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Jan 27, 2010: Rail Passengers Praise Historic Passenger Train InvestmentsFor Immediate Release (#10-01) January 27, 2010 Contacts: Ross Capon, Sean Jeans-Gail: 202-408-8362 Washington, D.C.—The National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) commends the Obama administration for its historic commitment of $8 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds toward “ready-to-go” projects to revitalize America’s neglected passenger train system. Tomorrow’s awards, reportedly going to projects in 31 states and 13 corridors, make crucial, strategic investments to start construction of a national network of high-speed passenger train corridors. These investments promise to bring Americans freedom to choose an attractive alternative to crowded highways and airports while making it easier for travelers to connect among trains, cars, planes and local transit. The investments will stimulate economic development in on-line communities, with emphasis on pedestrian- and transit-friendly development that supports travelers “freedom to choose” how they get around. We expect to see grants both for some very high speed corridors, and for significant improvements to and additions of conventional services with anticipated top speeds in the medium term between 80 and 110 mph. We look for funding for both infrastructure and rolling stock. NARP urges the administration to further strengthen its commitment by investing at least $4 billion annually for intercity passenger trains. Congress took a first step by including $2.5 billion for high-speed rail in the regular 2010 appropriations law. Twenty-four states demonstrated pent-up demand for intercity passenger-train funding by inundating the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) with 45 applications totaling about $50 billion. In addition, FRA received 214 applications from 34 states totaling $7 billion for corridor planning and smaller projects. (FRA’s October 6 statement is at http://www.fra.dot.gov/us/content/2301) We encourage those states whose projects were not selected to resubmit applications in the future. These submissions reflect strong national support for substantial expansion of passenger train service. NARP addressed this need in its June 2007 “Grid and Gateway” passenger train expansion plan (http://www.narprail.org/vision). This proposal expanded the network to 45,000 miles, equivalent to the Eisenhower Interstate Highway program begun in the 1950s. Importantly, a stable, secure and dedicated source of operational support is needed to assure that federal and state dollars invested in expanding the national rail infrastructure are fully utilized. States have been identified as taking on an expanded role as the principal architects of new corridor rail services. Under existing law, states will be responsible for funding these new offerings, but we believe states need some federal operating assistance. NARP salutes the Obama administration and the Congress for this monumental first step in forging a new beginning for America’s travelers. By putting steel in the nation’s transportation backbone, our leaders are promoting economic development, improving America’s competitive position in the global marketplace, reducing our dependency on foreign oil and providing the essential transportation capacity needed to move people and goods into, out of and between our cities in the next 40 years, during which our population will grow by nearly 140 million people – almost as many as the nation’s total population in 1950. Jan 28, 2010: Comment on Passenger Train Grants Announced TodayFor Immediate Release (#10-02) January 28, 2010 Contacts: Ross Capon, Sean Jeans-Gail: 202-408-8362 As a follow-up to our statement yesterday enthusiastically supporting President Obama’s high speed rail initiative, we offer these preliminary comments on the specific grants that have been announced, followed by some quotations from the Tampa town meeting at which the President and Vice-President spoke earlier this afternoon. For more details on the grants, see the White House summary and more details about each region’s grants. California California High-Speed Rail: $2.25 billion. California has the most advanced process for creating super-high speed rail in the U.S.; this project is awarded $2.25 billion. We have long predicted, and we strongly approve of, California winning the largest share of the $8 billion. California Conventional Corridors, $94 million. The Surfliner and Capitol corridors, already showcases for conventional intercity trains’ potential to woo travelers from crowded highways, will become even more attractive as new and better track infrastructure reduces trip times and allows for more frequency and reliability. Pacific Northwest Cascade Corridor track improvements: $598 million. The attractive Talgo train service here, supported by strong state DOT efforts, is another major success story and thus another solid foundation on which to make further progress—more frequent service with better on-time performance will result from alleviating train congestion between Seattle and Eugene, along with a facelift for Portland’s Union Station. Midwest 110-mph Chicago-St. Louis trains: $1.1 billion. It is appropriate that Chicago-St. Louis takes the biggest prize in terms of upgrading conventional services. A four-hour Chicago-St. Louis running time—together with the Gateway Multimodal Transportation Center that opened in St. Louis in 2008—will set the stage for more frequent, faster and reliable service that will prove a very attractive, all-weather alternative to driving or flying. Bridge and crossover expansion St. Louis to Kansas City: $31 million. The Missouri River Runner—two daily round-trips that have exceeded ridership expectations and achieved dramatic on-time performance gains are poised to build on that success. Wisconsin service enhancements: $822 million. Long-planned direct service between Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s largest city, and Madison, its capital, will get a jumpstart through station refurbishments and positive train control implementation. The successful Chicago-Milwaukee Hiawatha Service gets a reliability boost and better stations. Ohio’s 3-C Corridor: $400 million. The Cleveland-Columbus-Dayton-Cincinnati corridor long has been recognized as one of the most glaring gaps in the nation’s passenger train network. The hard work of Gov. Ted Strickland and Ohio DOT Director Jolene Molitoris (former Federal Railroad Administrator) and many Ohioans is justly rewarded. Detroit-Chicago modernizations: $244 million. The Amtrak-owned third of this route already includes the highest passenger train speeds outside the Northeast. This route long has been recognized for its strong potential. Part of this money will help implement a phase of the crucial CREATE project to smooth the flow of rail traffic through Chicago. Four new crossovers on BNSF’s Ottumwa Subdivision in Iowa: $17 million. These will ease the flow of rail traffic on this piece of the transcontinental line used by Amtrak’s California Zephyr and should improve the train’s reliability. The few existing crossovers are all hand-thrown. Southeast Florida High-Speed Rail: $1.25 billion. Next to California, Florida has arguably done the most work on super-high speed rail and appropriately is the other state to get a grant for such a project. The first phase involves building a new, Tampa-Orlando line largely in the median of Interstate 4. Ultimately, we look for connections between the planned, 150 mph service and other passenger train services, both commuter rail and intercity. 90 mph on North Carolina’s Piedmont corridor: $520 million. What are soon to be three daily Raleigh-Charlotte round-trips will double to six, operating at top speeds of 90 mph thanks to track upgrades and new equipment purchases funded by ARRA. North Carolina has been ahead of the game on passenger rail for nearly 30 years, and its state –level investments will finally get a deserved matching federal commitment. Rail congestion mitigation from Washington, DC, to Raleigh: $100 million. Sidings will be added at three points between Selma, NC and the NC/VA line, as well as a third track on a stretch north of Richmond, reducing bottlenecks that hamper on-time performance on key pieces of the main line used by all Amtrak trains linking Virginia with Charleston, Savannah and Florida. A faster, more reliable Heartland Flyer: $4 million. Grade crossing signal timing improvements between Fort Worth and and the TX/OK line will let the Fort Worth-Oklahoma City train run faster on this stretch. The Texas/Oklahoma/Arkansas region is a key illustration of the need for still greater investment than Congress has provided to date. Northeast Better rides in New York State: $151 million. New tracks, signals, and grade crossing safety enhancements will produce a higher-quality Empire Service, while Rochester and Buffalo-Depew stations will get needed facelifts. Three miles of new track will improve running times on the New York-Montreal Adirondack. Northeast Corridor enhancements: $112 million. Engineering and environmental work for a new tunnel in Baltimore and a new BWI Airport rail station, the latter enhancing intermodal connectivity. Other track work along the line will make travel within the nation’s most densely-populated region even more reliable and safe. In addition to Maryland, work will also be done in Rhode Island, New Jersey, and the District of Columbia. While the nation’s most heavily traveled rail corridor gets only a modest share of the $8 billion, the Northeast has benefitted heavily from Amtrak’s capital program, from the Northeast Corridor Improvement Project, and most recently from its share of the $1.3 billion that Amtrak received in the Recovery Act. Downeaster extension to Brunswick, Maine: $35 million. This will produce a near-term service expansion, extending this popular service further east. Keystone Corridor grade crossing elimination: $27 million. This removes the three remaining highway grade crossings from the 110-mph, electrified Philadelphia-Harrisburg line, improving safety and security. There is also planning money for extending frequent service to Pittsburgh. More direct Vermonter route and track enhancements: $120 million. Restoring the direct Springfield, MA-Brattleboro, VT route through Northampton will improve running times for this Vermont-funded train, as will further upgrades to the New England Central Railroad in Vermont, resulting in an eventual savings of 90 minutes off of the current New Haven-St. Albans travel time. New Haven-Springfield double-tracking: $40 million. Adding a new segment of second main track will improve reliability and speed for Hartford and Springfield travelers on Regionals and the Vermonter, while facilitating establishment of commuter service on the line. Planning studies At least $6 million was granted for states to do planning for future service in 11 states. These include extending electrification from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh, PA, and fully double-tracking the line from Chicago to St. Louis. Some planning money was given to states that currently lack rail programs within their Departments of Transportation: Alabama, Georgia, Kansas and West Virginia. NARP will work with out partners in these states to make sure that these studies lead to the development of rail expertise in these states’ DOTs, and to secure the funding to begin to implement the planned projects. Excerpts from today’s town hall meeting at the University of Tampa President Obama: How many of you have been on high-speed trains outside the country? Those things are fast, they are smooth, you don’t have to take off your shoes. Why don’t we have them? Part of it is that our population centers are farther apart. But let’s face it, we just love our cars. We don’t love gas prices, but we love our cars. But we need to invest in infrastructure like HSR that will allow us to choose the option of taking the train. If more facilities like that are available, it’ll be good for the economy of the region, and for productivity because people will get to work on time faster and less frazzled. Vice-President Biden: Real simple. In the 50s, building the Interstate highways, we picked the portions that would have the heaviest traffic, and built them out. The DOT picked Tampa-Orlando because you were the most ready, your plan was the most advanced. We also picked California because they are planned and ready to go. They all have GOP governors, so this wasn’t about politics. The good news is that we’re funding planning efforts as well, and we’re making a big difference by getting railroads like Richmond-Washington to 100 mph. We can increase the speed enough to make a difference in congestion. I-95 cost $22 mil per lane-mile. You can build the railroad for less than $2 mil per route-mile. Feb 01, 2010: Statement on Release of the President’s 2011 BudgetFor Immediate Release (#10-03) February 1, 2010 Contacts: Ross Capon, Malcolm Kenton: 202-408-8362 The National Association of Railroad Passengers issues the following statement by President & CEO Ross B. Capon after release of President Obama’s 2011 budget request: “We commend President Obama for demonstrating an unprecedented commitment to intercity passenger trains. The Administration is off to an impressive start with the commitment of $9.3 billion for intercity passenger trains in last year’s Recovery Act, the good judgments shown in the grants to states announced January 28, and the slight increase in Amtrak funding for FY 2011 announced in the budget proposal today. “We also commend the President for referencing high speed rail in his State of the Union address, thereby breaking an unfortunate tradition of State of the Union addresses saying nothing at all about transportation, let alone trains. “For new grants to states for intercity passenger train development including cars and locomotives, we will be pushing to increase the FY 2011 appropriation to $4 billion. This compares with $1 billion in the President’s 2011 budget request and $2.5 billion in the regular FY 2010 appropriation. In this regard, we are partners with the organizers of the fourbillion.com coalition.” Apr 27, 2010: Railroad Safety Award to Be Presented to Amtrak’s John BernalRailroad Safety Award to Be Presented to Amtrak’s John BernalSpecial Recognition given to North Carolina State Rail Division’s Paul Worley Release #10-04—April 27, 2010 NARP contact: Sean Jeans-Gail, 503-888-5738 Washington, D.C.—The family of Dr. Gary Burch and the National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) announced today that John Bernal, a Mechanical Foreman for Amtrak in San Antonio, has won the 2010 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. The Burch family will also be presenting a special plaque to North Carolina State Rail Division’s Director of Engineering & Safety, Paul Worley. Bernal, an employee of many years for Amtrak’s operations in San Antonio, has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to passenger and employee safety. An active member of Amtrak’s Texas Safety Committee for many years, he has made significant contributions to the culture of safety in the areas under his supervision. “According to those who know him well, he has made safety his mission—in, on, and around the trains in his station” said Michael Burch, son of Gary Burch. “What distinguishes John in his field is his personal and tireless pursuit of improving safety for passengers and employees.” Bernal has gone above the call of duty on numerous occasions, using his days off to install lighting on platforms to eliminate nighttime hazards, and welding and securing gates to seal off access to unprotected track crossings. “I’m very proud to say that nobody steps on this property without wearing the proper safety gear to inspect the train, and it is a direct result of his influence,” said Amtrak Trainmaster Ginger Brown, who nominated Bernal. “John never misses an opportunity to bring safety concerns to the attention of managers, while simultaneously providing the solutions… It’s no coincidence that the Mechanical Department has gone injury free for many years on his watch.” The Burch family established the $1,000 award in 1994 and has sponsored it ever since. A list of previous winners can be found here on NARP’s website. “A National Leader in Railroad Safety” The Burch family will also be presenting a plaque of recognition to Paul Worley, for the work he has done as Director of Engineering & Safety for North Carolina’s Department of Transportation’s (NC DOT) Rail Division. Worley was nominated by NC DOT Secretary Eugene Conti, who praised the work Worley has done—specifically, the development of the Sealed Corridor Initiative which has “efficiently and dramatically increased the effectiveness of highway-railroad crossing warning systems.” Through this and other initiatives—including Traffic Separation Studies, near- and long-term safety improvements for railroad crossings, and partnering with freight railroads to improve privately-owned railroad crossings—the number and severity of collisions between rail and highway traffic in North Carolina has declined, reducing injuries and fatalities. ## About NARP NARP is the only national organization speaking for the users of passenger trains and rail transit. 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 18,000 individual members. About Amtrak
Apr 27, 2010: Railroad Safety Award Presented to Chairman James OberstarRailroad Safety Award to Be Presented to Chairman James OberstarRelease #10-05—April 27, 2010 Contact: Sean Jeans-Gail, 503-888-5738 Washington D.C., April 27, 2010 — The family of Dr. Gary Burch and the National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) announced today that House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman James Oberstar of Minnesota, will be presented with a special 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. Chairman Oberstar (D) was the primary sponsor of the Railroad Safety Enhancement Act of 2008, which directed the Federal Railroad Administration to “make safety in railroad transportation the highest priority in carrying out its duties.” The Rail Safety Enhancement Act mandates the U.S. Department of Transportation to develop a long-term strategy for improving railroad safety, and requires railroads to implement positive train control, an electronic system of monitoring and controlling train movements to prevent collisions in the event of engineer failure. The law was enacted in October, 2008, with the impetus for final action by Congress coming from the tragic train collision in Chatsworth, California, on September 12, 2008. “When I became Chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in January 2007, I pledged that the Committee’s agenda would center on three principles: enhancing safety and security, investing in our infrastructure, and addressing the twin challenges of rising energy costs and global climate change,” said Rep. Oberstar. “Enactment of the Federal Railroad Safety Improvement Act of 2007 was a critical step forward in increasing safety standards for the rail industry, and that law will go a long way in making rail travel safer for rail workers and the general public. I am very honored to receive the Dr. Gary Burch Memorial Safety Award, because safety always has been and will continue to be my number one priority.” Oberstar devoted 179 hours of hearings to safety, security, and emergency response during the 110th Congress. The Burch family established an annual $1,000 award—which this year went to Amtrak’s John Bernal—in 1994 and has sponsored it ever since. A list of previous winners can be found here on NARP’s website. ## About NARP NARP is the only national organization speaking for the users of passenger trains and rail transit. 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 18,000 individual members. Apr 30, 2010: Robert J. Stewart of Fort Myers, Florida, Elected NARP ChairmanRobert J. Stewart of Fort Myers, Florida, Elected NARP ChairmanFor Immediate Release (#10-06) April 30, 2010 Contacts: Ross Capon, Sean Jeans-Gail 202-408-8362 (Capon cell 301-385-6438) The National Association of Railroad Passengers’ Council of Representatives, meeting this week in Alexandria, Virginia, elected Robert J. “Bob” Stewart as the association’s Chairman. He succeeds George L. Chilson, who had served three two-year terms and did not run for re-election. The chairman serves as a volunteer. Stewart previously was Vice Chairman—Mission Accomplishment. He has been a member of the Association since 1970, joining the board in 2002 and becoming vice-president (later vice-chairman) in 2004. He looks forward to further expanding the Association’s influence, saying, “I am particularly interested in growing the association’s membership, continuing to expand strong grass roots efforts across the country, developing future leaders for our association and getting a greater diversity of members on our Council.” A native of Mountain Lakes, NJ, Stewart holds a bachelor of business administration from Baldwin-Wallace College (Berea OH). He served in the U.S. Marine Corps 1962-68. He and his wife Virginia live in Fort Myers, Florida. He is retired from ARCO Chemical Company where for 29 years he had various sales and marketing positions, including sales and development manager for Asia. Earlier, he held sales and training positions at Procter & Gamble, 1965-69. He holds a Florida Real Estate license. A past president of the Tennessee Association of Railroad Passengers and member of the Tennessee State Rail Passenger Advisory Council, Stewart belongs to numerous rail advocacy and historical organizations, including the Florida Coalition of Rail Passengers, on whose board he sits. He serves on the Board of Trustees of the Southwest Florida Symphony and sings in the orchestra’s chorus. He has guest conducted the orchestra’s Christmas Pops concert. He is an elder with Westminster Presbyterian Church and has served as a director of the Crown Colony Home Owners Association (both Fort Myers). Chilson led the organization since 2004. He spearheaded a reorganization under which the Board of Directors was sharply downsized, an expanded Council of Representatives was created, title of the organization’s volunteer leader was changed from president to chairman, and long-time Executive Director Ross Capon became President and CEO. This week’s election was the first since the reorganization took place in late 2008. # # # May 05, 2010: Congresswoman Brown Calls for Restoring New Orleans-Florida Amtrak ServiceFor Immediate Release (#10-07) May 5, 2010 Contacts: Ross Capon, Sean Jeans-Gail 202-408-8362 (Capon cell 301-385-6438) At a field hearing in Miami Monday to determine how high speed rail will connect with other modes of transportation, the chair of the House Railroads Subcommittee unequivocally called for restoration of passenger train service between Florida and New Orleans. Congresswoman Corrine Brown (D-FL) led the May 3 hearing, which focused on the federal grant Florida received to establish high speed trains between Orlando and Tampa. Brown took the opportunity to express her concern to an Amtrak witness about the delay in restoring the New Orleans-Florida link, which Amtrak discontinued during Hurricane Katrina and has never restored—even though CSX restored its damaged rail line to better-than-new condition, reopening the line in March, 2006. While Amtrak has gone on record to admit that the line is “the missing link” in the national passenger rail network—and still includes the New Orleans to Jacksonville in their official timetable as a “temporarily suspended” route—there has been no real effort to restore service to the corridor, outside of a restoration study done by the railroad in July 2009, which includes some cost-estimates that some industry insiders have questioned. “I want the Sunset restored to New Orleans - Jacksonville - Orlando. This train is vital to transcontinental transportation and an important safety backup for evacuation in a disaster,” Brown said at the hearing. I am holding a subcommittee hearing in Jacksonville in a few weeks at which the Sunset will be a major item of discussion, and look forward to Amtrak appearing. We must get the train back, one way or another.” The issue highlights the strict budgetary restraints Amtrak is working under. A full Sunset Limited route—Los Angeles to Orlando—connects the eight southernmost states, which together account for one in every three Americans, and half the nation’s population growth since 1970. Although the economic importance of this corridor to the nation’s transportation and tourist sectors is widely recognized, Amtrak still faces undercapitalization on most of its network, and will require strong Congressional leadership to acquire the additional funds to restore service (the train company’s study puts the capital and mobilization costs at around $33 million). Brown’s public demand that the train be restored should offer transportation advocates hope that they have finally found that leader. “With just $1 billion budgeted for Fiscal Year 2011, we need to find a dedicated revenue source so that states, operators, and manufacturers aren’t afraid to make investments in infrastructure and manpower,” said the Chairwoman. “I feel so passionately about this that I spearheaded a letter that over 100 Members [of Congress] signed to President Obama, requesting that he include a dedicated source of revenue for high-speed rail in the transportation reauthorization policy objectives that the Administration is developing.” The date of the hearing in Jacksonville has yet to be determined. ## About NARP NARP is the only national organization speaking for the users of passenger trains and rail transit. 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 18,000 individual members. May 11, 2010: Fourbillion.com Coalition Calls on Congress to Fund Modern Passenger Rail NetworkFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (#10-08) May 11, 2010 Contact: Sean Jeans-Gail – 503-888-5738 National coalition urges Congress to raise high speed rail allocation to $4 billionAlso call on Congress to fully fund Amtrak at $2.6 billionWASHINGTON, DC – With the call “Keep High-Speed Rail Moving,” a national coalition of rail, transportation and consumer advocacy organizations called on Congress today to increase the high speed rail FY2011 appropriation to $4 billion to modernize U.S. transportation, stimulate economic and job growth and advance energy policy. The coalition also seeks full funding of Amtrak at $2.6 billion. “High speed rail is a long-term investment in our nation’s economic prosperity and competitiveness,” said Petra Todorovich, director of America 2050. “By serving dense job centers and connecting to regional and local transit, high-speed rail can act as the framework for sustainable, transit-oriented growth in the 21st century.” In addition to the increased mobility and improved national transportation network brought about by high speed rail, studies and estimates from around the country compiled by the coalition show investing in the technology could generate more than 2 million U.S. jobs, avoid 11 million tons of emissions annually and cut the nation’s oil dependence by nearly 600 million gallons each year. “The benefits that will flow to our society far outweigh the proposed investment,” said Eric Peterson, President of the American High Speed Rail Alliance. “An aggressive investment in high speed rail will create tens of thousands of new jobs, incredible reductions in green house gas emissions, huge savings in energy costs, and overall lower transportation costs for users of a high speed rail system that is highly integrated with other transportation services.” The strong need for significantly higher appropriations is illustrated by the fact the Federal Rail Administration received high speed rail applications from 24 states totaling $50 billion this year, while just $8 billion was made available under the stimulus. In addition to new high speed rail projects, it is vital for Congress to fully fund Amtrak in order to launch a long-delayed fleet replacement program to replace aging rail cars and equipment while contributing to the development of an American rail manufacturing base. “Amtrak has seen ridership growth in six of the last seven years,” said Ross Capon, president of the National Association of Railroad Passengers. “By investing in a program to expand the national rail network, Congress can help meet this increasing
Participants in the rally at Washington’s Union Station praised President Obama for jumpstarting a renaissance of American rail with $8 billion under the stimulus and Congress for last year more than doubling his proposed annual appropriation to $2.5 billion. Intercity passenger rail accounts for only 2 percent of all Federal transportation spending. The U.S. House last year voted to allocate $4 billion, but the Senate only agreed to $2.5 billion. In addition, Amtrak was funded $400 million less than requested. “The quicker we build the system, the sooner America will enjoy the benefits,” said John Krieger, Federal Transportation Policy Analyst for U.S. PIRG. “High-speed rail requires long-term commitment from all levels of government, including at least $4 billion from Congress in 2011.” Prospects for economic and energy policy as well as Americans’ changing lifestyles point to the need to diversify the nation’s transportation infrastructure. “The Obama administration demonstrated significant leadership on high speed rail last year, and now is the time for Congress to pick up that charge for the benefit of all Americans,” said James Corless director of the Transportation for America Campaign. “Transportation systems have enormous impacts on our everyday lives – from our pocket books to climate change, from our household expenses to the global economy. Americans are increasingly demanding alternative options that will make our communities more connected, more energy efficient, more equitable and healthier.” The U.S. Joint Forces Command, under U.S. Marine General J.N. Mattis, issued a report earlier this year stating that oil demand could outpace supply as early as 2015. The potentially devastating consequences for our economy, transportation system and national security require an urgent and important investment in high speed trains, which can be nine times more energy-efficient than cars or planes, advocates argued. “President Obama has made high speed rail a pillar of America’s recovery and continued prosperity,” said Rick Harnish, executive director of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association. “Congress last year took a good first step but we must do more as oil grows scarcer and our environment grows sicker every day.” The energy crunch and expected rise in prices is combining with congestion to limit America’s ability to meet the challenges of the future without expanding its current transportation offerings. “Congestion is at all time highs on both our interstate and air systems” stated Daniel L. Plaugher, Executive Director of the Southeast High Speed Rail Association and Virginians for High Speed Rail. “We need to build a comprehensive, national transportation system that includes a vibrant, efficient, and accessible high speed rail system, because we are not going to pave our way out of traffic.” The benefits of high speed rail extend to freight as well, coalition members noted. “OneRail strongly supports robust funding to continue to move the nation’s investment in high-speed and intercity passenger rail forward,” said Anne Canby, one of the founders of OneRail. “We also urge an integrated approach to surface transportation investment to ensure our intermodal and freight network remains strong, maximizing our competitiveness and enabling people and goods to travel by rail quickly and efficiently.” Federal leadership is required to leverage local support and resources, said Rob Simpson, President and CEO of the Metropolitan Development Association of Central New York and Representative for the High Speed Rail New York Coalition. “As we continue to mobilize within New York State to ensure we have the necessary capacity to successfully develop High Speed Rail service, we need the federal government to continue their already commendable commitment to this initiative,” said Simpson. “Though we must continue to identify state and private funding partners, the support of the federal government is crucial to the success of this project on a state and national level.” # # # About NARP NARP is the only national organization speaking for the users of passenger trains and rail transit. 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 18,000 individual members. About Fourbillion.com The Fourbillion.com Campaign is a coalition of transportation, environmental, and planning groups that are dedicated to securing the benefits that a modern, high-speed, high frequency passenger rail network would bring to the United States. You can find out more about the coalition at the coalition’s website. May 27, 2010: On Energy Problems, President Should Turn to TrainsFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (#10-09) May 27, 2010 Contacts: Sean Jeans-Gail and Ross Capon – 202-408-8362
On Energy Problems, President Should Turn to TrainsRail’s Energy Efficiency Offers Solutions for a Long-Term Energy Strategy In response to President Obama’s call for “a long-term energy strategy,” the National Association of Railroad Passengers urged dramatic expansion of the nation’s passenger rail fleet as a key element in plans to increase energy efficiency and reduce American dependence on oil. The President’s remarks—delivered yesterday during an event in San Francisco—highlighted the dwindling reserves of conventional sources of fuel, and called for the development of a national plan to reduce energy consumption and increase alternative methods of energy development. “Even if you hadn’t seen the catastrophe down in the Gulf, the reason that folks are now having to go down a mile deep into the ocean, and then another mile drilling into the ground below, that is because the easy oil fields and oil wells are gone, or they’re starting to diminish,” the President said. “That tells us that we’ve got to have a long-term energy strategy in this country.” Transportation—which accounts for two thirds of U.S. oil consumption and one third of carbon emissions—is a crucial sector to address in meeting energy constraints. Federal figures show that Amtrak is 28% and 19% more energy efficient per passenger-mile than automobiles and airplanes, respectively. These numbers actually understate rail’s advantage, both because Amtrak has been undercapitalized and because rail supports transit and pedestrian-friendly real estate development, reducing the distances most people must travel to live, work and play. Serious investment in passenger trains would divert travelers to more energy-efficient transportation and create domestic manufacturing and operating jobs. Passenger trains also offer “fuel flexibility,” as rail is the only transportation that delivers high performance over long distances on electricity. Trains have a low impact on land and water quality, as the porous nature of rail infrastructure eliminates the flooding and toxic runoff generated by paved surfaces, tarmacs and parking lots. “If we doubled the size of Amtrak’s fleet, and had the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and Amtrak work closely with the freight railroads to identify bottlenecks that can be removed to allow the doubling of train frequencies, we could—in a relatively short period of time—save literally millions of car-trips every year while improving quality of life for the American people,” said NARP President Ross Capon. First Steps Already Being Taken Capon praised the Obama Administration for the intercity passenger train funding including in last year’s Recovery Act, and noted that just today the FRA announced the first actual release of funds—$80 million—from the $8 billion in Recovery Act money set aside for passenger train capital grants for states. “Delivering these funds is an important step forward in our efforts to upgrade and transform America’s transportation system, while spurring economic activity and creating jobs here at home,” said Vice President Joe Biden. “Our unprecedented investment in high-speed and intercity passenger rail is not only going to provide real environmental benefits and greater convenience for travelers, but also long-term economic development for communities across the country.” The foundation for distributing this money has been put in place. Transportation advocates and the public are asking Congress to follow the President’s lead and provide significant funding for high speed rail in this year’s budget—with an emphasis on procuring new cars and locomotives to expand and replace the existing fleet. # # # Jul 02, 2010: CORRECTED: House Subcommittee Boosts Highway Spending, Throttles Passenger Train GrowthNote: Yesterday’s release understated the Amtrak budget problem by $396 million, which is the net of the $446 million that Amtrak requested in March to begin acquisition of new cars and locomotives and a $50 million reduction in the FY 2011 figure for ADA compliance. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (#10-10) July 1, 2010 Contacts: Sean Jeans-Gail and Ross Capon – 202-408-8362 House Subcommittee Dramatically Increases Highway Spending, Throttles Passenger Train Growth Washington, D.C.—The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development today marked up a Fiscal Year 2011 spending bill which increases highway spending 10% or $4.1 billion above the Obama Administration’s request while cutting Amtrak 32% or $833 million below Amtrak’s own request, and cutting state grants for high speed and intercity passenger rail $1.1 billion below current funding. Intercity passenger trains received a total of $3.2 billion in Subcommittee Chair John Olver’s (D-MA) “mark,” which was approved, with $1.4 billion for high speed rail and $1.77 billion for Amtrak. The subcommittee numbers for Amtrak and for state grants are higher than the Administration requests by $151.5 million and $400 million, respectively. “When you have multiple objectives, it makes sense to give priority to programs that address them,” said Ross Capon, president of the National Association of Railroad Passengers. “We appreciate that the subcommittee has strengthened passenger train investment compared with the Administration’s budget request, but the rail levels fall short when considering the sharp growth in proposed highway investment and the public interest in promoting transportation that is energy efficient and environmentally benign and which gives Americans expanded travel choices that they want and need. Today’s action is the first step in a long process, which people interested in balanced transportation investment should work to influence.” The subcommittee on a party-line 8-5 vote rejected an amendment by ranking member Tom Latham (R-IA) to cut state grants back to the Obama Administration’s $1 billion level, eliminate completely the TIGER grant program (in which rail has fared well) and dramatically reduce the transit New Starts program. The immediate concern for passengers is Amtrak, where the subcommittee provided $833 million less than Amtrak requested. Moreover, the impact on most of Amtrak’s capital investment program will be exaggerated because two major components of the program—Americans with Disabilities Act station compliance at $231 million and debt service at $305 million—are fixed. This means that, if the subcommittee’s numbers hold, the balance of the capital program—including acquisition of new cars and locomotives—would receive $668 million or about $804 million (55%) less than Amtrak sought for “non-ADA, non-debt service” capital. At the same time, the operating budget will be tight, as Amtrak would be “level funded” with FY 2010, and thus $29 million or 5% below what the railroad requested. All this comes when Amtrak is seeing record ridership and is critical to the push to create a national high speed rail network that would transform the way Americans travel. For the first eight months of fiscal 2010 (October-May), Amtrak ridership was 5% above the year-earlier level, with strong increases nationwide. May was even stronger, with long-distance trains as a group showing the biggest gains – 9% in ridership and almost 12% in passenger-miles compared with May, 2009. (A passenger-mile is one passenger traveling one mile.)
Jul 22, 2010: Senate Subcommittee Provides Hope for Amtrak, Slashes Investment in High Speed RailFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (#10-11) July 22, 2010 Contacts: Sean Jeans-Gail – 202-408-8362 Senate Subcommittee Provides Hope for Amtrak, Slashes Investment in High Speed RailWashington, D.C.—The Senate Appropriations Committee met today to mark up the Fiscal Year 2011 budget, approving a transportation bill that would give Amtrak breathing room in the face of possible service reductions and furloughs, providing some possibility of near-term flexibility in meeting surging demands in ridership, but would more than halve the funding for the popular high speed rail program. The committee, headed by Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI), approved a “Chairman’s mark” that would provide $1.963 billion for Amtrak, $666 million short of what the passenger railroad requested, but $196.5 million more than House appropriators—who approved their bill at a hearing held yesterday—and roughly $363 million over what the Obama Administration requested. It is unclear how these numbers would fit into Amtrak’s financial plan, which contains key elements of a critical fleet renewal and reinvestment strategy, necessary to replace their aging fleet of railcars. Fleet renewal would enable Amtrak both to accommodate rising public demand for trains (the railroad set a new record for ridership for the first half of this fiscal year), and to revitalize the U.S. passenger railcar production industry, creating much needed domestic manufacturing jobs. Senator Christopher Bond (R-MO), the Transportation subcommittee’s fiscally conservative ranking member, acknowledged yesterday the necessity of Amtrak’s fleet request, while expressing disapproval of the manner in which it was presented. The Senate took a big step backward with the high speed rail program, however, providing only $1 billion—$400 million less than what the House Appropriation Committee approved, and less than half the $2.5 billion the program received last year. States have lined up to apply for high speed rail grants at roughly the rate of $54 in applications for every $1 available. The grant money in this inaugural program has recently started to flow, creating engineering and construction work on high and higher speed lines beginning in Florida, Vermont, North Carolina, and Chicago/Missouri. The lack of infrastructure investment in this transformational program is a missed opportunity, and—with the U.S. construction industry unemployment rate hovering around 20% in June—foregoes a much needed job creation initiative. Trains Make Strides in Energy Efficiency The case for increased passenger train investment was strengthened by the Department of Energy’s latest annual Transportation Energy Data Book (released June 30), which shows that Amtrak’s trains are now an even more energy efficiency way to travel, especially compared to cars and planes. In 2008—measured on a per-passenger-mile basis—Amtrak improved from 2007 both in absolute terms and relative to cars and domestic air service. Amtrak in 2008 was more energy efficient than cars and airlines, respectively, by 20% and 30% (up from 19% and 28% in 2007). Amtrak’s 2008 performance was 4.7% improved as the railroad used 2,398 BTUs per passenger-mile, down from 2,516 in 2007. It is also noteworthy that Amtrak in 2008 was 34% more energy efficient than personal trucks; personal trucks account for a significant amount of travel – 1.7 trillion passenger-miles vs. 2.6 trillion for cars. ## Sep 15, 2010: ARC 30-Day Moratorium: Another Chance to Get it RightFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (#10-12) September 15, 2010 Contacts: Ross Capon and Sean Jeans-Gail – 202-408-8362 ARC 30-Day Moratorium: Another Chance to Get it Right The National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) commends New Jersey Gov. Christie’s administration for instituting a 30-day moratorium on all new Access to the Region’s Core (ARC) trans-Hudson River rail tunnel project contracts and real estate acquisitions. NARP continues to advocate re-directing ARC’s two new trans-Hudson River tunnels into an expanded and improved New York Penn Station (NYP), instead of a costly, separate “deep cavern”, dead-end terminal 20 stories below 34th Street. Since early 2008, NARP has pressed the importance of connecting the new tunnels to the existing tracks at Penn Station. However, the 30-day delay is a response to the concern of federal officials that the $8.7 billion project could exceed cost estimates by as much as $1 billion. Serious consideration of changing the project will only happen in response to strong pressure from the general public. As The Record editorialized yesterday, “We urge the state to use this 30-day moratorium as an opportunity to ‘rethink, reform and rebuild’ regional transit. That must include considering the future needs of NJ Transit and Amtrak…” The moratorium is intended to provide time for federal and NJT representatives to agree on project cost; New Jersey would have to absorb any increase. Federal officials fear the $8.7 billion project could run as much as $1 billion over budget. The Federal Transit Administration and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey each have pledged $3 billion. New Jersey is expected to raise the remaining $2.7 billion. So far, however, the state has pledged only $1.25 billion in funds generated from increased New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway tolls. NARP, New Jersey ARP, Empire State Passengers Association, the Lackawanna Coalition, and the Regional Rail Working Group note that NJT’s proposed 34th Street Terminal and its approach tracks account for at least half the cost of the total project and believe that replacing this terminal with capacity improvements at Penn Station, a plan dubbed “Moynihan/Penn Station First,” should result in dollar savings and facilitate securing the federal Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) needed to fully commit the $3 billion in federal New Starts funds. This Moynihan/Penn Station First alternative will provide capacity for NJT and Amtrak ridership growth, and restore the major improvement in Northeast Corridor reliability gained by linking the new ARC tunnels to existing tracks at Penn Station, an extremely critical benefit to both NJT and Amtrak and part of the project’s original design. A related August 24 letter to New Jersey Transportation Commissioner James Simpson from NARP President Ross Capon and University of Pennsylvania Emeritus Professor of Transportation Dr. Vukan Vuchic is here. The New Jersey Sierra Club’s release on the 30-day moratorium, “Stopping a Runaway Train,” is here. Nov 05, 2010: Rail Passengers Continue Push for Right-Sized Hudson River TunnelsFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (#10-13) November 5, 2010 Contacts: Ross Capon and Sean Jeans-Gail – 202-408-8362 [Capon cell 301-385-6438] Rail Passengers Continue Push for Right-Sized Hudson River Tunnels The National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) remains committed to construction of new Hudson River rail tunnels notwithstanding New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s cancellation of the “Access to the Region’s Core (ARC) Mass Transit Tunnel” project. A “right-sized” tunnel project should go to Penn Station and should serve both commuter and intercity trains. NARP Vice Chair Albert L. Papp Jr. said, “We are appalled at public statements by some, including Dr. James Hughes of Rutgers, suggesting new tunnels are not needed. They are desperately needed both for redundancy which assures reliable service and to handle future growth. Today, there is no room for growth, and there are major delays whenever a problem closes one of the tunnels. Indeed, for the foreseeable future, weekend train operations are confined to one tunnel while the other undergoes routine maintenance.” Papp continued, “Of equal importance is completion of the planned north bridge over the Hackensack River on the Northeast Corridor between New York and Newark. This would replace a century-old, unreliable swing bridge with a 60 mph speed limit that could be reduced further. This part of the ‘Portal Bridge Capacity Enhancement Project’ is well advanced and ready for construction within the next two years. “We are concerned that New Jersey Transit has not executed the agreement needed to begin final design on Portal north, even though $38.5 million in federal Recovery Act funds for this work was awarded January 28.” NARP will continue to press for adoption of “Moynihan/Penn Station First,” which would send the new tunnels into New York’s Penn Station, eliminate the planned 34th Street Terminal, and provide necessary Penn Station track capacity enhancements. Governor Christie has acknowledged the importance of a link between new tunnels and Penn Station, and the ability of such a link to make the project eligible for high speed rail funds. His October 27 statement noted that lack of a connection to Penn Station “has been one of the problems with the project from the beginning.” Accordingly, the Association encourages Amtrak and New Jersey Transit to continue to work together to identify ways to efficiently address capacity and reliability issues, benefiting riders on both railroads. NARP in the past has endorsed a track link between Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal, part of Alternative G in the project’s 2003 Major Investment Study. # # # |
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