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Aug 01, 2008: Hotline #564Please urge your Senators and Representative to approve $1.9 billion for passenger trains in Fiscal 2009—the Amtrak request plus $100 million to put more cars back into service. Also, as discussed below, tell them to reach a compromise on energy so that the authorization bill and other important legislation can begin moving again. Go to our Action Alert center for full details. Senate appointments to the conference committee for S. 294, the passenger train reauthorization, have been delayed and action on much other legislation has ground to a halt. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), supported by the Republican caucus, objected to Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-NV) request for unanimous consent to appoint the Senate conferees on the train bill. Reid then packaged about 35 bills together. Although a 52-43 majority voted yes, the package failed because it was short of the needed 60 votes. All Democrats and three Republicans voted yes. Coburn called the package “nothing but an attempt by Majority Leader Reid to distract public attention from his obstruction of common-sense energy policies.” This refers to the refusal of Democratic leaders to allow what Republicans want in the way of floor votes to open up more U.S. areas for oil drilling. Republicans are reacting to polls showing that Americans want more drilling. CNN reported yesterday, “Just more than half of those polled said the ban on additional offshore drilling is a major cause of high fuel prices. The same number cite the Bush administration and the war in Iraq as causes.” Newly permitted drilling would impact gasoline prices in a couple of decades, if then. Nonetheless, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has vowed that Republicans will block S. 294 and many other pending bills until the Senate takes up domestic oil drilling legislation. McConnell told Congressional Quarterly, “…Right now the No. 1 issue in the country is the price of gas at the pump. Why would we want to get off that issue and go to anything else?” There is a deal to be made here, particularly since Republicans reportedly have proposed “that states be allowed to opt out of continental shelf drilling off their shores” [July 8 Politico quoting “one Democratic aide”]. Democrats should consider compromising on oil drilling if there is a production tax on resulting new oil whose proceeds go to “green” transportation including passenger trains. Ironically, further delay of S. 294 jeopardizes oil conservation efforts that the expansion of fuel-efficient passenger trains would represent. On July 29 Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin (D-IL) introduced the “Train CARS Act” (designated as S. 3360) to provide immediate funding for Amtrak to expand its fleet of rolling stock and address the critical shortage of railcars to meet growing demand. S. 3360 would authorize Amtrak to issue up to $2.8 billion in bonds over four years to purchase new equipment and create a federal matching grant program for states wishing to purchase new cars. It would also create a Rolling Stock Trust Fund by dedicating a quarter-cent of existing federal motor fuels taxes over three years, generating approximately $400 million annually. States could also match, dollar for dollar, any railroad passenger ticket fees that would go towards procuring equipment. All procurement would be subject to Buy America provisions and labor protections. S. 3360 would require Amtrak, the FRA and “interested states” to convene a committee to create “specifications for a procurement standard for the next generation of passenger rail equipment. The Committee is instructed to examine the benefits of having a public or private corporation separate from Amtrak purchase new equipment and lease that equipment to the states and Amtrak for service.” The bill also would direct the Government Accountability Office to perform a study of the costs and benefits of electrifying the national passenger rail network. Sen. Durbin’s news release notes that “electrifying the passenger rail system would provide a non-oil transportation alternative that could transport passengers along high-speed corridors without ever using a drop of oil.” Finally, S. 3360 would require the Department of Labor to make any changes to existing programs that would help workers exiting the automobile and aviation industries transition into work relating to the “manufacturing, rehabilitation and maintenance” of passenger trains. Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) is an original cosponsor of the bill, which has been referred to the Senate Finance Committee. The bill is consistent with NARP’s June 3 release, “Oil Prices Underline Need for More Passenger Trains,” which favored a ramp-up of passenger train investment “to give people jobs when other parts of the transportation industry are retrenching and to let Americans leave their cars at home when they want to…” On July 30, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd (D-WV) unveiled his version of an infrastructure stimulus package. The $24.1 billion bill includes $100 million in Amtrak capital (with language specifying funding for repairing sidelined rolling stock) and $893 million for transit agencies, out of a total of $4.8 billion for transportation. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) has replaced Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) as the Ranking Member on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee after Stevens’ July 30 indictment. The Bush Administration released its transportation “reform” plan on July 30 to outline White House policy ahead of surface transportation reauthorization in Congress next year. The plan makes no mention of Amtrak, “Amtrak reform,” or intercity passenger trains. It does mention public-private partnerships, of course, but not in the context of passenger trains. It’s unclear whether ignoring trains is an improvement over stating wrong policies about them, but, as noted conservative and transit advocate Paul Weyrich observed in January, the views of the Bush DOT will not be relevant next year, no matter who wins the election. In a faint echo of the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission report (by the bipartisan, blue-ribbon panel from which White House appointees dissented), the White House plan advocates distilling 108 existing federal transportation programs into just eight. The NSTPRC recommended a restructuring into ten programs, the only mode-specific one of which would be “Intercity Passenger Rail,” to correct the decades of federal underinvestment in passenger trains. Regarding the White House’s desire to see a wholesale shift in transportation financing from gasoline taxes to tolling and private sector instruments, Rep. Earl Blumenauer told the Wall Street Journal, “It’s basically an opportunity for people who have wanted to systematically reduce the federal participation in infrastructure. It’s going to fall with a thud.” The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) on July 31 released two studies regarding relocation of UP freight traffic to a new bypass between Austin and San Antonio. The bypass would clear the way for commuter rail between the two cities and keep freight traffic away from urbanized areas. The 145-mile bypass would cost $2.4 billion, and establish $1.4 billion in public benefits. Establishing commuter rail would cost $600 million. China inaugurated today the world’s fastest regularly scheduled passenger train line. High-speed trains on the Beijing-Tianjin Intercity Railway regularly operate at 217 mph, reducing travel time on the 75-mile route from 70 minutes to 30 minutes. Construction of the route cost $3.1 billion, and includes six domestically-produced trainsets that feature rooftop solar panels. Westbound Amtrak Sunset Limited train 1 derailed minutes after departing New Orleans on July 28. There were no injuries after an engine and baggage car left the tracks at UP’s Avondale Yard. The train was delayed about three-and-a-half hours and eventually continued towards Los Angeles. A 5.4 magnitude earthquake struck the Los Angeles area on July 29 at 11:42 AM. The quake, centered in Chino Hills, caused limited minor injuries and damage. BNSF, UP, Amtrak, and Metrolink operations were temporarily halted while track was inspected within a 50-mile radius of the epicenter, and Metrolink commuters suffered significant delays in the evening rush hour as many trains were restricted to 20 mph in places. Amtrak Pacific Surfliner and Metrolink trains between Orange, Los Angeles, and Moorpark were limited to 40 mph. Los Angeles Metro Rail trains were restricted to 15 mph for about an hour after quake, but resumed full normal operations by the evening peak. A wildfire west of Yosemite, CA shut state route 140, the main road between Merced and Yosemite National Park, for much of the week. Amtrak Thruway service has been periodically disrupted; check with Amtrak for the latest information. Aug 08, 2008: Hotline #565Congress is in recess through next month (Senate reconvenes September 8, House, September 9). Late last week, amidst gridlock over energy policy, Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) announced that a group of 10 centrist senators, five from each party, had agreed on a “New Energy Reform Act” that would, along with allowing new domestic oil drilling, push for alternative fuels. Unfortunately, the plan does not provide funding for energy-efficient passenger trains, which should be central to any long-term energy solution. Please urge your Senators and Representative:
Go to our Action Alert center for full details. Last Friday, the Senate passed by unanimous consent S. 1889, the Railroad Safety Enhancement Act of 2007. This safety measure is largely aimed at ensuring that train crews get sufficient rest time. On-duty hours (including deadhead transit) would be limited to 267 per month, and railroads would be prohibited from “communicating” with crews during rest time except in an emergency. FRA inspections would increase. There are also requirements for DOT to establish a long-term safety strategy as well as a pilot program to eliminate rail safety risks, and for states to report on safety measures being taken at all grade crossings. A similar bill, H.R. 2095, passed the House last year by an overwhelming margin of 377-38. For a comparison of the two bills, see this United Transportation Union analysis (.pdf). North Carolina DOT announced this week further planned upgrades to its Amtrak stations in Cary and Durham. Cary’s city-owned station will receive an $800,000 expansion and renovation after DMV employees vacate offices there. Durham’s station will move from a temporary trailer to part of a former tobacco warehouse, which the state will lease for $100,000 a year for 47 years. $1 million in federal grants will go towards a new platform and canopy, and a second Amtrak agent will be added. NARP encourages its members to watch and share a student film about Amtrak and public transportation. “Re-Training America” by Heydn Ericson and Malcolm Kenton (scroll to bottom for movie file in Quicktime format), both NARP members and recent graduates of Guilford College, examines the history and future of passenger trains and alternative transportation in America. It also features interviews with NARP staff, other transportation experts, and the traveling public. Thank you, Heydn and Malcolm, for your efforts to raise awareness of passenger trains! The Fullerton Transportation Center in Fullerton, CA will be the venue of the Spare the Air Music Festival on August 30 from 11 AM to 8 PM. The concert is part of the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s Spare the Air program, and is sponsored in part by Amtrak and Metrolink. Tickets will cost $10.67, reflecting sponsorship by popular rock radio station KROQ 106.7. In a news release, event promoter and organizer Sean Francis said, “With the wide range of environmental issues confronting our planet, from global warming to depleting energy sources, our focus is to promote awareness of public transportation options, global warming and alternative fuels and energies.” Amtrak has eliminated free parking at its downtown St. Louis station to allow for track work in connection with the new Gateway Station, which is expected to open to train passengers in September. Short-term parking is available at a new, city-owned lot under Interstate 64 (U.S. 40) where the charge is $1 an hour (24-hour maximum). The city’s historic Union Station, nicely redeveloped but without trains, charges $16 a day for parking. Amtrak notes that people also can park for free at many MetroLink light rail stations and then ride MetroLink to the Civic Center station (adjacent to the Gateway Station but a few blocks from the existing station). Due to ongoing Amtrak track maintenance on the Springfield Shuttle line, trains 470, 490, 493, and 495 are operating between New Haven and Hartford only until August 22. Amtrak is providing motorcoach service between Hartford, Windsor Locks, and Springfield, with no service at Windsor. There is no impact on other Shuttles or on Vermonter service. BNSF has postponed track work that was slated to affect Carl Sandburg trains this month. Effective today, Amtrak resumed normal Chicago-Quincy schedules, which will continue until further notice. Seven passengers are dead and 70 injured after a EuroCity train collided into a collapsed bridge near Studenka, Czech Republic at 10:30 AM local time today. The train carrying about 400 passengers struck a collapsed road bridge that had been undergoing repairs. The train was traveling at 87 mph when it crashed near the Czech-Polish border on its journey from Prague to Krakow, Poland. The Prime Ministers of both countries visited the crash site. Two historic San Francisco Muni streetcars were involved in a collision the evening of August 4 on the F-Market line. A Milan streetcar rear-ended a PCC streetcar while traveling northbound on the Embarcadero on a dedicated right-of-way. 14 people suffered non-life-threatening injuries, with six (including both trains’ operators) taken to the hospital. Muni is investigating the incident, which is the third major incident on its rail system since June. A BNSF train carrying corn derailed ten cars between Libby and Whitefish, MT on August 4, blocking the Hi-Line for the rest of the day and forcing Amtrak to bus Empire Builder passengers between Libby and Shelby. Normal operations resumed the next day. An Official Airline Guide analysis, reported in today’s Financial Times, shows that airlines around the world will cut capacity by 59.7 million seats or 7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008 as compared to a year before. The domestic US market accounts for about a third of the contraction. Steve Casley, Chief Operating Officer of OAG, said, “It took a good three years for the industry to recover from the downturn of 2001, when it had a 5 percent drop in capacity… [W]e may be facing a far more severe global downturn than we have experienced before. The industry’s resilience will be pushed to its limits in the coming months.” In the past two weeks, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines both announced tighter restrictions and additional fees for frequent-flyer mileage awards. Delta also increased the fee for checking a second piece of baggage to $50. The September 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. Aug 15, 2008: Hotline #566Congress is in recess through next month (Senate reconvenes September 8, House, September 9). Please urge your Senators and Representative:
Go to our Action Alert center for full details. NARP sent a letter to House Democrats last week regarding a Government Accountability Office report they had requested on federal surface transportation programs. NARP criticized the report, Surface Transportation Programs: Proposals Highlight Key Issues and Challenges in Restructuring the Programs; NARP Executive Director Ross B. Capon wrote that the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission “boldly suggested a truly balanced transportation policy and applied more than just ‘cost’ as a measurement…GAO’s response appears to be more in the nature of ‘bean counting’ than transportation policy analysis that considers other policy outcomes. For example, ‘train,’ ‘railroad’ and ‘passenger train’ are words that do not appear on the page discussing ‘linking transportation policy and funding to environment and energy sectors.’” Also see NARP’s news release on the letter. New federal figures on transportation energy consumption which showed a 2.2% increase in Amtrak’s energy efficiency, making Amtrak 17.9% more efficient than airlines. Edition 27 of the annual Transportation Energy Data Book – compiled by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy – says Amtrak consumed 2,650 British Thermal Units (BTUs) per passenger-mile in 2006, versus 2,709 in 2005 – a 2.2% improvement. NARP touted the new figures in a news release, in which NARP Executive Director Ross B. Capon said, “These figures and the public’s increased desire to park their cars and ride trains underscore the importance of immediately increasing investments in our national passenger train system as a key component of any rational energy policy. Analysts consistently identify passenger trains as energy efficient, but federal policy still encourages investing most resources in the least efficient forms of transportation. That is not the road to energy independence.” Concurrently, U.S. DOT figures this week showed that Americans drove 4.7% fewer miles in June, 2008 than a year earlier, while Amtrak experienced record ridership in July, 2008, with a 14 percent increase. A lawsuit was filed on August 8 against the California High-Speed Rail Authority to invalidate its Environmental Impact Report for the state HSR project. The plaintiffs are the Town of Atherton, the City of Menlo Park, the Planning on Conservation League, the Transportation Solutions Defense and Education Fund, the California Rail Foundation, and the BayRail Alliance. The lawsuit contends that the CHSRA failed to properly consider comments from the public in deciding preferred route alignments, particularly between the Central Valley and the Bay Area (selecting the southerly Pacheco Pass over the northerly Altamont Pass), and on the San Francisco Peninsula (selecting the existing Caltrain alignment versus a new, more isolated right-of-way). Representing the plaintiffs is Planning and Conservation League attorney Stuart Flashman, who NARP Director of Communications Matthew Melzer challenged regarding HSR safety and environmental issues in a June 18 segment on “Which Way, L.A.?” on public radio station KCRW. NARP continues to urge all rail advocates in California to support the long-overdue Proposition 1 bond measure on the November 4 ballot. An effective message is that the project is overwhelmingly beneficial for the environment regardless of route specifics. The issue of Altamont versus Pacheco Passes should not determine the project’s fate: Each alignment has its own merits and disadvantages. In the long run, many advocates have expressed their desire for HSR (or at least higher-speed rail) on both alignments. This may indeed become necessary as oil becomes scarcer and California’s population grows past the 50 million projected in 2030. Moreover, the Caltrain overlay fits with Caltrain’s longstanding plans to electrify, accelerates the closing of unsafe grade crossings and sealing the corridor along the Peninsula, and represents efficiency and savings for taxpayers. In a statement, BayRail Alliance claims to continue to support Proposition 1 and HSR in general despite the lawsuit, while a representative of the California Rail Foundation is a signatory to the Rebuttal to the Argument in Favor of Proposition 1 that will appear in the official ballot guide (in other words, the argument against). Click here to read the lawsuit petition (.pdf). Amtrak’s planned 100th anniversary celebration for Washington Union Station has been rescheduled to October 4-5 (it was originally planned for September 27-28). Amtrak now offers service to Ocean City, MD and Maryland’s Eastern Shore from BWI Rail Station as a Thruway partnership with BayRunner Shuttle. There are five daily round-trips; the one-way fare is $95 regardless of whether it is booked through Amtrak or BayRunner. Other stops include Salisbury, Cambridge, Easton, and Ocean Pines. This service replaces the Wilmington-Salisbury route, which Greyhound abandoned. Greyhound will abandon its White River Junction-Rutland, VT route on August 18. Amtrak’s New York-Rutland Ethan Allen Express will now be the only form of intercity public transportation in Rutland, which isVermont’s second-largest city. Due to costs of materials, Amtrak has increased the fee for bicycle boxes from $10 to $15. Certain trains will bypass Schenectady, NY on Sunday, August 17 due to CSX track work. Trains 63, 281, 48, and 286 will definitely detour, while detours are tentative for trains 285 and 64. Passengers will be provided alternate transportation to/from Amsterdam or Albany-Rensselaer. Delays of 20-30 minutes are expected. Amtrak’s Maple Leaf and Niagara Falls Empire Service trains will make a special stop west of Syracuse, NY for the New York State Fair, August 21 through September 1. Westbound trains 61, 281, 283, and 285 will stop at the fair location five minutes after Syracuse, while eastbound trains 284, 286, 64, and 288 will stop 10 minutes before Syracuse. Request station code NYF. Amtrak’s Carolinian will make a special stop between Cary and Raleigh for the North Carolina State Fair, October 16-26 (train 80 will stop at 10:50 AM, train 79 at 4:57 PM). Same-day travel from points between Charlotte and Cary is possible; request station code NSF. Amtrak’s Carolinian and Piedmont trains will make a special stop in Lexington, NC on October 25 for the Lexington Barbecue Festival (train 80 will stop at 8:40 AM, train 73 at 9:04 AM, train 74 at 6:29 PM, and train 79 at 7:28 PM). Request station code LEX. Amtrak eastbound Wolverine train 350’s engine derailed after departing Detroit last Friday, August 8. The train was towed back to Detroit and, after a delay of about two hours, passengers were provided motorcoach service to Royal Oak, Birmingham, and Pontiac. Amtrak’s Vermonter was disrupted after a New England Central train derailed in Braintree, VT the night of August 10. Amtrak provided motorcoach service for all stops north of Springfield from August 11 until today, when normal service resumed. Amtrak temporarily suspended Empire Service between Albany-Rensselaer and Hudson due to severe flooding for part of the morning and afternoon on August 11. The flood waters also submerged part of the parking lot at Albany-Rensselaer station. Amtrak San Joaquin service was disrupted after a BNSF train derailed south of Fresno late in the morning of August 12. Amtrak set up a bus bridge around the derailment for the rest of the day. VIA Rail Canada’s Chaleur has been disrupted since flooding on August 4 washed out a bridge of the Société du chemin de fer de la Gaspésie at Pointe à la Croix, QC. VIA is providing alternate transportation between Matapédia and Gaspé in both directions and has suspended sleeper travel on the route. According to a news release, there is no estimate for full restoration of service. Aug 22, 2008: Hotline #567Congress is in recess through next month (Senate reconvenes September 8, House, September 9). Please urge your Senators and Representative:
Go to our Action Alert center for full details. Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Amtrak President and CEO Alex Kummant held media events in Chicago and Bloomngton-Normal on Wednesday to push support for Durbin’s Train CARS Act (S.3360; full coverage in our August 1 hotline and September NARP News). Durbin highlighted the effort to quickly return damaged cars to service and get the ball rolling on a large scale equipment procurement program. Durbin also said that there needs to be more attention paid to Amtrak’s on time performance; the Chicago-St. Louis corridor has one of the worst timeliness records in the nation. “(The current performance) is unacceptable,” Durbin said, “It’s hard to make plans for business or pleasure if it (a train) doesn’t run on time.” Amtrak announced this week that a full renovation of the Auto Train facility in Sanford, FL will commence soon. The $3.5 million project will bring the Florida facility up to par with the northern terminus facility in Lorton, VA. The facility will also interface with the proposed Orlando-Sanford commuter rail service. Facing severe overcrowding, Maryland’s MARC Commuter Rail has agreed to purchase 13 cars from Virginia Railway Express. The cars are identical to MARC’s “MARC III” Kawasaki bi-levels already in service; the cars being purchased were in fact an add-on to the MARC order. VRE has deemed the cars surplus as they have acquired a fleet of new gallery-style cars for their service; the sale permits VRE to standardize their fleet. MARC should have the cars in service by November as they are pretty much ready to go. PennDOT has launched a new web site for the Keystone Service. The new site features station information, schedules, reasons to ride, and other information. Periodic detours are in effect for Amtrak’s California Zephyr in both directions between Sacramento and Winnemucca due to UP track work near Donner Summit. Trains 5 and 6 detoured via the scenic Feather River Canyon on August 12, and are scheduled to do the same on August 24, 27, and 30, as well as September 9. Passengers to/from missed stops are carried by motorcoach. Winnemucca passengers are provided taxi service between the station and a yard location where the detour starts. Passengers should expect delays of about two hours. Amtrak’s northbound Coast Starlight train 14 will hold in Klamath Falls, OR until 10:25 AM, two hours past its scheduled departure, due to UP track work near the side of the January landslide. This should affect passengers on August 24-30, September 8-15, September 23-30, and October 8 and 9, though trains will depart Klamath Falls on-time if conditions allow. Amtrak track work on the Springfield Shuttle line has been extended through September 26 (see Hotline #565); service adjustments were slated to end today. Northbound Vermonter train 56 may be delayed up to 30 minutes. Amtrak’s Vermonter was disrupted after another New England Central train derailed in White River Junction, VT on August 15, five days after an NECR derailment in Braintree. Amtrak once again provided motorcoach service, this time north of Brattleboro, through August 16. Tropical Storm Fay made landfall over Florida on August 19. Amtrak cancelled all Auto Train and Silver Service in both directions for trains originating August 19, 20, and 21, with no alternate transportation provided. Service is scheduled to resume today. Denver RTD transit service will be significantly affected during the Democratic National Convention next week. From August 24-27, there will be no light rail service to Union Station. Click here for complete details. Aug 29, 2008: Hotline #568Congress is in recess for one more week (Senate reconvenes September 8, House, September 9). Please urge your Senators and Representative:
Go to our Action Alert center for full details. NARP Treasurer Robert W. “Bob” Glover, 72, passed away on Tuesday, August 26 following a brief illness. NARP President George Chilson eulogized Bob on our Blog: “Bob was a NARP member almost from its inception. He joined the Board in 1977 and became Secretary in 1988. He served in this position until 2004 when he became Treasurer,” said Chilson. “He served NARP and our cause faithfully and tirelessly all the way to the last days of his life. We will greatly miss his energy, his wit, his insights, his knowledge and his enormous dedication to our cause. “On behalf of NARP, I extend our sincerest condolences to his sister Linda, his family, his colleagues and many friends.” NARP Vice President Art Poole said, “Bob was a mentor concerning railroading and passenger train advocacy. His contributions to NARP as secretary, treasurer, executive committee member, committee chairman and regional director were formidable. With his passing, NARP has lost a great deal of institutional memory and intellectual ability. Bob was also part of the team that is trying to position NARP for future growth, sustainability and accomplishment. It was a privilege to know him. His knowledge, humor and friendship will be missed.” California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) has signed A.B. 3034, the state bill to refine and update the high-speed rail bond initiative, the title of which has now changed from Proposition 1 to Proposition 1A. A.B. 3034 adds oversight provisions for the California High Speed Rail Authority, compels them to complete an updated business plan by October 1, and defines San Francisco-Los Angeles-Anaheim as the priority segment for bond construction funds. It also prohibits any station from being built between Gilroy and Merced in order to minimize environmental impacts on the Pacheco Pass segment. In belatedly signing the bill, Gov. Schwarzenegger relented on a previous promise to not sign any legislation before the State Legislature sends him a state budget, which is weeks overdue. The Secretary of State will have to reprint state voter guides at a cost to taxpayers of $4 million. A 1,500-space parking garage opened Monday at the Irvine, CA Amtrak/Metrolink station. While not officially opening the facility until October, the City of Irvine held a “soft” opening following completion of construction, according to the Orange County Register. The $27 million facility, funded by the Orange County Transportation Authority and Caltrans, will soon be followed by new bicycle lockers, a rental car agency, food service, and other new amenities. Paoli, PA Transportation Center will be transformed into an updated intermodal station with help from a $500,000 federal grant that Reps. Jim Gerlach (R-PA) and Joe Sestak (D-PA) secured. Both will be on hand at the Paoli station tomorrow morning at 9:30 AM to present a ceremonial check to the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. Paoli is served by SEPTA’s R5 Paoli/Thorndale Regional Rail Line and Amtrak’s Keystone Service and Pennsylvanian. GrandLuxe Rail Journeys, formerly known as American Orient Express, has abruptly ceased all operations effective today due to financial problems. It is unknown whether the luxury rail tour operator might eventually be revived under new management. Customers with reservations should contact their credit card companies or booking agent and inquire with GrandLuxe by e-mailing .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or calling 800-320-4206. Amtrak now places bar codes on reservation confirmations for trips booked through their web site. Passengers can print the confirmation, wave the bar code in front of the scanner on a QuikTrak machine (at stations so equipped), and pick up their tickets at the machine with no credit card required. An Amtrak Communications & Signals Inspector passed away on August 20 after being struck by northbound Acela Express train 2150 near New Carrollton. Steven Rychwalski, 22, died after being airlifted to the hospital. Amtrak and MARC service along the Northeast Corridor was disrupted for over two hours. Widespread financial turmoil in the airline industry continued this week as stalwart Italian flag carrier Alitalia filed for bankruptcy protection. As well, Canadian discount international carrier Zoom Airlines abruptly collapsed yesterday. The Ottawa-based airline cited the cost of fuel as airport authorities in Calgary and Glasgow, Scotland dramatically seized Zoom aircraft for non-payment of facility fees. On the domestic side, ExpressJet Airlines will end its low-cost branded operations on September 2, citing the cost of fuel. ExpressJet will continue its contracted regional operations doing business as Continental Express and Delta Connection, though its own branded subsidiary represented the only low-cost airline service in several of the smaller Western markets it’s abandoning. Low-cost carrier Midwest Airlines will also eliminate service to 11 cities effective September 8. Southwest Airlines, one of the few domestic carriers to resist any contraction, announced that it will cut 190 flights (or about 6 percent of its schedule) on January 11, mainly through reducing frequencies and not eliminating routes. The cuts still pale in comparison to impending contraction for the “legacy” carriers this fall, the most severe of which will be executed by United Airlines through a 16 percent reduction of domestic capacity. United will also be the first airline to eliminate complimentary meals in coach on Trans-Atlantic flights, offering only buy-on-board selections on flights between Washington-Dulles and Europe. It will also replace complimentary meals with buy-on-board for domestic Business Class, part of a move to reduce cabin staffing to FAA minimums on certain flights and furlough 1,500 flight attendants. In anticipation of Tropical Storm Gustav, which may gain strength and strike the Gulf Coast early next week, effective immediately Amtrak will annul eastbound Sunset Limited train 2 at San Antonio and turn it to westbound train 1. Likewise, southbound Crescent train 19 will turn in Atlanta to northbound train 20. Southbound City of New Orleans train 59 will turn in Memphis to northbound train 58. No alternate transportation will be provided beyond the truncated endpoints, and these changes are in effect through at least September 4. Amtrak is prepared to run evacuation trains from New Orleans tomorrow in accordance with its contract with the Federal Emergency Management Agency; 10 former Connecticut DOT commuter coaches are on hand, along with Sunset Limited and City of New Orleans trainsets. Amtrak expects to run trains to Jackson, MS, and can handle up to 7,242 evacuees. Amtrak’s San Francisco Ferry Building Thruway stop (a staffed station) will temporarily relocate on August 31 from 8 AM to 2 PM due to a city event. Motorcoaches will stop at Mission and Steuart Streets, one block west of the Ferry Building. Station agents from the Ferry Building station will be on hand to assist passengers, according to the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority. VIA Rail Canada will restore full service along the Chaleur route on September 3. On August 4, flooding had washed out a bridge of the Société du chemin de fer de la Gaspésie at Pointe à la Croix, QC. Repair of the bridge will be completed soon, after which trains can once again operate between Matapédia and Gaspé. Amtrak southbound Northeast Regional train 169, originating in Boston on September 6, will terminate in Philadelphia on September 7 due to Amtrak bridge work over the Susquehanna River. Passengers may take trains 167 or 67 if traveling to points south. The same work and disruption will continue on other dates to be announced. CSX track work south of Richmond, VA will disrupt Amtrak’s Carolinian, Palmetto, and Silver Star on September 15-18, September 22-25, and September 29-October 2. Palmetto trains will be cancelled on those dates, with no alternate transportation provided. Carolinian trains will not operate between Richmond and Raleigh, with no alternate transportation provided. Train 79 will operate New York-Richmond and train 80 will operate Richmond New York. Train 1079 will operate train 79’s schedule between Raleigh and Charlotte, while train 1080 will operate train 80’s schedule between Charlotte and Raleigh. Northbound Silver Star train 92 will originate two hours early out of Miami, at 9:50 AM. NARP has established the NARP Shop on CafePress.com, featuring NARP apparel and other products for rail advocates! NARP has marked up the product prices by 10 percent; all proceeds will go towards our rail advocacy work. Please spread the word, and let us know on our blog (or contact the NARP office) if you have any feedback or suggestions! Thank you for your continued support. The NARP office will be closed on Monday, September 1 for the Labor Day holiday. Have a safe and happy Labor Day! |
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