office Building continue to morph as the New York Times reported this week that Amtrak may seek to move its operations to Farley. Amtrak had previously indicated its intention to remain in Penn Station and allow New Jersey Transit to become the main anchor tenant at the future Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan Station at Farley. Connecticut Governor Jodi Rell (R) has welcomed a CT DOT report endorsing the viability [.pdf file] of bringing Metro-North New Haven Line commuter service – which currently terminates on the south end at New York City’s Grand Central Terminal – to New York Penn Station. Peak-period service to Penn is not possible until the East Side Access Project is completed no sooner than 2013; this will allow the Long Island Rail Road to divert trains to Grand Central Station, freeing up capacity at Penn. While the soon-to-be-delivered fleet of Kawasaki M8 electrical multiple unit trainsets for the New Haven Line would be able to operate on Amtrak’s line into Penn Station, CT DOT could consider augmenting its fleet. One option would be to piggyback onto New Jersey Transit’s current order of Bombardier bi-level Penn Station-compatible coaches; however, new locomotives would also be required, as would a separate maintenance facility for new equipment types. This strategy would allow Metro-North and NJT to interline operations through Penn Station into each others’ territories. A new commuter rail station in Hunts Point, South Bronx, NY would be feasible according to a study [4.37 MB .pdf file] released by the tri-state Regional Plan Association and would spur transit-oriented development in the already rebounding neighborhood. Metro-North’s New Haven Line would serve Hunts Point on trains destined for Penn Station in the future, once East Side Access is complete and provided the necessary equipment is available. The Hunts Point station would not open until 2016, and would be eligible for revenues from congestion pricing under New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s PlaNYC still under consideration by the State Legislature. Future stations at Co-Op City and Parkchester are also under consideration. Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick (D) has included funds in his most recent state spending plan to study routing the initial segment of a Boston-New Bedford MBTA commuter rail route via Attleboro and Taunton. There is organized opposition to this routing; some members of the General Court (state legislature) would rather see a more easterly route via Middleboro, while others are opposed to considering any rail service to the South Coast, especially as the T grapples with aging infrastructure and a hefty debt load. Patrick would like to see the full route operating by 2016. Springfield, MA may see its Union Station revived after the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority received seven proposals this week to move forward with a $350,000 study to examine the feasibility of restoring multimodal passenger service to the long-vacant building (Amtrak has a modest station at track level). If restored, Union Station would be a hub for PVTA, Amtrak, Greyhound and Peter Pan Bus Lines, and future commuter rail service to Connecticut. Brattleboro, VT will renovate its existing Amtrak station next year as the city gears up to redevelop its waterfront along the Connecticut River. Caltrain has agreed to order eight new bi-level passenger cars from Bombardier to support continuing ridership increases on its San Francisco Peninsula commuter service. The $22 million order includes two cab cars and will add peak capacity to a system that’s straining under its own success; ridership has increased 36% in the past three fiscal years and staff projections indicate that full capacity would be reached in about two years with an unchanged fleet. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen had objected to the cab car component of the order, but the Caltrain Board voted 7-1 to proceed. Diesel-electric hybrid trains began operation last week on the 49-mile Koumi Line of the East Japan Railway Co. (JR-East), between Hokuto, Yamanashi Prefecture and Komoro, Nagano Prefecture. The two-car Kiha E200 trainsets feature regenerative braking, consume 20 percent less fuel, and spew up to 60 percent fewer emissions. Amtrak and other rail companies are investigating the technology; however, at $1.7 million apiece, the Kiha trainsets cost double the price of a comparable diesel multiple unit trainset in Japan. Amtrak has restored Cascades service to normal frequencies effective Thursday on a modified schedule utilizing Amfleet and Horizon equipment as well as substitute motorcoach service. This modified service will continue until issues with cracks in the suspension systems of the Talgo trainsets can be resolved. As of press time, Amtrak’s reservation system shows the modified schedules as being in effect through Sunday, October 28. It is not known if this is based on knowledge of when the Talgo problems might actually be resolved. Due to Amfleet cars being pulled away from the Northeast Corridor for Cascades service, Amtrak is temporarily canceling certain Regional trains that operate on a less-than-daily basis. Please check with Amtrak for specific service changes. Certain Amtrak Capitol Corridor trains will not operate between Fremont and San Jose tomorrow, August 11 to accommodate Union Pacific trackwork. Trains 727, 733, 737, 741, and possibly 743 will terminate in Fremont, with motorcoach service provided to Santa Clara-Great America and San Jose. Buses will also connect northbound passengers to trains 734, 736, 742 and 744, which will originate in Fremont. Amtrak’s Vermonter will not operate north of Springfield, MA for a period beginning next week to accommodate New England Central Railroad trackwork in Vermont. However, motorcoach service will be provided, connecting with regular train service south of Springfield. Modified service begins on August 17 with northbound train 56, and concludes on August 21 with southbound train 55. Train 56 of August 21 will be the first Vermonter to again operate service on the full route. Amtrak’s Carl Sandburg will operate on a modified schedule on August 20, 21, and 23 to accommodate BNSF trackwork. The full schedule between Quincy and Chicago will operate one hour later on those dates, breaking the connection with eastbound Lake Shore Limited train 48. Aug 17, 2007: Hotline #514Congress continues its August District Work Period. Most Members will be home, hosting town hall meetings and having other public events. Be sure to attend and remind your elected officials for the need to fully fund Amtrak’s appropriation request, resist White House efforts to further cut funding, and to pass S.294. Go to our Action Alert Center for full details. Minnesota’s US Senators urged immediate federal funding of Northstar commuter rail service for Minneapolis. In a letter to Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, Senators Norm Coleman (R) and Amy Klobuchar (D) said, “The collapse of the I-35W bridge has placed an enormous strain on the transportation infrastructure of the Twin Cities. Northstar represents one of the most readily available alternatives to ease the congestion and delays caused by the bridge’s collapse.” As reported in last week’s Hotline, Northstar officials hope to start limited service by October, 2008. In discussion of rebuilding the I-35W bridge, adding light rail to its median has been floated as an option by other local political leaders. 60 people were injured when a bomb exploded on a Russian passenger train between Moscow and St. Petersburg on Monday night. Federal officials called the blast an act of “terrorism” and are investigating it as such. A report of the provincial government of Alberta, Canada due later this month will indicate that high-speed rail between Calgary and Edmonton is economically feasible, based on surveys of the traveling public. Alberta Premier Ed Stemalch (Progressive Conservative) earlier this year called construction of the line “inevitable,” and the province has already acquired land for stations in both endpoint cities. The trip of approximately 200 miles would take 84 minutes each way; tickets would cost about $130 Canadian Dollars round-trip. A committee of the Georgia DOT has voted to support two commuter rail lines between Atlanta and Lovejoy, and Atlanta and Athens. They also voted to recommend funding the projects through revenues from a proposed public-private toll road as part of an integrated regional transportation policy. However, the funding question must still be handled by the Georgia General Assembly, where entrenched hostilities towards commuter rail have prevented it from being implemented already. Commuter rail between Latrobe and Pittsburgh, PA is on the table thanks to a $500,000 state grant to the Westmoreland County Transit Authority to study feasibility of the service. WCTA hopes to complete the study by next year, and will then consider whether to proceed. A second phase would also travel between Arnold and Pittsburgh’s Strip District. Costs to initiate the services have been initially estimated as between $190 million and $300 million. Planners hope to tap a state funding source; this year’s Pennsylvania transportation budget includes $50 million for commuter rail projects. Regional planners in the San Francisco Bay Area have released an ambitious commuter rail plan that calls for $45 billion in new commuter and other regional rail projects by 2050. The Bay Area Regional Rail Plan, devised by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, will go before public hearings this month and would be adopted by the full MTC board next month. The recommendations are based on projections that the already-congested Bay Area will add 48% more residents by 2050. While the plan accounts for the proposed California High-Speed Rail system, CAHSR is not a part of the cost estimates. The City Council of Grand Junction, CO voted unanimously this week to join the Rocky Mountain Rail Authority. The RMRA is studying region-wide alternatives to expanding commuter rail, light rail, and other rail services along I-70 and other corridors emanating from Denver. New Jersey Transit will significantly boost service on its Pascack Valley Line between Spring Valley, NY and Hoboken, NJ, effective October 28. Three new sidings will allow 16 additional weekday trains (nine inbound, seven outbound), and, for the first time, weekend service with 23 trains total each Saturday and Sunday (11 inbound and 12 outbound). Pascack Valley Line service is funded jointly by NJT and Metro-North. Amtrak’s Downeaster inaugurated its fifth round-trip today, with Maine Governor John Baldacci (D) on hand to officiate ceremonies at the Portland Transportation Center. The new Downeaster schedule effective today also reduces travel time between Boston and Portland by five minutes. The August NARP News erroneously listed the new round-trip as starting on August 1. GrandLuxe’s private car service on Amtrak’s Silver Meteor will offer passengers the opportunity to board or deboard in Orlando and West Palm Beach. Washington-Miami was originally announced as the only city pair available for this service. Due to construction on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge over Labor Day weekend, the bridge will be shut down from Friday evening, August 31 to Tuesday morning, September 4, and most Amtrak Transbay Thruway buses will not operate. Capitol Corridor and San Joaquins passengers will be instructed to detrain at Richmond or Oakland Coliseum and transfer to BART. California Zephyr and Coast Starlight passengers traveling to/from the north will connect via Martinez for alternate Thruway routing. Coast Starlight passengers traveling to/from the south will connect to a Thruway in San Jose. Pacific Surfliner Thruways to/from Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo will begin and terminate in Oakland and will not serve San Francisco. Aug 24, 2007: Hotline #515Congress continues its August District Work Period. Most Members will be home, hosting town hall meetings and having other public events. Be sure to attend and remind your elected officials for the need to fully fund Amtrak’s appropriation request, resist White House efforts to further cut funding, and to pass S.294. Go to our Action Alert Center for full details. The City Council of Bonita Springs, FL unanimously passed a resolution to endorse the NARP Grow Rail Campaign, which was launched on the occasion of NARP’s 40th Anniversary and includes a Vision Plan to grow our intercity passenger rail system over the next 40 years. Bonita Springs would benefit from new service along the West Coast of Florida serving Ft. Myers and Naples. We encourage all NARP members to communicate with their local and regional councils, advise them of the benefits that the Vision Plan would provide in their communities, and remind them that trains are a travel choice Americans want! Amtrak has posted fiscal year-to-date ridership increases of six percent systemwide through July. A major article in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal highlighted Amtrak’s increasing favor as a travel mode, especially during the domestic aviation turmoil this summer. The story noted that Chicago-St. Louis Lincoln Service has jumped 53% since frequencies were increased last October; Acela Express ridership increased 20%, a number that would represent 2,000 full Boeing 757s. [Figures from Amtrak indicate that the actual fiscal YTD increases for the Lincoln Service and Acela Express were 54% and 24%, respectively, and for the month of July ridership increased 70% and 31% respectively. Additionally, ridership on the truncated New Orleans-Los Angeles Sunset Limited increased 36% for the month of July and 22% for fiscal YTD.] Former airline chief executives Gordon Bethune of Continental Airlines and Robert Crandall of American Airlines were both quoted as supporting public investment in passenger rail. Bethune said high-speed rail should be a “national priority,” while Crandall called improvements to Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor a top strategy to ease aviation gridlock. However, a spokeswoman for JetBlue called Amtrak subsidies “wrong.” She implied that such funds should instead be diverted to implementing a next-generation air traffic control system, which will cost taxpayers nearly $40 billion, or at least as much as Amtrak has received over its entire 36-year lifetime. The WSJ article has generated much positive publicity for Amtrak and passenger rail in other media outlets. This afternoon, NARP Executive Director Ross B. Capon appeared on MSNBC cable television news to discuss Amtrak’s popularity across the country and the need for increased investment in passenger rail to bring parity between modes. We will post video of Capon’s MSNBC appearance next week on the NARP Blog. Amtrak will receive a one-time infusion of $5.1 million in security funds, according to funding guidance released this week from the Department of Homeland Security. The funds, provided by the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-28), are to be used by Amtrak to increase coordination with other transit systems. Transit systems in general will receive $100 million, including $86.2 million to eight high-risk major urban areas. The Texas Transportation Commission approved $1.9 million in operating support for Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer (Ft. Worth-Oklahoma City) yesterday. This is the second consecutive year that Texas is joining Oklahoma in financing Heartland Flyer operations. Cost estimates for an Amtrak Keystone station in Paradise, PA have increased by 400% after original plans were deemed by the Federal Railroad Administration to be not in compliance with new Americans with Disabilities Act guidance. The $2.4-million plans would have to be scrapped in favor of a $10-million station, possibly placing the entire project in jeopardy. Paradise Township Supervisor Dennis Groff noted, “Plenty of people would benefit from having a station here, even those with disabilities. So, how would handicapped folks benefit if the station can’t be built at all?” The ADA guidance has been roundly criticized by numerous stakeholders in the rail and transit industries as onerous and not producing an increased benefit to passengers with disabilities. You may read NARP’s comments to USDOT on their Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the ADA here. A long-delayed airport station in Warwick, RI is moving forward. The Rhode Island DOT announced this week that a preliminary agreement has been reached with Amtrak and MBTA to build and operate a Northeast Corridor station in Warwick to serve T.F. Green-Providence International Airport. Construction is expected to break ground soon on the $222.5-million intermodal station, which would open in late 2009 and include a new rental car facility and a moving walkway to the airport. However, Amtrak has not agreed to serve the station. Service would be provided northward to Boston by MBTA on weekdays only. MBTA has determined that 13% of its rail bridges are structurally deficient, including the Merrimack River bridge in Haverhill, MA, also used by Amtrak’s Downeaster. A speed restriction has been imposed on the bridge, which is the only steel deck truss span in the MBTA system. That is the same type of bridge that failed in the tragic I-35W collapse in Minneapolis. A planned $8.4-million rehabilitation of the Merrimack bridge is at least a year away, and MBTA has yet to determine whether immediate action is necessary. Metro-North Railroad has requested proposals to study the feasibility of linking New York City with Stewart International Airport in Newburgh, NY to make Stewart a viable alternative to the three congested major airports in and around New York City. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has recently taken over operations of Stewart from a failed private concession to the UK-based National Express Group; PANYNJ maintains that the airport can be successful by serving more local passengers. However, Metro-North envisions extending the New Jersey Transit Bergen County/Main Line from Salisbury Mills to Stewart, and double-tracking between Salisbury Mills and Suffern. These plans would dovetail with the NJT/PANYNJ Access to the Region’s Core project, which will include a new pair of rail tunnels under the Hudson River and would allow trains from Stewart to directly serve Manhattan. Metrolink is investing $100 million in a grade crossing safety initiative to enhance safety and security along its Los Angeles-based commuter rail lines. While only $20 million has been secured thus far, Metrolink will press ahead with a program to enhance 63 grade crossings along 65 miles of track in developed urban settings along the Ventura County and Antelope Valley Lines. Enhancements include four-quadrant grates, medians, fencing, and separate pedestrian crossings. Deadly flooding in the Upper Midwest has washed out numerous railroad lines and disrupted Amtrak’s Empire Builder. Substitute motorcoach service is currently being provided between Chicago and St. Paul-Minneapolis; Amtrak has not publicly announced a date for full train service restoration. Passengers and citizens in Princeton, IL now enjoy free wi-fi Internet access at the Amtrak station. The City of Princeton is sponsoring the service at the station, which is served by the California Zephyr, Southwest Chief, Carl Sandburg, and Illinois Zephyr. Amtrak is currently making a special station stop in Syracuse, NY for the Great New York State Fair. Empire Service and Maple Leaf trains will serve the fairgrounds through September 3, while the Lake Shore Limited will continue to stop only at the main Syracuse station. Children ages 2-15 may ride free with a paying adult while traveling to the fairgrounds. You must book at least three days in advance using promotion code V784. Amtrak and the National Wildlife Federation now offer wildlife guides for certain Amtrak routes, starting with the Auto Train and Coast Starlight. Aug 31, 2007: Hotline #516Congress concludes its August District Work Period this week. As Members return to Washington and face many pressing issues, be sure to remind them of the need to fully fund Amtrak’s appropriation request, resist White House efforts to further cut funding, and to pass S.294. Go to our Action Alert Center for full details. NARP has launched a page on the social networking site MySpace to increase visibility and outreach, especially among younger people. NARP on MySpace is in its infancy but is already designed to integrate with the NARP web site. On the page, MySpace members can request to become friends of NARP. NARP is also featured in a fundraising page through the Causes application of Facebook, thanks to the efforts of NARP member Ryan Stern. Finally, NARP has launched a NARP Channel on YouTube where videos of interest to rail advocates will be posted. However, a planned posting of NARP Executive Director Ross Capon’s August 24 appearance on MSNBC has been delayed due to technical and copyright issues. Amtrak’s ARROW reservations system was paralyzed for most of the time from about 7:00 am Saturday, August 25, until 1:30 pm the next day due to a power distribution panel failure at Amtrak’s Manassas, VA Data Center. Amtrak spokeswoman Karina Romero called the systemwide outage, which also affected other internal business systems, “unprecedented.” However, trains ran normally while Amtrak and its IT vendor located a suitable replacement circuit breaker in Connecticut and transported it to Manassas (in the baggage car on Amtrak’s overnight Regional train 67); a backup circuit breaker arrived from Texas later Sunday afternoon. Agents wrote tickets by hand, passengers with reservations were allowed to board trains without tickets, and conductors waived the on-board ticketing fees for passengers boarding at staffed stations. NARP’s David Johnson was quoted in a Cox Newspapers blog entry distributed to Cox affiliates, noting, “One point to consider: at least when Amtrak’s reservation system goes down, the trains still run! When an airline system quits, so do the flights. It may not be perfect, but you do get to where you’re going.” Amtrak is requesting proposals for an integrated wireless train data communications system, seeking a single system that would integrate all on-board data collection and transmission functions. According to the request for proposals, Amtrak wishes to invest in technology that’s compatible with wi-fi, cellular, and satellite services. The system would be capable of handling data relating to on-board ticketing and passenger manifest reconciliation; point-of-sale purchasing and credit card validation; consist information, locomotive health, fuel, and other data; Global Position System (GPS) location information; and captured video and sound from a future locomotive camera system. 205 train communications units would be deployed over a two-year period. WATCO Industries sought to assure stakeholders of Amtrak’s Michigan service this week that it does not seek to downgrade track standards as it seeks to acquire tracks from Norfolk Southern, including the portion between Ypsilanti and Kalamazoo used by Amtrak’s three daily Wolverine round-trips and the Blue Water. In a public meeting in Battle Creek on Wednesday, WATCO officials claimed that they would commit $20 million to track rehabilitation plus $18,000 per mile for ongoing annual maintenance and that such commitment would be sufficient to maintain Class Four (79 mph) standards. Politicians and residents were skeptical of these claims. NARP this month expressed concern to the Surface Transportation Board over the proposed deal between NS and WATCO; you may read the full statement to the STB on our web site. The route is a federally-designated high-speed corridor that could see proposed speeds of 90 mph or higher in the coming years; indeed, trains already run 95 mph on much of the Kalamazoo-Niles segment (which Amtrak owns, along with a short segment west to Michigan City, IN). Metrolink’s nascent grade-crossing safety program got a major boost this week when the Orange County Transportation Authority launched its own $60 million initiative to improve 53 grade crossings in the county used by Metrolink and Amtrak, and BNSF and UP freight trains. Enhancements planned for implementation between 2008 and 2010 will improve safety and allow for quiet zones at certain crossings; this comes as OCTA prepares to bolster Metrolink Orange County Line service to run within the county every 30 minutes between 5:30 AM and midnight. In related news, on September 4 Metrolink will open the long-awaited Buena Park station in northwest Orange County for service on the Orange County and 91 (Riverside via Fullerton) Lines. USDOT has announced grants totaling $9.2 million towards grade-crossing safety along federally-designated high-speed rail corridors in 17 states. The grants were jointly administered by the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Railroad Administration; click here to see the recipient projects. Redevelopment around Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station continues as the University of Pennsylvania and Brandywine Realty Trust announced this week a major 14-acre mixed-use project. The new $400-million Cira Centre South will be completed by 2012 and will include large office and residential towers, a hotel, and open. This will complement the new Cira Centre building, which opened last year, and a planned conversion of a US Postal Service facility to office space for Internal Revenue Service employees. Passenger rail service to Rockford, IL will continue to be studied after the State of Illinois approved $275,000 to match a $1 million federal grant. An alternatives analysis of the Northern Illinois Commuter Transportation Initiative will determine whether the service will be rail or bus rapid transit, and which of two routes it would take to link up with the existing Metra line in Elgin. Transfers between Baltimore’s Camden Yards and Penn Stations became easier after Maryland MTA instituted a direct light-rail shuttle between the two stations last week. Previously, a cumbersome transfer at Mount Royal station was required. MTA also increased frequencies throughout its light-rail system. Amtrak Pacific Surfliner passengers to Anaheim, CA will enjoy new shuttle service to the Disneyland Resort and Anaheim Resort hotels beginning October 1. Anaheim Resort Transit will run shuttles meeting every Pacific Surfliner train in both directions. The adult fare is $3; kids 10 and under will ride free initially, with a $1 youth fare to be implemented on January 8, 2008. The service is being implemented based on public inquiries, and requests from Resort hotels, reflecting the growing usage of intercity rail for vacation travel. Amtrak has changed its Auto Train vehicle charges, increasing the rates for cars by five percent. Charges for SUVs and vans were restructured to be 15% above the car charges, effectively reducing SUV/van prices. The rates for motorcycles did not change. The locomotive of Amtrak train 89, the southbound Palmetto, caught fire in Micro, NC last Saturday, forcing an evacuation of the train. Passengers were transported to a nearby middle school and eventually accommodated with alternate transportation. Problems in the Northeast Corridor disrupted Amtrak and commuter service this week. Last weekend and Monday morning, emergency repairs were made in the East River tunnels, causing delays to Amtrak and Long Island Rail Road passengers. Yesterday morning, a track defect was detected and repaired in Kearny, NJ, causing delays to Amtrak and New Jersey Transit passengers. Amtrak’s Empire Builder resumed service between St. Paul-Minneapolis and Chicago over a BNSF detour route last Saturday after over a week of substitute busing between St. Paul and Chicago. Heavy flooding had damaged the normal Canadian Pacific/Soo Line route. Stops in Winona and Red Wing were missed on Saturday and continued to be covered by substitute motorcoach. By Sunday, Amtrak was back on the CP, whose efforts to repair their tracks were described by an Amtrak spokesman as “Herculean.” Minor Amtrak schedule adjustments will be instituted next week. Trackwork on the New Haven-Springfield line will cause changes on September 3 for the Vermonter, certain Regionals, and shuttle trains. As well, some schedules will change on September 5 for the Cascades, which continue to operate with substitute Amfleet and Horizon cars while Talgo equipment remains out of service for repairs. According to Amtrak Media Relations Manager Marc Magliari, “We are making these changes in order to allow the terminals to have extra time to turn and service the trains, and try to ensure on-time initial-terminal departures from Seattle and Portland; there are also some minor internal adjustments. We plan to keep these schedules in effect through Sunday, Oct. 28, 2007, and will assess their validity for the Oct. 29 schedule change.” Amtrak’s northbound Saluki train 390 will operate one hour later from September 4 to October 31 due to Canadian National trackwork in Illinois, breaking the connection to the westbound Empire Builder. Passengers needing that connection should take northbound City of New Orleans train 58. |
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