NARP October 2002 Hotlines

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Amtrak will discontinue its unconditional service guarantee program on November 1.

The House Appropriations Committee approved a transportation appropriations bill for 2003 on October 1 -- the same day the fiscal year began. The Committee did not revisit the inadequate Amtrak figure it had already approved last week -- $762 million -- which was discussed here in last week's Hotline.

Other bill features include capping the amount of federal funding going to long-distance trains at $150 million; requiring Amtrak funding to be funneled through the DOT; requiring an operating and capital plan; banning federal funding for items not on that plan (except for funding made available at the beginning of the fiscal year); requiring Amtrak to work with DOT to find $100 million in annual cost savings (something that is already happening); codifying certain conditions of the June 2002 loan by DOT to Amtrak (rather than letting them expire next month); requiring that commuter and freight railroads be allowed to operate on Amtrak property if Amtrak shuts down.

It's not known when the bill will reach the House floor. In the meantime, the House yesterday approved another continuing resolution to allow federally funded programs to run in the absence of appropriations laws, this time good through October 11. The Senate was expected to approve the measure today.

Meanwhile, the Aviation Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, chaired by John Mica (R.-Fla.), approved a bill, H.R.5506, that would extend the existing $10 billion in federal loan guarantees to financially struggling airlines, if there is a war with Iraq. An earlier bill of Mica's, H.R.3591, would treat passenger rail very differently, by transferring the Northeast Corridor and Auto Train to the Department of Transportation and presumably scrap all other service (for not being "profitable"). Fortunately, that bill has gone nowhere this session of Congress.

The National League of Cities met in Florida this week, after having announced that Amtrak funding would "top" their meeting agenda. Also high up on the agenda were TEA-21 reauthorization and transportation security. Conrad Bowers, Mayor of Bridgeton, Mo., who chairs the Transportation Infrastructure and Services Committee, said, in a statement, "The survival of Amtrak is a high priority for the nation's cities. This committee has been committed to developing a national rail policy, which the country desperately needs. Amtrak and other passenger rail development are vital to the nation's metropolitan areas to help ease congestion and offer travel alternatives to our citizens."

Meanwhile, the U.S. Conference of Mayors had a news conference this morning to call for full funding of Amtrak. Among the mayors expected to participate were Kenneth Barr of Fort Worth, Tex., Rocky Anderson of Salt Lake City, Pat McCrory of Charlotte; plus Rep. James Oberstar (D.-Minn.) and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D.-Ore.). A letter from the nation's mayor to Congressional appropriators was released urging full funding.

The American Passenger Rail Coalition industry group held its annual reception at Union Station in Washington on October 2. The group honored Rep. Jack Quinn (R.-N.Y.) and Sen. Ernest Hollings (D.-S.C.) with its Rail Leadership Award. Hollings asked the group to continue to "keep the faith" on improving passenger rail.

The General Accounting Office has released a report (dated September 2002, number GAO-02-871) it prepared for the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, on "Potential Financial Issues in the Event That Amtrak Undergoes Liquidation." The report estimated that if Amtrak had been liquidated last December 31, all creditors, including the federal government, employees, and stockholders, would have had $44 billion in claims against Amtrak's estate. Of that, the federal government would have claimed 80%. Liquidation also would adversely impact the railroad retirement and unemployment system, and commuter and freight railroads that use the Northeast Corridor. The GAO said that impacts on the riding public, on the environment, etc., were outside the scope of the report.

Another recent GAO report on Essential Air Services (August 30) notes that between 1995 and 2000, appropriations to that program increased from $37 million to $113 million; that the average payment at the 79 airports involved in the "lower 48" states rose from $424,000 to $828,000, and that passenger traffic to all the airports involved fell 20% to about three passengers per flight. The number of airports served is expected to increase as airlines plan to discontinue unprofitable flights. Fares to such airports are generally high, and the report notes that one factor depressing use of EAS flights is that "people may choose to drive or take rail service" as a more economical alternative.

Amtrak will have its President's Award ceremony in Washington next week. Among the recipients are NARP board member Doras Briggs, of Kensington, Cal., and longtime former NARP board member Art Lloyd, of Portola Valley, Cal. Both are active in an array of rail-related causes, and Lloyd is retired from a long career in railroading (including Western Pacific and Amtrak). Another recipient is Susan Miculka, a volunteer with the National Park Service's Trails & Rails program.

Hurricane Lili reached southwestern Louisiana on October 3, interfering with Amtrak service. The heaviest disruption was the Sunset Limited, which at various times was annulled west of New Orleans, east of San Antonio; one round trip is not running at all. The Crescent is being turned at Meridian for three days (October 2-3-4), with no alternative transportation. This is barely a week after Tropical Storm Isidore caused similar disruption.

Michigan service is at the end of a Norfolk Southern track-work disruption period (June 1-September 30), meaning the April 29 timetable for that route goes back into effect October 1. However, a new Norfolk Southern track project begins October 7 between Kalamazoo and Battle Creek. Weekend (Friday-Sunday) schedules will be normal for all trains (i.e., those of April 29).

But there will be changes Monday-Thursday, for three weeks. Eastbound, train 350 is eliminated, train 364 leaves Chicago earlier (7:15 am), train 352 leaves Chicago later (2:45 pm), and train 354 runs normally. Westbound, train 351 runs normally, train 353 is eliminated, train 365 arrives Chicago later (8:21 pm), and train 355 originates in Pontiac (but runs on normal schedule west of Detroit).

Trains in Cascades service will change their train numbers with the new timetable, October 27. Numbers ranging from 750 to 762 (plus 552) will range instead from 500 to 516. Amtrak needs the numbers to accommodate anticipated expansions in California, where train numbers currently range from 520 to 595 and from 702 to 799.

New Jersey Transit opened its light-rail extension into Hoboken Terminal on September 29, the same day NJT's "Try Transit Festival" was held there. The extension brings light-rails service from Bayonne, Jersey City, and Newport (Pavonia) into the busy commuter-rail, ferry, and PATH transfer point.

The next day, NJT completed its opening of the Montclair Connection. Now, all Boonton Line trains use the new connection, running to Hoboken via Newark Broad Street. Midtown Direct electric service provides 19 weekday round-trips between Montclair Heights (on the pre-existing Boonton Line) and New York Penn Station, via the new connection and Newark. Current Montclair Branch trains also have been extended north to Montclair Heights.

An experimental AirTrain light-rail train derailed on a curve and struck a concrete guideway wall on September 27, killing the driver. The accident occurred near Federal Circle on the grounds of Kennedy Airport in Queens, New York, on an elevated segment of the Port Authority light-rail system that will connect the airport with the A train subway station at Howard Beach.  The driver was pinned for more than an hour by concrete blocks that were inside the three-car train, used as weights to simulate a load of passengers. The driver, an employee of Bombardier, a lead contractor on the project, was the only person on board the train. Testing has been suspended, and it's not clear what impact the accident has on the start-up date, which was expected to be this fall. Trains will run without drivers in revenue service, using a third-rail for power.

The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate, something it doesn't often do for services that have not yet entered revenue service. One area of investigation will be to see whether the ballast blocks shifted as the train went around the curve, causing the derailment. The New York Times found one witness who has seen the train on several previous test runs and who said this train seemed to be moving much faster than usual. Another possible factor is the use of concrete blocks, rather than lead weights that are heavier and lie lower to the floor.

Talks between the city of Sacramento and Union Pacific on an intermodal hub are nearing fruition, according to the Sacramento Bee. Some negotiating remains, but the paper says the two parties have reached a "conceptual agreement." UP is trying to get permits to develop the southern end of its 240-acre yard on the north side of downtown Sacramento, and city officials want UP to transfer the Amtrak station to the city so it can be renovated and expanded. The exact design of the station is still unclear -- UP and Amtrak want tracks moved "a few hundred feet" and have passengers walk along a connecting concourse, but historic preservationists oppose that.

Renovations to the station in Garden City, Kans., are nearly complete. Amtrak moved back into the station last week, and TNM&O intercity bus service was to move in this week. The city coordinated the project and contributed $160,000 out of the total $810,000 of the cost (the rest came from federal grants). The station also features taxi service, BNSF offices, and meeting space. Amtrak's Southwest Chief stops there.

The state-owned Alaska Railroad is considering cutting back on train service that serves people with homes or properties in remote areas; that is, far away from roads. The train is the Hurricane, which uses old rail-diesel cars and has lots of flag-stop service on the northern 55 miles of its 168-mile route (Anchorage-Talkeetna-Hurricane). The railroad says the service is not profitable, and its board was to meet yesterday in Fairbanks to discuss cost-saving options, including reducing summer service from four days a week to weekends-only. A 9% fare increase also was to be discussed. Another staff proposal was to end all winter Hurricane service and allow locomotive flag-stops on the entire route to Fairbanks all winter.

Those actions could cut the annual loss of the Hurricane from $136,000 to $52,000, but make the service far less useful to local people. A grass-roots effort, the Friends of the Flag Stop, has mounted a letter-writing campaign and planned to testify at the Fairbanks meeting.

The Alaska Railroad went to a winter schedule on September 21, with two once-weekly schedules. The Aurora travels Anchorage-Fairbanks (356 miles) with an all-day Saturday northbound run, return on Sunday. The Hurricane runs Thursdays only, Anchorage-Hurricane, morning northbound and afternoon southbound. This past summer, the tourist-oriented Denali Star ran daily Anchorage-Fairbanks, and the Hurricane ran four days a week.

There will be a 10th Oakland-Sacramento Capitol Corridor weekday frequency starting October 27. Eastbound, train 518 will be the earliest train, leaving Oakland 5:25 am. A westbound train will be added in the early evening at 6:40 pm.

Three Florida stations -- Tampa, St. Petersburg-Pinellas Park, and Sebring -- have regained checked baggage service. At Sebring, it's offered only for Silver Star and Silver Meteor. Pinellas Park is a Thruway-bus-only station.

Amtrak will discontinue its unconditional service guarantee program on November 1. Amtrak says that "customer satisfaction will remain an absolute priority," and that it will continue to use transportation vouchers and refunds (in some cases) as a response to poor service. Amtrak came to the conclusion that the unconditional guarantee, which began in 2000, was increasingly unworkable due to increasing, freight-rail congestion (causing delays to Amtrak trains) and decreasing heavy overhaul budgets (causing equipment to become worn in a customer-unfriendly manner). Amtrak rejected a retrenchment to the type of guarantee offered on the Coast Starlight 1996-2000, which excluded lateness and mechanical problems. Amtrak will reinstate the survey-based Passenger Satisfaction Index, which was dropped after 2000 due to budget concerns.

With virtually no chance of passing remaining appropriations bills for the current fiscal year (2003) before adjourning for the fall election season, Congress passed another continuing resolution to fund programs through October 18, and likely will pass another one next week. So far, continuing resolutions have funded Amtrak at an amount pro-rated from an annual amount of $1.04 billion (2002's appropriation of $521 million plus this summer's emergency appropriation of $205 million and $312 million of 2001's funding that Amtrak actually received in 2002). That's less than Amtrak's ultimate request of $1.2 billion, but far more than the House's disastrous $762-million level.

The House Transportation Appropriations Committee version of the 2003 transportation funding bill is numbered H.R.5559. In addition to the features described in previous Hotlines, the bill would require Amtrak to file a report to Congress on the "loss per passenger" for every Amtrak route. This does not measure the relative economic performance of a train. It does have sound-bite value for those predisposed to dislike long-distance service. For more, see our September 25 letter to Committee Chairman Bill Young (R.-Fla.).

Colorado Railcar has been touring a prototype, self-propelled, diesel-multiple-unit (DMU) this fall, having already stopped at an American Public Transportation Association meeting in Las Vegas and the Rail-Volution conference in Washington. This car meets current safety standards and can be built in several configurations (including powerless trailers). For future tour dates, see their web site.

The board of the Alaska Railroad met in Fairbanks October 3 and decided not to cut service on the flag-stop-oriented Hurricane service, after what Associated Press called "a storm of public criticism." The board chairman sided with "outraged local residents" and said that the railroad should look elsewhere to save money.

The National Transportation Safety Board has said that the experimental AirTrain equipment that derailed at Kennedy Airport in New York on September 27 was running at 55-58 mph. The train was being run manually by its driver, who was killed when ballast being used to simulate a passenger load shifted forward and crushed him. The trains are designed to run automatically, and are capable of 60 mph, but are planned to run 30-40 mph in automatic mode, and 25-30 mph in manual mode. The NTSB is looking at what instructions were given to the driver, previous testing methods, and whether appropriate ballast and methods to stabilize the ballast were used.

The State of New York and the U.S. Postal Service have reached an agreement to sell the Farley Building in Manhattan to the state's Pennsylvania Station Redevelopment Corporation. The Farley Building is across Eighth Avenue from Penn Station, and sits above many of its passenger platforms. The sale, for $230 million, would facilitate a ten-year-old plan to convert the Farley Building into an intercity rail center on a grander scale than the underground remnant of the old Pennsylvania Station. The 2001 terror attacks set the project back, by damaging a facility to which the Postal Service wanted to move some operations now at Farley. The Farley project would take five years to complete.

The New Jersey Transit board approved an environmental impact study for another Hudson River crossing on October 9. The step qualifies the project for future federal funding. The project is conceived of as two tubes leading to Penn Station, below the river bed, to cost about $5 billion, and will require several more years of study. The board also awarded a contract for redesign of the Trenton station, which is also used by SEPTA and Amtrak (and will be served by diesel-light-rail to Camden next year).

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on October 9 approved a plan to restructure management of transit services already provided by the MTA in the New York City area, with the goal of great money savings. Two commuter-rail agencies, Metro North and the Long Island Rail Road, would be merged into a single body called MTA Rail Road. Also, MTA Subway would run all subway service (now run by New York City Transit and Staten Island Rapid Transit). There would be an MTA Bus (made up of the several bus agencies), MTA Capital (to handle major building and expansion programs, including linking the Long Island Rail Road with Metro North's Grand Central Terminal), and MTA Bridges and Tunnels. The planned implementation date is January 1, 2004.

Amtrak's westbound Empire Builder derailed yesterday afternoon just as it was leaving Chicago Union Station, as it was passing over a series of complex switches. A sleeping car and a dining car derailed. After several hours' delay, the train was able to leave without those cars (but with a substitute diner). Many other Metra and Amtrak trains were delayed -- but able to pass through the area on one open track -- and service was normal this morning. Investigators are still looking at the cause of the low-speed derailment.

Congress will recess for the elections without passing more fiscal 2003 funding bills. Congress approved another continuing resolution for most federal programs, including Amtrak, good through November 22. By that time, Congress should be back in Washington for a lame-duck session. It's not known whether Congress will then pass the remaining funding bills, or pass the responsibility to the new Congress that takes office in January.

Amtrak President David Gunn called for a passenger-rail trust fund during remarks on October 16 to the annual Railway Age conference in Washington, according to the Washington Post. He did not specify a source for the funding.

Gunn said that the federal and state governments should pay for capital improvements to infrastructure and rolling stock. He also said states should pay all the operating losses of trains serving single states or that are "regional" in nature.

Gunn said that "no one alive today" will live to see a national network of TGV-style high-speed trains on dedicated right-of-way. It's worth pointing out, however, that California is moving in that direction. Gunn places great emphasis on incremental improvements to rail service, which is the most promising -- but not the only -- way forward.

Also calling for a trust fund is Rep. William Lipinski (D.-Ill.), in an October 17 letter to Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta. Lipinski urges creation of a Rail Trust Fund for freight- and passenger-related infrastructure needs.

The Amtrak board approved of ending the express initiative when it met last week. A phase-out of the service will take all of fiscal 2003. Express had a $7-million loss for Amtrak during fiscal 2002.

Bombardier is ready to field-test a permanent repair to Acela Express equipment, according to the Boston Herald (October 11). The repair involves a crack problem that was first detected August 12 on Acela Express power cars, and later on HHP-8 electric locomotives, appearing on brackets holding yaw dampers (a type of lateral shock absorber) in place. The problem caused widespread service disruptions as Amtrak, Bombardier, and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) worked very hard to inspect the original problem and to make temporary repairs.

A makeshift prototype has already been the subject of stress tests. The FRA must approve any new parts before they are installed.

Bombardier unveiled its prototype JetTrain equipment in Washington on October 15 -- the first public viewing of the fossil-fuel version of the Acela Express. The turbine-driven equipment is designed to be capable of 150 mph, which is thought to be faster than any other fossil-fuel equipment in the world. Bombardier and the FRA have each invested $13 million in the project. The equipment may be attractive to states and regions wanting high-speed service without the need for overhead electric power systems, and will go on a tour of the country.

Darrell Richards, former president of Transport 2000 Canada (in 1989-1990), passed away on October 16.

The Empire Builder derailment of October 10 in Chicago appears to have been caused by a worn switch. The switch was installed at the north end of Union Station in 1923, according to press reports, and was programmed for replacement by Amtrak. That replacement was moved up in priority and carried out on October 11. The switch also was the scene of two previous Metra commuter-train derailments. The Empire Builder derailment happened when that train was going 12 mph, which resulted in no injuries.

Amtrak reported to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms that shots were fired at Acela Regional train 169, early on October 12, south of Baltimore. There was no indication this was connected to the terrible sniper incidents in the Washington region.

A freight train derailment on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe on October 17 disrupted San Joaquin service north of Fresno. Service was to have been restored by this morning.

Three groups have formally expressed interest in operating Boston-region commuter services that are now run by Amtrak. Amtrak has said it will not participate in the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority bidding process because of additions MBTA has made to its request for proposals that Amtrak finds onerous. The three groups are British company Stagecoach with Herzog Transit Services, CGEA Connex of France, and Guilford (which held the contract before Amtrak took over in 1986).

The NARP Board of Directors is meeting today in Emeryville, Cal. Guest speakers today included Dan Leavitt of the California High Speed Rail Authority, Caltrans Director Jeff Morales, and Gil Mallery, Amtrak's vice president of Planning and Business Development.

Al Qaeda has threatened U.S. passenger trains, according to an October 24 Reuters story. It began, "The FBI sent out a national alert warning law enforcement officials that it believes al Qaeda may be planning another attack on the United States, possibly targeting the railway sector, the bureau said on [October 23]. The FBI distributed the warning across the country on [October 22], citing information from recent debriefings of detained al Qaeda members. It said the group has considered directly targeting U.S. passenger trains, possibly using operatives who have a Western appearance."

A New York Times story said the government has only issued six other warnings similar to this one (in degree of specificity). "Officials said the decision was made to issue this one ... because they hoped that railroad workers and travelers would look out for suspicious people or activities." The story quotes this from an FBI statement: "Additional information suggests operatives may try a variety of other attack strategies, such as destroying key rail bridges and sections of track to cause derailments, or targeting hazardous material containers. Recently captured Al Qaeda photographs of U.S. railroad engines, cars and crossings heightens the intelligence community's concern of this threat." Amtrak has a new message about security on its web site.

The Times also reported, "Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the White House Office of Homeland Security, said the administration wanted to urge Americans to 'continue to ride our nation's rails.'"

Short-distance air travel is down 22%, according to an October 21 Associated Press story. "The number of people flying commercially between 200 miles and 400 miles dropped 22 percent in the year after the [2001 terror] attacks, according to a survey by D. K. Shifflet & Associates Ltd. in Falls Church, Va. 'It's just easier to get into your car and go,' said chief executive Doug Shifflet, whose agency surveys 45,000 households each month to assess their travel patterns." AAA reported the number of Trip-Tiks it prepared rose by almost one-quarter during the first half of the year. AP also interviewed some Amtrak passengers, including one who prefers to take the train all the way from Boston to Washington.

Congressional candidates are home, so be sure to take every opportunity to remind them of the importance of developing a modern national passenger rail system and specifically of providing $1.2 billion for Amtrak in fiscal 2003.

A high-speed test in Illinois on October 31 will have an Amtrak train run at 110 mph on the Chicago-St. Louis line between Normal and Ballard siding, just north of Lexington, Ill. This will test a completed section of the positive train control system. The train is expected to reach 110 mph for five or six miles of the 16-mile run.

Virtually all track and grade-crossing protection improvements necessary for 110-mph running on the Union Pacific-owned line between Springfield and Dwight (about 112 miles) have been completed, according to an Illinois DOT official. The PTC system, being built by Lockheed-Martin, now is expected to be ready next summer, when Illinois DOT can seek Federal Railroad Administration approval before beginning regular operation at 110 mph. Illinois DOT expects this would cut Chicago-St. Louis running times from 5:30 hours to 4:45 hours; Chicago-Springfield benefits would be proportionally greater and completion of a modern, intermodal terminal at St. Louis also would help boost ridership there.

Amtrak timetable changes take place Sunday, October 27 (end of Daylight Time) and Monday, October 28. The Northeast Corridor changes on Monday, everything else on Sunday. That includes a dramatically different westbound Lake Shore Limited schedule that will be about four hours earlier -- 12:45 pm from New York, with a 7:00 am Chicago arrival. The southbound Vermonter will run 1:30 hours earlier, leaving St. Albans at 6:55 am.

Amtrak has accepted delivery of its 19th Acela Express train and expects the 20th (and final) one soon. Amtrak and Bombardier have agreed on a schedule in which trains will be rotated out of duty for repairs and necessary equipment modifications, although agreement has not yet been reached on a "permanent fix." Amtrak will increase service in the timetable effective October 27 by reducing layover times. The new weekday schedule will include an 8:20 am from Boston, running non-stop between Providence and New York. The 7:30 am slot from Washington will be occupied by train 56 temporarily, running on an expedited schedule without mail. Similarly, the 8:10 pm train from Washington will be Acela Regional 138.

Part of the Southern Tier (ex-Erie) freight line in New York State will reopen, according to an announcement from Gov. George E. Pataki (R.). A 66-mile segment (Olean-Hornell) will reopen, and there will be $2 million for additional track work on the line. The rail funding, which will provide for additional track improvements such as improved rail ties to improve safety and speed, adds to the $4.1 million the state has already invested in initial track and grade crossing improvements (for a total of $6.1 million). The line was closed by Conrail in 1991. The Southern Tier West Railroad Authority, made up of representatives from Chautauqua, Allegany, Steuben, and Cattaraugus counties, negotiated an agreement with the current track owner, Norfolk Southern, and a new operator, the Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad, to reopen the segment.