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DC to Chicago by Night: Or, How I Learned to Stop Flying and Love the Rails
Friday, October 31, 2008
In the wake of my first truly long distance train ride, I’ve been thinking about the sense I have of my own mobility.
Now, as someone who is paid to think about the state of America’s transportation infrastructure in general, and trains and transit in particular, it’s probably a bad sign that I had taken this summer’s passing of cheap air fares to be synonymous with the death of cheap-AND-easy long-distance travel. But there you go. Whatever forces shaped my conceptions about travel included cars and planes and Amtrak on the Northeast Corridor, and that’s about it.
That being said, I was not prepared for how painless boarding a train in downtown Washington, DC on a Sunday afternoon and waking up in downtown Chicago on Monday morning turned out to be. All for around $150, roundtrip. Which was about $100 cheaper than any comparable airfare I could find (and I’m talking about red-eye, bottom of the barrel airfares here).
Doing a quick breakdown of the distances, I figured that the roughly 700 miles I covered between DC and Chicago would take me to any city in the northeastern United States, as far south as Jacksonville, Florida, and–of course–anywhere kind of between the District and Illinois. All of this assuming that Amtrak was actually able to run regular service between any two cities in my 700 mile radius.
The point is that I have a lot of friends in these theoretically train-accessible cities. Friends I’ve been putting off seeing because I thought I couldn’t afford to. Friends who are now going to need to get their couches ready.
You are now free to move about the country.
—Sean Jeans-Gail
NARP Assistant Director, Legislative Relations
Posted by NARP
Tags: air travel, amtrak, capitol limited, northeast corridor,Flag Stops: Smarter and Cheaper
Friday, September 11, 2009
Our take on recent news and views in transportation.
—Malcolm Kenton
Posted by Malcolm Kenton
Tags: authorization, avent, congress, fares, freemark, fta, future, growth, high-speed rail, highway, housing, manufacturing, northeast corridor, planning, prices, recovery act, repairs, stimulus, transit,Amtrak Unveils Wi-Fi on Trains Today
Monday, March 01, 2010
Amtrak launched free wireless internet access for select portions of the Northeast Corridor this week. AmtrakConnect will be available for all Acela Express trains, in all ClubAcela lounges, and in the following NEC stations:
- Washington, DC - Union Station
- Baltimore, MD - Penn Station
- Philadelphia, PA - 30th Street Station
- New York, NY - Penn Station
- Providence, RI
- Westwood, MA - Route 128
Amtrak has provided a few tips to help access AmtrakConnect.
Posted by NARP
Tags: acela, amtrak, internet, northeast corridor, wi-fi,Acela Should Be the Mold for Modern American Trains
Monday, August 09, 2010
I am aboard an Acela Express from Newark to Washington and am amazed at the lack of enthusiasm for these trains from policymakers and even rail advocates, except for this pile of passengers that pay good bucks to use them. These are not all businesspeople traveling on their employers’ dime.
Acelas are maligned because they “only” do 150 mph for the twelve miles in Rhode Island and no faster than that, but it is a fine 125-135 mph product right down to the on-board service people and crews. Passengers seem delighted with it. It has clean restrooms, big windows and, with the wide vestibules, a joy for those with special needs.
I know no two are alike due to modifications and that Amtrak must hire special talent to maintain them, these problems cured with ongoing new equipment procurement with extension options, which in the end requires a dedicated source of funding.
Passenger train advocates should continue to pursue the running of Acela-type trains outside the Northeast Corridor on places where track conditions can accommodate them, pulled by diesels until the day we finally adopt electrification nationwide. I can only imagine the quality of service: modern long-distance trains with a sit-down diners and maybe even sleepers a la the Talgo equipment on Spain’s Renfe between Barcelona and Geneva. Canada’s VIA should be in on this as well.
—James Churchill, NARP Director
Editor’s Note: Amtrak says that the 130 new cars (sleepers, diners and crew dorms) being ordered for long-distance service will contain design elements borrowed from the Acela, including the large windows.
Posted by Malcolm Kenton
Tags: acela, amtrak, equipment, james churchill, long-distance trains, national network, northeast corridor, railcar design,Amtrak High-Speed Rail VP talks about the future of the NEC
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Amtrak’s Al Engel, the recently appointed vice president of high-speed rail, talks with CNN Money’s Poppy Harlow about the future of HSR on the Northeast Corridor.
In response to questions about the $117 billion price tag for Amtrak’s ambitious blueprint for the NEC, Engel replied:
“It’s a 25 year-minimum construction project, so we’re only talking $5 billion a year. But think about the GDP of this region. It’s $3 trillion [annually].”
It was an impressive media debut for an Amtrak executive who is sure to be getting a lot of attention in the coming years.
Posted by NARP
Tags: al engel, amtrak, high-speed rail, northeast corridor,Overdue Bridge Replacement is Collateral Damage from Tunnel Cancellation
Monday, November 29, 2010
Collateral damage resulting from New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s final cancellation of the ARC trans-Hudson River rail project on October 27 includes the still undecided fate of the Hackensack River crossing between Newark and New York City—the Portal Bridge Capacity Enhancement Project (PBCEP).
The existing century-old Portal Bridge—part of the busiest intercity passenger rail line in the country—has deteriorated to the point where replacement is necessary to avoid a potential disaster. New twin spans were designed to address not only the replacement of the original two-track structure on the Washington-New York-Boston Northeast Corridor (NEC) in New Jersey’s Kearny meadowlands, but also to provide additional track capacity for the new two-track Hudson rail tunnel which was to lead into the six track (three track over three track) “deep cavern” New Jersey Transit-only terminal some two hundred feet below Manhattan’s 34th Street.
The north span consisted of three tracks and was to be used principally for Amtrak intercity and NJT NEC trains that would continue to use the current New York Penn Station. The south span, which was configured for two tracks, was mainly for tracks leading to the 34th Street terminal; it was for NJT non-NEC services and was designed to allow the 26 dual-mode locomotives, now on order, to be used on those NJT lines beyond where catenary stopped.
Portal became an issue of hot contention during the time the project’s fate was uncertain. The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) clearly stated that for the ARC tunnels to handle 25 trains per hour, Portal would have to be completed before, or contemporaneously with, the Hudson rail tunnels. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and other federal officials considered ARC and Portal two separate entities; New Jersey did not because the state would have to find matching funding sources. The numbers LaHood gave the Governor for ARC in their Friday, October 8 meeting were $9.8 billion (assuming a 10% probability that the cost would not be exceeded), $10.9 billion (a 40% - 50% probability) and $12.7 billion (an 83% probability). While the press picked up on the low probability number, the Governor was looking at his state’s worst exposure; good business practices would dictate at least the adoption of a mid-range figure.
Posted by Albert L Papp Jr.
Tags: amtrak, arc tunnel, chris christie, hackensack river, new jersey, new york city, northeast corridor, portal bridge,House Transportation Committee Visits New York City
Friday, January 28, 2011
Yesterday I participated in a roundtable discussion of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee (T&I) about Northeast Corridor high speed rail in the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of New York State (MTA) boardroom. This followed a morning formal hearing on the northeast balcony of adjacent Grand Central Terminal. That in turn followed a Wednesday afternoon train ride on Acela Express from Washington during a blizzard. Amtrak officials briefed committee members during the trip.
For the roundtable, other participants included Amtrak President Joseph Boardman and Vice President Al Engel, Anne Stubbs of the Coalition of Northeast Governors, Petra Todorovich of America 2050 and representing the Business Alliance for Northeast Mobility, Andy Kunz of the U.S. High Speed Rail Association, four private finance practitioners and several members of the T&I Committee led by Chairman John Mica (R-FL). Partial list of participating committee members is at the bottom of this entry.
Mica is a strong supporter of developing true high-speed rail in the Northeast Corridor (NEC), and involving private investors in the effort. There was much discussion about Amtrak’s $117 billion NEC Vision (new double-track, true high-speed Boston-Washington railroad), the multi-agency $52 billion NEC Infrastructure Master Plan, and the relationship between them. There is an $8.3 billion overlap between the Vision and the Plan, so the cost of doing both is around $161 billion instead of $169 billion. The Master Plan brings the NEC to a state of good repair “and provide[s] sufficient capacity to meet estimated ridership demand through 2030.” Boardman said doing the Vision, besides significantly improving travel times, would “give us capacity far into the future.”
For Mica, the Vision’s 2040 target completion date is far too distant. He said, “We’ll figure out a way to speed this up.” In the present budgetary environment, he emphasized that the federal government will not put up anywhere near $117 billion. The financial expert on hand with high speed rail experience was Kent Rowey, partner with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP. He said that public funding of the Taiwan’s bullet train project was 95% while private participation was 5%, which the state either has repaid or will repay. This led Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) to observe, “It’s clear that there’s no free lunch; getting high speed rail is going to require a huge federal investment.”
Mica then deftly turned the meeting over to the host, MTA Chairman Jay H. Walder, for an eloquent presentation on how transportation makes Manhattan possible, with special emphasis on Second Avenue Subway and the East Side Access project (bringing Long Island Rail Road trains into Grand Central). Committee members and staff got a tour of the latter at the rise of the meeting.
The participating committee members included full committee ranking member Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV), Reps. Bill Shuster (R-PA) and Corrine Brown (D-FL), chair and ranking member of the Railroads subcommittee; Larry Bucshon (R-IN); Chip Cravaack (R-MN); Jeff Denham (R-CA); Bob Gibbs (R-OH); Pat Meehan (R-PA); Nadler; and Tom Reed (R-NY).
—Ross Capon
Posted by NARP
Tags: congress, grand central terminal, high-speed rail, house transportation & infrastructure committee, jerrold nadler, john mica, new york city, northeast corridor, passenger trains,Capon’s Statement to House Transportation Committee
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
Below, reconstructed from notes and memory, is what I said when Chairman Mica invited me to speak at his roundtable in the MTA Board Room on Thursday, January 27. (I did not quote all the numbers in the table, only the average speeds. The top speed in the UK is 125 mph; the only exception is the Eurostar London-Channel Tunnel route (185 mph).
Petra Todorovich, whose testimony I seconded at the outset, serves as Director, America 2050, on the staff of Regional Plan Association, and was representing the Business Alliance for Northeast Mobility.
We strongly endorse the testimony of Petra Todorovich, and join her in emphasizing the importance of continuing to progress the existing Northeast Corridor to a state of good repair and beyond, as provided for in the multi-agency Northeast Corridor Infrastructure Master Plan. The country will not be well served if the Corridor fails apart while we are talking about the vision of a brand new railroad.
One immediate concern is replacement of the elderly Northeast Corridor bridge over the Hackensack River (“Portal”) a few miles west of here. This was to have been replaced in conjunction with the now-defunct ARC project. We are not sure but fear that the Portal project died with the ARC, which will present a huge problem if what is supposed to be a movable bridge stops moving.
Passengers want reliability, attractive trains, and—especially for business travel—reasonable speed. It is worth noting that the highly-regarded Virgin trains in the UK have relatively modest average speeds, as does the Keystone Corridor which has received much favorable comment today.
Posted by Malcolm Kenton
Tags: amtrak, average speeds, british passenger trains, high-speed rail, house transportation & infrastructure, john mica, keystone service, narp, northeast corridor, passenger trains, portal bridge, ross capon, testimony,Amtrak and NARP Celebrate 40 Years of working together
Friday, April 22, 2011
Amtrak unveiled the schedule for it’s 40th Anniversary Exhibit Train this week, which will be touring the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast this summer. Its inaugural stop will be at Washington Union Station on National Train Day (May 7).
The exhibit will include converted cars showcasing Amtrak’s entire history, with interiors and memorabilia from the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, and 2000’s.
NARP is pleased to announce that it will be part of this exciting event, with its own exhibit within the train itself. We will honor Amtrak’s 40 years of serving American passengers, describe NARP’s support for train travel for all Americans, and showcase the future of American train travel, including super modern high speed trains.
Kids can visit Chuggington Station and participate in a number of fun and educational activities. Help to color in a giant Amtrak birthday card featuring the Chuggington characters, and enter to win fun prizes.
Make sure to check out updates of Amtrak’s 40th Anniversary Train as they become available on Amtrak’s website.
NARP members are strongly encouraged to bring family and friends to this event. Members willing to volunteer may contact Mary at NARP headquarters (202-408-8362), or by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Amtrak has announced the following stops:
- Washington, DC (May 7)
- Lorton, VA (May 14 - 15)
- Baltimore, MD (May 21 - 22)
- Philadelphia, PA (May 28 - 29)
- Perryville, MD (Jun 4 - 5)
- Harrisburg, PA (Jun 11 - 12)
- Strasburg, PA (Jun 18 - 19, 25 - 26)
- Springfield, MA (Jul 9 - 10)
- New Haven, CT (Jul 16 - 17)
- New London, CT (Jul 23 - 24)
- Providence, RI (Jul 30 - 31)
[Check here for details on each station]
Posted by NARP
Tags: 40th anniversary train, amtrak, national train day, northeast corridor,Radio show features NARP President and Amtrak V.P.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
NARP President Ross Capon, along with Amtrak Vice President for Policy and Development Stephen Gardner, discussed what it will take to give more Americans an alternative to the ever-rising costs and hassles of driving on Midday with Dan Rodricks on WYPR, Baltimore’s public radio station.
Capon’s main argument, which Gardner largely echoed, is that policymakers’ decisions in where transportation money is spent have led to the car being the mode of choice for the vast majority of trips in the United States. If there were a better balance between trains, roads and aviation, then the train would be the most sensible choice for many trips, and ticket prices and service levels (frequencies and travel times) would reflect this. Our current situation is mainly because of “public policy ... practically bribing people to drive.”
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“Some of the rhetoric that’s been used has created the image of TGV [French high-speed] trains going everywhere,” Capon said. “And the money [the US government] has invested is not enough to do that. It is enough to make a lot of improvements that have been badly needed. ... The problem we see now is, with some people in America wanting to cut everything they see in terms of spending.”
Multiple callers and online commenters complained about high ticket prices on the Northeast Corridor. Capon explained that Amtrak’s capacity is limited by the number of cars they have, and that the federal government requires Amtrak to charge what the market will bear to minimize the amount of operating assistance needed. Amtrak continues to fill its trains despite the high prices, making it difficult to justify lowering fares for what many consider to be a superior product. In California and the Midwest, however, fares are very reasonable since the states have policies of providing enough operating support to Amtrak so that attractive fares can be offered.
Gardner followed by saying that Amtrak is a victim of its own success, but is in the process of buying new equipment to increase capacity and is offering special low fares on Northeast Regional trains for 14 or more days’ advance purchased tickets.
Towards the end, another caller asked what the average person can do to push for better train service. Besides becoming one of the growing number of NARP members, Capon said “Let your Governors know that you support investment in trains, and the same thing with your two US Senators and your Congressman, and perhaps also your Mayor and local business leaders, ask them to send the same message to top political figures. Because we still live in a democracy.”
—Malcolm Kenton
Posted by Malcolm Kenton
Tags: amtrak, baltimore, northeast corridor, passenger trains, radio interview, ross capon, stephen gardner, ticket prices, transportation, us public policy, wypr,Key Congressman: Amtrak is “a lifeline” and “an engine of economic growth”
Thursday, June 09, 2011
Threatened with yet another round of starvation-level funding, Amtrak is in desperate need of more champions on Capitol Hill. Amtrak is fortunate, for the first time in its history, to have steady backing from the White House and the Secretary of Transportation. Now, with a column in The Hill newspaper (a free daily publication circulated to all Congressional offices and around Washington), the Ranking Member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee offers a passionate defense of the nation’s passenger railroad.
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Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV), whose southern West Virginia district is served by one Amtrak train just three days a week, understands the economic development potential that world-class passenger train service offers to rural and urban communities alike. “I have long advocated for the return of daily Cardinal service because it is a lifeline for rural communities and an engine of economic growth for the region,” he writes.
Responding to T&I Committee Chairman John Mica’s (R-FL) proposal that the Northeast Corridor be siphoned off from Amtrak and run by a private company, Rahall explains, “Private companies did not want to run passenger rail service [at the time Amtrak was created], and there is very little evidence they want to do so now.”
Posted by Malcolm Kenton
Tags: amtrak cardinal, amtrak funding, amtrak privatization, northeast corridor, rep. nick rahall, the hill newspaper, transportation investment, west virginia,Sununu Would Curtail Americans’ Freedom of Mobility
Wednesday, September 07, 2011
NARP President Ross Capon penned the following in response to this Boston Globe op-ed by former U.S. Senator John Sununu (R-NH):
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To the editor of The Boston Globe:
You wouldn’t guess from John Sununu’s cherry-picked data (“Off the rails on Amtrak’s crazy train,” Sept. 5) that Northeast Corridor (NEC) capital investments consume $350 million annually—25% of Amtrak’s federal funding. This excludes heavy overhauls on NEC rolling stock and work on the $100+ billion plan for a new Boston-Washington high speed line.
Instead, Sununu implies that long-distance trains consume the bulk of Amtrak’s federal grants. He calls NEC trains “profitable,” but this is true only if one leaves out the just-noted infrastructure and rolling stock costs.
He sneers at leisure travel, which should offend the tourism industry. His statement about buying California Zephyr passengers airline tickets reflects ignorance that most passengers use intermediate stations, many with astronomical air fares or no air service. Also, many Americans cannot fly or drive.
The long-distance trains—the only Amtrak trains in 22 states—are valuable both in their own right and in facilitating start-ups of shorter-distance services. To end them would be to deny Americans the freedom to avoid the growing costs, congestion, and hassles of highway and air travel. It also would be a statement of federal disinterest in rural travel. America’s energy-efficient passenger railroad is too valuable to be torn apart.
Posted by Malcolm Kenton
Tags: amtrak, amtrak funding, boston globe, john sununu, long-distance trains, mobility, northeast corridor, tourism, travel costs,NJ-ARP meets to discuss future of NEC
Monday, November 14, 2011
The New Jersey Association of Railroad Passengers’ (NJ-ARP) Annual Meeting convened on Saturday, November 12, 2011 at the historic Farnsworth House in Bordentown, New Jersey. Guest speakers included Amtrak’s Drew Galloway, Vice President of Policy & Development, and NARP’s Vice President Sean Jeans-Gail.
You can read the minutes and NJ-ARP’s President’s message after the jump.
Posted by NARP
Tags: bordentown, california, drew galloway, hsr, new jersey, nj-arp, northeast corridor,©2010 National Association of Railroad Passengers | » NARP website
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