Apr 03, 2009: Hotline #598

Hotline #598
April 3, 2009

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies held a hearing Wednesday, April 1 on “The Future of High Speed Rail, Intercity Passenger Rail, and Amtrak.”  The witnesses were: Susan Fleming, Director of Physical Infrastructure Issues at the Government Accountability Office; Jolene M. Molitoris, Director of the Ohio Department of Transportation; Matt Rose, CEO of Burington Northern Santa Fe Railroad; and Joe Boardman, President and CEO of Amtrak.  Their prepared statements can be found on the committees’ website.

Discussion ranged from the necessity of a unified national intermodal transportation plan; the necessity of freight railroad cooperating in attaining the nation’s passenger rail goals; to the cost and benefits of the two different approaches to constructing a high speed rail network—the incremental approach through a slow improvement of conventional speed corridors versus the wholesale construction of new, passenger-only high speed rights-of-way.

This last topic elicited passionate comments from many of the Representatives and witnesses.  Chairman John Olver (D-MA) and Mr. Boardman had an animated exchange about the timeline for a national intermodal transportation plan, with the Amtrak CEO claiming that his position as the head of a company that was statutorily obligated to spend $1.3 billion in federal money in a short period of time imposed certain concessions on him.  There was, however, general agreement about the profound level of commitment high speed rail would require—particularly for use of separate tracks, which Rose said would be necessary for sustained speeds over 90 mph: “Make no mistake about it—this is a trillion-dollar funding proposition.”

More heartening, however, was the spirit of bipartisan resolve that high speed rail is, ultimately, a worthwhile venture.  In his first hearing as the subcommittee’s top Republican, Tom Latham (R-IA) showed the willingness of even fiscal conservatives to make this massive investment, saying “in the last nine months we’ve spent or obligated about $5.3 trillion, and we would have been better off spending a trillion of that on high-speed rail.”

The Ohio State Legislature has approved language to pursue federal stimulus money to fund the development of the 3-C Corridor as part of their $9.2 billion transportation budget that was passed on Wednesday.  Governor Ted Strickland has signed the bill into law.
Ohio has already commissioned Amtrak to study the best alignment among the potential routes for the 260-mile trip between Cincinnati and Cleveland, which would run at up to 79-mph on existing rail lines, and serve an estimated six million people—or 60% of Ohio’s population.  They are awaiting Amtrak’s study, due by August, which will identify potential ridership, revenues, and operating costs. 

The legislature’s approval may prove timely because of the April 18th deadline for the U.S. Secretary of Transportation’s development of a strategic plan on how to spend the $8 billion for high speed rail in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  Governor Strickland has identified an annual operating cost of approximately $10 million for the route, but he says the state may need roughly $250 million in federal funds to get the corridor up and running by 2010.

The Ohio Rail Development Commission, an independent agency with the Ohio Department of Transportation, says that the 3-C Corridor would establish the foundation for truly high speed rail operation in Ohio by 2016.

As noted below, Ohio DOT Director Jolene M. Molitoris, who headed the Federal Railroad Administration under President Bill Clinton in the 1990s, testified at Wednesday’s hearing.  She called for $1 billion of the total $8 billion to be dedicated towards the incremental approach exemplified by the 3-C, writing in her opening statement: “the much publicized passage of California’s high-speed rail funding plan in a statewide ballot issue last November has its basis in decades of development of one of the nation’s most sophisticated and well-run conventional speed systems.”

She also testified that Ohio planned to spend $68.9 million of its $774 million in Economic Recovery act transportation funds on “22 separate railroad projects, targeting the state’s busy freight rail system” plus $50.9 million on freight intermodal facilities.  She also cited the OneRail Coalition, naming its members including NARP.

Millions of dollars in stimulus funds will be going to Amtrak’s Bear Car Shops in Delaware to rehabilitate 60 out-of-commission cars.  The plant is a 176-acre complex that employs over 400 people.  There are already over 4,000 applicants for the roughly 100 new positions this work is expected to generate.  Work on the cars is expected to begin this month. 

“It’s going to be a real shot in the arm for this company,” Lew Wood, superintendent at the Bear Car Shops, told the Delaware News Journal.  “We’re going to be able to provide more capacity and provide the passengers with a like-new passenger car.  In many cases, they were stored because of lack of funding, and this will allow us to get the cars back in service.”

The work is expected to take two and a half years, though of course each car will be put into service as it is completed. 

“It’s definitely cheaper than purchasing a new rail car, and right now, they’re not generating any revenue for the railroad,” Amtrak spokeswoman Karina Romero told the reporter.  She estimated the price-tag for a new train-car at $3 million.

To find more about the work being done on the cars, including pictures and diagrams, see the full story at Delaware Online.

The New York State legislature restored full state operating support to Amtrak’s Adirondack service that links New York, Albany and Montreal.  This good news was part of an agreement with Governor Patterson on the FY2009 state budget.  The Governor had previously threatened to cut the operating budget to $2.5 million, from the current $5 million

This move, in conjunction with last week’s decision by the state of Vermont to maintain full funding of the Ethan Allan Express ensures continued train service in the region until the end of FY2009 according to Bruce Becker, a NARP Council member who is President of the Empire State Passengers Association.

In a reversal of their previous position, Alabama has agreed to pay their dues to the Southern High Speed Rail Commission (SHSRC), at the request of Governor Robert Riley (R).

Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs Director Bill Johnson informed the Birmingham News that the state stopped paying because his agency was not in the transportation business.  At the request of the Governor, the agency has stated that they will pay this year’s dues immediately, and will take the necessary step to pay any outstanding back-dues.

Richard Finley, Chairman of the SHSRC, told the Birmingham News “I’m excited to be back in the game.”  The $700,000 will go towards the $1.3 million Alabama must come up with to match a $1.3 million federal grant to study the potential for a New Orleans to Birmingham to Atlanta high speed rail corridor. 

Johnson maintains that his agency does not have the money to fill in the gaps for the required matching funds.  Finley has said he is looking into a variety of sources, including the private sector.

Use it or Lose It:  Atlanta-Griffin commuter service looks at risk again.  The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has announced to House members that “The Committee intends to repeal prior ISTEA and TEA 21 project designations that have not proceeded to construction or have remaining unused funds to ensure the effective use of highway and transit funds.”  This likely means that commuter rail funds earmarked for Georgia about 10 years ago—and all unused earmarks, nationwide—will be taken back and used to help fund other projects in the next reauthorization.

Lebanon, Tennessee Mayor Philip Craighead announced this week that the city is receiving $3.2 million in ARRA funds for two commuter rail projects along the Music City Star line.  Around $1.2 million will go towards commuter locomotives and related equipment, and $2 million will go to build a permanent station to replace the temporary one which currently lies along the eastern edge of the city.

“We are very appreciative of these funds to further enhance our commuter rail service,” Craighead told The Tennessean.

The neighboring city of Mt. Juliet (halfway between Lebanon and Nashville) has also spent thousands to upgrade signals and safety equipment, allowing them to enact a quite-zone for the train.  Previously, the Music City Star would sound its horn as it approached railroad crossing.

“Although we now have a (quiet zone), that will not preclude the engineers from sounding the horn in the event they see a concern,” Mt. Juliet City Manager Randy Robertson told the paper.

An engine on Amtrak’s City of New Orleans derailed in Jackson, Mississippi on Thursday afternoon, after hitting a thunderstorm-felled tree on the tracks.

Jackson’s Clarion Ledger reports that none of the passenger cars derailed, and none of the 80 passengers were hurt on the train heading from Chicago.  A minor injury to a crewmember was reported by authorities; the Clarion Ledger alleges it was a conductor, while the AP has reported that it was the engineer.

» back to main hotline page

Apr 10, 2009: Hotline #599

Hotline #599
April 10, 2009

President Obama announced the nomination of Peter Rogoff as the new Administrator of the Federal Transit Authority on Wednesday.  Rogoff would succeed James Simpson, who left the FTA in 2008.

Rogoff has worked for the Senate Appropriations Committee for 22 years, including 14 years as the Democratic staff director of the Transportation Subcommittee, where he played a key role in advising members of Congress on Amtrak’s capital and operating requirements, as well as securing funding for numerous light rail projects around the country.  Particularly in years when Amtrak was under heavy attack, he played a key role in assuring that Amtrak had enough funds to keep running.

Both the American Public Transportation Association and Transportation Trades Department (TTD) of the AFL-CIO have endorsed the pick.
The TTD considers Rogoff the “perfect choice [and a] true expert in the field of transit policy and investment.”  TTD President Edward Wytkind said, “Local transit agencies, their workers and passengers need an FTA administrator who will lead a national debate about boosting investment in this growing industry.”

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority will experience drastic cuts in service if the agency does not receive help with its $160 million deficit according to an internal budget analysis obtained by the Boston Globe.  The proposed service cuts, which are coming after a year when the transit authority set multiple new records in ridership, could include a halt to all commuter rail service after 7 p.m. and on weekends, elimination of six stops on the Green Line light rail system, and the discontinuance of lightly used bus routes.

The Globe reports that the agency has delayed in making the emergency plans public in the hope that the state legislature will act on a proposed gas-tax increase to stave off the cut backs.  The contingency plan is projected to reduce annual deficits by $75 million—the decrease would actually save an estimated $126.2 million, but the agency projects that 51 million lost passenger-trips and people being driven away by the added inconvenience would cost the MBTA $51.1 million in revenues.  The cuts would be used in conjunction with fare hikes expected to generate an additional $85 million in revenue.

If these service cuts were enacted, over 51.9 million passengers would be affected annually, or one million people per week.  The loss would be hard-felt by suburban commuters, low-income neighborhoods who depend on the bus services, weekend sports fans, and tourists who rely on the extended service and help from customer service agents (there would be 304 jobs cut in the customer service department alone).  The internal analysis identifies commuter rail to be particularly affected, with a loss of 5.7 million passenger trips per year. 

Train and transit advocates have long been warning of the looming crisis.  Earlier in the year Massachusetts’s Governor Deval Patrick proposed a 19 cent-per-gallon increase to the gasoline tax—which would give Massachusetts’s the highest gas tax in the nation—in an effort to make the state’s transportation system solvent.  The legislature has made clear it will go no higher than a nine cent-per-gallon increase, and their first priority is avoiding turnpike toll increases.  Both the state House and the Senate have passed transportation bills, and in coming days will try to negotiate a compromise to send to the governor.

The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency announced $25 million in Intercity Passenger Rail Preparedness Grants as part of their $970 million FY2009 allocations.  In addition to the intercity funds—for which Amtrak is the only eligible recipient—the package includes $348.6 million for the Transit Security Grant Program and $15 million for the Freight Rail Security Grant Program.

“Today’s grant allocations provide more transparency and openness than ever before, as stakeholder feedback drove significant improvements in the grant guidance and peer review process, increasing the value of what states get with their dollars,” said Homeland Secretary Janet Napolitano in a prepared statement delivered at a news conference at Washington Union Station on April 8.  “As we continue to expand our state, local, tribal and private sector partnerships, our combined efforts will improve and hone our grant programs—which helps us strengthen and protect individual communities and the entire nation.”

The money will go to a variety of programs to improve preparedness for terrorist attacks.  The targeted uses include, among other things, increased presence and improved training for transit police agencies, tunnel hardening projects, funding for interagency communication and response coordination, and GPS tracking systems for freight railroad cars transporting toxic materials.

Britain’s Network Rail Ltd. will spend $46 billion (or 35 billion pounds) to upgrade its tracks over the next five years, the United Kingdom’s government-backed passenger rail company announced earlier this week.  The investment will improve capacity and reliability.

“We will see a transformed railway through ambitious plans that will deliver more trains, more seats, longer trains, and faster trains” said Network Rail CEO Iain Croucher in a prepared statement, reported Bloomberg News.

U.K.-government backed bonds will fund the improvements, which—in addition to track upgrades—include funds for every-day maintenance, station upgrades, and a new link to the Glasgow airport in Scotland.

Governor Tim Kaine and Norfolk Southern Chairman Wick Moorman signed a three year agreement in expand passenger train service in Virginia before a group of lawmakers and businesspeople last Wednesday, April 1st. 

The memorandum of agreement commits Norfolk Southern to run two Amtrak trains daily for three years in exchange for $18.5 million in state funds.  The result is that Lynchburg will have two trains daily to and from New York and Washington—the Crescent and the new train.  Virginia is also adding a Washington-Richmond round-trip on CSX tracks.

The new Lynchburg service has had its detractors (see “A fight is brewing…” in NARP Hotline #597).  But the mood at the signing was congratulatory, and Governor Kaine predicted the line would be an engine of economic growth in the region, telling the Lynchburg News & Advance that “there are companies in this area that will benefit greatly.”

Also speaking at the event: Del. Shannon Valentine, D-Lynchburg (on of the key figures in bringing the plan to reality); Sen. Steve Newman, R-Lynchburg; Del. David Toscano, D-Charlottesville; Sen. John Edwards, D-Roanoke; Del. William Fralin, R-Roanoke; and Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath County (Deeds is a candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor).

More than half of Americans would choose high speed rail over automobile and air travel if fares and travel time was about the same, according to a new study commissioned by HNTB Corp., an architectural and engineering consulting firm.  The study found that, if price and time are comparable, 53% of Americans would choose high speed rail, 33% would choose automobiles, and 13% would choose air-travel.

The study found that exposure to high speed rail—whether through Amtrak’s Acela or abroad—dramatically increased the preference for high speed rail over other forms of travel, with 82% of respondents with experience riding high speed trains saying they found it more enjoyable than planes, and 51% saying they found themselves more productive when travelling on trains than on planes.  Even among those who hadn’t been exposed to high speed trains, high speed rail (22%) finished only behind automobiles (69%) in terms of preference when traveling to a nearby city, and ahead of planes (6%) and bus (3%).

To find out more about the methods used in the study, or HNTB, see the study on the company’s website.

The Texas Department of Transportation has requested funding for a feasibility analysis to develop the South Central high-speed rail corridor south from Fort Worth to Killeen-Fort Hood, San Antonio, and Houston.  The move is a first step towards the states’ actively supporting the federally designated South-Central high speed rail corridor, which runs north from San Antonio to Fort Worth, then in a wishbone formation to Tulsa, OK and Little Rock, AR.  Currently, Houston is located only on the Gulf Coast high speed rail corridor that runs east to New Orleans-Mobile.

“I would like to offer the professional assistance of my staff to meet this important requirement,” Texas Transportation Department Executive Director Amadeo Saenz wrote in a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood late last month.  The 2008 reauthorization requires LaHood to analyze expansion of the South Central HSR corridor “through Killeen TX” and “south of San Antonio.”

Commuters using the MARC train will be getting a new public address and customer information system later this month, which will let riders see and hear information about arrivals in real-time.  The Maryland Transit Agency’s Board of Public Works approved the $6 million project—which uses money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act—earlier this week, and construction across the state will begin in mid to late April.

More than $9.3 million in ARRA funds is going to upgrade a train station in Elizabethtown, PA.  The money will go to restore and refurbish the 97 year old Amtrak station, which serves over 80,000 passengers annually.  Ridership has almost doubled at the station over the last five years, jumping from more than 43 thousand in FY2004 to over 84 thousand in FY2008.

Amtrak stations in Kansas will be getting $1.04 million in upgrades, thanks to ARRA funds.  The funds will improve the station’s wheelchair accessibility and safety at the platform crossing.  The six stations that will benefit from the investments—which include improvements in safety, wheelchair accessibility, station amenities, and signal and signage upgrades—are Newton, Topeka, Garden City, Dodge City, Hutchinson, and Lawrence.

“We are very grateful that Amtrak has made this investment in Kansas” Kansas Secretary of Transportation Deb Miller said in a news release, and reported by the Dodge City Daily Globe. “It’s more evidence of the strong interest in revitalizing and expanding the nation’s passenger rail system”

The Detroit City Council passed a resolution calling for the demolition of the now-defunct Michigan Central Depot, and declared the intention to recoup the costs of deconstruction from billionaire owner Manuel Moroun.  Detroit Mayor Kenneth Cockrel Jr. had previously identified the demolition of the building as a target for federal stimulus funds.

The rail depot, which has been vacant since 1988 when Amtrak discontinued service, has been gutted of most of its valuable materials over the years.  It has been the subject of many proposals by city leaders, plans which included a casino, a new convention center, and a criminal justice facility. 

Neither the City Council nor the Mayor have made clear what legal mechanisms they would use to recoup the demolition costs from Mouroun.

Amtrak’s on time performance has improved dramatically in recent months.  In March, long-distance trains overall were at 79.6% on-time vs. 54.6% a year earlier, with the Texas Eagle improving from 11.3% to 80.6%.  State corridors as a group went from 69.6% to 84.4%. 

Union Pacific said that, as recently as March 2007, the California Zehpyr was only 18% on time at Grand Junction, CO.  That figure, however, jumped to 44% in March 2008, and all the way up to 92% in March, 2009.

Amtrak’s spokesman, Marc Magliari, commended Union Pacific’s work to accommodate the passenger trains, telling the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel “there has been effort by Union Pacific to reduce delays.”

Mark Davis, spokesman for Union Pacific, attributed the improved performance to track maintenance and signal upgrades the company has done, which have increased the maximum safe speed and reduced the unnecessary stoppages in the flow of traffic.

NARP on Air America: NARP President Ross Capon was on the internet TV show The Money Message with Marc Sussman on March 25 talking about the future of passenger trains in America.  The unedited show is archived at Mogulus.com—if it doesn’t start playing automatically, click “On Demand” at the bottom of the video player, and scroll down to the bottom of the side-bar to begin streaming my interview (Adobe Flash Player is required, and can be downloaded for free). 

Air America broadcast an edited, audio-only version of the show at 9 AM EST, Saturday, April 4th, both online, through their affiliate stations, and on XM Satellite Radio channel 167.  This show is at “Show Archives” section of the Money Message website.

NARP member Michael Ackley was featured on the National Public Radio coverage of the University of Montana’s Rally for Rail this Wednesday.  The interview is available to be streamed on Montana Public Rail’s website; Ackley’s interview begins at the 17:44 mark.

» back to main hotline page

Apr 17, 2009: Hotline #600

Hotline #600
April 17, 2009

On Thursday, President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood unveiled the Administration’s strategic plan entitled Vision for High-Speed Rail in America.  The invited guests included NARP President and CEO Ross Capon, Midwest High Speed Rail Association Executive Director (and NARP Council Member) Rick Harnish, Capitol Corridor Managing Director (and NARP Board Member) Gene Skoropowski, and a roomful of advocates and state and local officials who have toiled for years to make something like this happen, and who often doubted that it would.  The elected officials present included House T&I Chairman Jim Oberstar (D-MN), Rep. Bob Andrews (D-NJ), the mayors of Philadelphia, Richmond VA, Rockville MD and Meridian MS.

The event began with briefings by Acting and Deputy Federal Railroad Administrator Karen Rae and Paul Nissenbaum, FRA’s Director, Office of Passenger and Freight Programs.  Rae said, “After 40 years waiting for this, it is a miracle to be standing here today…It is critical that we be successful with this first investment, otherwise the program could be at risk.  We really appreciate all the work you’ve done to get us here, but the work has just begun.”  “The work” involves all stakeholders—Amtrak, the private railroads, business interests, elected officials, advocates.

Nissenbaum, formerly of Amtrak, said grant applications for the first tranche of “ready-to-go” individual projects would be due 45 days after mid-June publication of guidance for applicants and grants should be awarded in September.  For corridor programs, that is overall plans covering entire corridors or major portions thereof, the first round should be reviewed and decided later this year.  He noted that DOT must complete a preliminary national rail plan by mid-October, and that it is possible that one more high-speed rail corridor could be designated as the law provides for 11 (not including the Northeast Corridor) and only 10 have been designated thus far.

DOT Secretary Ray LaHood said, “High speed rail will be one of the legacies of the Obama Administration—their transportation legacy…It’s the right thing to do for our mobility and for the environment.  Our journey is just beginning.”

The Vice President spoke with equal eloquence: “It’s about time we took those railways and made them the national treasures they should be…I want to say particular thanks to three people.  And the first is Secretary LaHood for his leadership and vision.  He jumped right into this job and he didn’t miss a step…And this is very uncharacteristic of me, Mr. President, but I want to thank Rahm Emanuel. (Laughter.) Not only as smart as a devil…it was Rahm’s tenacious, tenacious persistence that led to getting this high-speed rail in the Recovery Act.  It was at your direction, but I’m not sure it would have been done without him.  And third, to the man who…has turned the years of talk in Washington into a season of action, President Barack Obama.”

The President said “we need a smart transportation system equal to the needs of the 21st century…a system that reduces congestion…we need high speed rail…It is happening right now.  It’s been happening for decades.  The problem is it’s been happening elsewhere, not here…Between Madrid and Seville…more people travel by rail than by car and airplane combined…China, where service began just two years ago, may have more miles of high-speed rail service than any other country just five years from now. 

“There’s no reason why we can’t do this…Building a new system of high-speed rail in America will be faster, cheaper and easier than building more freeways or adding to an already overburdened aviation system—and everybody stands to benefit.”

He acknowledged the need to walk before we run, so to speak.  “The first round of funding [will use] existing infrastructure to increase speeds on some routes from 70 miles an hour to over 100…this is the first step that is quickly achievable, and it will create jobs improving tracks, crossings, signal systems.  The next step is investing in high-speed rail that unleashes the economic potential of all our regions by shrinking distances within our regions…”

The “Vision” is on the DOT website; a transcript of Biden and Obama’s comments are on the White House website.

President Obama announced his intention to nominate John Porcari as Deputy Secretary for the U.S. Department of Transportation.  In his new role, Porcari—currently the Secretary of the Maryland Department of Transportation—would act as the DOT’s chief operating officer, responsible for the day-to-day administration of the 10 modal bureaus which make up the agency.

He succeeds Vice Admiral Thomas Barrett, who has served the position since August 2007.

The Indio, CA Transportation Center is on target to break ground in 2009 despite concerns over funding, according to the developer KEB Enterprises.

Tom Emmett, KEB Enterprises’ managing partner, said that an anticipated $2.5 million construction loan fell through.  Emmett is optimistic about securing a new loan, however, telling the Desert Sun that “there’s been thaw in the financial world… we’re starting to see the ice cracking.”  The City of Indio has also said it is considering acting as a lender of last resort, with Mark Wasserman, assistant to the City Manager telling reporters “the city is committed to this center, so if the developer can’t [secure funding] ... then we will explore other avenues to ensure the project is built.”  One possible avenue might be funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The intermodal station will be a hub for passenger trains, buses, and rental car services, and will have options for shopping and dining.  Amtrak, which stops at a station in nearby Palm Springs, has agreed to serve the Indio facility if it is constructed.

U.S. News & World Report hosted an online poll that reported 83% of respondents would use the high-speed rail corridors because they believe them to be “environmentally-friendly and convenient.”  (Poll is ongoing—numbers valid as of time of reporting.)  These are the 10 designated corridors plus the Northeast Corridor.  The full results of the poll are on the U.S. News & World Report website.

The May 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.

» back to main hotline page

Apr 24, 2009: Hotline #601

Hotline # 601
April 24, 2009

A confirmation hearing was held April 21 on the nomination of Roy Kienitz to be Undersecretary of Transportation for Policy, and Joseph Szabo to be Federal Railroad Administrator.  Kienitz at one time was Executive Director of the Surface Transportation Policy Project and most recently was Chief of Staff for Gov. Ed Rendell (D-PA).  He told the Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation that he would focus on four major areas: the economy (economic competitiveness); improving sustainability; livability (“reviving Main Streets”); and safety. 

In response to Sen. Frank Lautenberg’s (D-NJ) praise for the New Jersey Transit Hudson River tunnel plans, which NARP opposes in their present form, Kienitz said the project “scored very well on all the objective criteria,” but there is just not enough spending authority, which he said would come later in the surface reauthorization.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) told Szabo that “Amtrak’s national system is very important to many states and to me.  Do you favor a national system covering all existing lines, and how would you develop it?”  Szabo answered in the affirmative, calling it “a priority.”

Florida’s state leaders announced this Friday their intent to resurrect plans to bring passenger rail service from Tampa to Orlando to Miami, using Recovery Act funds as a means to reignite the project.  The Florida line is one of the 10 federally designated high speed rail corridors (not including the Northeast Corridor), which means the route has been identified by the FRA as an area of suitable density and distance for high speed rail development. 

“This is an exciting thing,” Governor Charlie Crist told the St. Petersburg Times after a meeting with Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Stephanie Kopelousos. “We’re obviously going to apply for the money.”
In response to a reporter’s question about whether he had concerns about being perceived as going against the will of the voters, Crist, who is a Republican, responded that the federal support made all the difference.

“The rationale there was that it was going to put a hole in the state budget; that’s not an illegitimate concern” he said. “Thank goodness for the stimulus money.”

A spokesman for the owner of Denver’s Ski Train confirmed last Tuesday that the service has reached the end of its 69 year run.  The engines and rolling stock have been bought by a subsidiary of the Canadian National Railway Co., which operates a “Snow Train” in Ontario.

A spokesman for the Denver based Anschutz Co. (owned by Phil Anschutz), which has owned and operated the Ski Train since 1988 when they purchase it from the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad, cited a variety of reasons for the sale.  While money had always been a problem, the specific reasons given ranged from an increase in liability costs, difficulties in operating the trains on Union Pacific owned rails, and uncertainty over the train’s place in the redeveloped Union Station.  “The Denver Business Journal reported Jan. 16 that work at Union Station beginning later this year would reduce close-in parking and platform space that had been used by the Ski Train and its passengers.”  (The Denver Business Journal, April 22)

“There is common knowledge that the train consistently lost money in its operation, yet profitability never really was the driving issue,” spokesman Jim Monaghan told the Denver Post. “It was something a subsidiary of the Anschutz Co. wanted to do.”

The train carried 750 passengers per trip over 56 miles to Colorado’s Winter Park, climbing to over 9,000 feet in elevation along steep switchbacks, and navigating 28 tunnels on the two hour trip on the route also traversed by Amtrak’s California Zephyr also serves.

“It’s essentially a labor of love” said Jim Bain, the Ski Train’s (now former) General Manager and President. 

Florida’s State Senate delayed the final vote Wednesday on a the last piece of a deal that would bring commuter rail service to Orlando. 

Over 70 people filled out forms to give public testimony to the Senate Transportation and Economic Development Committee about the sensitive issue.  But the day was taken up with parliamentary maneuvering to attach a $2-per-day surcharge on car rentals to pay for the Tri-Rail commuter train in South Florida, which was necessary to win the support of Senator Chris Smith (D-Fort Lauderdale), and in the process secure the majority of the committee members.  As a result, the vote was delayed until after Saturday, when they have rescheduled time to listen to public input.  The public testimony is not likely to change the outcome, with the committee primed to approve the deal on a 4-3 vote, and send it to the full 40 member Senate.

Passage would secure the last piece of a deal which has been agreed upon between the Florida Department of Transportation and CSX Transportation, which currently owns and operates the rail line where the proposed SunRail commuter service would run—and which plans to continue to run freight trains during off-peak hours.  The controversy centers on the last piece of the deal, which would make FDOT and CSX responsible only for damage to their own respective passengers, equipment, and employees, regardless of who was responsible for the accident. 

American railroading’s first black dining car steward will be honored by Amtrak in Philadelphia’s Union Station as part of National Train Day festivities.  The 95 year old Willie Varnado, Sr.—who will travel to Philadelphia from his current residence in Florence, Mississippi—said of the recognition to local radio station WLBT, “I think it’s wonderful, I think it’s beautiful, but I think it’s a little bit late.”

Amtrak’s Empire Builder will not be able to resume service to Grand Forks, Devils Lake and Rugby, N.D., for several more days due to flood damage, according to statement issued by a company spokesman on Thursday.

Amtrak had to reroute their trains because of damage to the tracks caused by the flooding in North Dakota (see NARP Hotline #597 for the original story).  The Empire Builder has been rerouted between Fargo and Surrey (east of Minot).  Amtrak’s spokesman said it is unclear exactly when normal service will return.

» back to main hotline page