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Sep 07, 2007: Hotline #517The Senate is scheduled to take up the Fiscal 2008 Transportation-HUD spending bill next week. Tell your Senators to support full funding for Amtrak and to resist any effort that may be offered to cut Amtrak funding in the bill. Go to our Action Alert Center for full details. Major Empire Corridor Service Improvements are in the offing. On September 5, New York State Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno announced plans to increase train speeds between Albany and New York City. The plans, which were made public at a press conference held at the Albany-Rensselaer Rail Station, include three projects totaling $22 million. The projects were recommended by the Senate Task Force on high speed rail two years ago. The projects include $11 million at the Albany-Rensselaer station to add a fourth track (part of the station’s original plans), lengthen platforms and improve signals. There is $6 million to improve the Hudson station so passenger and freight trains can continue through without slowing or stopping while another train is in the station. And $4 million will fund stabilization of a rock slope under the George Washington Bridge, currently the sight of a significant speed restriction. A $1 million reserve fund is also being established for projects to be named later. Bruno said that $22 million is included in this year’s state budget and has been agreed upon by Amtrak and the State Department of Transportation. Speaking on behalf of Amtrak, Director of Government Affairs Ron Thaniel said, “We have that reliability in our northeast corridor with the Acela train sets. We need that in this corridor and the only way to do that is to make these infrastructure upgrades.” Security will be increased at Amtrak’s Albany-Rensselaer station, under a partnership between FBI, the Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Department, U.S Customs and Border Protection, and Amtrak police. Bomb sniffing dogs will patrol the station and passengers will be randomly screened. The goal is to provide a strong visible force and deter potential terrorist activity. The increased security is not in response to a specific threat, rather, as part of an ongoing effort to improve passenger rail security and prevent an incident from occurring. Canadian Pacific Railway announced plans to purchase the Dakota, Minnesota, and Eastern Railroad (DM&E) this week, adding 2,500 miles to CP’s United States network and increasing CP’s roles in hauling ethanol, agricultural and industrial products and potentially coal. DM&E is the largest US regional railroad and the only Class II railroad connecting and interchanging traffic with all seven Class Ones. The deal requires Surface Transportation Board (STB) approval, values DM&E at $1.4 billion (including about $240 million in debt which CP will pay in cash to DM&E’s owners) and allows for future payments for another $1 billion “depending on the pace of development of a project to expand in the Powder River Basin before the end of 2025” (Financial Times, Sept. 6). CP intends to spend $300 million on DM&E lines over the next few years. If CP goes ahead with DM&E plans to build up to 262 miles of new track, CP would become the third line to serve Wyoming’s coal-rich Powder River Basin, after UP and BNSF. Fred Green, President and Chief Executive Officer of CP, said, “Canadian Pacific is excited about the prospect for growth in the coal-rich Powder River Basin…the DM&E’s favorable geographic position provides a unique ability to create an efficient and competitive additional link to midwestern and eastern utilities.” In February, the federal government rejected DM&E’s application for a $2.33 billion loan for the Powder River Basin line. This week the FRA announced a proposed rule that promotes the adoption of advanced train braking technology to improve rail safety and efficiency. According to Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters, “advanced brake technology will enable locomotive engineers to significantly improve train control and allow trains to safely travel longer distances between required brake tests under new proposed federal rules.” The advanced brake technology included in the proposed rule will make use of Electronically Controlled Pneumatic (ECP) brakes. ECP brakes allow for greater train control through simultaneous and graduated application and release of the brakes on all rail cars, a big safety improvement over traditional air brakes. Secretary Peters also noted that the proposed rule would permit a train to travel up to 3,500 miles between brake tests, more than double the current maximum distance. With ECP brakes, many long freight trains can travel directly to their destinations without stopping because the technology performs continual self-diagnostic tests. FRA Administrator Joseph H. Boardman said, “The safety benefits of ECP brakes are obvious and they make good business sense as well.” He said the new brakes would let trains travel from a number of West Coast ports to Chicago without stopping for a routine brake test. He added that the new braking technology will help avert some train derailments caused by sudden emergency brake applications, prevent runaway trains caused by loss of brake air pressure, shorten train stopping distances up to 60% in some situations, and improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions through better train handling. The first ECP-equipped train operating under an approved waiver is expected to make its initial revenue service run in September. On Tuesday, Eurostar operated the first train on its new, £5.8bn high-speed line in Britain. The trip set a record on its inaugural journey from Paris to London. The train, carrying VIPs and reporters, arrived at London St. Pancras in two hours, three minutes, and 39 seconds. The 68-mile line is expected to reduce travel time on the entire route by 20 minutes to two hours, 15 minutes when it opens to the public November 14. Officials said project’s cost is due to major engineering challenges, including laying track to pass over the River Medway, under the River Thames and through 11 miles of tunnels beneath London. Nick Higham a BBC reporter who was aboard the train said a GPS device recorded speeds of 202 mph in France and 195 in Britain. Eurostar trains have always traveled along the French section of the route at high speeds, but had to slow down in England because they shared tracks with London commuter services. “Today marks Britain’s entry into the European high-speed rail club,” said Richard Brown, chief executive of Eurostar. Some critics claim that high fares will prohibit a large number of customers from using the service. However, Richard Brown pointed out that negotiations were under way with train companies which operate north of London to put in place “attractive through-fares” from Yorkshire, Scotland and the Midlands to Paris and Brussels. Eurostar’s London-Paris tickets start from £59. Also on Tuesday, a strike by London Underground maintenance workers closed nine of twelve London Underground lines. The RMT (National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers), represents employees of Metronet, the failed private sector contractor. Jubilee and Northern lines ran normally and Piccadilly with minor delays because they are maintained by another firm. Workers formed picket lines outside of many LU depots, while many workers crowded bus stops as they attempted to make their way home. The unions have been seeking guarantees that there will be no job losses, forced transfers or pension cuts as a result of Metronet’s collapse in July. RMT general secretary Bob Crow said, “The efforts the mayor and Transport for London have put in to try to broker a deal have been welcome.” London Mayor Ken Livingstone said that the strike was one of the most “purposeless” ever called. Today, the RMT executive announced suspension of a planned 72-hour stoppage that would have started September 10. Crow today said, “Our reps are happy that they now have a full pension-scheme rescue in place, and that the issue of job losses has been resolved,” but he is seeking further talks “about the train-fleet contract with Bombardier.” California wildfires caused dangerous conditions that led to closure of some highways and railways earlier this week. Pacific Surfliner service and the Coast Starlight were affected by a fire near Goleta. Pacific Surfliner service will be disrupted September 15-16 (and the last two trains on Sept. 14) for a major track work project south of Anaheim. Most 500 series trains are cancelled (some exceptions) and 700 series trains operate through to Anaheim with bus service on to San Diego. Contact Amtrak for full information. On Labor Day morning, a CSX coal train derailed near Emporia, Virginia, south of Petersburg, after the northbound Silver Meteor had passed. Some Florida service trains were cancelled and bus bridges operated for other trains. The Auto Train, which cannot be terminated en route due to its unique operation, did a circuitous Selma-Raleigh-Greensboro-Charlottesville-Alexandria detour, arriving nearly 12 hours late. Amtrak’s locomotive engineers voted down the tentative agreement the union’s leadership reached with Amtrak in late July. Sep 14, 2007: Hotline #518The Bush Administration resumed its attack on Amtrak this week. In a September 11 “statement of administration policy” of opposition to S. 1789, the Senate’s Fiscal 2008 Transportation-Housing appropriations bill, the Office of Management and Budget said, “The Administration strongly objects to providing $1.4 billion for Amtrak, which will perpetuate a flawed model for intercity passenger rail…the bill fails to include reform provisions proposed by the Administration to improve accountability and encourage competition.” The statement includes strong objections to many other provisions in the bill and opens by saying that, “in combination with the other FY 2008 appropriation bills, it includes an irresponsible and excessive level spending…” Undaunted, a day later the Senate passed S. 1789 on a vote of 88-7. The Senate first defeated an attempt to waive Davis-Bacon wage rules for maintenance and replacement of aging bridges. Debate over the $104.6 billion spending bill lasted over three days. Just like the version of the bill the House passed, the bill would provide $4 billion more than President Bush’s budget request, making it the target of a presidential veto. The $1.4 billion for Amtrak is roughly equal to the current level and $600 million more than Bush requested. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) said, “The bill before us would provide $1.4 billion for Amtrak, providing the funding it needs to survive and to grow. I am a frequent user of Amtrak, and I know very well that while the service is radically improved from where it was, more needs to be done to accommodate the volume of passengers who would use the railroad.” The Senate also adopted an amendment by bill manager and Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee Chair Patty Murray (D-WA), that would allocate an additional $1 billion in grants to states for bridge repairs in fiscal 2008. It would accomplish this by essentially raising the amount of money states can obligate from the Highway Trust Fund. The bridge funding was added in response to the Aug. 1 collapse of the heavily traveled Interstate 35 bridge in Minneapolis. The Federal Aviation Administration would receive $14.6 billion, while highway programs would receive $40.2 billion. Housing programs would get $38.7 billion under the Senate-passed bill, $2.1 billion more than in fiscal 2007 and $3.1 billion more than Bush requested. The bill will next go to conference with the House, which passed its version on July 24, but it is still unclear when conferees may meet. There is still a chance that the legislation could be included in a multi-bill package if Democratic appropriators see that as a useful response to White House veto threat. According to Sen. Christopher Bond (R-MO), ranking Republican on the Transportation-HUD Appropriations Subcommittee, “We are on a collision course [with the White House] with spending on these.” While the Senate’s 88-7 final passage vote comfortably exceeded the two-thirds majority (67 votes if all senators are present and voting) needed to override a presidential veto, the 268-153 House vote did not. A bridge collapsed south of Jackson, Mississippi, so City of New Orleans passengers will be bused between Jackson and New Orleans until the bridge can be repaired. At least three round-trips are affected—those originating in Chicago yesterday, today and tomorrow, and northbound trains scheduled to originate today, tomorrow and Sunday. The Federal Railroad Administration has announced that it will allow Talgo to repair cracks found in some of its passenger cars used on the Amtrak Cascades route. However, no time period has been set for the cars to return to service, according to Ken Uznanski, passenger rail manager for the Washington Department of Transportation. The five train cars, known for tilting as they go around curves, have been out of service since August, when the cracks were discovered. In place of the Talgo cars, Amtrak’s regional Cascades route is using conventional, non-tilt equipment which travel more slowly around curves, and lack some Talgo conveniences, such as movies, bicycle racks, and a dining car. NASCAR fans in Texas should be able to reach the Texas Motor Speedway by rail next year. Transportation planners are hoping to fast-track plans for a commuter train that would mould move fans between downtown Fort Worth and the Texas Motor Speedway on race days. Planners are still working on funding and logistical issues, but officials are hopeful that the train could be running as soon as 2008. Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief said that the idea of a special events train has been discussed for several years but a realistic plan has never been presented publicly. However, he said the new plan is feasible, and that he was excited about the possibility of starting this service. The biggest hurdle facing the project is getting passengers from the BNSF Railway line to the gates of the speedway; freight traffic along the BNSF line could prevent it from happening. Transit officials in Norfolk, Virginia have set Oct. 1 as the deadline for finalizing plans on the city’s light rail system. As long as there are no objections from Congress before the end of this month, light rail plans and financing packages totaling $232 million will be finalized at a ceremony on October 1. Federal Transit Administrator James S. Simpson is expected to participate in the signing ceremony, which will authorize $128 million in federal rail funding for the project. An additional $33 million would come from the city of Norfolk, $32 million from the state of Virginia, and $39 million from other federal sources. Construction is slated begin in mid-to-late November, and the service will officially begin operations in early 2010. A 60-day congressional review, period ends Sept. 29. If the project passes that obstacle as expected, light rail will be a done deal after more than a decade of studies and planning. Supporters of the proposed Harrisburg-to-Lancaster commuter rail project gained a major ally this week when U.S. Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) joined their ranks at a rally at the Harrisburg Transportation Center last Friday. Specter promised passage of full federal funding for Corridor One’s start-up costs, which total close to $11.2 million, a fraction of the estimated $29 million need to complete the corridor. Earlier this year, the Cumberland County commissioners dropped support for the rail project, saying it is not economically feasible. They have called instead for regional officials to focus on an express bus service. In May, a pro-rail candidate for Cumberland County Commissioner was defeated in a Republican primary, further hurting rail’s prospects. State Transportation Secretary Allen Biehler has argued that the $10 million annual subsidy sought by MTP for Corridor would amount to more than $51,000 per year per round-trip rider. “It would be cheaper to lease each rider a car and pay for downtown parking, fuel and maintenance, and insurance,” he commented. On Monday, the Midwest High Speed Rail Association teamed up with leaders from cities in Illinois served by Amtrak to promote Illinois train travel. The campaign, “Catch an Illinois Train,” is accompanied by a web site, which features train schedules, prices, hotel locations, taxi services, and restaurants surrounding Illinois Amtrak stations. Press conferences were held in Macomb, Alton, Carbondale, Champaign, Galesburg, Normal, and Quincy. Rick Harnish, Executive Director of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association, speaking at the Macomb event, said, “We’re doing this so people interested in coming to Macomb can feel more comfortable with what’s around the station”. John Vigezzi, general manager of Macomb Travel, said that more people are choosing to take Amtrak trains as gas prices continue to rise. He also said over 1, 000 people a week now take the train from Macomb to Chicago, some traveling from as far as Iowa to board the train to Chicago. At the Normal, Illinois press conference, members of the association were joined by Bloomington Mayor Steve Stockton, who recently took one of the trains to Chicago along with his wife. The association is also working with state officials to secure funds from the capital development budget to continue upgrades that will allow trains to travel up to 110 mph along much of the corridor. Dan Johnson-Weinberger, spokesman for the Midwest High Speed Rail Association, said $15 million would cover the cost of new signals along the already improved high-speed tracks. According to Johnson-Weinberger, if all of the necessary improvements are approved and implemented, the trip from Chicago to St. Louis would take only four hours and the trip from Normal to Chicago only 1½ hours. He also added that the upgrades could be in place by 2009 if the money is approved. Pacific Surfliner service will be disrupted September 15-16 (and the last two trains on Sept. 14) for a major track work project south of Anaheim. Most 500 series trains are cancelled (some exceptions) and 700 series trains operate through to Anaheim with bus service on to San Diego. Contact Amtrak for full information. Both elevators at the BWI Airport Rail Station will be removed from service from Monday, September 17 until November 16 for major renovation. During this time, the southbound platform will not be accessible to passengers who use a wheelchair or require an elevator. Southbound passengers traveling to BWI will detrain at Baltimore’s Penn Station where Amtrak will provide alternate transportation to the BWI Rail Station. Red Caps will be available at the BWI station to assist passengers Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. until 10:30 p.m.; Saturday, 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.; and Sunday: 2:00 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. Northbound passengers are unaffected by this project. Amtrak has made two changes in how its computer system automatically cancels unticketed reservations, the first is helpful, the second could present travelers problems. First, an unpaid reservation now will be cancelled when the first train in the reservation actually departs. Example: The Coast Starlight leaves Sacramento at 11:59pm. If it is running late, a passenger may choose not to get to the station until closer to the estimated departure time. Formerly, if the reservation had not been ticketed, it would cancel at 12:01am. The new system will postpone cancellation until the train actually departs Sacramento. The second change is in what happens to the remainder of a reservation when a person no-shows for the first segment. In the past, only the first train would cancel, leaving other trains intact. Now, the entire reservation will cancel if the first segment is not taken. It is especially important to note this change if you are ticketed for a short initial trip to connect to a longer ride (e.g. San Francisco-Emeryville connecting bus, Glenview-Chicago Hiawatha trip) and decide to take another form of transportation to your connecting station. Amtrak Guest Rewards and Chase bank are now accepting applications for the new Amtrak Guest Rewards credit card. Go to the Amtrak Guest Rewards web site, login to your account, then click on the link on the right side under your mileage balance. Full terms and conditions are available on the application. While on the Amtrak Guest Rewards website, be sure to register for the Guest Rewards double points bonus. You’ll earn double points for all Amtrak travel taken between Monday, September 17 and December 14. You must register to participate in the program; its free and easy. Click on the link in the center on the website once you login. Mary Peters as “bicycle thief” Salon.com today published an article under the headline “The bicycle thief: Bike activists face an uphill climb against Transportation Secretary Mary Peters,” who claims bike paths are not transportation and are stealing tax money from bridges and roads. But in Arlington, Texas, bicycles (and walking) are gaining importance. Yesterday’s Wall Street Journal reports that bus service may finally be coming to Arlington, thanks to increased pressure as some Arlington car-owners now cannot afford to drive to work due to high gasoline prices. The story called Arlington the nation’s biggest city without transit. For the first time, oil closed above $80 a barrel yesterday. West Texas Intermediate closed at $80.09 after peaking at $80.20. This followed storm-related closure of three Texas refineries, but also Wednesday’s news of a huge fall in US crude stocks, which last week dropped 7.1 million barrels vs. a “consensus market forecast of 2.4 million barrels.” Meanwhile, US gasoline demand fell 0.1% (to 21.11 million barrels a day) over the last four weeks compared with the year-earlier period. Oil fell today, but also today Reuters reported that “this week’s record-high crude oil prices casts a shadow over a tenuous recovery in the U.S. airline industry, where top carriers have less protection than they did a year ago from devastating spikes in energy prices.” Sep 21, 2007: Hotline #519This morning, the Senate Finance Committee on a voice vote approved bonding authority for states for intercity passenger rail capital projects. The amendment, offered by Senators Kerry (D-MA) and Lott (R-MS), was added to the American Infrastructure Investment and Improvement Act. Kerry-Lott has $900 million a year for calendar years 2008, 2009 and 2010. To be eligible, projects must be included in a state rail plan. Bonds could be issued by a state or a group of states and bondholders would be entitled to an annual credit towards their federal tax liability in lieu of interest payments from the bond issuer. NARP issued a statement today supporting the provision. The Kerry-Lott provision must survive Senate floor action, a House-Senate conference committee, and a potential Presidential veto. President Bush has already threatened to veto the House bill (there is not a companion provision in the House bill). The Finance Committee’s release about today’s bill is on the committee’s website. The Association of American Railroads released a report yesterday at a Capitol Hill news conference calling for $148 billion in investment in America’s freight railroad infrastructure, $135 billion in the major railroads. The National Rail Freight Infrastructure Capacity and Investment Study, done by Cambridge Systematics, said that the funds were needed keep up with the growth of freight traffic and prevent diversion to trucks. The report estimates a gap of $39 billion between what the railroads can raise and what is needed. AAR will submit the study to the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission, which requested it. The Commission is also working on passenger needs. The AAR study allows only for “existing” Amtrak and commuter rail operations, but AAR President Ed Hamberger said the Commission would eventually “meld” the passenger and freight reports. Reps. Corinne Brown (D-FL), Bill Shuster (R-PA), Kendrick Meek (D-FL) and a representative of U.S. Chamber of Commerce made supportive comments at the news conference. Hamberger acknowledged the presence of NARP’s Ross Capon, who was quoted in an AP story on the report. The project, which has yet to be finalized and go through public review, would be linked to the development of a train station in part of the Farley Post Office across Eighth Avenue. The developers have named the entire development Moynihan Station, with the post office named “Moynihan West” and Pennsylvania Station called “Moynihan East.” Earlier this year, the state was aiming for at least $600 million in federal funds, people familiar with the plans said, with the developers being expected to cover a significant portion of the station’s cost, while the state of New York covers most of the remaining balance. According to lobbying reports and information from congressional staffers familiar with the plans, the two developers seem to be targeting legislation that would reauthorize Amtrak, as well as homeland security funding targeted at transportation improvements. Amtrak, Norfolk Southern, WATCO Industries, and the Michigan DOT issued a joint news release announcing an agreement to protect Amtrak Wolverine and Blue Water passenger service if the Surface Transportation Board approves the sale of NS trackage to WATCO and the creation of the Michigan Central Railway. Meanwhile, track usage negotiations have set back proposed implementation of Ann Arbor-Detroit commuter rail service. The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments announced that service they had hoped to implement in early 2008 might not come to fruition until late 2009 or early 2010. Oil (October West Texas Intermediate) rose to (another) record yesterday—$84.10—before closing at $83.32 (also a record). The October WTI contract expired at the end of trading; November closed at $80.75, up $1.05 on the day. Some Gulf of Mexico production platforms have closed in anticipation of “Subtropical Depression Ten,” which is heading west northwest and expected to make landfall near the Mississippi/Alabama line Saturday morning. Georgia DOT unveiled alternatives being studied for Atlanta-Chattanooga high-speed rail in public “open houses” this week. The three-phase environmental impact study currently underway will not be completed until October, 2009, at which point one of several alternatives (including a no-build alternative) may be selected. If construction proceeds, it might not begin until 2020. Travel times between Chattanooga and Atlanta could vary between 60 and 90 minutes, depending on the selected alignment. The Texas Eagle Marketing and Performance Organization celebrated its tenth anniversary at a special meeting in Marshall, TX last weekend. TEMPO has helped save, expand, and locally market Texas Eagle service through a broad coalition of Amtrak employees, rail advocates, and other civic and political allies. The September 15 meeting came exactly ten years after TEMPO first convened in Marshall on September 15, 1997. A diverse mix of bipartisan political supporters, Amtrak management and union labor, Amtrak Chairman David Laney, host freight railroad representatives, rail advocates, and other civic boosters were in attendance. Awards were presented to TEMPO members and Texas Eagle supporters for their tireless work over the years. In keynote remarks, Amtrak president Alexander Kummant confessed that he was “overwhelmed” by the dedication of TEMPO supporters. “Amtrak has a lot of respect for this group and for the things the members have accomplished.” He noted that while Amtrak’s growth strategy going forward would focus on expanding corridor services, it would “not be at the expense of” national network routes. He assured that the Texas Eagle is “not going anywhere,” in spite of moribund ridership resulting from inconsistent on-time performance and broken connections in Chicago and Los Angeles due to lengthened schedules. Kummant promised to address the OTP issue first and foremost. Advocates for northward expansion of the Heartland Flyer route met with Oklahoma legislators at the State Capitol yesterday. The Northern Flyer Alliance is calling for the states of Oklahoma and Kansas to assist with extending the Heartland Flyer north from Oklahoma City to Wichita, Newton, and Kansas City, a route also proposed as part of NARP’s 40-year Vision Plan. The meeting came as Amtrak announced that the Heartland Flyer will soon carry its 500,000th passenger since inauguration in 1999. Renovation of Dallas Union Station is proceeding as part of a combined $55-million project that includes nearby Reunion Tower and the Hyatt Regency Dallas. While the City of Dallas owns Union Station, it is leased by Hunt-Woodbine Realty Corporation and partially operated by Hyatt. The station, which is served daily by Amtrak’s Texas Eagle, as well as Trinity Railway Express commuter trains and DART light rail, is linked to Reunion Tower and the Hyatt by pedestrian tunnel. Yuma, AZ may get an intermodal transportation center after the City of Yuma decided to proceed with converting the historic city-owned Hotel Del Sol for such purposes. Conversion is contingent upon a $2.5-million FTA grant that would not be available until January, 2009 if approved. The new transit hub would serve Amtrak’s Sunset Limited/Texas Eagle, Greyhound, taxis, and the headquarters of the Yuma Metropolitan Planning Organization (which operates Yuma County Area Transit). Canadian National sold Montreal Central Station this week to the Halifax firm Homburg Invest, Inc. for $355 million CAD. VIA Rail and Amtrak Adirondack intercity rail services, as well as AMT commuter trains, will continue to operate uninterrupted. Preservationists are calling for the new owners to preserve historic features of the station. Wickford, RI is moving closer to having MBTA commuter rail service after securing a $5.4 million federal grant to acquire land and begin design and engineering. More money will be needed to build the station, but plans call for a further extension of MBTA southward along the Northeast Corridor after it’s extended to Warwick to serve Providence T.F. Green International Airport. Wickford would be home to not only a new station but also a servicing facility at Wickford Junction. A new operating agreement between MBTA and Amtrak would also be required. Seattle’s Sounder commuter rail service will launch a reverse-peak Seattle-Tacoma round-trip with its September 24 schedule change. This will be Sounder’s first attempt to serve the reverse commute market. New York City MTA will install cell phone relays in its 277 subway stations over the next decade. Under a ten-year, $46.8-million contract announced this week with the Transit Wireless joint venture, the consortium will provide most of the $150 million to $200 million capital outlay, and recoup costs through future access fees provided by cell phone carriers. Extensive service cuts and fare hikes for the Chicago Transit Authority were put on hold last week after the parent Regional Transportation Authority accepted a $24 million advance on CTA’s fiscal year 2008 operating budget from Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (D). However, even deeper cuts would be necessary come November if Blagojevich and the Illinois State Legislature are unable to devise a dedicated, stable funding source for transit under the RTA umbrella, including CTA, Pace suburban bus routes and paratransit, and Metra commuter rail. The Illinois Senate on Tuesday approved a plan to expand casino gaming in the state; besides $13 billion in capital bonds to improve infrastructure (including Amtrak service), the measure would give the RTA a $200 million loan to maintain existing service levels through June. However, casino expansion is an extremely contentious issue in Illinois, and it is far from certain that this measure will become law. Amtrak’s digEplayer portable video rental service was abruptly discontinued this week after the third-party vendor, Railway Media, went out of business. Amtrak had eliminated showing movies in its lounge cars in favor of the business arrangement with Railway Media; the prospects of any future on-board entertainment are unclear. Amtrak Carolinian trains 79 and 80 will make a special stop at the North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh, October 12-21. Northbound train 80 will stop at the Fairground at 10:49 AM, while southbound train 79 will call there at 4:56 PM. Contact Amtrak for more information, and request station code NSF. Amtrak is once again offering special service for San Diego Chargers home football games, with select Pacific Surfliners stopping at Old Town San Diego for free transfer to San Diego Trolley trains to Qualcomm Stadium. Amtrak is also offering discounted fares; see their news release for more information. Amtrak adjusted Acela Express fares this week; the new fares were effective September 18. Amtrak will begin publishing its National Timetable quarterly (every three months) instead of the traditional publication interval of every six months. This means that, after the Fall schedule change, the next one will be effective in January, 2008. The policy change reflects the growing frequency of Amtrak service changes. For example, the January timetable is expected to reflect further progress of trackwork and upgrades along the Philadelphia-Harrisburg Keystone Corridor. Due to MBTA trackwork, Amtrak Downeaster trains will detour and miss the Woburn, MA station this weekend. The detour is in effect only for September 22 and 23. Amtrak service through North Carolina was disrupted this week when CSX shut down its Little River bridge in Kenly, NC after finding structural faults on Wednesday. The Auto Train, Carolinian, Palmetto Silver Meteor, Silver Star were all either cancelled or bus-bridged, affecting 1,400 passengers. CSX shut down the bridge once again for eight hours today for permanent repairs. Yesterday’s northbound Silver Star train 92 detoured via the Silver Meteor route (presumably to speed up the train to clear the bridge before the work window), with missed stops protected by bus. Today’s train 92 was cancelled due to lack of equipment. Today’s northbound Carolinian train 80 originated in Rocky Mount, with passengers bused from Charlotte and intermediate points. Today’s northbound Palmetto train 90 is subject to delays. Sep 28, 2007: Hotline #520NARP Executive Director Ross B. Capon has been selected as this year’s recipient of the W. Graham Claytor, Jr. Award for Distinguished Service to Passenger Transportation. Now in its 14th year, the award is given annually by Railway Age magazine to honor those who have contributed to the advancement of passenger rail in America. Capon will be presented with the honor at Railway Age’s Passenger Trains on Freight Railroads Conference in Washington D.C., during a luncheon on October 23, 2007, the second day of the two-day conference. Today the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation passed the Rail Safety Enhancement Act of 2007, which aims to bring reforms to railroad safety practices by, among other things, changing hours of service regulations for train crews, encouraging further development of Positive Train Control systems, and bolstering railroad oversight by the FRA. MARC – Maryland’s commuter rail service – this week unveiled a sweeping Amtrak announced today that the first Talgo trainset will return to Cascades service tomorrow. Talgo is currently repairing cracks in the suspension systems of certain cars; FRA has approved the repairs, which should be complete by early November. FTA has reached a full funding grant agreement with the New York City MTA to begin the first phase of the Second Avenue Subway project in Manhattan. The $1.3-billion grant will combine with $1.5 billion in state and local funds to construct a long-delayed line that has “broken ground” at least three times since 1929. FTA this week signed a memorandum of understanding with the Utah Transit Authority to provide 80-20 funding for four new TRAX light rail lines (including one to Salt Lake City International Airport) and the FrontRunner commuter rail line between Salt Lake City and Provo. Germany will be home to Europe’s first commercial maglev line. The State of Bavaria signed a $2.6-billion agreement with Deutsche Bahn, Siemens, and ThyssenKrupp to construct a line between Munich’s city center and its airport. This will employ the same technology used in the Shanghai, China maglev, which had been set to expand but was scaled back due to residential opposition. Germany’s maglev development suffered a major setback in September, 2006 when 23 rail officials perished in a collision between a test train and a parked maintenance vehicle. After a United Nations summit on climate change this week, President Bush reaffirmed his opposition to mandatory cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. He proposed that there should be voluntary goals for each country and collaborative “processes” between nations. Public transportation use has a positive impact on greenhouse gases, according to a study
Amtrak is extending the summer work schedules that have been in effect on Adirondack, Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Lake Shore Limited, and Maple Leaf trains that travel over the CSX in Western New York. The temporary schedules are now valid through October 7. Amtrak is modifying certain weekend Regional train schedules during October and November due to trackwork between Baltimore and BWI Airport. For five consecutive Saturdays (October 6 – November 3), train 150 will operate Baltimore-New York, with no alternative transportation from Washington. Train 169 will operate as train 1169 New York-Baltimore only, with no alternative transportation to Washington, and no Business Class or food service available. For five consecutive Sundays (October 7 – November 4), train 150 will operate Baltimore-New York as train 1150, with no alternative transportation from Washington, and no Business Class or food service available. Amtrak’s Ethan Allen Express will not run north of Albany-Rensselaer due to Canadian Pacific trackwork on October 1. Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor suffered two service disruptions this week. At 3:30 on Monday afternoon, a PEPCO electrical line was accidentally cut near K Tower north of Washington Union Station. The outage halted most inbound and outbound traffic for over two hours, delaying several Amtrak, MARC, and VRE trains and causing cancellations. Late Tuesday morning, a Waste Management trash truck flipped over on I-95 in Eddystone, PA and caught fire, spewing debris onto the Northeast Corridor below. The line was closed for about three hours, during which time SEPTA suspended R2 service and Amtrak suffered delays and cancellations. Amtrak’s California Zephyr detoured through Wyoming on Wednesday after a Union Pacific coal train derailed near Helper, UT, and another freight train collided with its cars. The October-November issue of NARP News has been uploaded to the members’ section of our web site. Click on “Login” above, just below “E-mail Signup” to access the newsletter, or click “Register” if you have not yet signed up for members’ access. Be sure to include your membership number when registering. |
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