National Association of Railroad Passengers: www.narprail.org

What’s New

Here are the most recent additions and major changes to our website.

This list does not include updates to the Action Alert center, Calendar of Events, NARP Blog entries, or our weekly news hotline (which is updated every Friday afternoon).  Click on the appropriate menu bar to the left to read these items.

• April 30, NARP announces 2008 Dr. Gary Burch Memorial Safety Award winner, Amtrak Detective John “Jake” Mumford, and 2008 George Falcon Golden Spike Award recipients, Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR) and Rep. John Olver (D-MA).


• April 16, Annual written testimony of NARP Executive Director Ross B. Capon submitted to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation and Housing and Urban Development regarding Fiscal 2009 Amtrak funding.


• April 16, News release criticizing President Bush’s remarks about reducing greenhouse gas emissions.


• April 10, Letter to Governors John Corzine (NJ) and David Paterson (NY) regarding the Access to the Region’s Core (ARC) project.  NARP also issued a news release.


• April 3, Testimony of NARP Executive Director Ross B. Capon at the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement Hearing for the Access to the Region’s Core (ARC) – THE (Trans-Hudson Express) Tunnel Project.  A news release was also issued.


• April 1, No, its not an April Fool’s joke!  St. Louis really is about to open a brand-new, permanent train station!  View photos taken at an open house by clicking on the link.


• March 27, The new NARP website for National Train Day.  You can find out all about the May 10 celebrations nationwide here.


• March 13, A news release about Railroad Day On The Hill.  NARP Executive Director Ross B. Capon participated.


• February 13, A news release on NARP’s request to Amtrak to restart the entire Coast Starlight service March 4, busing between Klamath Falls and Eugene if the track remains closed


• December 12, 2007, A letter from NARP President George Chilson to the sixteen Presidential candidates


• December 3, 2007, A list of Amendments offered during floor debate on S.294, the Passenger Rail Improvement and Investment Act

Important past entries:

• September 25, 2007, A NARP-written report about aviation subsidies: both obvious and hidden


• April 27, 2007, A letter and resolution from the Southern Rapid Rail Transit Commission urging Amtrak not to discontinue the Sunset Limited and to work with SRRTC on establishment of corridor service.


• August 15, 2006. On Board Food and Beverage Service Is Important, Report by NARP President George Chilson that discusses why Food and Beverage service is important to rail travelers and disputes charges that the service must operate at a “profit”.


• July 14, 2006. Letter to Surface Transportation Board regarding on-time performance, written by NARP Executive Director Ross Capon and discussing the many delays Amtrak trains face on freight railroads.


• June 22, 2006. Analysis of sleeping car costs: a report by NARP President George Chilson that shows that Amtrak sleeping cars generate a net positive contribution of at least $40 million a year.


• June 13, 2006. Letter from NARP President George Chilson to Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta regarding the lack of mention of passenger rail in the DOT’s “National Strategy to Reduce Congestion on America’s Transportation Network” report.  Our June 23 release about this letter is also here on our website.


• May 3, 2006. A resolution passed by the NARP Board of Directors ”urging Amtrak to restore the New Orleans-Orlando segment of the Sunset Limited now that CSX tracks have been restored to a higher standard than existed before Hurricane Katrina”.


• March 22, 2006. Notice of Proposed Rule Making, link to the Federal Register for February 27, 2006 which contains the NPRM for passenger rail platforms discussed in the March issue of NARP News (Requires Adobe PDF reader).  NARP’s July 28 written comments can be read here.


• March 3, 2006. (posted March 14) Letter urging restoration of the Sunset Limited, from NARP President George Chilson to Amtrak Chairman David Laney.


• February 10, 2006.Media Advisory: Harris Poll: Public Wants Rail, Results of a public survey poll that show that 2/3 of Americans want to see more passenger and freight rail service.


• January 18, 2006. Comments on 1979 Congressional Budget Office Amtrak Energy Report, Critique of a 1979 CBO report entitled “The Current and Future Savings of Energy Attributable to Amtrak” NARP Executive Director Ross B. Capon wrote this rebuttal in June 1979, with an update in March 1981.


• December 19, 2005. “Dear Fellow NARP Member”...a letter from NARP President George Chilson to the membership addressing NARP’s position on David Gunn’s termination.