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On Tuesday, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation held a hearing regarding the report of the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission. Witnesses included five Commission members, including Vice Chair Jack Schenendorf (Counsel, Covington & Burling), Wisconsin DOT Secretary Frank Busalacchi who also chairs States for Passenger Rail Coalition, Steve Heminger (Executive Director, San Francisco Bay Area Metropolitan Transportation Commission), Matt Rose (Chairman, President, and CEO, BNSF Railway), and Patrick Quinn (Co-Chairman and President, U.S. Xpress Enterprises).
In her opening statement Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), noted that Texas has some of the fastest growing metropolitan areas, where congestion and lack of sufficient transportation stifle productivity. She also said, “I do appreciate that transit and intercity rail are part of the [Commission] recommendations, but there is too much emphasis on the status quo. Amtrak is not mentioned once, and should be integral to growth.” Busalacchi noted at the end of the hearing that the report’s proposal for passenger rail growth did not mention Amtrak was because, “at the end of the day, it may not be only Amtrak. I feel very strongly that we need to reauthorize Amtrak and give them the money they need, but we really need a [broader, mode-specific] federal commitment here—like we made a commitment to highways and airports.”
Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR) asked if Transportation Secretary Mary Peters dissented from the report because of its emphasis on raising fuel taxes. Schenendorf said that she saw “too much of a federal role, period, especially regarding transit and rail.” Rose asserted that “we had more points of agreement than disagreement.” Earlier in the hearing, Heminger noted, “There is no substitute for federal leadership. Without it, we wouldn’t have the Interstate Highway System, or transit to the extent that we do.” He also predicted that the private sector would not step up to provide the 40% of transportation capital funds the federal government currently provides.
Documents and full video of the hearing are available here.
On Wednesday, the House Transportation & Infrastructure Railroads Subcommittee held a hearing on Rail Capacity issues. In prepared testimony, Amtrak President Alex Kummant said 70% of Amtrak’s FY2007 passenger-miles were generated over freight railroads, and 80% of total train-miles are operated over the top four Class One railroads. He said that last week’s Amtrak Board meeting in Denver included a meeting with the Class Ones that was brokered by Transportation Secretary Mary Peters. He went on to assert, “When freight railroads make [timely dispatching of] Amtrak a priority, it improves operating discipline overall… benefitting shippers as well.”
Subcommittee Chair Corrine Brown (D-FL) pressed Kummant on the continuing lack of service east of New Orleans along the Sunset Limited route, nearly three years after Hurricane Katrina. Kummant said, “I don’t really see any way to bring back service at this point, with the infrastructure, and there’s no budget for it...It was never very effective service, going through these towns in the middle of the night, three times a week, always late...We’re putting all our energy into corridor discussions in Florida, and we think that corridor service to Mobile could be a good model.”
Brown retorted, “I will continue to provide a lot of pain for you in that area. It’s not just transportation, it’s homeland security, it’s safety. The train could exist to get people out of harm’s way. Of course it wasn’t a good service. We have to work innovatively. We need to work with the communities like New Orleans to create a service that works. It could be a New Orleans-Orlando train with better timing. I wish you would go back to the drawing table and come up with something.” Kummant said, “I understand.”
Documents and full video of the hearing are available here.
Maine’s Senate passed additional transportation funding late April 18 that will include capital funds to extend Amtrak’s Downeaster from Portland to Brunswick, which could happen within two years. Once Brunswick is reached, the plan is to expand Brunswick-Bath-Wiscasset-Rockland service from seasonal to year-round. A Brunswick extension also opens up potential for Brunswick-Augusta service over a state-owned line, and (via Yarmouth Junction near Freeport) for service to Auburn-Lewiston, Bethel and even Montreal. However, there is still uncertainty about Downeaster operating funds after federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality expire next year; Gov. John Baldacci (D) has pledged to include these funds in his supplemental budget request.
The tenants and owners of New York Penn Station have come to an agreement to build a permanent outdoor security barrier outside the station (and Madison Square Garden) following a letter from New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly decrying three years of delays on the project. NYCMTA will use $15 million already secured for the project; construction will begin next year and should be completed in 2010.
Rep. Ciro Rodriguez (D-TX) will make a whistle-stop tour on Amtrak’s Sunset Limited through his vast West Texas Congressional district 23 on Saturday, May 3 to discuss economic issues with news media and constituents. He will board eastbound train 2 in El Paso that morning, make appearances at the stops in Alpine and Sanderson, and detrain in Del Rio to attend a rodeo. In his media advisory, Rep. Rodriguez noted that he is timing his trip to be one week ahead of National Train Day.
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) proclaimed this week to be Train Safety Awareness Week. He said, in a statement, “This important observance is a state priority and will lead to greater safety awareness and a reduction in highway-rail grade crossing collisions and trespassing incidents.” Dozens of law enforcement agencies have joined CSX, Amtrak, Tri-Rail, Florida DOT, Operation Lifesaver, and other rail interests in a push for public awareness of safety around railroads and rail grade-crossings.
Amtrak will shift 80 maintenance positions away from its Beech Grove, IN shops by the summer as the company implements a new maintenance program called Life Cycle Preventive Maintenance that involves phasing overhaul requirements so they are met when the units would normally be out of service anyway. 27 positions specializing in wheels will go to the shops in Chicago, IL, while 53 locomotive maintenance positions will move to Wilmington, DE. Amtrak told the Indianapolis Business Journal that 475 workers will remain at Beech Grove.
Amtrak’s Spring/Summer timetable has been published and will be effective May 12. There were no major changes. The schedule reflects this month’s elimination of the single-stop Acela Express round-trip between New York and Washington in favor of a new Acela round-trip between Boston and New York. Eastbound Lake Shore Limited train 48 operates 15-40 minutes earlier from Toledo to Albany. The Capitol Limited now has an ongoing Happy Hour with drink specials. Cross-Country Café (Diner-Lounge) is now the only active food service car on the Texas Eagle, though an unstaffed Sightseer Lounge will remain in the consist. Coast Starlight information outlines the new amenities as part of the route relaunch, for which a date has not yet been formalized. In California, the Merced-Salinas-Monterey-Santa Cruz San Joaquin Thruway route will be discontinued due to insufficient ridership and revenue.
A sinkhole south of Central Station in Memphis, TN has forced Amtrak’s City of New Orleans onto a detour route that bypasses the station. Passengers boarding or detraining in will be bussed to and from alternate locations until the sinkhole is repaired. Passengers may experience delays between one and two hours during the detours. NARP applauds the cooperation between Amtrak and Canadian National to maintain service during this unforeseen event.
Westbound Amtrak California Zephyr train 5 detoured through Wyoming on Monday after a Union Pacific freight train was disabled inside the Moffat Tunnel in the Rocky Mountains.
Amtrak bussed passengers between St. Louis and Chicago for much of the day on Wednesday after a Union Pacific freight train derailed in Pontiac, IL. The Texas Eagle was turned at St. Louis.
National Train Day is Saturday, May 10, and events are happening across the country! Be sure to check back with the NARP web site regularly for more details.
The May 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.
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