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H.R. 6003, the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008, cleared the House of Representatives by a veto-proof margin of 311-104 on Wednesday. The bill now goes to conference committee to reconcile differences with the Senate counterpart, S. 294. President Bush has issued a veto threats against both versions of the bill.
NARP Executive Director Ross B. Capon in a statement praised the House for providing a framework for future funding for passenger trains. “The need for expanded train service is clear. Today’s action shows that Congress wants to make that happen. The crucial test will be its ability to provide the necessary funding,” said Capon.
The bill has some changes from the earlier version, including—in the “congestion grants” section—general language replacing a list specific segments. To see both the original and the House-passed versions of the bill, go to THOMAS and click on Congressional Record (from list at left); select “Daily Digest” from the four choices under “Section of Congressional Record”; enter 06/11/2008 in the date field and fill the circle next to “From”. Near the top of House activities (about halfway down the entire document), see Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 and click on H.R. 6003. The third choice that results is what the House passed; the first is the bill’s earlier version.
With the prospects for California High-Speed Rail and the need for a federal partner in mind, Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA) said during bill debate, “This measure will be a big shot in the arm… to assist California and other states in the country that want to add true, 21st century, state-of-the-art high-speed rail.”
Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH) engaged in colloquy on the floor with T&I Railroads Subcommittee Ranking Member Bill Shuster (R-PA) to request a provision that would allow for redemption of privately held Amtrak stock in conference committee. “These shareholders have been held hostage for decades.” Schmidt’s district includes Cincinnati, home of American Financial Group, Inc., which is suing Amtrak for compensation for its 5.2 million shares of Amtrak common stock. AFG is looking for as much as $500 million (see Hotline #554.)
Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) asked T&I Chairman James Oberstar (D-MN) to send a letter to Amtrak’s Inspector General requesting an update on the status of safety and security training of frontline employees. Oberstar said he would oblige.
H.R. 6003 passed with six amendments added on the floor, although the House rejected the worst amendment on a recorded vote of 150-275. Rep. Pete Sessions’ (R-TX) had sought to prohibit funds “from being used for the long distance Amtrak route with the highest cost per seat/mile according to Amtrak’s March 2008 monthly performance report unless the Secretary has transmitted a waiver for this route or a portion of it because the Secretary considers it critical to homeland security.” Without mentioning it by name, this amendment was an attack on the Sunset Limited, which Rep. Sessions openly attacked when presenting the amendment.
Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) withdrew his anti-Baltimore-tunnel amendment before the bill reached the House floor.
Here are the amendments that passed (details are on the Rules Committee web site):
- Rep. James Oberstar (D-MN): “Manager’s Amendment. Would provide that none of the funds may be used to employ workers in violation of section 274A of the Immigration and Nationality Act; and requires the Secretary of Transportation to conduct a study on ways to streamline compliance with National Historic Preservation Act requirements for federally funded railroad infrastructure projects. It also contains provisions regarding the Northeast Corridor. It requires studies regarding the expansion of the South Central High-Speed Rail Corridor to Memphis and to far south Texas. It requires proposals for building station stops for the proposed high-speed rail system in the Northeast Corridor. It also would authorize intercity passenger rail grants to be used for bicycle access into rolling stock and would provide bicycle racks in trains. Finally, it makes technical corrections to the bill.”
- Reps. Tom Davis (R-VA), Steny Hoyer (D-MD), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD): “Would authorize the Transportation Secretary to make grants to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority to finance in part the capital and preventive maintenance projects included in the Capital Improvement Program approved by the Board of Directors of the Transit Authority. It would prohibit funds to the Transit Authority unless the Authority ensures its rail customers have access to any services provided by any licensed wireless provider that notifies the Authority of its intent to offer services to the public.”
- Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY): “Would add to the passenger rail system comparison study a request to study train horn technology, with an emphasis on reducing train horn noise and its effect on local communities.”
- Rep. Christopher Murphy (D-CT): “Would express support for commuter rail service between New Haven, CT, and Springfield, MA. It would encourage Amtrak to cooperate with state Departments of Transportation to expand commuter rail service on that line. Amtrak shall report to Congress and the Transportation Departments of Connecticut and Massachusetts on the total cost of uncompleted infrastructure maintenance on the rail line between New Haven and Springfield.”
- Reps. Patrick Murphy (D-PA), Allyson Schwartz (D-PA), and Rush Holt (D-NJ): “Would require Amtrak, within one year of enactment, to report to Congress on the results of an evaluation of passenger rail between Cornwells Heights, PA, and New York City, NY, and between Princeton Junction, NJ, and New York City, NY, to determine whether to expand passenger rail service by increasing the frequency of stops or reducing commuter ticket prices for this route.”
- Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA): “Would require Amtrak to engage in good faith discussions, with commuter rail entities and public transportation authorities operating on the same trackage owned by a rail carrier as Amtrak, with respect to routing and timing of trains to efficiently move a maximal number of commuters, intercity, and passenger rail passengers, particularly during peak times of commuter usage. It also would require such discussion with respect to the expansion and enhancement of commuter rail and regional rail public transportation service.”
Voting charts on the members’ section of our web site have been updated to reflect this week’s relevant roll-call votes.
Due to technical problems dismantling the counterweight of the old Thames River Bridge in Groton, CT, Amtrak will operate full service on the Northeast Corridor in New England until further notice. On Wednesday, when it appeared that only a 48-hour delay would be involved, Amtrak had announced that it would provide regular service on June 14-15 and then offer an elaborate collection of substitute rail and bus services on June 16-19. The substitute services were close to what NARP had advocated from the start, and a vast improvement over the original plan to offer no substitute service at all for intermediate points between Boston and New Haven. Yesterday’s The Day (New London, CT) quoted NARP’s Ross Capon saying, “They’ve done a heck of a lot of good work in the past few days. Given the lead time, it certainly strikes me as a positive, good-faith effort.”
Georgia Gov. Sonny Purdue (R) endorsed Atlanta commuter rail for the first time on Thursday. In a news conference, he said he would present the Legislature with a “business case” for a plan to start initial service between Griffin and Atlanta. “We have not kept pace in our transportation infrastructure,” said Purdue. “We need to catch up and make sure we plan for the future.” Referring to gas prices and crowded conditions on existing transit, he declared the need for “more transit options” and said that, if the pilot project succeeds, “there are certainly other areas of Georgia that can benefit.”
House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA) made comments critical of CSX Transportation in connection with the proxy bid by the British hedge fund The Children’s Investment Fund to replace certain members of the CSX board. Though CSX officially views TCI’s effort as one that would merely have the effect of reducing capital spending, allies of CSX in Congress have questioned whether it is a national security concern to allow a high level of foreign influence. “Why do I want to protect their right to screw my state? Given how uncooperative CSX has been on the [Massachusetts] commuter rail liability question, I see no reason to help them out with their foreign investment problem,” Frank told media outlets this week. “I’m not afraid of the English. Maybe a new group would be nicer to me.”
Amtrak instituted a new policy effective Memorial Day weekend last month that allows uniformed military personnel to go to the front of the line at all Amtrak ticket windows. The policy is in place permanently and for all staffed stations nationwide.
Amtrak has sued the owners of the former Railway Express Agency building in Baltimore. Railway Express LLC has owned the building, which sits on pillars above Northeast Corridor right-of-way, since the City of Baltimore sold it in 2005. However, Amtrak inherited the NEC air rights from the federal government. Amtrak claims that it voluntarily vacated its equipment from under the building when the new owner renovated it, but that they erected a barrier to prevent Amtrak from returning last year. In a countersuit, Railway Express LLC claims that there was an agreement that the space under the building would be used for tenant parking.
The detour of Amtrak’s Coast Starlight on June 22 will include a passenger stop at Bakersfield. Amtrak will generate additional revenue by allowing ticketing between Los Angeles, Bakersfield, Sacramento, and points north.
Deadly, severe storms in the Midwest this week caused lengthy delays and detours on several Amtrak routes. The California Zephyr from today through Sunday is suspended between Chicago and Denver. Motorcoaches are serving the route between Omaha and Denver, and service to Iowa is temporarily suspended. The Empire Builder has been detouring between Chicago and St. Paul since June 10, with motorcoach service protecting the missed stops. However, due to flooding, service to Portage and Columbus, WI has been temporarily suspended as of today, and a detour route between Chicago and St. Paul is no longer available. Trains are now turning in St. Paul.
Continuing Union Pacific trackwork in Illinois will cause additional disruptions to Lincoln Service and Texas Eagle trains starting next week. On June 16, 17, and 18, the Texas Eagle is planned to detour between Chicago and St. Louis, missing all intermediate stops. However, bus substitution may be necessary because of increased Union Pacific freight traffic on the planned detour route...which itself is detouring due to the above-referenced flooding. Check http://www.amtrak.com for the latest updates. Lincoln Service trains 301, 302, 305, and 306 will be canceled. Train 303 and 304 will operate only between Chicago and Lincoln, with connecting motorcoach service to/from Springfield, and no service to Carlinville, Alton, or St. Louis. The same will apply to trains 300 and 307 from June 16 to 24. From June 19 to 24, all trains will detour on a route that misses Springfield. Connecting motorcoach service will be provided. For more information, see Amtrak’s news release.
Amtrak now offers a seasonal San Joaquin Thruway round-trip to Mammoth Lakes, CA and other towns on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The trip begins at the Yosemite Visitors Center, where passengers connect to/from the existing Thruway at Merced. The new route, operated by Yosemite Area Regional Transit, includes stops at Yosemite Wolf Lodge, Tuolumne Meadows, Lee Vining, June Lake, and Mammoth Lakes. Eastbound bus 8662 departs Yosemite Visitors Center at 5 PM and arrives at Mammoth Lakes at 8:51 PM. Westbound bus 8667 departs Mammoth Lakes at 7 AM and arrives at Yosemite Visitors Center at 10:55 AM. Until June 29, and from September 6 to 28, the service operates Saturdays and Sundays only. From July 1 to August 31, the service operates daily.
The third annual Dump the Pump Day is Thursday, June 19. Sponsored by the American Public Transportation Association, Dump the Pump Day “is dedicated to raising awareness that riding public transportation helps improve the environment and conserves fuel. It also offers the opportunity for people to beat the high price of gasoline and support public transportation as an important travel option that helps reduce our dependence on foreign oil as well as reducing the amount of harmful greenhouse gases that are emitted into our environment.”
A Washington Metrorail Orange Line train derailed in Arlington, VA on Monday afternoon. None of the 412 passengers were injured when the third car left the tracks. A WMATA supervisor detected the derailment before the operator, who had to be notified to stop the train.
Cell phone use has been ruled out as a potential factor in the rear-end collision of two MBTA Green Line trolley on May 27. Middlesex, MA District Attorney Gerard T. Leone, Jr. determined that operator Terresse Edmonds, who was the only fatality in the incident, was not using a cell phone at the time the trolley she was operating collided with one in front of it.
United Airlines and US Airways joined American Airlines yesterday in imposing a $15 fee for the first checked bag for most domestic passengers. The fee is effective for United tickets purchased starting June 13 for travel starting August 18, and is effective for US Airways tickets purchased starting July 9. On August 1, US Airways will also begin charging $2 for soft drinks on domestic flights in coach, and increase the charge for alcoholic beverages by $2 to $7. US Airways is shrinking its operations by returning 10 aircraft to lessors, eliminating its Las Vegas “night hub” effective September 3, and reducing its employee headcount by 1,700.
Effective immediately, NARP members are eligible for discounts on the Grand Canyon Railway. Members get 20% off coach fare on the train, or 10% off a Grand Canyon Railway vacation package. Certain restrictions apply. You will need to present your NARP membership card upon arrival at the Railway. The Grand Canyon Railway is a 65 mile railroad running between Williams Junction, AZ (connection with Amtrak’s Southwest Chief) and a point just south of the South Rim of the Canyon. The rail line was completed in 1901 and re-opened in its current tourist form in 1989. Visit their website for more information. To book with the NARP discount, you must call the Railway directly at 1-800-THE-TRAIN (843-8784) and ask for discount code “NARP”.
Sean Jeans-Gail joined the NARP staff as Transportation Assistant (Intern) on Wednesday. A native of Portland, OR, he earned a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Oregon, and was Phi Beta Kappa. Since late December, 2007, he has worked as an intern for Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA). In 2007, he was a key field organizer for the Yes on 49 Campaign in Oregon (which strengthened land-use laws). He previously worked for the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, the City of Portland City Attorney’s Office, and Wells Fargo & Co. Welcome aboard, Sean!
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