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The outline of a deal on Fiscal 2008 appropriations took shape as President Bush signed the third, short-term continuing resolution so far this fiscal year, this one good through December 21. Democrats reportedly agreed to accept President Bush’s total budget numbers, but not his priorities. House leaders apparently hope to finish the deal by Sunday and have a floor vote early next week with the goal of having the bill signed by the President (and thus the Fiscal 2008 appropriations process complete) before Christmas adjournment. It remains unclear what this will mean for individual programs. Reportedly, the White House is still balking at what it considers excessive numbers for Amtrak and highways. It is hard to believe that there is still haggling over a few hundred million dollars for Amtrak after both chambers of Congress voiced strong support for Amtrak funding this year, and the focus continues to brighten on environmentally-conscious travel options.
Amtrak and the State of New York have resolved a long-running dispute over the moribund Empire Corridor Turbotrain restoration project. Amtrak will pay New York State $20 million, while both parties will jointly fund $10 million Empire line improvements. Work will soon begin on a $6-million project to stabilize a rock slope on Manhattan’s west side with funds from Amtrak. That project will allow an increase in the speed limit above the current 15 mph. Other uses for settlement funds have not been announced. Amtrak and New York State will also split the proceeds from the sale or scrapping of the seven mothballed Turboliner trainsets.
The Surface Transportation board has rejected the proposed sale of trackage in Michigan by Norfolk Southern to WATCO Industries in Michigan. STB has forbidden the transfer of rail assets to Michigan Central Railway, LLC (MCR), saying “NS’s influence over MCR far exceeds what would be expected of a minority investor” and would be able to veto “almost all of MCR’s significant financial and operational decisions.” NARP had expressed concerns about Amtrak service quality on what would have been a short line railroad. However, in a press release, NS now suggests the STB decision could lead to the degrading of passenger service quality, saying, “The STB action ends Watco’s planned investment in the lines and terminates the proposed Amtrak agreement that would have guaranteed $23 million in maintenance and infrastructure improvements on the main passenger routes. Norfolk Southern said it will continue to look for options for the lines. However, because the current traffic on certain rail segments does not justify additional investment by Norfolk Southern, some areas may see curtailment of service.”
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has extended its operating contract for commuter rail with the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Co. through 2011. Riders criticized the 15-minute hearing and subsequent unanimous MBTA Board vote on Monday, which was conducted during afternoon hours, at a time when few regular commuters could attend. The new contract is worth $700 million. MBCR, which took over the contract from Amtrak in 2002, has taken heat over the years for on-time performance, mechanical, and other issues. A November 21 Boston Globe article was headlined “Commuter rail delays are worst in a year.”
Long Island Rail Road will allocate $20.7 million next year to remediate excessive platform gaps. In a highly-publicized case last year, an inebriated teenager fell through a wide gap while attempting to board a train in Woodside and was run over by a train on an adjacent track. LIRR will use train-mounted bridge plates and make targeted platform improvements to reduce the average gap from eight inches to six inches; gaps are upward of a foot in the worst spots.
A new study from the RAND Corporation was released this week, providing guidance on passenger rail and rail transit security.
The Osceola, IA depot will be restored thanks to the City of Osceola allocating funds to match a federal grant. Federal monies provided through Iowa DOT will fund $310,626 of the estimated $564,000 project, which will benefit Amtrak California Zephyr passengers.
New Buffalo, MI will get a new station platform with private investment from developer James Gierczyk. Construction could begin early next year. When completed, the New Buffalo Amtrak stop will shift from the Pere Marquette to the Wolverine Service and Blue Water.
Hartford, CT Union Station may be boosted by restoration and extensive mixed-use development. Greater Hartford Transit District, which owns the station, will undertake a study to guide development over the next ten years.
Amtrak now markets carbon offsets to its passengers; see our December 10 blog entry for more details.
Deadly ice storms in the Midwest crippled transportation networks this week. However, the only major service disruption Amtrak passengers suffered was the partial annulment of California Zephyr trains unable to proceed on Monday and Tuesday. This morning, on NBC-TV’s Today show, Amtrak twice was given credit for getting Weatherman Al Roker and a production crew safely to Boston so that he could do the show from that blizzard impacted region. Both times, Amtrak was credited as being the only form of public transportation safely moving in New England. In addition, CBS Evening News is working on a story on intercity passenger trains which might appear as early as this evening.
More powerful rain storms bore down the Pacific Northwest this week, disrupting Amtrak services again on Tuesday.
Amtrak introduced improved long-distance dining car menus this week. Effective Wednesday, December 12, passengers on routes under the Simplified Dining Service model (introduced system wide last year) will find a greater variety of dinner entrées, including new specials and separate vegetarian specials. Most notably, cooked-to-order flat iron steak is once again available. Half Cornish Game Hen has supplanted the Roast Chicken dinner. Lunch burgers (including a new turkey burger) remain available as dinner items. Breakfast has been expanded to include scrambled eggs (in addition to pre-prepared omelette selections). New specials of waffles, crepes or breakfast pizza are available, and grits have returned alongside breakfast potatoes. New lunch and dinner appetizers of hot wings, chips with salsa and guacamole, and shrimp cocktail are available (though are not included in sleeping car fares). Häagen-Dazs ice cream and Sweet Street desserts have been added as lunch and dinner dessert items.
The following items, source of passenger complaints, are gone: Bob Evans Scramble, the chicken fried steak special, and the fruit bowl. Lunch and dinner pizzas also have been replaced with other items. There will still be three national menu cycles in rotation, but Amtrak will change the menus every three months. The new menus are based on the upgraded menus of the Auto Train and Empire Builder, which retain more selections with full traditional dining service. These changes do not apply to the City of New Orleans (which now offers a wide variety of “Cross-Country Cafe” selections in Superliner Diner-Lounge cars), or the Cardinal or Lake Shore Limited (which use converted Amfleet II food service cars, the latter supposedly temporarily).
A freight train operated between South Korea and North Korea this week, marking the first through rail service between the countries since the Korean War started in 1950. Both Koreas hope to restore passenger train service in the coming years.
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