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Sep 04, 2009: Hotline #620Hotline #620 Passengers have a new way to get in and out of America’s busiest train station after New Jersey Transit (NJT) opened a new entrance to New York City’s Pennsylvania Station on August 31. The access point is located on 31st Street and 7th Avenue, and will finally allow direct access to NJT’s concourse. Around 550,000 people pass in and out of station daily, which serves Amtrak, Long Island Rail Road and New Jersey Transit trains. That’s more than twice what Penn Station was designed to accommodate. The new entrance is one of many projects designed to alleviate congestion. The new entrance cost about $19 million, New Jersey Transit spokesman Dan Stessel told Bloomberg News, or $5.2 million over what was estimated when the contract was awarded. Two members of the panel convened from CASHRA staff members—appointed by the Governor—are former colleagues of Schwarzenegger strategist Adam Mendelsohn, who currently is a partner at Mercury Public Affairs, the communications and campaign consultancy group that received the contract. Kathy Feng, the executive director of California Common Cause, told the Los Angeles Times that the close relationships between the officials and businesses involved raised eyebrows: “We are seeing a revolving door of legislators and former state officials and state employees going from public service to private PR firms . . . and pulling on all the personal relationships that they’ve developed to build up their business.” CHSRA staffer Jeffrey Barker–who, having previously served in the role of associate and deputy communications director in Schwarzenegger’s administration, is one of the people accused of having inappropriate ties to Mercury—denies any impropriety, saying a regimented screening process was followed. “We evaluated these proposals based strictly on communications and outreach abilities” he told the L.A. Times. Other staff members at CHSRA have expressed doubt, however, with board member Richard Katz publicly stating the recommendation and report he received “wouldn’t be adequate in kindergarten.” Whatever the eventual decision is, there is enough doubt about the current recommendation to delay the vote until CHSRA’s October board meeting. The train, which will run between Lynchburg and Boston Monday through Friday, and between Lynchburg and New York Saturday and Sunday, will greatly expand options for Virginians looking to move around by train, giving them direct access to all of Amtrak’s stops on the Northeast Corridor. “This new service gives everyone more reasons than ever to let someone else do the driving” said Charles Badger, director of the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation. “With a one-seat ride as far north as Boston and as far south as Lynchburg seven days a week, it’s easy to book your business travel, a weekend getaway, a family visit or that first trip to college” The featured price of 25 percent off is good through December 16, and requires purchase at least 14 days in advance. For full restrictions and limitations, go to Amtrak’s website. PTC relies on a system of global positioning satellite technology and computer controlled braking to prevent trains from colliding. BNSF Chief Executive Matt Rose says his company alone would have to pay $2 billion to implement PTC across their network by the 2015 deadline. He went on to assert that, industry-wide, the cost would be closer to $10 billion, yet only produce $600 million in economic benefits from improved efficiency. “It’s in everybody’s best interest that we lower the cost of this installation tremendously and not just turn a tin ear to the railroads’ whining about this” Rose told Trains Magazine. The PTC portion of the law was a consequence of the September 2008 Chatsworth, CA train crash, which left 25 people dead. The crash, between a passenger train and freight train, is still under investigation—but several details released to the public point to human error. The total cost of the crash has yet to be determined, as law suits from victims and victims’ families are still pending. “Our decision today reflects our unwavering commitment to provide the safest environment for our passengers on our trains. Amtrak, as the largest contract operator of commuter service in the Unites States, provides an excellent safety record, a depth of relevant operating experience and management support for Metrolink operations that is unique in the current passenger rail environment,” said Keith Millhouse, Board Chairman of the Los Angeles-area commuter railroad. Metrolink was forced to find another operator for their trains after Connex Railroad, LLC announced intentions not to renew their contract with Metrolink that expires in 2010. Connex announced their intentions after the deadly Chatsworth train crash, which the railroad company was operating. Connex has been named as a defendant in at least one lawsuit. “Continuing with our longstanding model of outsourcing train operations will allow us to further focus our resources on all of our industry-leading safety measures, including implementing an accelerated deployment of Positive Train Control, installing inward-facing video cameras in all of our locomotives and lead passenger cars, developing additional Sealed Corridor projects and anticipating the arrival of our new Crash Energy Management technology-enabled fleet of passenger cars,” Millhouse said. “We are delighted to play a part in serving the New Jersey transport network. NJ Transit’s choice is the best endorsement of our engine’s superior intelligibility, even in noisy environments,” said Piergiorgio Vittori, Loquendo’s Americas Sales Area Manager. “It is a privilege to partner with a leading player in the US transportation industry.” NJ Transit has awarded this contract to the technology firm to better communicate with its customers. The service allows authorized officials to generate announcements from their computers and mobile devices, which will then be read by life-like computer voices at stations, thus permitting dynamic transmission of information. The service will be expanding to several Northeast Corridor stations throughout the month, and will be used to provide information about NJT and Amtrak trains, light rail, and buses. “Amtrak is a great way to travel to help preserve the environment and it is important to us to support efforts like SCA to help keep Yosemite National Park in top condition” said Carol Shannon, Amtrak Director of West Marketing. Amtrak and SCA will partner to bring 24 students to Yosemite as part of a sponsored wilderness restoration crew–not only to contribute to the preservation of one of America’s most popular national parks, but also to gain valuable skills and job experience. “SCA is thrilled to partner with Amtrak and the National Park Service to build the next generation of conservation leaders and continue the tradition of young people caring for their environment,” said Jay Watson, Western Regional Director for the Student Conservation Association. “We’re so pleased to be able to offer these valuable opportunities to America’s emerging stewards.” Every year thousands of visitors to Yosemite arrive via Thruway buses that connect with Amtrak San Joaquin trains at Merced, making it one of Amtrak’s most popular destinations in California. Sep 11, 2009: Hotline #621Hotline #621 The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) board unanimously voted to approve plans to extend commuter train service from Boston to T.F. Green Airport in Warwick, Rhode Island, near Providence, at a meeting on September 10. This agreement was critical as several federal grants would have lapsed if the agreement was not in place by today. The MBTA trains will run to a new $267 million intermodal station being constructed at T.F. Green that will include a parking structure and rental car facilities. The station is set to open in February 2010. While the MBTA plan calls for train service to begin in 2011, officials from both Massachusetts and Rhode Island have left the door open for service as early as 2010, should the station and rail infrastructure be finished ahead of time. When service does start, MBTA announced they will run eight trains a day, though Kevin Dillon, president and chief executive officer of the Rhode Island Airport Corporation called this a jumping off point. “That’s the baseline. I fully expect the number of runs will increase, and ultimately we will try to tie the trains into our flight schedules” he told the Providence Journal. Aloisi—notoriously combative with the State Legislature and the media—announced he will not be heading the state’s new “super transportation agency,” set to begin on the first of November. Under the new setup, the Transportation Secretary answers to a board of directors, and oversees Highway, Mass Transit, Aeronautics and RMV. “In the coming weeks and months, he looks forward to continuing his work with the dedicated employees of our state’s transportation agencies and authorities to implement the landmark transportation reforms signed into law earlier this year by Governor Patrick,” Aloisi spokesman Colin Durrant told the Boston Herald. The meeting will seek input on the creation of a $500,000 conceptual plan for a station oriented around trains—though it will also serve as a focal point for buses, cyclists and pedestrians. It is also hoped that the Fuller Road transit station will connect to a proposed Detroit-Ann Arbor commuter rail line, Chicago-Detroit high-speed rail service, and a streetcar line to downtown. The city will holdg input meetings from 3-5 PM and 6-8 PM in the City Council chambers of City Hall. For information, contact Eli Cooper at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), or (734) 794-6000, ext. 43710. While only 10 stations are currently operating on the 52.1 km Red Line, it will feature 29 stations when fully complete in February 2010. Phase two of the metro train system, scheduled to start in June 2010, will see the construction of the 22.5 km Green Line. The entire system is planned to be be fully operational by 2015. “The town is very pleased with the cooperation of Amtrak and the support of the Department of Environmental Protection throughout this project,” Niantic First Selectman Paul Formica told the New London Day. “We’re looking forward to moving ahead.” Last spring Vice President Joe Biden announced that $105 million of Amtrak’s $1.3 billion in stimulus funds would go to replace the 102 year old railroad bridge. Amtrak had scheduled work to begin this fall, but still needs approval from the Army Corps of Engineers, which has already started its review of the project. The guidelines settled on the Central Valley as the best location for the central heavy maintenance facility—somewhere between Bakersfield and Merced. Formal announcements for submission of interest from local jurisdictions will come later. The train line is projected to create 450,000 permanent jobs—in addition to 160,000 construction jobs—so competition between cities for the location of chief maintenance facility is sure to be heated. Guidelines can be found on the CAHSRA website. The secretary stated that trains will be able to use both the new high-speed rail lines and the existing, conventional rail network. Trains are to operate at 186 mph on the initial stretch of the new line—which will start in London and run north to Birmingham and Manchester—and then seamlessly transfer to the existing network and continue along at the current topspeed of 125 mph. “Trains able to use both the conventional and high-speed networks would be needed so that there’s a ... journey-time saving between London and Scotland from the outset, even if a ... proportion of the route was on the existing track,” Transport Secretary Paul Adonis told the Financial Times. While this design choice will force compromises for the new high-speed trains—smaller dimensions to fit through existing tunnels and overpasses, heavier construction to accommodate the increased risk of collision—it should address criticism from cities that won’t be directly connected to the high-speed line in the initial phase of construction. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has hit out at the new high-speed rail project, which is part of an effort to progressively replace domestic and short-haul airline flights (see Hotline #616 for more detail) by questioning the environmental superiority of trains, drawing the censure of one of the UK’s largest newspapers. IATA, an organization that represents more than 200 major airlines, cited a University of Berkeley study that calculated greenhouse gas emissions associated with train travel would more than double if you included emissions from building and maintaining vehicles and infrastructure. The Guardian criticized IATA’s line of reasoning, noting that the airlines have made no attempt to understand the costs of greenhouse gas emissions associated with building and maintaining airports and runways. The piece called the initial investment in infrastructure a small price to pay for long-term clean transportation, citing the 21 million passenger trips on the Great Western Main Line alone—which runs from London to south Wales—during fiscal year 2008, and did some calculations of its own:
The Guardian went on to point out that C02 from aircraft is released directly into the upper atmosphere, where the damage to the environment is much greater. The debate ratcheted up in intensity just as the UK government’s Committee on Climate Change announced, on September 9, that the airline industry’s emissions of CO2 must be capped at 2005 levels for any global climate change treaty to be successful. If left unrestricted, the committee predicts the airline industry will account for 15 to 20 percent of all CO2 produced in 2050. The full-length dome car, which will run between Albany and Montreal (it cannot run south of Albany due to clearance issues with tunnels in New York City), will run northbound on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from October 1 through November 9. It will run southbound on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Friday from October 2 through November 10. Julie will ask the customer to spell out his or her name, adding it to the PNR. This replaces the generic designation based on the telephone number the customer calls from, and means in many cases the PNR can be advance-paid or ticketed without first having to change the VRU number to the passenger’s real name.
Sep 18, 2009: Hotline #622Hotline #622 The Senate voted on Wednesday to require Amtrak to accept firearms at all stations accepting checked baggage. The amendment, which passed in a 68 to 30 vote, stipulates that if Amtrak fails to comply within six months, they will be denied all federal funding. “Americans should not have their second amendment rights restricted for any reason, particularly if they choose to travel on America’s federally subsidized rail line,” said Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS), the amendment’s sponsor. Many have lashed out at the amendment, saying it does not provide the railroad company with enough time or money—it is an unfunded mandate—to meet the six month deadline. Around 30 percent of Amtrak’s 520 stations offer checked baggage service. Amtrak says there would also have to be assessments and modifications made to the company’s entire fleet of 101 baggage cars, many of which are over half a century old. “Amtrak doesn’t have the security infrastructure, the processes or the trained personnel in place to ensure that checked firearms would not be lost, damaged, stolen or misused,” said Majority Whip Richard Durbin (D-IL) said. “I know the political force behind gun amendments, but this just goes too far.” Amtrak’s Chairman Thomas Carper himself spoke out against the amendment, writing to Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-WA) and Ranking Member Christopher Bond (R-MO), of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, cautioning them about potential consequences to the nation’s passenger trains. Citing the unique challenges they would face in creating a system from scratch to comprehensively provide safety to such a widely dispersed network of stations—each with unique physical and staffing characteristics—Carper warned of dire possibilities: “(We) are very concerned that the amendment being offered today creates numerous challenges for Amtrak to consider… Failure to meet this deadline would make appropriated funds unavailable to Amtrak and result in the cessation of all Amtrak service nationwide.” The New York Times in an editorial today, “The Senate Brandishes a Gun at Amtrak,” ended with this: “Proponents said the change was needed to put Amtrak back to its pre-9/11 gun policy and equate it with airline security measures that allow unloaded, locked handguns in checked baggage. This is lunatic reasoning for a nation supposedly sensitized by the 9/11 attacks. Why should gun owners be treated as privileged travelers?…If the Senate wants to pass a bill on Amtrak, it should provide the money to hire more security guards and create a real passenger train system. Generally, it should just stop its demeaning homage to the gun lobby.” A September 16 AP report said Amtrak “added restrictions on carrying weapons after 9/11 and imposed a total ban on all weapons after the Madrid [train] bombings,” which took place March 11, 2004. However, the list of “prohibited items” for checked baggage shown in Amtrak’s national timetable, published twice a year, included “firearms of all types” for the first time in April, 2003. Though the two have similarities, the Senate version provides only $1.2 billion for high-speed rail, contrasted with the House’s $4 billion less than the House (half of which is apparently a placeholder for the National Infrastructure Bank, should it be authorized.) Although both bills shave $27 million off Amtrak’s operating request, which Amtrak says would cause a harmful hiring freeze, Senator Murray—in urging her colleagues not to offer amendments to increase Amtrak funding—said she would work to increase Amtrak funding in the House-Senate conference. While the Senate bill improved upon the House provision for Amtrak’s capital budget, it was still $381.4 million below $975 million requested by Amtrak, and the improvement stemmed partly from requiring Amtrak to front capital funds and then get reimbursed, much the way states—in the highway program—get [prompt] after-the-fact reimbursement for by Federal Highway Administration. Ross Capon, President of the National Association of Railroad Passengers, in a message to Senate offices late September 15, said, in part, “The federal government must ‘walk its talk’ with respect to passenger trains and the public’s desire for growth.” Earlier, in a July 27 letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Capon had written: “As one informed observer wrote to me, ‘The House appropriations bill reported out of committee, for its fireworks on HSR, gave short shrift to Amtrak.’ All the HSR capital in the world will not be appreciated if stringent funding restrictions on Amtrak translate into service reductions or the inability to do even modest service expansion.” That letter was written the same week that the committee drafted an 18-month surface transportation bill which contemplated transferring almost $20 billion in general funds to the Highway Trust Fund, only a few months after an initial transfer of $7 billion. (President Obama signed HR 3357, including the $7 billion transfer, into law August 10.) In brighter news, Senator John Ensign (R-NV) decided late in the process to withdraw an amendment that would have rescinded all unspent funds appropriated to Amtrak in the FY 2009 appropriation and the Recovery Act. This would have wreaked havoc with the company’s budget. Highways and Transit Subcommittee Chairman Peter A. DeFazio (D-OR) had put forward the idea earlier in the week as a possible compromise between Chairman James Oberstar’s (D-MN) $500 billion, six-yea, rail-friendly proposal and the Senate Democrats’ proposal for an 18 month extension of the current law, backed by the Obama Administration. Oberstar has a broad coalition of House Democrats backing his bill, and has even secured the support of key Republicans such as Representative John Mica of Florida, the ranking member on the full T&I committee. However, the debate over healthcare and the climate bill has dominated Congress, and there has been no progress in the House Ways and Means committee—responsible for figuring out how to pay for any new program—much less the other side of the Capitol. Oberstar is planning to mark up an extension next week. The Senate, meanwhile, is preparing a $77.3 billion draft-measure to keep the current law running through March 2011, and it is not yet clear which plan will prevail. However, with the current surface transportation program’s expiration looming, and the funding for transportation projects across the nation running on empty, the pressure to provide a solution is building. The Amtrak study looked at an initial service serving six stations (Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, and Cincinnati, plus west Cleveland and northern Hamilton County), run at speeds up to 79 mph, and offer same-day service with multiple arrival and departure times throughout the day. “This long-awaited report from Amtrak proves that Ohioans want true travel choice and will use passenger rail service,” said Matt Dietrich, Executive Director of the Ohio Rail Development Commission. “The report shows that 478,000 passengers would board the train each year in Ohio, if it were running today. Other studies estimate that the ridership rate would jump to nearly 600,000 riders by 2014 using the same schedule and stops.” The 3C trains would generate $12 million in revenue annually, though the state of Ohio would have to come up with around $17 million in additional annual investment to keep the service operational. The Ohio DOT plans to find non-gas-tax funding for the program, and is considering, among other things, advertising on the train, franchise fees, and existing grant dollars. The study recommends the purchase of five train sets due to the limited amount of refurbished cars in Amtrak’s possession, and is one of the factors that drove the $500 million price tag, which is higher than initially expected. The release of this draft study, however, gives the Ohio DOT ammunition in their effort to apply for high-speed rail stimulus funds; Track 3 applications are due October 2. Amtrak’s full 3C report is due out later this year. The draft report can be found at 3CisMe.ohio.gov. In an event held to mark the event, New York Governor David Patterson (D), Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), and Amtrak President and CEO Joseph Boardman gathered together to announce that an agreement has been struck to relocate Amtrak’s services to the James A. Farley Post Office Building. This move allows for final planning, designing, and financing efforts to proceed in the creation of a grand entrance to Penn Station, which currently terminates underground beneath Madison Square Garden. The agreement also formalizes a partnership between New York State and Amtrak to plan for the long-term development and expansion of the passenger train complex, and rail service in the region at large. “This is a critical step forward in the effort to get the Moynihan Station back on track and keep it that way until it’s done. Amtrak has truly stepped up the plate here to make a commitment to Senator Moynihan’s vision to transform the Farley Post office in to a world class gateway to New York City,” said Senator Schumer. The station will be named after Senator Patrick Moynihan of New York, who long fought to recreate the splendor of the old Penn Station, torn down in 1963 to clear the way for the construction of Madison Square Garden. The scope of the project—which once included moving Madison Square Garden and the construction of new office towers—has been scaled back to focus exclusively on renovation of the Farley Post Office. It appears that passengers connecting in Pittsburgh between Pennsylvanian and Capitol Limited will be allowed to go to the waiting room as usual, and may be allowed to exit on the street—with a ticket stub providing reentry—barring any specific police directives. An Amtrak spokesman, however, noted that they will be working closely with the U.S. Secret Service to provide the highest level of security for passengers, and procedures may be subject to change as the situation demands. “We travel to Oklahoma City quite a bit. So that would be a way for us to get there in less time and it’s just a neat concept and idea,” Tulsa resident Dwayne Beavers told a local Fox News affiliate. “There’s a lot of congestion on the turnpike. So it would certainly relieve that congestion.” The Oklahoma DOT projects that the train would travel at 150 miles per hour, carrying passengers from Tulsa to Oklahoma City in one hour with no intermediate stops. The agency cited ridership figures of 1,400 riders per day, divided between in six trips. They project the line would be constructed in six years for a total cost of around $2 billion. “I think there’s a huge need or desire to connect all of the central U.S.” said David Streb, a representative of the Oklahoma DOT. Special rates—requiring 14 days advance purchase—will be valid for sale until December 2, and valid for travel until December 16. Check Amtrak for full details. Sep 25, 2009: Hotline #623Hotline #623 A coalition of Northeastern government leaders—including Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Representative Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter, Trenton Mayor Douglas H. Palmer, Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy, and New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly—met at New York City’s Penn Station on September 30 to speak out against legislation that would require Amtrak to accept guns as checked baggage by May 31, 2010 or lose their federal funding. The proviso, included as an amendment by Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) in the Senate version of the FY2010 appropriations bill, would give Amtrak six months to start accepting firearms at any station with checked baggage, or forfeit federally appropriated funds. A wide range of groups have spoken out against this requirement, saying that without the proper screening systems and baggage storage infrastructure in place, the rule would put passengers at risk. “If anyone in Congress thinks the threat of terrorist attacks on trains have gone away, they are mistaken,” said Mayor Bloomberg at the event. “And the American people will blame the Senate if a terrorist attack does occur… It has nothing to do with the second amendment and the right to bear arms, but everything to do with keeping passengers safe.” Because the provision is included only in the Senate version, it will be one of the areas of conflict that the House and Senate will have to resolve when they meet two reconcile the two versions of the transportation spending bill. The National Association of Railroad Passengers—in partnership with the Midwest High Speed Rail Association—wrote to Senate conferees (and Representatives likely to be named as House conferees) on September 23 warning of the consequences of imposing this requirement with such little notice, based on the diffuse nature of Amtrak’s network of stations and the variety of configurations for storage of baggage. “The Association believes consideration of any mandate to accept guns as checked baggage should await full determination of the relevant costs and logistical issues… We of course strongly oppose the extraordinary step of mandating an end to funding of Amtrak, and thus a forced shutdown of the railroad, on the basis of its gun policy” wrote the Association. The letter was accompanied by an outline of a fleet expansion proposal allowing Amtrak to start working now to meet future needs, taking into account the lengthy lead-times required for ordering new equipment. This relieves some pressure from legislators who looked all too unlikely to meet the September 30 deadline for completing the appropriations process, the end of the federal government’s fiscal year. The extension ensures the flow of money will continue while Congress continues to hammer out the 12 annual spending bills. Representative David Obey (D-WI), chairman of the House appropriations committee, also announced today the House has reached an agreement with Senate on how to handle earmarks for profit entities. This cleared the way for conferees to be named to resolve the differences between the spending measures passed by the House and Senate. The Senate conferees for the transportation and housing and urban development bill can be found at Thomas.gov; as of time of publishing, the House conferees had not been announced. The draft studies four alternatives for restoration, and provides an estimate that predicts capital and startup costs could exceed $400 million—due in large part to the national shortage of available locomotives, passenger cars, and sleeping and food service cars plaguing the passenger rail system. The study puts annual operating costs at $30 to $40 million, with around one third of that covered by fare revenue. Crapo was joined by Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR)—whose has worked for over a decade to bring back the Pioneer—in highlighting the need for restoring a route that they believe never should have been cut in the first place. “It is important to remember that this preliminary report by no means guarantees the return of the Pioneer Route,” Wyden told the East Oregonian. “There are some significant cost, ridership and service level issues that still need to be worked out. Nevertheless, this report moves things a little further down the line toward giving Eastern Oregon residents the type of rail passenger service available in other parts of the United States.” On his website, Crapo urges people to let Amtrak know how they feel about the reinstatement of the route. The Senator’s website says to “ensure that your comments are fully considered by Amtrak officials, please submit them no later than October 2, 2009.” Terror suspect Najibullah Zazi, a 24 year old native of Afghanistan, was arrested on September 20 under suspicion that he was part of a plot to use hydrogen-peroxide based explosives in an attack on New York City mass transit trains. A Denver-area judge ruled that Zazi be held without bail, then transferred to New York City to face charges of conspiracy to commit terrorism. While law enforcement officials have stated that they have no information about a specific threat, Amtrak, the Transportation Security Administration, and other federal and state agencies have heightened security at stations across the nation while the Central Intelligence Agency and Federal Bureau of Investigations engage in a manhunt for others—as many as 12 individuals by some accounts—believed to have been part of the scheme. Officials are asking passengers to remain vigilant and report all suspicious activity to 911. AGR members can earn double points on up to two trips per day—two one way trips, or one round trip. To be eligible for this deal, AGR members must register online using registration code 91409, or call 1-800-307-5000, selecting option 2 and entering the registration code. “The fall season brings back a resurgence of both business travel and leisure travel for long weekends and holidays,” said Michael Blakey, Amtrak’s Senior Director of Loyalty Marketing. “We are pleased to reward our loyal customers with double points and hope to encourage new customers to become Amtrak Guest Rewards members.” Check AmtrakGuestRewards.com for full restrictions. The unveiling of the website comes in conjunction with expanded Northeast Regional service to Lynchburg and Richmond, which begins October 1. A special whistle-stop tour, featuring Governor Tim Kaine (D) and local officials, will take place on September 30 to commemorate the new daily service. See AmtrakVirginia.com for more details. Although Amtrak already has significant sales to European travelers, the move will benefit the American rail company by making it even more likely that Europeans will incorporate Amtrak’s trains into their travel plans. “The ability to reach rail-centric travel agents through Rail Europe is vital to increasing the number of international passengers on board Amtrak trains,” said Emmett Fremaux, Amtrak’s vice president of marketing and product management. “We welcome the opportunity to work with Rail Europe to offer our products to even more travelers.” |
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