(Note: links to the report are available at the bottom of this release)
Washington, DC, January 15, 2008 — The National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) lent its support to the recommendations for passenger rail outlined in Transportation for Tomorrow, the plan issued today by the bipartisan National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission.
“This long-awaited report takes a hard look at the quality-of-life, economic, environmental, and energy consequences of our current transportation policy and maps out a realistic strategy to address current and upcoming needs,” said Ross Capon, executive director of NARP and a member of the Passenger Rail Working Group.
Capon noted that the passenger rail portion of Transportation for Tomorrow builds on a proposal introduced in June of 2007 by NARP, the largest citizen-based organization advocating for rail passengers. NARP called on America’s elected officials and policymakers to support a nationwide “Grid and Gateway” train network. NARP’s vision also includes improved linkages between airports and intercity rail, a concept where the U.S. lags as far behind Europe as in passenger rail development generally. A map of the proposed “Grid and Gateway” network and information on its benefits are available here on our website.
Transportation for Tomorrow incorporates many of the ideas and routes presented in NARP’s “Grid and Gateway” proposal. Transportation for Tomorrow also recommends upgrades in frequencies and speeds on specific corridors, phases in proposed rail expansions over several years, and proposes funding mechanisms to implement this vision. NARP singled out specific elements of Transportation for Tomorrow for support, including:
Comprehensive recitation of the benefits of passenger rail, including for smaller communities with little or no other access to public transport, as well as more commonly cited factors such as the ability to provide travel choices where roads and airports are congested and to increase the energy efficiency and reduce the negative environmental impacts of U.S. transportation overall;
Passenger train maps, though “for illustrative purposes only,” embracing the concept that all forms of intercity passenger train services should expand;
Recognition that both passenger and freight trains are vital components of the national transportation system;
Legislative and funding proposals that would level the playing field among transportation options and allow rational planning and decision making across transportation modes.
“We particularly appreciate the report’s recognition of the importance of serving both urban cores and rural communities,” said Capon. “Polls and studies repeatedly demonstrate that Americans want more passenger trains.”
Capon thanked the Commission, especially Wisconsin Secretary of Transportation Frank Busalacchi, who served as chair of the Commission’s Passenger Rail Working Group.
About NARP
NARP is the largest citizen-based organization advocating for train and rail transit passengers. We have worked since 1967 to expand the quality and quantity of passenger rail in the U.S. Our mission is to work towards a modern, customer-focused national passenger train network that provides a travel choice Americans want. Our work is supported by over 23,000 individual members.
New Orleans, LA --The Sunset Marketing and Revitalization Team (SMART), a grassroots, passenger rail advocacy group, hosted its first formal meeting at the Union Passenger Terminal in New Orleans.
Formed as a citizen-based movement in 2007, and patterned after the Texas Eagle Marketing and Performance Organization (TEMPO) that has advocated for and improved service in the heartland, SMART seeks to bring citizens, policymakers, and local business leaders together to improve and expand passenger trains along the Gulf Coast.
“SMART came together because people across the southern tier of the United States are puzzled and dismayed that Amtrak keeps postponing decisions on the future of the Sunset Limited,” said Matthew Melzer, Communications Associate for the National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP), one of the founding members of SMART. The Sunset Limited, which normally runs between Los Angeles and Orlando, was truncated at New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and its eastern segment never reinstated despite restoration of rail lines by CSX Transportation.
“Today’s trackage is superior to what existed pre-Katrina, citizen demand continues high, and yet Amtrak has not restored the service, leaving entire communities stranded with no easy access to alternatives and at the mercy of $3 per gallon gas prices,” said Melzer, who noted that communities between New Orleans and Orlando would benefit from the nationwide access afforded by reliable, efficient passenger rail service.
Annual ridership on the Sunset Limited grew 22.1% for the 2007 fiscal year. Restoring service to its pre-Katrina level would let tens of thousands more Americans take part in this renaissance. Before Katrina, the New Orleans-Orlando segment accounted for 28% of route miles, but 39% of ridership and 41% of revenue.
SMART welcomed at the meeting representatives from Amtrak, hoping to build a constructive relationship with all Sunset Limited stakeholders. SMART was also honored to welcome John Robert Smith, Mayor of Meridian, MS and former Amtrak board chairman, as well as Karen Parsons, Executive Director of the Southern Rapid Rail Transit Commission and Gwenn Voigts, President of the Pass Christian, MS Chamber of Commerce.
Several representatives from TEMPO were also at the meeting. TEMPO celebrated its tenth anniversary last year after a decade of leveraging a broad coalition between passenger rail, civic, and business interests to not only save Amtrak’s Texas Eagle, but improve onboard amenities, upgrade stations, and improve both schedule and performance of the service that connects Chicago, San Antonio, and Los Angeles.
TEMPO’s work has also led to restoration of train stations along the Texas Eagle route, helping towns to leverage their stations as points of civic pride and historical importance, while boosting the appeal for potential tourists and making the train travel option more inviting and hospitable for local residents.
“It will take a concerted effort by all communities and leaders along the route in order to bring about a resumption and improvement of Sunset service,” said Richard L. Wright, member of SMART.
Melzer praised the efforts of groups such as SMART and TEMPO. “Americans in cities large and small overwhelmingly favor having the passenger train option in their communities, and these grassroots citizen teams are effective in highlighting the benefits,” noted Melzer. “Politicians have realized that passenger trains provide a bi-partisan solution for our nation’s crises in energy and mobility, and citizens of the Sunset Limited route stand to enjoy improved mobility and an enhanced quality of life when Amtrak service improves to pre-Katrina levels and beyond.”
“While the Administration’s funding recommendations released today for Amtrak are disappointing, they are not surprising, given this Administration’s eight-year lack of vision for a balanced transportation network and most recent hostility to the recommendations of the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission (NSTPRSC), a federal blue ribbon panel.
“Ignoring the recommendations of the NSTPRSC, polls and referenda around the country showing that Americans want passenger trains as a travel choice, and support from Congress, President Bush again has proposed to dismantle the national train system with a shutdown budget of $800 million, a figure $525 million below this year’s budget of $1.325 billion.
“By proposing a 40% cut in Amtrak funds, the Administration would reduce the American people’s travel choices in an era of rising gas prices, concerns about the environment, and hours of lost productivity due to highway and aviation congestion.
“The President’s recommendations mean that, once again, Congress will be called on to provide adequate funds for intercity passenger trains. In recent years, strong bipartisan majorities have rejected proposed Amtrak funding cuts; the Senate passed the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act on a 70-22 vote in October.
“With proper leadership from the Administration, we could develop a train system Americans would be proud of. Last June, NARP introduced a vision for a grid-and-gateway network of interconnected transportation options. This vision was broadly endorsed by the NSTPRSC, which recommended replacing the current annual appropriations charade with a stable, integrated fund that would enable rational planning. The expanded passenger train network that Americans need is eminently reachable in the next few decades if we begin to put the pieces into place now.
“Let’s hope the next president recognizes that integration of passenger trains into a comprehensive national transportation policy will be crucial to preserving and expanding transportation choices for our citizens now and for years to come.”
About NARP
NARP is the largest citizen-based organization advocating for train and rail transit passengers. We have worked since 1967 to expand the quality and quantity of passenger rail in the U.S. Our mission is to work towards a modern, customer-focused national passenger train network that provides a travel choice Americans want. Our work is supported by over 23,000 individual members.
Washington, D.C., February 13, 2008—In an open letter to Amtrak released today, the National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) praised Amtrak’s decision to reinstate its “Coast Starlight” train between Los Angeles and Sacramento. The Association also urged the railroad to restore the entire run to Seattle by March 4, using buses for the Klamath Falls-Eugene segment if tracks closed by a January mud slide remain impassable.
NARP’s letter expressed concern “about the impact of no service for an indefinite period north of Sacramento. A prolonged Starlight service outage
inconveniences passengers-—likely working a severe hardship on many;
means continued loss of nearly 90% of the Starlight’s normal revenues;
depresses revenues on the rest of the system, since so many Starlight passengers connect with other Amtrak trains; and
harms the Thruway business partners that let the Starlight serve Vancouver, British Columbia, via bus to and from Seattle, and a number of Oregon communities via connections at Klamath Falls, Chemult and Eugene.”
For a few days after the mud slide closed Union Pacific’s main line near Frazier, Oregon, Amtrak maintained service by running Los Angeles-Klamath Falls and Portland-Seattle trains and Klamath Falls-Portland buses. After that, Amtrak suspended the entire “Coast Starlight” service.
In its letter, NARP urged Amtrak to immediately resume selling Starlight travel for March 4 and later dates. The letter said, “With the limited service that Amtrak is currently providing, the only route between the Pacific Northwest and California is via Chicago, which is unacceptable. Amtrak, as the nation’s only interstate passenger rail operator, has a responsibility to serve as much of this important rail route as possible.”
NARP’s letter further noted that the “Starlight” serves a large number of universities and colleges, and spring break is fast approaching. An announcement about restored service and resumed ticket sales will be important to those looking to make travel plans soon.
On its fortieth anniversary last year, NARP proposed a grid-and-gateway networked train system that would connect cities and communities across America and would provide for alternative service when emergencies such as this arise. That vision for America, and a map illustrating possible routes, are at www.narprail.org/vision. NARP’s proposal influenced the recommendations of a blue-ribbon federal commission in January, which fleshed out this vision with financing and legislative proposals, and called for more comprehensive and rational transportation investment decisions.
“The Coast Starlight situation reiterates the importance of a comprehensive national train network,” said Capon. “Amtrak needs to recognize the huge damage of lost revenues, plan carefully, resume serving customers and earning that revenue, and stop being paralyzed by the fear that something might go wrong.”
The Coast Starlight is widely acknowledged as one of Amtrak’s most important overnight routes. It is the only north-south route west of the Mississippi River and it is used by passengers connecting with other Amtrak routes. The routes which directly connect with the Starlight are the Empire Builder, California Zephyr, Southwest Chief, Sunset Limited, and California’s San Joaquins and Pacific Surfliners.
About NARP
NARP is the largest citizen-based organization advocating for train and rail transit passengers. We have worked since 1967 to expand the quality and quantity of passenger rail in the U.S. Our mission is to work towards a modern, customer-focused national passenger train network that provides a travel choice Americans want. Our work is supported by over 23,000 individual members.
Washington, D.C. March 13, 2008—As the 2008 Railroad Day opened on Capitol Hill, the National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) renewed its call to Congress to invest in a comprehensive, multi-modal transportation system that includes passenger trains.
“Railroad Day provides an opportunity to emphasize that a variety of sectors rely on a strong and vital rail system, as well as to reiterate the interconnectivity between strong freight and passenger rail systems,” said Ross Capon, executive director of NARP.
NARP will be visiting Members of Congress as part of Railroad Day delegations to urge Congress to:
Enact the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act. S. 294, approved by the Senate on a 70-22 vote, contains both Amtrak funding and a new federal/state partnership program for passenger train development that will help implement NARP’s vision for the future of American transportation.
Reject President Bush’s inadequate 2009 budget proposal for passenger trains. The Administration’s funding proposal for Amtrak is a 40% cut from the prior year and according to Capon, “disregards Americans’ concerns about rising gas prices, the environment, and hours of lost productivity due to highway and aviation congestion.”
Include set-asides for passenger trains in climate change legislation. Despite data from Oak Ridge National Laboratory indicating that Amtrak uses 21% less energy per passenger mile than cars and 15% less than airplanes, passenger trains are given short shrift or ignored in both major climate change bills in the Senate.
Support tax credits for all railroads. These credits help finance capital improvements to increase the efficiency, speed and reliability of rail networks for both passenger and freight trains. A three-year tax credit program for smaller (Class II and III) railroads expired December 31, 2007.
On its 40th anniversary last year, NARP proposed a grid-and-gateway networked train system that would connect cities and communities across America on rail lines already in existence or already planned, and would provide for alternative service when emergencies such as this arise. That vision for America, and a map illustrating possible routes, can be found at www.narprail.org/vision.
NARP’s proposal also influenced the report released in January by the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission (NSTPRSC). That report, “Transportation for Tomorrow,” detailed legislative and financing recommendations to ensure sustained and balanced investment in various critical modes of transportation, including rail.
Washington, D.C. April 1, 2008—The National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) today urged NJ TRANSIT (NJT) to keep public needs in mind and restore earlier designs of its proposed Hudson River railroad tunnels.
In testimony delivered to a federally-required NJT hearing on a Supplementary Draft Environmental Impact Statement on the “Trans-Hudson Express Tunnel,” NARP executive director Ross Capon joined other citizen advocates by arguing that “it is essential that New York City’s existing Pennsylvania Station be accessible from the new tunnels. NJT abandoned this accessibility in a June 2007 project redesign, the rationale for which has been kept secret.”
Capon said, “Today’s security-conscious world cries out for the redundancy that NJT’s earlier design offered.”
Capon urged officials to consider the implications of temporary or extended closure of the existing Amtrak-owned tunnels used by both Amtrak and NJT trains. If the present plan is adopted, existing intercity trains could not operate nor could prospective inter-regional services like Trenton-Stamford.
Capon noted that not only would the project provide no additional intercity slots at Penn Station, it also precludes future investments aimed at providing such slots even though New York City is widely recognized as the nation’s “number one market where expanded intercity train service would help address demands for air service that are bumping up against airport and airspace capacity limits.”
In a separate statement, Albert L. Papp Jr., director and recording secretary of the New Jersey Association of Railroad Passengers said, “Simply put, this once outstanding regionally comprehensive plan has devolved into nothing more than a six track ‘deep cavern’ annex to New York Penn Station beneath 34th Street for use ONLY by NJT trains.”
Similarly, Bruce B. Becker, president of the Empire State Passengers Association (ESPA) opposed the plan and urged NJT and Federal Transit Administration to advance the direct connection between the new Hudson River tunnels and Penn Station tracks and platforms described in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement issued in February 2007. ESPA also called for restarting the planning and environmental studies for a direct track connection between Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal, described as “Alternative G” in the Major Investment Study (MIS) phase of the planning process.”
About NARP
NARP is the largest citizen-based organization advocating for train and rail transit passengers. We have worked since 1967 to expand the quality and quantity of passenger rail in the U.S. Our mission is to work towards a modern, customer-focused national passenger train network that provides a travel choice Americans want. Our work is supported by 24,000 individual members.
Washington, D.C. April 10, 2008—Citing mobility and security needs for the nation’s most populated region, the National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) issued an open letter to Governors Jon Corzine (NJ) and David Paterson (NY) yesterday. It requests their intervention to urge NJ TRANSIT to restore a planned physical track connection between the proposed and current rail tunnels under the Hudson River.
In its $7.6 billion Access to the Region’s Core plan for the Trans-Hudson Express tunnel, NJ TRANSIT is proposing reconfiguration of tracks that will limit operational flexibility, especially in the event of an emergency. The new plans call for dead-end trackage deep underground, separate from existing New York Pennsylvania Station (NYP) tracks, eliminating a rail link that had been incorporated in earlier plans. This precludes use of the new tunnels for cross-New York City services, leaving Amtrak and future commuter rail services dependent on the existing pair of century-old tunnels.
The letter, signed by Ross Capon, the Association’s Executive Director, noted that New York City’s own police chief just this week spotlighted NYP as a critical but vulnerable transit hub. NARP’s letter stated, “a key security priority for NYP should be to eliminate the vulnerability associated with its dependence on two 100-year-old tunnels.”
“We appreciate the difficulties inherent in any major construction project in Manhattan. We understand that what we suggest might take longer to get done, and may cost more to build. But the costs of not linking the new tunnels with existing NYP far outweigh the technical difficulties and costs of creating the link, which we believe have been overstated,” NARP wrote in its letter.
In testimony delivered to an NJ TRANSIT hearing on April 1, Capon joined other citizen advocates by arguing that it is essential that New York City’s existing Penn Station be accessible from the new tunnels. Capon noted that NJ TRANSIT abandoned this accessibility in a June 2007 project redesign.
Washington, D.C. April 16, 2008—Citing a missed opportunity to propose real solutions to climate change that would help both our environment and our economy, the National Association of Railroad Passengers criticized today’s address by President Bush and urged that balanced transportation policy be a key element in climate change legislation.
“The President has a goal of halting the growth of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States by 2025. His goal is inadequate and his methods for reaching it ring hollow,” said NARP Executive Director Ross Capon.
“The framework he proposed today ignores a key problem: The United States, with just 4.5% of the world’s population, uses 25% of the world’s oil; the U.S. imports about 60% of its oil, according to the Pew Center on Global Climate Change.” The U.S. transportation sector alone emits more CO2 than the entire economy of any other country in the world except China (US Public Interest Research Group). Environmental Protection Agency data show that over 60% of CO2 emissions from U.S. transportation in 2005 came from personal automobiles.
Automobiles account for 40% of U.S. oil consumption, so U.S. automobiles cause about 10% of worldwide oil consumption.
Capon noted, “With an expanded national passenger train network, Americans could shift to—-or expand use of—-an attractive, energy-efficient travel choice that is environmentally sound, reducing both their carbon output and U.S. dependence on foreign oil.
“The President’s desire to reduce carbon output in the energy sector is laudable, but his focus too narrow. NARP urges President Bush and Congress to include, as part of any meaningful climate change policy, an emphasis in transportation investment on the most energy-efficient and environmentally sound forms of transportation, including passenger trains and mass transit. Such an emphasis would be consistent with the President’s stated interest in green technology.
“Fuel efficiency offers the most immediate and biggest potential for reducing CO2 emissions from transportation over the next three decades, partly because we are so far from developing advanced, low-carbon technologies to replace oil-based transportation energy. The emissions reduction policy measure that will have the most immediate impact is the one that will make greater use of the most fuel/carbon efficient transportation.”
Washington D.C., April 30, 2008—The National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) announced today that U.S. Representative John Olver (D-MA) is a recipient of the 2008 George Falcon Golden Spike Award. The award honors individuals for their contributions to the advancement of passenger rail.
Olver is chairman of, and former ranking member on, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies.
“He has consistently been an articulate voice in favor of a balanced transportation system in which passenger trains play a growing role,” said NARP Executive Director Ross Capon.
Chairman Olver said, “I am honored to receive this award. First as the Ranking Member of the transportation appropriations subcommittee, and now as the Chairman, I have looked for ways to ensure that intercity passenger rail plays an integral part of our nation’s transportation policy. Our population has reached record levels, and the challenges created by this growth – congested highways and airspace, increased travel delays, and environmental degradation – are clear. It should also be clear that we cannot build our way out of these mobility problems with new roads and airports alone. Intercity passenger rail must be part of the solution.”
Chairman Olver’s work has been particularly appreciated by NARP, which last June introduced a vision for a grid-and-gateway network of interconnected transportation options that would encourage and link state corridor projects such as those championed by Congressman Olver. This vision was broadly endorsed by a federal blue-ribbon commission, which additionally recommended funding and legislative options that would help implement this network.
“The expanded passenger train network that Americans need is eminently reachable in the next few decades if we begin to put the pieces into place now – and Congressman Olver is helping put those pieces into place,” said Capon.
The Association presents George Falcon Golden Spike Awards to honor individuals, usually public officials, for their support for a fully developed train network and leadership in promoting rail development. A complete list of past winners is available here.
The award is named for George Falcon, a Los Angeles area publisher and early member of NARP, who created the award.
Washington D.C., April 30, 2008—The family of Dr. Gary Burch and the National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) announced today that Detective John “Jake” Mumford, a resident of California’s Bay Area, has won the 2008 Dr. Gary Burch Memorial Safety Award.
The award, which honors individuals who have significantly enhanced rail passenger safety, is sponsored by the family of Dr. Burch, who died in a 1991 passenger train derailment in South Carolina. “Because security and safety go hand-in-hand, it is a particular honor for us to be able to spotlight the efforts of Detective Mumford this year,” said Bette Burch.
An employee of Amtrak detailed to provide security services for California’s Capitol Corridor, Mumford was selected for his outstanding commitment to policing one of the heaviest-traveled passenger corridors in the country. The Capitol Corridor connects San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose and the Sacramento area.
“Detective Mumford carries out his duties with a smile, with authority and with a helping hand,” said Eugene Skoropowski, managing director of the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority, which operates the Capitol Corridors.
Mumford has been praised in passenger surveys for his customer-friendly outreach. He has also received accolades from police departments for his ability to foster cooperation and coordination among various public safety departments, including local law enforcement agencies, Union Pacific Railroad Police, Amtrak Police, and Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Police.
Skoropowski singled out Mumford’s recent work assisting in the investigation, apprehension, and prosecution of local gang members who had terrorized communities along the track and attacked a Capitol Corridor train crew last year.
The Burch family established the $1,000 award in 1994 and has sponsored it ever since. This year, the family noted other noteworthy nominees in addition to that for Detective Mumford:
The BNSF Railway Seattle Commuter Operations team, which developed an innovative and aggressive safety plan;
Amtrak Mechanical Superintendent Bernard Campbell, who established new procedures and protocols to ensure rail car and station safety in Washington D.C.;
Amtrak’s Southwest Division Cross-Functional Safety Team, for initiating which initiated an in-depth safety study resulting in recommendations that sharply reduced passenger risks on the Pacific Surfliner, and
Daniel Corcoran, who as manager of Signal Projects in Chicago for the Union Pacific Railroad developed a safety device for disabling and reestablishing railroad crossing protections affected by track work.
Washington D.C., April 30, 2008—The National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) announced today that U.S. Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR) is a recipient of the 2008 George Falcon Golden Spike Award. The award honors individuals for their contributions to the advancement of passenger rail.
Senator Smith has been a strong supporter of passenger train development, both intercity and commuter. He played a key role in advancing the Westside Express Service Commuter Rail Project-—diesel powered trains that will connect with and extend the reach of the Portland MAX light rail system in Washington County. Oregon. The senator also has worked to bring parties together in an effort to save freight train service on Oregon’s threatened Coos Bay line.
Last June, NARP introduced a vision for a grid-and-gateway network of interconnected transportation options that would encourage and link state corridor projects such as those that have blossomed in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. NARP’s vision was broadly endorsed by the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission, which additionally recommended funding and legislative options that would help implement this network.
Restoration of service between Portland, Eastern Oregon points, and Boise/Salt Lake City/the East is in both the NARP vision and the Commission’s “2030 intercity passenger rail network” (page 4-23 of the Commission’s December, 2007, report, Transportation for Tomorrow, [click on Chapter 4 here]).
The George Falcon Golden Spike Award honors public officials for their support for a fully developed rail network and leadership in promoting rail development. The award is named for George Falcon, a Los Angeles area publisher and early member of NARP, who created the award. Prior winners include U.S. Senators, Members of Congress, the people of Los Angeles and Baltimore, and individuals who have shown a dedication to and commitment to passenger rail in a way that has advanced a stronger rail network. A complete list of past winners is available here.
Washington D.C., May 7, 2008—With National Train Day celebrations planned across the U.S. Saturday, the National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) renewed its call to Congress, federal policymakers, and state and local governments to support its Grow Trains Campaign, and to fund repair of Amtrak’s idle cars immediately. Durham NH event is Friday.
NARP unveiled the Grow Trains Campaign last year to build support for its grid and gateway vision to achieve a truly intercity national passenger train network. NARP’s vision would vastly expand train routes by connecting major terminals (“gateways”) to long-distance, commuter, and high-speed train services, making up a networked “grid” connecting all major metropolitan areas, providing direct train-airport connections, and expanding track capacity for passenger and freight trains.
NARP and state partners are sponsoring events at train stations nationwide to continue building support for the Grow Trains Campaign and to highlight the role of passenger trains in the economies of local communities and in connecting people and businesses across America.
NARP-sponsored event on Friday, May 9:
New Hampshire: Durham will host an open house in its station on the University of New Hampshire campus Friday, May 9, with participation from TrainRiders/NorthEast, and UNH.
NARP-sponsored events on Saturday, May 10:
California: Sacramento: From 10 AM to 4 PM, the California State Railroad Museum will offer free passes to people who show passes or tickets from Amtrak or the Sacramento River Cats baseball team. The public will be able to walk through an Amtrak California coach.
Emeryville: Activities include model train on display; a train jump house for kids; snacks and raffle prizes courtesy of the Capitol Corridor, 11 AM to 1 PM. The Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority, Caltrans and Amtrak will present the first-ever California Golden STAR Award.
At many other stations throughout the state, volunteer station hosts and rail advocates will greet the public.
Florida: At Tampa’s historic Union Station, Amtrak and rail advocates will welcome visitors with an Amtrak Superliner car to walk through, displays and information from Amtrak and Operation Lifesaver, model trains, and historical societies. The event kicks off with live music at 1 PM and runs until 5:30 PM.
Ohio: Toledo’s station will host exhibits from numerous participating organizations, a model train display, three live bands, a cake-cutting, a drawing for Amtrak tickets and other prizes, and other attractions, 11 AM to 7 PM.
Cincinnati will celebrate the 75th anniversary of its grand Union Terminal; rail advocates and Operation Lifesaver will provide exhibits.
Texas: Marshall: Equipment will be on display and a cake-cutting celebration will accompany signing by local officials of a memorandum of understanding for expansion of service between East Texas and Northern Louisiana, at the Amtrak station, 11 AM to 3 PM.
Both Dallas and Ft. Worth will issue National Train Day proclamations. Bands, festivities, and equipment displays will be at both Amtrak stations, noon to 4 PM.
Washington State: Seattle’s King Street Station, recently acquired by the City of Seattle from BNSF Railway, will host a swing band and Amtrak and Sounder exhibits.
NARP will be present in nearly 20 other cities, including Amtrak’s flagship celebrations at stations in New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Los Angeles. Communities around the country also are hosting events.
Details at www.narprail.org/trainday and www.nationaltrainday.com.
“This year’s festivities come as gasoline price sticker shock is leading more and more people to take the train, but while efforts to expand passenger train capacity are still negligible,” said Ross Capon, executive director of NARP.
Capon added, “Amtrak is heading towards its sixth straight year of ridership growth. Many routes have growth in double digits. With credible projections that the price of oil in two years may rise to $200 a barrel from about $120 today and $60 a year ago, Americans are going to get more and more frustrated if policymakers continue to be slow to address the public’s hunger for more travel choices in general and more trains in particular.”
National Train Day commemorates the Golden Spike ceremony that celebrated completion of the first transcontinental railroad at Promontory Summit, Utah, on May 10, 1869. Information on NARP’s Grow Trains Campaign is at http://www.narprail.org/vision.
