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Oct 03, 2008: Hotline #573On October 1, Amtrak instituted a new boarding policy at Chicago Union Station. Passengers must purchase tickets from a ticket agent no later than 10 minutes prior to train departure, and boarding gates will close 5 minutes prior to departure. According to Amtrak, agents will be proactive about ensuring that passengers in the ticketing line are served before the cutoff. As well, boarding will continue if a train is being held for a late connecting train or if a known mechanical issue causes a significant departure delay. Noting an inadequate effort to inform travelers about this new policy, NARP urged Amtrak to make announcements on all trains approaching Chicago, for the benefit of those connecting to other trains (or planning a return trip that originates in Chicago), and to put some information about the new policy on their web site. On Wednesday, the Senate passed H.R. 2095, the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 including the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008, by a vote of 74-24. Final passage of the rail safety and passenger rail reauthorization bill came after last week’s House passage by voice vote and Monday’s 69-17 Senate cloture vote to overcome the hold Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) had placed on the bill. To see how Senators voted, see the roll calls for cloture and final passage. White House spokespersons told the Associated Press and Gannett News Service yesterday that President Bush will sign H.R. 2095 into law. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters also said in a statement that the President is expected to sign the bill. NARP Executive Director Ross B. Capon issued the following statement following the Senate vote on Wednesday: “NARP congratulates Congress on passing H.R. 2095, the Rail Safety Improvement Act including the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act. Tonight’s 74-24 vote in the Senate and passage by voice vote September 24 in the House reflect strong, bipartisan, nationwide support for a safer, bigger passenger train network. This support transcends political differences. “It is consistent with what people are doing. In Richmond yesterday, Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters said ‘transit and rail are seeing record growth,’ noted that Amtrak carried more riders in July than in any month of its history, and said Americans drove 3.6 percent less, or 9.6 billion miles fewer, in July 2008 than July 2007. “Tonight’s vote in the Senate culminates a long process. The Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act was first introduced in 2005 as S. 1516. “Reauthorizing Amtrak does not guarantee funding. Passenger train supporters on Capitol Hill and around the nation must continue to work to see that the White House and Amtrak actually request—and Congress provides—the authorized funding so that we can meet growing demand for trains. H.R. 2095 includes increased funding for state partnerships, studies of reinstating the North Coast Hiawatha and Pioneer routes, and a requirement that Amtrak develop a plan to restore service between New Orleans and Florida. “The safety provisions of H.R. 2095 also will provide a significant shot in the arm for the railroad industry, which has also voiced support for the measure. By mandating and assisting with the deployment of Positive Train Control, this legislation will allow a more efficient and safer rail system for both passengers and freight. “We thank all those who worked hard to get this bill passed and urge President Bush to sign H.R. 2095 into law promptly.” Among other rail industry stakeholders, news releases were issued by the Association of American Railroads, Amtrak, Metrolink, the American Chemistry Council, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, and the United Transportation Union. Positive news releases followed Wednesday’s vote from:
Members of Congress from the Washington, DC area also issued a joint news release, including Sens. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Benjamin Cardin (D-MD), John Warner (R-VA), and Jim Webb (D-VA), plus House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA). President Bush on Tuesday signed a Continuing Resolution (CR) that will continue to fund federal government programs (including Amtrak) at Fiscal Year 2008 levels until March 6, 2009 (Fiscal 2009 began on Wednesday). Final decisions on Fiscal 2009 spending are punted to the 111th Congress and the next President. The CR contains $400 million for Public Transportation Security Assistance and Railroad Security Assistance (under the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007), including $25 million for Amtrak. Please urge your Senators and Representative:
Go to our Action Alert center for full details. On Tuesday, Transportation Secretary Mary Peters traveled to Richmond’s Main Street Station by Amtrak with Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph Boardman to announce the $30 million in capital grants for improvements to passenger train routes to 13 states, the first-ever such set of grants. She also emphasized strong ridership growth on trains and transit, and the decline in driving. Details, including list of the grants, are available here. In an update to its investigation of the September 12 Metrolink-UP disaster, the NTSB has revealed that Metrolink engineer Robert Sanchez sent and received dozens of text messages while on duty that day, the last one of which may have been within a minute of the collision. In response, on Wednesday Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph Boardman announced an emergency order “explicitly prohibiting the use of personal electronic devices by railroad employees while operating trains and in other settings.” The Commonwealth of Massachusetts announced yesterday that it will purchase the 23-mile line between Framingham and Worcester, used by MBTA commuter trains and Amtrak’s Lake Shore Limited, from CSX for $100 million (Massachusetts already owns the 20-mile segment between Boston and Framingham). Under the deal, which may take four years to complete, five trains that originate or terminate in Framingham will go all the way to/from Worcester. Next year, Massachusetts will also purchase from CSX the New Bedford-Fall River Line (on which a new MBTA line is planned). Massachusetts will also assist with increasing bridge clearances to allow double-stack CSX trains, with other measures to mitigate increased MBTA traffic. See the joint Massachusetts-CSX news release. Fall/Winter Amtrak schedule changes go into effect October 27. Notable changes include:
Amtrak has unstaffed the Texarkana, AR/TX station. Ticket agents are no longer available, and the station does not have QuikTrak machines. TriMet announced on Wednesday that Westside Express Service (WES) commuter rail between Wilsonville, OR and the Beaverton MAX Light Rail station will start revenue service on February 2, 2009 after a January 30 opening ceremony. Amtrak northbound Cascades train 508 derailed its trailing locomotive north of Tacoma on September 28. There were no injuries, and passengers were bussed to Seattle. According to news reports, the derailment was caused by a toilet retention tank falling from the train. Tomorrow and Sunday mark centennial celebrations for Washington’s Union Station. NARP will have a table at the event. Please see Amtrak’s news release for more details on the festivities. Oct 10, 2008: Hotline #574Based on reports from both White House and U.S. DOT officials, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Associated Press, and Gannett have reported that President Bush has will sign H.R. 2095, the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008, which includes the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act. The bill refers to the rail safety provisions as “Division A” and the Amtrak/passenger train reauthorization as “Division B.” Each division has six “titles,” with each title having section numbers that begin with the title number (for example, Title I in Section A has sections 101-110, Title I in Section B has sections 101-103). National Transportation Safety Board Acting Chairman Mark V. Rosenker, in an address to the International Railroad Safety Conference, called for implementation of positive train control now, after 18 years of it being on the NTSB’s “Most Wanted” list. While noting that the overall safety record of the rail industry is much improved since the 1980’s, Rosenker said there is much work to be done and that the Metrolink-UP accident in Chatsworth, CA on September 13 is a reminder of that. “It is time for the entire industry to commit to the development and implementation of positive train control systems. You, the industry, must now agree on a format that allows interoperability between systems so that trains can seamlessly move from one railroad to another.” Rosenker also discussed other rail safety innovations. The CEO of Veolia Transportation issued a statement on October 6 regarding the September 13 Metrolink-UP accident in Chatsworth, CA. Veolia is the contractor hired by Metrolink to staff and maintain its trains. CEO Mark Joseph said, in part, “Our company has been in the transportation business for over 100 years. Safety has been, is and will continue to be our highest corporate value…Veolia Transportation will commit the necessary resources to discover the facts, partner on solutions for enhancing safety on U.S. rail systems, and press hard for a commitment from all levels of government to implement these solutions.” The full statement can be read on the Los Angeles Times website An Amtrak Web App for iPhone users is now available. Nick Taylor, president of Usablenet (the creators of the program) said, “There are more and more iPhone users and these are people who are used to going to the Web on their handset. With its mobile site and now this app, Amtrak has extended full ecommerce functionality to mobile.” The Amtrak application is available through Apple’s iTunes App Store. On October 18, 19, 25 and 26, Metro-North Commuter Railroad will be doing track work that will affect Empire Corridor service. Most Amtrak trains will operate out of Grand Central Terminal, bus service will be provided from Penn Station. There will be no Amtrak ticket sales a Grand Central; passengers are not required to ride the shuttle buses but if they going straight to Grand Central, they must already have tickets in hand. Three trains will still operate from Penn Station and detour via. New Rochelle, incurring a delay: the Maple Leaf and Adirondack will operate combined between New York and Albany on the Maple Leaf’s schedule and the Lake Shore Limited will also detour, but stay as close as possible to its published schedule. The temporary busing from Memphis Central Station to a remote boarding site has been officially extended until October 31. However, NARP has been informed that the sinkhole repair was completed and the property conveyed back to CN on Wednesday, and the station parking lot reopened. The possibility exists that normal service could resume by October 17. 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. Oct 17, 2008: Hotline #575President Bush signed H.R. 2095, the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 including the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act, into law yesterday. The White House news release stated, simply, “On Thursday, October 16, 2008, the President signed into law: H.R. 2095, which authorizes appropriations for the Department of Transportation’s railroad safety and passenger rail activities and for Amtrak for Fiscal Years 2009-2013; and revises statutory provisions related to railroad safety and passenger rail activities.” Amtrak smashed ridership records once again during Fiscal Year 2008, which ended September 30. Amtrak carried 28.7 million passengers, an 11.1 percent increase from Fiscal 2007, and increased ticket revenue by 14.2 percent. Eight long-distance routes recorded double-digit percentage ridership increases, the highest being the Texas Eagle (up 15.2 percent) and the Sunset Limited (up 13.2 percent). Among corridor trains, Downeaster ridership was up 31.2 percent, Piedmont up 30.4 percent, and St. Louis-Kansas City trains up 30.2 percent. For more information, see Amtrak’s news release. NARP Deputy Director David Johnson joined other rail industry and public officials at a passenger rail summit hosted by the Southern Rapid Rail Transit Commission in Meridian, MS October 10. Amtrak President and CEO Alex Kummant remarked, “This is the first time in history that an emerging mode of transportation is one that already exists.” He struck a conciliatory tone regarding the fate of service between New Orleans and Orlando, suspended since before Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and now mandated by H.R. 2095 for Amtrak to submit an operating plan to restore. He said, “We have not given notice of cessation because we are committed to providing service.” He also noted that it is easier to start new corridor service where long-distance trains already run, due to existing stations, crew bases, and host railroad familiarity with Amtrak. In the coming fiscal years, Kummant said that “We need to focus available capital funds on equipment procurement.” Deputy Federal Railroad Administrator Mark Yachmetz observed that the federal relationship with the rail industry has been seen from a commerce (regulatory) view rather than a public works perspective. He also said each state must have a robust rail component in their state DOT. It can’t just be one guy in a desk at the end of the hall next to the vending machines. According to former Massachusetts Governor and Amtrak Vice-Chair Michael Dukakis, it is in times of economic distress that “we can seize opportunities” such as investments in passenger trains as fiscal stimulus. “Certainly, when we’re in the middle of a fiscal mess, this is a great time to put people to work rebuilding this country’s infrastructure, including its national rail passenger system,” said Dukakis. He noted that the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative Plan would cost half of the proposed expansion of Chicago O’Hare International Airport, which largely serves fairly close cities that trains could more efficiently serve. Amtrak reservation sales agent Dan Thomas is leading a class-action lawsuit against Amtrak on behalf of over 500 Call Center employees. The lawsuit claims that agents were working outside of normal working hours and not being paid for all hours worked, and seeks damages over $5 million from Amtrak. Construction on the new station in New Buffalo, MI begins this month and Amtrak service is expected to switch to the new station in May 2009, according to press reports. Picayune, MS opened its new Intermodal Transportation Center yesterday. The $1.2 million facility provides better facilities to Amtrak passengers, and the city hopes to lure Greyhound to the station. Temporary busing from Memphis Central Station to a remote boarding site ended on October 15, after a forced detour since April 23 due to a sinkhole. CN sinkhole repairs are complete and the City of New Orleans is now operating as usual. See Amtrak’s news release. Amtrak will once again detour the Coast Starlight between Los Angeles and Sacramento via Tehachapi Pass due to UP tunnel work on the normal Cuesta Pass route between San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles. Trains 11 and 14 will both detour on October 24, 26, and 29, as well as yet-to-be-announced dates in November. Unlike previous detours, trains will not take the San Joaquin route (BNSF) between Bakersfield and Stockton, but the somewhat slower UP route. Train 14 is scheduled to arrive into Sacramento at 9:30 PM (and hold for the scheduled 11:59 PM departure), while train 11 should arrive into Los Angeles at 6:10 PM, 2 hours 50 minutes earlier than usual. Passengers bound to or from stations between Los Angeles and Sacramento may take existing California corridor trains and Thruway connections. Amtrak will divert Empire Service and Ethan Allen Express trains to New York Grand Central Station tracks 34 and 35 due to track work on October 18, 19, 25, and 26. Schedules will change slightly and shuttle bus service will operate between Grand Central and Penn Stations. Some trains will turn at Croton-Harmon. Adirondack, Lake Shore Limited and Maple Leaf trains will continue to operate to and from Penn, but some schedules will be altered. See Amtrak’s news release. Amtrak westbound Pere Marquette train 371 will operate one hour earlier from October 27 to December 4 to accommodate CSX track work. Eastbound train 370 may incur delays of 20 to 30 minutes during the first two weeks of track work. Additional Thruway changes will go into effect in Southern California with Amtrak’s October 27 schedule change. San Joaquin Thruways between Bakersfield and Simi Valley will no longer serve Chatsworth or Simi Valley. Stops will be added at a new stop in Lebec (station code LEB, not effective until January 1, 2009), as well as Newhall/Santa Clarita, Burbank Airport, Van Nuys, and new stops at Westwood/UCLA (WES), Culver City (CCY), and Torrance (TOA). Other minor changes will occur as well. Amtrak has revised plans to reinstate the Lake Shore Limited thru cars. While thru car operations will resume on October 27, a sleeping car going to and from Boston will not be added for an unknown number of days. On November 1, Amtrak will end its perk for Northeast Corridor multi-ride ticket holders (ten-trips and monthly passes) that has allowed passengers to upgrade to Acela Express trains within 30 minutes of departure for $20. Due to high Acela demand, such upgrades will no longer be allowed. Amtrak Downeaster schedules will change on November 17. Some trains will depart anywhere from 40 minutes earlier to 20 minutes later, while many will remain unchanged. Amtrak Coast Starlight, Pacific Surfliner, and Metrolink Ventura County Line service was suspended on October 13 due to wildfires near the Santa Suzanna Pass. Surfliners were substituted with motorcoaches north of Los Angeles, while the Coast Starlight turned in Santa Barbara. Sun Country Airlines filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on October 6. The filing came amid fraud, money laundering, and other charges against parent company Petters Group Worldwide. The airline told employees that it may cut back services or even shut down by December 1. NARP’s Board of Directors is holding its Fall meeting in Portland, OR today and tomorrow. Yesterday, Board Members toured Tri-Met transit facilities, including the future Westside Express Service (WES) commuter train, and the plant of United Streetcar LLC. Last night, the Association of Oregon Rail and Transit Advocates (AORTA) sponsored a reception at which NARP honored the City of Portland with its first Tracks to the Future Leadership Award. Susan Keil, the Director of the City of Portland Office of Transportation, accepted the honor on behalf of the city. At its meeting today, the Board was addressed by Scott Moore, Vice President, Public Affairs West, Union Pacific Railroad, and Robert Melbo, Statewide Rail Planner, Oregon DOT. Tonight the Board honors the life and memory of late NARP Treasurer Bob Glover. Oct 24, 2008: Hotline #576Thirty transit agencies were revealed as victims of the nation’s financial crisis in a front-page story in today’s Washington Post. The Post reported, “American International Group had guaranteed deals between transit agencies and banks under which the banks made up-front payments that agencies agreed to repay over time. AIG’s financial problems have invalidated the company’s guarantees, putting the deals in technical default and allowing banks to ask for all their money at once.” The question now is whether the Bush Administration will replace AIG as backer of the deals, “change tax policy to help the banks and keep them from demanding payments,” or leave transit agencies in severe financial jeopardy. A Treasury Department spokesperson would say only that “Treasury is aware of the situation.” Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority said “the worst-case scenario is that we could end up having to come up with $100 million to $300 million overnight.” Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority (Metro) “could face up to $400 million in payments” according to its CFO, who also said, “If everyone acted like SunTrust, we might be able to work our way through this.” Atlanta-based SunTrust, said the Post, “agreed to terminate one of the deals without demanding further payment from Metro.” Connecticut DOT will hold public scoping hearings on proposed improvements to the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield line (owned and operated by Amtrak) for potential future commuter rail service and transit-oriented development. For more information about the December hearings, see ConnDOT’s news release. Maryland is planning to cut MARC and commuter bus services, following public hearings November 17-25. Among the regular trains to be cut is the Brunswick-Martinsburg, WV segment of one train. The proposal also includes elimination of all service on all three lines on Columbus Day, Veterans’ Day, the day after Thanksgiving, and the day after Christmas. Details on the proposed train and bus cuts are available here. They are to take effect “January 12, 2009 or sooner if the service reduction is based on a holiday.” Transit agencies in the state also face budget cuts that may result in service cuts and/or fare increases. Nonetheless, Maryland continues its highway building program. A new widening of Baltimore-Washington Parkway was announced today, and Intercounty Connector construction continues amid controversy over whether the state can afford it, and official assurances that it can. West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin (D) announced a $285,700 grant to the West Virginia State Rail Authority last week. The funds will go towards station platform and accessibility improvements at Harpers Ferry, served by Amtrak’s Capitol Limited and MARC Brunswick Line commuter trains. Metrolink has sued the operations contractor who employed Robert Sanchez, the deceased locomotive engineer thought to be at fault in the September 12 collision with a UP train in Chatsworth, CA that killed 25 people. Veolia Transportation subsidiary Connex Railroad LLC is the named defendant in the suit. A Veolia spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times, “Connex has been operating within full compliance of their contract with Metrolink and they continue to operate the service at the request and confidence of Metrolink.” Amtrak is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its operation of the Auto Train this weekend. Tomorrow, there will be invitation-only media events at the termini in Lorton, VA and Sanford, FL. As well, for the duration of tomorrow only, passengers can book discounted coach tickets on the Auto Train during the month of February 2009 using promotion code H784. For more information, see Amtrak’s news release, which mentions plans for construction of a new terminal in Sanford next year. Amtrak’s eastbound Empire Builder trains 8 and 28 will detour between Minneapolis-St. Paul and Chicago on November 4 due to Canadian Pacific track work. All intermediate stops will be missed, and passengers will be covered by alternate transportation. Delays of up to 90 minutes are possible along the detour route. Holiday service on Amtrak’s Downeasters will vary from what is printed in the regular timetables. On Thanksgiving Day, November 27, only trains 692, 693, 696, 697, 698, and 699 will operate. On Christmas Day, December 25, only trains 692, 693, 696, and 697 will operate. An Amtrak Thruway motorcoach in West Sacramento was stolen in the early morning of October 17 and driven to the Amtrak station in Roseville. No passengers were aboard. According to media reports, the offender was a disgruntled Amtrak “employee” who had been recently terminated. From what NARP has been told, the man was in the employ of the Amtrak Thruway contractor of the stolen bus. LTE International Airways, a discount and charter carrier based in Spain, ceased operations on October 17 after running out of operating cash. The airline was formed in 1987. About 800 passengers were stranded at Tenerife, Canary Islands before being accommodated on other airlines. At its Fall Board of Directors meeting in Portland, OR, the NARP Board approved on October 18 a restructuring under which the 80-member Board of Directors is now the Council of Representatives. Under a transition provision, existing council members will serve until state-by-state elections are held in 2012. The smaller, former Executive Committee is now the Board of the Directors. We will publish more details on the restructuring soon. Oct 31, 2008: Hotline #577The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held an all-day hearing October 29 to consider “Investing in Infrastructure: The Road to Recovery.” There was a bipartisan consensus that the federal government, having helped out Wall Street, now needs to help Main Street by giving states funds for ready-to-go projects that will put construction workers back on the job and not require a state match. With less than a week to go before Election Day, there was a small turn-out of legislators, with Ranking Member John Mica (FL) and Candice Miller (MI) the only Republicans. The witnesses included Amtrak Chief Operating Officer William Crosbie, whose PowerPoint presentation identified $410 million in “immediate capital needs.” The $130 million identified for rolling stock included $71 million to put 69 Amfleet cars back into service. Coupled with funds Amtrak already has budgeted to return 12 such cars, this would put all 81 parked Amfleet cars back in service. Among the long-term items identified were: about $300 to replace 75 baggage cars and 25 Heritage diners, and about $52.5 million for 15 new single-level sleepers to expand capacity on New York-based long-distance trains. There was discussion between Chairman James Oberstar (D-MN) and Gov. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) about the Hudson River tunnels. Oberstar said he was disappointed they have taken so long to get started, and he knew Federal Transit Administrator James Simpson was similarly unhappy. NARP continues to believe that the tunnels must connect with New York Penn Station, as New Jersey Transit plans called for until June, 2007. Given the amount of money that the federal government is spending to fix economic problems, the additional billion dollars which NJT claims a connection would cost should now be doable. . To view the House hearing, or read the committee’s summary of the subject and the prepared statements of witnesses, click here. Information about the House Ways and Means hearing, also October 29, on “Economic Recovery, Job Creation and Investment In America” is available here. At that hearing, Gov. Corzine and Gov. David Paterson (D-NY), advocates of federal investment, were met with disagreement from Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC) who opposed such action. House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee leaders sent a letter yesterday to Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke urging them to intervene (.pdf) on behalf of transit agencies affected by the collapse of AIG. (See the first item of last week’s Hotline #576). The letter, signed by Chairman Oberstar, Ranking Member John Mica (R-FL), and Highways and Transit Subcommittee Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR), notes the existing authority to act granted to Paulson and Bernanke under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act (also known as the bailout bill). The move follows a similar letter of October 24 to Paulson and Bernanke from Sens. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Richard Durbin (D-IL), and Barbara Boxer (D-CA). Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) told Reuters that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has spoken with Secretary Paulson about the fallout of AIG’s relationships with transit agencies. “My understanding was the Secretary agreed to the Speaker’s request to immediately review the situation,” he said. Van Hollen also said the Treasury Department is reviewing its authority under the bailout law to help. At Wednesday’s House hearing, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) complained that, in a meeting earlier in the week, Treasury officials showed “no sense of urgency” about the transit agencies’ plight. Yesterday, a U.S. District Court judge signaled a willingness to grant a restraining order requested by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Agency, which would have had to pay $43 million in leaseback penalties to KBC Bank of Belgium by today. This would have jeopardized WMATA’s immediate solvency. KBC responded by agreeing to defer its claim for 10 business days. The court will hear WMATA’s request for an injunction on November 12. About 40% of Washington Metrorail peak hour passengers are federal employees, according to WMATA. House T&I Chairman Oberstar and Railroads Subcommittee Chair Corrine Brown (D-FL) sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Mary Peters yesterday requesting that she suspend rulemaking that would tighten restrictions on the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) program. According to the news release, “Among the additional preconditions DOT is considering are: requiring an equity contribution of between 20 and 30 percent; capping the cumulative outstanding balance of loans and loan guarantees to a single borrower [to $500 million]; and requiring [applicants in excess of $250 million] to obtain a credit rating or assessment prior to receiving financial assistance.” The letter claims the rulemaking could jeopardize the entire RRIF program and adversely affect unmet rail transportation needs, including passenger trains. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials called on Congress to significantly increase surface transportation funding when SAFETEA-LU is up for reauthorization next year. In its October 24 news release, AASHTO calls for $545 billion over six years. Significantly, they are requesting $35 billion in dedicated funding for intercity passenger rail. This translates to $5.83 billion a year—less than the $9 billion a year the National Surface Transportation Revenue and Policy Study Commission recommended in January—but significantly higher than current federal funding for passenger trains. AASHTO’s announcement comes on the heels of the launch of the Transportation for America campaign whose five-point Build for America plan enumerates the following as its first point: “BUILD TO COMPETE with China and Europe, by modernizing and expanding our rail and transit networks to reduce oil dependence, connect the metro regions that are the engines of the modern economy.” The National Transportation Safety Board removed Positive Train Control (PTC) for major railroads from its list of Most Wanted Safety Improvements on Tuesday following the passage of H.R. 2095. PTC had been on the list since 1990. NTSB Acting Chairman Mark Rosenker said, “We are thrilled to see this long-needed technology being mandated and a timeline for its implementation being given. Many lives will be saved as a result of this legislation.” The government of China unveiled plans this week to invest approximately $300 billion (in US Dollars) to bolster its national passenger and freight railway network as an economic stimulus measure. China plans to have an additional 22,000 miles in its route network online by 2010. Germany this month postponed an initial public offering of national rail company Deutsche Bahn that was supposed to have gone forward on Monday due to the economic crisis. Financial Times called the postponement “a potentially fatal blow to Germany’s biggest privatization in eight years,” though the government vows that the sale of 25 percent of DB will move forward. Amtrak is seeking arbitration to resolve disputes with Union Pacific Railroad over scheduling and dispatching of Amtrak trains on UP-owned tracks, according to the Chicago Tribune. Also at issue are speed restrictions on the Lincoln Service and Texas Eagle routes, which UP has not fixed as Amtrak had expected them to per a previous agreement. Neither Amtrak nor UP are publicly commenting on the matter. A full Amtrak California timetable is now available (.pdf). For the first time in several years, Caltrans has produced one timetable brochure containing the schedules for all three Amtrak California corridors, their connecting Thruways, and Amtrak national routes operating in the state. Amtrak also for the first time ever has its full national system timetable available for download as one file (caution: 9.27 MB .pdf file). Another Amtrak Northeast Regional train now stops at Aberdeen, MD, effective yesterday. Northbound train 130 serves Aberdeen at 7:39 AM on weekdays. Amtrak has retracted its plans to end the perk for Northeast Corridor multi-ride ticket holders (ten-trips and monthly passes) that has allowed passengers to upgrade to Acela Express trains within 30 minutes of departure for $20. Instead of ending on November 1, the perk will continue for the time being. Amtrak Coast Starlight detours will continue next month due to ongoing UP track work. On the following dates, trains 11 and 14 will detour between Los Angeles and Sacramento via Tehachapi Pass and the UP Valley Line: November 8, 10, 12, and 14. [This affects southbound trains originating in Seattle one day earlier than the days shown.] UP track work will affect Amtrak service between St. Louis and Kansas City. On November 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, and 14, Kansas City Mule train 311 will operate between Jefferson City and Kansas City. Motorcoaches will carry passengers and make all stops between St. Louis and Jefferson City. Missouri Service train 314 will operate between Kansas City and Jefferson City. Motorcoaches will carry passengers and make all stops between Jefferson City and St. Louis. On November 12, trains 313 and 316 will operate one hour later. Next year Amtrak will again operate the West Palm Beach Safety Patrol Trains using regular runs of the Silver Meteor. The general public will not be allowed to travel on trains originating on the following dates: Train 98 on January 15, 21, and 29, and train 97 on January 18 and 24, and February 1. Passengers on Washington, DC Metrorail and Metrobus will be subject to random inspections of bags and personal items, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Agency announced on Tuesday. The inspections by Metro Police purport to target explosive materials, and Metro claims to have legal precedent based on rulings protecting similar measures in New York City and Boston. Vehicle-miles traveled in the United States declined by a record 5.6 percent in August 2008, U.S. DOT announced on October 24. The decline represents 15 billion fewer VMTs than August 2007. The Department of Justice on Wednesday announced its approval of the proposed merger between Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines. Northwest is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta, and the airlines plan to begin integration next year. Lufthansa announced on Wednesday its acquisition of British Midlands Airways (BMI). U.S. DOT’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics also announced on Wednesday that average domestic airfares increased by 8.1 percent in the second quarter of 2008, a record year-over-year increase since the government began compiling such data in 1995. A 26 year-old man on a French TGV train got his arm stuck in a train toilet on Sunday in an unsuccessful attempt to retrieve his cell phone, which had fallen in. Due to the powerful vacuum suction of the toilet, paramedics had to remove the man from the train with the toilet still attached to his arm (after having separated it from the waste retention system). Fortunately, they were able to saw off the toilet, leaving his arm intact. It is not known how his cell phone fared. |
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