Dec 05, 2008: Hotline #582

Given the determination of President-Elect Obama and the leadership on Capitol Hill to enact a stimulus package that includes infrastructure investment quickly after the new administration takes over, it is important for citizens to work for the biggest possible passenger train component.
           
Unfortunately, it appears that the intercity passenger train share of the developing “pot,” which was $500 million in the $61 billion stimulus bill that passed the House in September, is still at $500 million in the much larger, current bill that could exceed $500 billion.  The only change is reducing Amtrak to $400 million to make room for $100 million for state projects.  However, things could change—and your efforts can help.
Please urge your federal legislators to make sure that passenger trains are well-represented in such a package.

A reasonable “ask” is $10 billion.  This easily includes not just the States for Passenger Rail Coalition’s $1.4 billion project list (they say “most of which can be (started) within 90 days”) and Amtrak testimony on October 29 identified $410 million in “immediate capital needs.”  It could also include putting Superliners back into service, and building new cars both single-level and double-decker.  Specs are ready for double-deckers and nearly so for new Viewliners.  Not all of this is “shovel-ready within 120 days,” but that criterion should not dominate when it comes to transportation, or else the concept of “change” on which President Obama was elected will be meaningless and trains will continue to be treated as transportation stepchildren.

Phone calls are ideal, but any communication will help—e-mails, faxes, letters. (If you use the postal service, it is best to write to a district office, not to Washington, DC.)  You can find and contact your House member and Senators (drop down menu in upper right corner) on their respective websites.  Tell them that you want to see the largest possible allocation for intercity passenger trains in the economic stimulus bill.

Transit industry representatives presented the Obama Transportation Transition Team with “A Policy Agenda For Public Transportation” last week.  Crafted by the American Public Transportation Association and the Community Transportation Association of America, the document includes passenger train policy goals which have the full support of NARP:

• “Include strategic investments in support of high-speed/intercity passenger rail in the economic recovery package as the first step toward a new national plan to implement a high-speed/intercity passenger rail system.”
• “Include full funding in the FY 2010 budget for Amtrak and other intercity rail services as authorized under PL 110-432 [H.R. 2095].”
• “Involve the rail passenger industry centrally in the process to implement new crash avoidance/positive train control laws.”

The Santa Fe extension of New Mexico Rail Runner Express commuter service will open on December 17 following a ceremonial opening on December 15, Gov. Bill Richardson (D) and other officials announced this week.  The extension runs for 23.5 miles north of Bernalillo on existing BNSF trackage, follows a new right-of-way (mainly along Interstate 25) for 19.3 miles, and enters the City of Santa Fe on rehabilitated Santa Fe Southern Railway trackage.  Trains will call at the South Capitol Complex and the Santa Fe Depot; two additional infill stations will open in the future.

Foes of Santa Clara County, CA Measure B unsuccessfully sued to prevent certification of the election results, last week demanding a hand recount of 10 percent of the precincts.  A Superior Court Judge denied the request from the Transportation Solutions Defense and Education Fund (TRANSDEF) on December 2, the same day the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters certified the election results.  TRANSDEF would have to pay $400,000 of its own money for a recount, and must do so by Sunday.  Measure B, the BART San Jose extension operations sales tax, passed two weeks ago following the tallying of provisional and absentee ballots.

Amtrak and Canadian National Railway have agreed to continue Amtrak’s access to and CN’s maintenance of the St. Charles Air Line, a connector route that Amtrak’s City of New Orleans, Illini, and Saluki use south of Chicago Union Station.  CN had proposed to abandon the line under its attempted acquisition of the Elgin, Joliet, & Eastern Railway, causing NARP, Amtrak, and Downstate Illinois political leaders to voice concern.  According to CN’s news release, “Under the agreement, Amtrak may remain indefinitely on this route should the STB approve CN’s proposed acquisition of the principal lines of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Company (EJ&E). In addition, CN would continue to maintain the route and Amtrak’s access to that route to existing standards, and cap the cost to Amtrak for using the portion of the Air Line route where it could eventually become the sole user at the current level, indexed for inflation.”

Amtrak and the Kansas DOT announced yesterday an agreement on the scope of the $200,000 state-funded study to extend Amtrak service north from Oklahoma.  The study will consider a 606-mile route from Ft. Worth to Kansas City, operating partially over the existing Heartland Flyer and Southwest Chief stops.  New cities served in Kansas would include Emporia, Strong City, Wichita, and Winfield/Arkansas City.  New cities served in Oklahoma would include Ponca City, Perry, Guthrie, and Edmond.  The hypothetical route would operate with coaches and a café car.

A new Amtrak and commuter rail station in Fairfield-Vacaville, CA will move forward after the San Francisco Bay Area Metropolitan Transportation Commission announced on Monday that it will commit $9 million in Bay Area bridge tolls to complete the funding package for $40 million station.  The station is slated to open for Amtrak Capitol Corridor and potential future commuter rail passengers in November 2013.

Demand for oil in the US fell 5 percent in the first ten months of 2008, according to the American Petroleum Institute.  An industry consultant told the Financial Times, “People have started to cut discretionary spending and driving is now discretionary.”

Traffic on America’s freight railroads has declined substantially with the economy.  The Association of American Railroads reported that November carloads fell 10.1 percent over November 2007, an all-time record.  Carloads of motor vehicles showed the steepest decline of all commodities, falling 32.7 percent.  AAR Senior VP John Gray called this “obviously a very difficult period,” quoted by Traffic World.  Container traffic at American ports fell in October, for the sixteenth consecutive month.  Port Tracker projects that port traffic volume will have declined 7.1 percent in 2008.

Amtrak and transit police agencies were on high alert after the FBI revealed on November 26 that it had received “plausible but unsubstantiated” intelligence of a potential Al-Qaeda plot to bomb rail and transit assets in New York City, potentially including Penn Station and the Northeast Corridor.  The FBI announcement and show of force from law enforcement came on one of the busiest travel days of the year, and just hours before coordinated terrorist attacks killed scores in Mumbai, India.

The lawsuit by American Financial Group against Amtrak over original Amtrak stock has been sent to arbitration.  AFG is seeking the $52 million its predecessor, Penn Central, put up in 1971 to help form Amtrak.  Adjusted for inflation, that comes to $269.42 million.  A U.S. District Court judge ruled on December 3 that AFG’s claims fall outside the scope of the court and within the scope of the 1971 agreement.

A special excursion train ran from Buzzards Bay, MA to the MBTA Old Colony Line Middleborough/Lakeville station on November 22.  John Kennedy, Chairman and CEO of Cape Rail, Inc., which owns the Massachusetts Coastal Railroad and Cape Cod Central excursion trains, set out to demonstrate that Mass Coastal could feasibly operate a 20-mile extension of the Old Colony Line to serve commuters in Cape Cod.  A cross-platform transfer would be required at Middleborough/Lakeville, with a trip time of under 90 minutes from Buzzards Bay to Boston South Station.  Service could eventually be extended to Hyannis, further out on Cape Cod.  Kennedy will soon present formal plans for service to Massachusetts transportation officials.

Canadian Pacific Railway’s Holiday Train is underway and in the Midwest U.S. this week.  In its tenth year, the special train raises food and money to fight hunger in communities CP serves.  For more information and a schedule, see CP’s web site.

Transit service in New York City would be maintained under a plan unveiled yesterday by a state commission led by former New York MTA chairman Richard Ravitch.  The commission was convened in June.  Its report to Gov. David Paterson (D) recommends new payroll tax of one-third of 1 percent on all employees in the 12-county MTA service area, a fare and toll increase next year a by a more modest 8 percent (with regular increases every two years, indexed to inflation), and, most controversially, a new toll on the Harlem and East River bridges, which are currently free for motorists to cross.  Opponents of the latter aspect of the plan are concentrated in the outer boroughs and counties, echoing longstanding regional divisions over New York City’s stalled congestion pricing scheme.  Gov. Paterson will present legislation based on the report to the State Legislature, which must approve the new taxes and fees.

New details emerged from the ongoing investigation of the September 12 Metrolink-UP Chatsworth disaster.  The Los Angeles County coroner’s autopsy of Metrolink engineer Robert Sanchez found no evidence of drugs or alcohol in his system and concluded that the cause of his death was blunt force trauma.  The report does not cite Sanchez’s diabetes as a factor in his death.  According to the Los Angeles Times, “The coroner’s report also says that the Metrolink locomotive was pushed 54 feet into the passenger car behind it.  The length of that passenger car was 89 feet.  After the initial rescue attempt, the bodies of eight passengers were found by the coroner in that section of the car, which had been compressed to a space measuring 12 feet by 15 feet.”

Another Times article yesterday cites an overheard conversation between NTSB investigators indicating that the red signal Sanchez ran before the collision might not have been clearly visible while displaying a red indication.  An anonymous source close to the investigation corroborated the possibility, saying, “It was the unanimous consensus of the investigative team that the red was not as illuminated or clear or clearly lit.”

Finally, a Times article today reports a claim from Metrolink conductor Robert Heldenbrand, who was in charge of the ill-fated train 111, that the signal Sanchez ran was actually green.  Through his attorney, Helenbrand said he saw the green signal during the station stop in Chatsworth prior to the collision.  Three observers on the Chatsworth station platform at the time also claim the signal was green.  The NTSB and Metrolink maintain that it was red.

Amtrak’s Capitol Corridor terminated the Thruway service between Auburn, Grass Valley, and Nevada City, CA on November 15 as a cost-cutting measure.  Public transit agency Gold Country Stage had operated what was designated route 5X fully subsidized from the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority.  Gold Country Stage will continue to operate regular route 5 between the Auburn/Conheim Amtrak station and Grass Valley, Monday-Saturday.  However, due to its schedule, route 5 connects only with certain other Capitol Corridor Thruway buses at Auburn and not with the single daily round-trip train.  Transit passengers must pay cash fares; Amtrak no longer issues tickets to or from Grass Valley or Nevada City.  At this time, Gold Country Stage does not participate in the complimentary Transit Transfer program with Amtrak.  For more information, see the Gold Country Stage web site.

A BNSF train carrying oatmeal derailed in Colchester, IL (between Macomb and Quincy) in the early morning of December 2.  Amtrak Carl Sandburg and Illinois Zephyr passengers were handled by motorcoach south of Galesburg.

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Dec 12, 2008: Hotline #583

Work continues in Congress on potential economic stimulus measures, with a view of bringing it up early in January to have it ready for President-Elect Obama to sign within a day or so of inauguration.

It is increasingly crucial for citizens to aim high for passenger train funding.  $20 billion is a reasonable ask, given the severity of the economic situation, the efficacy of trains as not only clear stimulus but a long-term investment, and the need to reshape our transportation landscape to meet future economic and energy needs.

Please urge your federal legislators to make sure that passenger trains are well-represented in any economic stimulus bill.

Phone calls are ideal, but any communication will help—e-mails, faxes, letters. (If you use the postal service, it is best to write to a district office, not to Washington, DC.)  You can find and contact your House member and Senators (drop down menu in upper right corner) on their respective websites.  Tell them that you want to see the largest possible allocation for intercity passenger trains in the economic stimulus bill.

The U.S. Conference of Mayors released its member cities’ “wish list” for project funding from an infrastructure stimulus package.  Its web site outlines every project by category.  $1.06031 billion is requested for Amtrak-related projects, mainly station and station track work.  Of that, $750 million was requested by the City of Sacramento alone for track relocation and tunnels as part of the 244-acre Railyards redevelopment project.  Charleston, SC requested $78.03 million for its proposed commuter rail service between Summerville and Charleston. Cities requested nearly $7.07 billion for transit-related projects.

Transportation Secretary Mary Peters and House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member John Mica (R-FL) will hold a series of media events on Monday, December 15 regarding the future of passenger trains.  At noon, they will be joined at New York Penn Station by Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Mike Castle (R-DE), as well as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I).  Secretary Peters and Rep. Mica will travel by Amtrak to Washington Union Station, where at 4 PM they will hold another press event.

The Seattle City Council adopted a vision for a city-wide streetcar network on Monday, voting 6-3 to approve the long-term, $600 million plan.  Funding has not been secured for the proposed lines.  Funding must be committed in a way that doesn’t adversely affect existing transit service, before the network can move forward.

Transit ridership surged 6.5 percent in the third quarter of 2008, the American Public Transportation Association reported on Monday.  The nationwide ridership increase is the highest in 25 years, despite declining gas prices and rising unemployment.  Vehicle-miles traveled also declined 4.6 percent during the same period.  The Financial Times reported that, for the past four weeks, domestic gasoline consumption was down 3.2 percent compared with the same period in 2007.  However, FT also reported that the latest MasterCard data indicated growth in gasoline consumption in recent weeks.

TrinityRail will close its Springfield, MO freight railcar plant on February 2, citing weak demand.  228 employees will be laid off.

NARP President and CEO Ross Capon addressed the National Conference of State Legislatures’ Fall Forum in Atlanta today regarding passenger rail issues.

Amtrak cancelled several trains in New England today in the wake of a major winter storm which brought trees down on the tracks. All Downeaster and Empire Service trains were cancelled today, with no alternate transportation provided due to treacherous road conditions (limited motorcoach service was to be provided between Boston and Portland later in the day).  Maple Leaf trains 63 and 64 were also cancelled, with no alternate transportation.  Lake Shore Limited Boston section trains 448 and 449 were cancelled, with alternate transportation provided.  New York section trains 48 and 49 turned in Albany-Rensselaer.  Northbound Adirondack train 69 originated in Albany-Rensselaer.  Normal service may resume tomorrow, depending on weather.

Amtrak southbound Lincoln Service train 301 derailed on Monday after striking a tractor-trailer truck at a grade crossing near Brighton, IL.  There were ten minor injuries and no serious injuries.  Lincoln Service passengers were bussed between either Springfield or Bloomington/Normal and St. Louis for the rest of the day; the Texas Eagle detoured with the cooperation of Union Pacific.

James William “Bill” McFarland Sr., 60, passed away on December 5.  McFarland, of Tuscaloosa, AL, was Chair of the Southern Rapid Rail Transit Commission and a member since its creation in 1982.  He had a number of other leadership roles in local business, government, and the state Republican Party.  According to the Tuscaloosa News, he is survived by his son, Billy, daughter, Mimi, and brother, Ward.

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Dec 19, 2008: Hotline #584

President-Elect Obama announced Rep. Ray LaHood (R-IL) as his nominee for Secretary of Transportation today.  In announcing LaHood’s appointment, Obama said, in part, “Our economy boomed in the 20th Century when President Eisenhower remade the American landscape by building the Interstate Highway System.  Now we need to remake our transportation system for the 21st Century.  Doing so will not only help meet our energy challenges by building more efficient cars, buses, or subways…it will create millions of new jobs in the process.  Few understand our infrastructure challenge better than the outstanding public servant that I’m asking to lead the Department of Transportation, Ray LaHood.  As Congressman from Illinois, Ray served six years on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee…Throughout his career, Ray has fought to improve mass transit…But he has not only helped rebuild our landscape, he’s helped beautify it by creating opportunities for bikers and runners to enjoy our great outdoors.”

LaHood said, “President-Elect Obama and I share the same philosophy on infrastructure.  His agenda for the Department of Transportation is my agenda for the Department of Transportation…We have a task before us to rebuild America.  As a nation, we need to continue to be the world leader in infrastructure development: Amtrak, mass transit, light rail, air travel…We cannot stand by while our infrastructure ages and crumbles. We must pursue solid policies that allow our states and communities to address their transportation needs.  We have a tremendous opportunity before us to rebuild our infrastructure and reinvigorate our economy, and I look forward to the challenge.”

In a telephone news conference yesterday afternoon, House Transportation & Infrastructure Chairman Jim Oberstar (D-MN) called LaHood a “bridge builder” who is “well suited by temperament, what Supreme Court Justice Brandeis said of Franklin Roosevelt, prior to being sworn in, ‘a first rate temperament.’  That is: a mindset of getting things done…The DOT policies will be set by the president.  They will be fine tuned by the Office of Management & Budget… [LaHood] brings what this department needs more than anything else: managerial ability.”

LaHood’s voting record was mostly pro-Amtrak; details on specific votes are available on the members’ section of our web site (registration required).  Obama praised LaHood’s bipartisan style in Congress, where he bucked most members of his own party on many Amtrak votes.

The Washington Post reported today on potential political barriers that could delay or even thwart economic stimulus legislation.  Advisers to President-Elect Obama acknowledged yesterday that a deal with Congress may not be finalized until the end of January.

House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman Oberstar has drawn up a $45 billion infrastructure stimulus bill that would be incorporated into the larger package.  It is not clear whether $45 billion would be the entire amount allocated for infrastructure.  Rep. Oberstar’s proposal contains $1.5 billion for Amtrak plus $3.4 billion for intercity rail and high-speed rail grants (as authorized in H.R. 2095, now Public Law 110-432), for a total of $4.9 billion for passenger trains.  It also contains $100 million for short line railroads and $6.5 billion for transit.

It is increasingly crucial for citizens to aim high for passenger train funding.  $20 billion is a reasonable ask, given the likely duration of the recession, the efficacy of trains as both clear stimulus and a long-term investment, and the need to reshape our transportation landscape to meet future economic and energy needs.

Please urge your federal legislators to make sure that passenger trains are well-represented in any economic stimulus bill.

Phone calls are ideal, but any communication will help—e-mails, faxes, letters. (If you use the postal service, it is best to write to a district office, not to Washington, DC.)  You can find and contact your House member and Senators (drop down menu in upper right corner) on their respective websites.  Tell them that you want to see the largest possible allocation for intercity passenger trains in the economic stimulus bill.

Paul M. Weyrich, founder of the Heritage Foundation and Free Congress Foundation, passed away yesterday.  Weyrich, 66, was a member of the Amtrak Board of Directors from 1987 from 1993, and served on the Amtrak Reform Council.  More recently, he served on the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission.  He frequently wrote commentaries and white papers making the conservative case for public investment in rail transit and passenger trains.  NARP President Ross Capon said yesterday, “Advocates of rail passenger service have lost a very powerful voice in the passing of Paul Weyrich.  He demonstrated that passenger train service is a critical part of a balanced transportation system and is consistent with conservative values.”  Please see NARP’s full statement.

United Transportation Union National Legislative Director James “Brokenrail” Brunkenhoefer was hospitalized on Wednesday after suffering a stroke.  According to UTU’s web site, he was in very serious condition.  Update, Monday December 22: Sadly, Brukenhoefer passed away late Friday afternoon.  Funeral and burial is today; NARP President Ross Capon is attending.  The UTU will organize a memorial service for Broken Rail’s many friends and colleagues on Capitol Hill in late January or early February.

Amtrak’s Ethan Allen Express suddenly became an endangered train on Tuesday when Vermont Agency of Transportation officials submitted an austerity budget to the state legislature’s Joint Fiscal Committee that proposed slashing the state’s $5 million Ethan Allen operating subsidy, although immediate annual savings realized would total just $400,000.  The proposal included replacing the train north of Albany-Rensselaer, NY with a Thruway motorcoach that would run all the way to Burlington, VT via Rutland.  The bus service would be a placeholder until funding was secured to restore passenger train service between Rutland and Burlington on the Vermont Railway.

With 24 hours notice before the Joint Fiscal Committee’s hearing on Wednesday, numerous rail advocates traveled to the state capital in Montpelier to object to AOT’s proposal.  While rail advocates welcomed the concept of reinstating north-south passenger service on the west side of Vermont, they noted that once passenger train service is lost, it is difficult to reinstate.  They also pointed to the inferiority of bus service, the pending U.S. DOT capital grant to upgrade Vermont Railway tracks along the Ethan Allen route, and lack of a definitive plan for reinstating train service.

Ultimately, the Committee unanimously rejected AOT’s proposal to eliminate the Ethan Allen.  Committee Chairman Richard Westman (R) voiced concerns that the proposal “represented a huge policy change for the region” and thus the Committee would find it “difficult to proceed.”  Committee members mentioned that they had heard from “dozens” of Rutland-area residents and business leaders as well as Rutland delegation members.  The Committee felt this action needed to be put on hold and a decision made when the full legislature returns to session next month.  Thus, the future of the Ethan Allen still is not assured.  Other highway budget cuts proposed by AOT were accepted after the Amtrak and local road funding cuts were removed.  (NARP thanks Christopher Parker for providing much of this first-hand information.)

The Albany Times Union reported yesterday that New York Gov. David Paterson (D) has proposed to halve the state’s $5 million operating subsidy for the Adirondack in the Fiscal Year 2009-2010 budget.  New York State is in talks with Amtrak on options for preserving the service, with Amtrak President and CEO Joe Boardman – a former New York State Transportation Commissioner – advocating service preservation and continuing state contributions.  “Despite the serious financial condition of the state, federal legislation has defined a requirement for cost-sharing standardization on routes such as the Adirondack and Empire Service,” said Boardman.  Empire State Passengers Association President Bruce Becker noted that, if both the Adirondack and Ethan Allen Express were eliminated, the modern and popular Saratoga Springs station would be left with no train service.

Transportation Secretary Mary Peters and House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member John Mica (R-FL) held two news conferences on Monday to announce that U.S. DOT has issued the Request for Proposals for privately-planned high-speed rail projects on federally-designated HSR corridors, as mandated in H.R. 2095.  At New York Penn Station, they were joined by Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Mike Castle (R-DE) and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I).  Peters and Mica then traveled via Amtrak Acela Express to Washington Union Station, where they were joined by Amtrak Chair Donna McLean and District of Columbia Deputy Mayor and City Administrator Dan Tangherlini.

The Federal Railroad Administration issued a Record of Decision on December 12 affirming the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s selection of Pacheco Pass as the preferred HSR route between the Central Valley and the Bay Area.  The decision “supports the State’s selection of preferred alignment and station locations, and considers the environmental benefits and adverse impacts associated with the preferred network alternative.  It also describes mitigation measures to address adverse environmental impacts” and certifies that the environmental impact study was completed in accordance with all applicable laws.  More information is available on the FRA web site.  The decision runs counter to the arguments that foes of the HSR project as currently envisioned presented in a pending lawsuit seeking to invalidate the Authority’s environmental work in selecting Pacheco Pass.

Italy inaugurated faster high-speed rail service on Sunday with the launch of Trenitalia’s Red Arrow on the route between Milan and Rome.  Reaching speeds of 186 mph, the new trains reduce travel times on the 300-mile route by an hour, to three-and-a-half hours.

Phoenix Valley Metro will debut its first light-rail line with grand opening celebrations on Saturday, December 27.  Rides will be free until New Year’s Day.  For more information, see Valley Metro’s web site.

Atlantic City Express Service (ACES) trains between New York Penn Station, Newark, and Atlantic City, NJ will start on February 6, 2009, the ACES joint venture of Caesars Atlantic City, Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City, and Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa announced this week.  Trains will operate on weekends, with an introductory one-way fare of $50 for coach and $75 for first class.  Trains will be operated by NJ Transit, while Amtrak will provide ticketing and reservations.  The Bombardier multi-level rail cars will feature plusher interiors than those found on NJT trains, as well as additional amenities such as food service.  For more information, see the ACES web site.

The Union Tank Car Company laid off 130 employees in two plants last week as it scales back production.

Rail and transit service plans have solidified in the past week for the Inauguration of President Barack Obama on January 20, 2009.  The Washington, DC area’s two commuter rail services, Maryland’s MARC and Virginia Railway Express, will operate special service to Washington.

MARC will run 12 round-trips between Baltimore-Penn and Washington on the Penn Line (Northeast Corridor), 7 round-trips between Baltimore-Camden and Washington on the Camden Line, and 9 round-trips on the Brunswick Line (two between Martinsburg, WV and Washington, three between Frederick and Washington, and four between Brunswick and Washington).  Non-refundable round-trip tickets will cost $25 from/to all stations, and will be available for sale online starting tomorrow at this web site.  For more information, see MARC’s web site.

VRE will run 12 inbound trains to Washington (6 each on the Fredericksburg and Manassas Lines), and 14 outbound trains (7 on each line).  As with MARC, non-refundable round-trip tickets will cost $25 from/to all stations.  For the ticket order form or for more information, see VRE’s web site.

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Agency will operate rush-hour service on all Metrorail lines from 4 AM to 9 PM, and will operate until 2 AM.  Metrorail will charge rush-hour fares until 9 PM, and a $10 commemorative day pass will be available.  The Archives-Navy Memorial/Penn Quarter Metrorail station will be closed for security reasons.  Parking at Metrorail facilities will be free January 17-19, and $4 on January 20.  Metrobus will operate a Saturday schedule on Inauguration Day, but buses will encounter significant delays and detours in central DC.  WMATA officials have estimated that Metrorail can handle 120,000 passengers per hour and are urging anyone within two miles of the National Mall to simply walk.  For more information, see WMATA’s web site.

Amtrak has not yet announced any service adjustments for the Inauguration, but may add capacity if feasible.  On January 17, the President-Elect and Vice President-Elect and their families will kick off Inauguration festivities by arriving in Washington on a chartered Amtrak train via the Northeast Corridor.  President-Elect Obama will board in Philadelphia, while Vice President-Elect Biden will board in Wilmington, emulating his former daily commute as a Senator.  They will also make an appearance in Baltimore before continuing to Washington.  The Washington Post noted that Abraham Lincoln made a similar whistle-stop tour before his inauguration in 1861, originating in Springfield, IL.  The last leg was from Philadelphia to Washington, with a stop in Baltimore.

Waterfront streetcar service began in Savannah, GA last week on a mile-long line on River Street.  The 70-year-old W5 streetcar of Melbourne, Australia heritage has been updated to modern accessibility standards and operates on biodiesel.  Part of its fuel source is used cooking oil from local restaurants.

MBTA launched free wi-fi service on its commuter trains this month.  For more information, see MBTA’s web site.

Amtrak’s Crescent will turn at Atlanta due to Norfolk Southern track work on the following dates: January 26-29, and February 2-5, 9-12, and 16-19.  No alternate transportation will be provided between Atlanta and New Orleans.  (This affects westbound trains departing New York the day before.)  Trains operating all the way through during the construction period may be delayed.

Amtrak’s Empire Builder suffered two disruptions this week due to freight derailments.  A BNSF train derailed west of Williston, ND on Monday, forcing Amtrak to bus passengers around the derailment for a day.  Two Canadian Pacific trains collided near Dresbach, MN on Wednesday.  There were no serious injuries.  Amtrak detoured via BNSF trackage for two days, missing stops between Red Wing and Columbus.  Passengers at those stations were handled by bus.

A major early winter snowstorm pummeled Southern California on Wednesday, shutting down several major freeways.  Metrolink Antelope Valley Line commuter trains were inundated with commuters fleeing the closed State Highway 14.  I-5, I-15, and State Highway 58 were also closed north of Los Angeles on Wednesday, preventing most Amtrak San Joaquin Thruway buses that use those routes from passing through.

The NARP Chairman’s Year-End Letter to members and stakeholders is now available; click here to read it.

The January 2009 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.

Due to the federal holiday next Friday, December 26, NARP will not publish a Hotline.  The next Hotline will be on Friday, January 2.  Happy Holidays!

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