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Good Week for Trains

Thursday, October 02, 2008

On Monday, the Senate voted 69-17 to cut off debate, clearing the way for the long-sought up-or-down vote on the Rail Passenger Investment Act (now named for and including the rail safety provisions).  On Wednesday evening, the Senate gave final approval to the bill 74-24 (actually, one vote stronger than the financial overhaul bill that followed, which passed 74-25).

The roll call of how senators voted Wednesday night will be of great interest. It can be viewed here.

The members-only section of our web site has a more user-friendly version of the roll call, alphabetical by state, and side-by-side with other Senate votes of interest to us.  (Update: It also has a stand-alone chart for the Senate vote on H.R. 2095.)

On Tuesday, Transportation Secretary Mary Peters traveled to Richmond on the train with Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph Boardman to announce the $30 million in grants to 13 states, the first-ever such set of grants.  She also emphasized strong ridership growth on trains and transit, and the decline in driving.  Details, including list of the grants, are available here.

—Ross Capon

Posted by NARP

Tags: amtrak reauthorization, fra, safety, usdot,

Flag Stops: Taking Small, Quick Steps

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

This week’s roundup of news and views in the world of passenger rail and American travel focuses on the need to act quickly, yet deliberately, to do what needs to be done to keep the country moving sustainably.

  • At a Senate Commerce subcommittee hearing last week, Amtrak CEO Joe Boardman and FRA Administrator Joseph Szabo testified that most of the federal high-speed rail money should go towards track and signal improvements that would make existing trains faster and more reliable, and would permit additional frequencies. In a guest op-ed for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Boardman says boosting existing trains’ top speeds to 110 mph results in an average 40-percent reduction in trip time. Several Amtrak routes, such as the Keystone (Philadelphia-Harrisburg), the St. Louis-Kansas City corridor, and the Downeaster (Boston-Portland, ME)  have seen ridership increases even with modest improvements, including higher speeds, more frequencies and better on-time performance. Boardman believes that such small steps are necessary to recreate a train-riding culture in America. NARP concurs, as does Trains for America. Some differ with this approach, though, wanting the funds to be spent instead on one or two major projects involving very fast trains on new lines. Such ventures should be pursued, but not at the expense of current and potential passengers who would benefit greatly from more imminently attainable advancements.

  • Congressional leaders and the executive branch are still debating how long the country can wait before federal surface transportation programs are reauthorized, and hence reformed. As we’ve noted before, the current draft reauthorization bill [PDF] has a good deal of positive language, but still leaves many questions unanswered.  Also, our friends at Transportation for America’s have an informative analysis of the draft legislation.

  • A silver lining to the nation’s economic storm clouds: more punctual Amtrak trains, which is helping to draw people back to the rails. “Perhaps rail aficionados—who favor Amtrak’s relaxing atmosphere and communal spirit over the frenzy and isolation of the airport—have something to teach the engineers of our now-derailed economy,” writes Jason Mark. “Speed, in fact, isn’t everything. Steadiness is more likely to get us where we need to go.” Amtrak’s improved on-time performance can be credited not just to the decline in freight traffic, but also to some railroads’ policy decisions to give Amtrak trains better handling after October 2008 enactment of the law empowering the Surface Transportation Board to assess damages against railroads that routinely delay passenger trains. Performance by Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern in particular improved dramatically in November, long before freight traffic tailed off.

  • In Florida, rail advocates continue to tout high-speed trains as boons to the economy and tourism, while opponents fuss over the up-front cost. Resisting wise rail investments while letting auto and air traffic worsen in a congested place like Florida is like balking at the price of properly insulating your home and opting instead to keep wasting money on heat and air conditioning that escapes through the cracks in the walls. The costs of getting around (both in terms of time and money) will only keep going up if the transportation system isn’t fixed by providing greater mobility and greater choice.

  • Air travel headaches continue: with fewer passengers and fewer flights, planned airport expansion projects are being shelved. While the trend is affecting large and small airports alike, many of the flights being eliminated are shorter-haul routes which could be better served by trains. Unfortunately, the bulk of those routes lack train service adequate to meet the demand.

  • A look at the very real consequences of funding new trains, buses and transit infrastructure without investing enough in actually running them. Luckily, relief is on the way for transit agencies in need of operating cash. Meanwhile, PBS’s Blueprint America breaks down how federal public transit money is spent, yet points to last week’s Metro disaster to suggest that current funds aren’t enough.

  • LCL: An Arkansas paper’s profile of some active volunteers with one of NARP’s affiliate route support teams, the Texas Eagle Marketing and Performance Organization (TEMPO), is an example of the kind of publicity we can get just by being involved and speaking out; a slice of the life of a 63-year-old Amtrak dining car server, one of an increasing number of Americans nearing retirement age who are opting to remain in the workforce; visions of sparkling-new stations along California’s high-speed rail route spur debate on what should be done with historic depots; Iowa’s governor gets on board for better trains (literally); hopes are high in Georgia as the state seeks its share of the forthcoming federal rail largesse; a look at what will soon be a commonplace sight aboard trains as Amtrak moves to paperless e-ticketing; and do spiffy new roads entice unsafe driving?

    • —Malcolm Kenton

    Posted by NARP

    Tags: airlines, amtrak, congestion, congress, debate, florida, fra, high-speed rail, improvement, on-time, transit, transportation, travel,

    NARP members communicate passenger needs to White House officials

    Wednesday, November 02, 2011

    The call hosted by NARP and the White House today produced some very fruitful discussions about the direction of the passenger rail program in the U.S.  Led by Deputy Federal Railroad Administrator Karen Rae, talks centered on what practical effects the President’s transportation infrastructure plan—part of his proposed American Jobs Act—would have on Amtrak and high-speed rail. 

    Los Angeles to
    *Jacksonville    		Through SE Colorado?

    Rae explained that the President envisions the construction of 4,000 new miles of track, and would bring a $6 billion infusion in rail funds this year to enhance and expand current service levels.  That $6 billion breaks down to $4 billion for competitive grants to states for high-speed and intercity upgrades (including equipment expansion), and $2 billion to Amtrak for state-of-good repair work (making sure existing Amtrak service can operate at optimal levels).  That figure does not include $9 billion that would go to transit and commuter rail—systems that link with intercity rail to get passengers to their final destination.  Rail is also eligible to compete for the $5 billion for “TIGER-like” projects.

    The question & answer portion was as interesting as the presentation, if not more so.  We got to hear the concerns from train passengers all over the country, and how they’d like passenger rail to develop in America in the coming years.  Participants included:

    • Aaron from Newton, Kansas, who was worried about the deterioration of track along the Newton-Albuquerque portion of the Chicago-Los Angeles Southwest Chief route*.  At 70 years old, he explained how the Chief plays a vital role in ensuring his mobility as a senior in a rural community, and that he doesn’t know how’d get around if his town lost service.
    • Penny from Baltimore explained how she needs trains to commute everyday to her job in Washington, D.C.  She described how she engages in advocacy as part of her normal commute, explaining to other passengers the real danger of declining levels of service if Amtrak and commuter agencies aren’t properly supported by elected officials in Congress.
    • Several people spoke of the need to restore Amtrak’s Sunset Limited service to the Gulf Coast region (between New Orleans and Florida).  With a tourism industry hurt by the BP oil spill in the Gulf, these trains are incredibly important to getting American tourists to visit struggling coastal towns.

    » read more...

    Posted by NARP

    Tags: american jobs act, fra, karen rae, southwest chief, sunset limited, white house,

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