National Association of Railroad Passengers: www.narprail.org

Hotline #488

In time to avoid a government shutdown at midnight last night, President Bush signed the omnibus spending bill that funds almost half the federal government for the rest of Fiscal 2007.  This includes Amtrak funding, which has been frozen at the Fiscal 2006 level of $1.29 billion.  The International Herald Tribune quoted NARP Executive Director Ross B. Capon, “While we understand that the path of least resistance in quickly disposing of fiscal 2007 issues is to ignore the Amtrak board’s request, that does not make this good policy…It is even more appalling that criticism of the House’s Amtrak number as ‘excessive’ was the only transportation reference in the Bush administration’s lengthy policy statement on the resolution.”  Of course, freezing Amtrak at the FY06 level does give Amtrak about $200 million more than the previous continuing resolutions provided. 

The focus now is fully on 2008. As reported last week, President Bush requested $800 million for Amtrak, a cut of over 32%.  On Thursday, Amtrak submitted their Fiscal 2008 funding request to Congress.  The request, viewable on Amtrak’s website, is similar to last year’s and calls for $1.53 billion in basic funding, and an additional $150 million of “Strategic Investment Needs.”

NARP strongly supports the Amtrak request. Tell your Members of Congress to fully fund Amtrak, as well as support S. 294, the Amtrak reauthorization bill.  Go to our Action Alert center for full details including a list of co-sponsors. 

On Tuesday, February 13, the House Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection held a hearing on rail security.  Chairwoman Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX) presided over the hearing.  The hearing, on “Rail and Mass Transit Security: Industry and Labor Perspectives,” featured witnesses from Amtrak, the Association of American Railroads, New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the Transport Workers Union, and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.  The focus was on increased funding for security upgrades, the movement of hazardous materials through densely populated areas, and lack of security at rail yards across the country. 

Rep. Eleanor Holmes-Norton (D-DC) said “there is a big hole in homeland security, and it’s called ground transportation.”  Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) was especially dissatisfied with the federal government’s involvement with rail security.  During his opening statement he said, “Rail security from a federal perspective is non-existent. State and local governments have taken the lead, and the federal government needs to step up.  We only spend two cents on every rail passenger for rail security.”  Members of the subcommittee and all witnesses agreed there needed to be more cooperation between the rail industry and the federal government.

Another rail-related hearing in the House this week focused on worker fatigue. The Railroads Subcommittee of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee heard testimony from FRA Administrator Joseph Boardman and representatives of the railroads and rail labor.  The hearing also unveiled proposed legislation that would task the FRA and its Rail Safety Advisory Committee, of which NARP is a member, with reviewing and recommending changes to the Hours Of Service Act, which governs length of time that rail operating employees can be on duty.  Full Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar (D-MN) said, “The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) reports that 40% of all train accidents are caused by human factors, and one in four of those accidents is caused by fatigue….I believe that the laws and regulations governing fatigue for railroad workers are outdated.  The Hours of Service Act was enacted 100 years ago, and it has not been substantially amended for 40 years.”

Over in the Senate, the Commerce Committee marked up (approved) S. 184, the Surface Transportation and Rail Security Act of 2007, sponsored by Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI).  The bill next goes to the Senate floor.  The legislation authorizes $1.25 billion and makes the Transportation Security Administration the lead agency for rail and public transportation security.  It also mandates that the DOT and TSA work together to clarify each agency’s role in security.

The trial of 29 people in Spain for their involvement in the March 11, 2004 terrorist attack on Madrid’s commuter rail network began yesterday.  Seven of the 29 face more serious charges of masterminding the attack, however, they are being tried in absentia since they killed themselves prior to capture.  The attacks served to highlight the vulnerability of the worldwide rail network to terror attack, yet little has been done since then to improve security.

“Austria’s chancellor has called for a Europe-wide tax on airline fuels as part of a ‘fundamental shift’ in the continent’s tax structure. Alfred Gusenbauer’s plan would introduce the tax in Europe first before talks with the U.S. when a new president takes office in 2009.”  This is from a February 9 Financial Times report.
Amtrak ridership in Montana is up nearly 40% over the past five years, and 7% between 2005 and 2006.  The Empire Builder, which provides Montana with its rail service, has long been one of Amtrak’s strongest trains, and continues to grown.  The Builder is especially important to those that live in Northern Montana along the “Hi Line” as there is no intercity bus service along U.S. Highway 2 and very limited commercial aviation.  Jim Lynch, director of the Montana Department of Transportation, said “Many of the communities Amtrak serves in Montana don’t have bus service. The train is their connection.”

The Capitol Corridor in California may become a test bed for a radical new way to improve grade crossing safety.  Nomad Digital Limited of the United Kingdom has designed a system that, using a wireless internet signal, beams video images from cameras mounted at grade crossings to locomotive cabs.  This can, for example, provide an engineer warning of a car or truck stalled on a grade crossing, or could be mounted in an area that has had repeated trespasser fatalities.  There are also possible applications for increasing train speeds by integrating this technology with Positive Train Control.  A test took place earlier this week using borrowed CalTrain equipment and was deemed a success.

A short extension of Little Rock, Arkansas’s River Rail streetcar opened February 14.  The new branch of the existing line serves the Heifer International headquarters and the Bill Clinton Presidential Library.  A formal dedication and celebration are scheduled for this weekend.  As an interesting footnote, the Clinton Library is now the only Presidential library directly served by rail mass transit.

Amtrak service in New York State continues to be disrupted from a major winter storm.  Amtrak cancelled many trains west of Albany.  Thursday saw many Albany-New York trains cancelled due to problems with fine snow particles damaging Amtrak’s 700 series dual-mode locomotives.  While NARP understands the prudence of canceling trains in such severe weather conditions, NARP has asked Amtrak what it plans to do to fix the problem with the 700-series locomotives to prevent future problems.  Bruce Becker, President of the Empire State Passengers Association told the Albany Times-Union that the association, “is concerned with the number of recent cancellations…while we recognize there’s been severe weather, we certainly urge Amtrak and CSX to do everything possible to make sure that in future storms, service can continue.”

Pacific Surfliner service will be curtailed this weekend for the second phase of a major trackwork project to increase capacity.  As was the case in January 27 and 28, 500-series trains are cancelled with no substitute bus service.  700-series trains will operate from either San Luis Obispo or Goleta through Los Angeles to Anaheim.  At Anaheim, passengers will board busses to continue to points south to San Diego.  Coast Starlight passengers who are continuing south of Los Angeles will be bussed to their final destination.

The new bridge over Quantico Creek at Quantico, VA will enter service this weekend.  However, to tie the new bridge into CSX’s signal system, a week long signal suspension will be necessary.  Tomorrow and Sunday, only the Silver Star, Silver Meteor, and a combined Palmetto and Carolinian (using the Carolinian’s schedule southbound and Palmetto’s schedule northbound) will operate between Washington and Richmond.  There will be no service to Newport News, Williamsburg or Richmond Main Street Station (NARP has protested the lack of alternate service over a holiday weekend as well as Amtrak’s failure to give the public timely warning about the service cancellations).  Monday through Thursday next week, Trains 66, 67, 84, 85, and 93 will not operate south of Washington, D.C.  Train 95 will operate through to Newport News, but 15 minutes earlier. 

In place of Train 94, which will not operate south of Washington, Train 86 will originate in Newport News.  The schedule will be: Virginia Beach, 5:00am (bus); Norfolk, 5:30am (bus); Newport News, 6:15am; Williamsburg, 6:41am; Richmond Main Street Station 7:32; then it will assume train 86’s printed schedule Richmond Staples Mill Road to Boston.