Hotline #866 - February 24, 1995

The first big step in funding Amtrak for next year will be March 21, when an Amtrak authorization bill is marked up by the Railroads Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Amtrak and California this week reached an agreement to run all three Capitol Corridor round trips through the end of September. The state will pay $850,000 or more.

Reportedly, Michigan is also near agreement on preserving the Grand Rapids and Pontiac services in some form.

Vermont is also close. On February 21, the state announced it had offered to pay $581,000 to keep a train running only as far as St. Albans for another year. Sources say it will be a day train running via Springfield and Palmer. There may be a bus between St. Albans and Montreal.

Amtrak plans to run the Adirondack south of New York through to Washington. This has been discussed ever since the West Side Connection in Manhattan opened four years ago. Three days a week, this train will split northbound at Albany as train 291 for Niagara Falls.

The Amtrak board met this week, but there was no public session. Amtrak January on-time performance was 80%, up 19% over last year, presumably because of the milder winter. January system ridership was down 2%, no doubt due mostly to the impact of Amtrak's service-cut announcement. The Hoosier State posted the biggest drop, 38%. The biggest increase was Seattle-Portland, up 164%.

Amtrak lost a case this week it has taken to the Supreme Court. A political group had tried to rent a billboard in New York Penn Station and was turned away by Amtrak. The Court ruled that when such First-Amendment issues arise, Amtrak is to be treated as part of the federal government.

Morrison-Knudsen is having problems delivering California Cars, according to the Sacramento Bee. Delivery is late and 142 flaws have been found in the two prototypes already delivered. Morrison-Knudsen CEO William Agee was fired recently. All this raises some concern over the Amtrak Viewliner order, which is expected during 1995. However, at a hearing this week, Morrison-Knudsen said more intercity cars are being assembled now and the third completed car is on its way to California now.

The station at Independence, Mo., was completely destroyed by fire on February 12.

Longtime Region 1 NARP Director Henry Ferne of Maine died this week at the age of 85, after a long illness. Ferne was prominent in local Republican politics and was a staunch supporter of restoration of rail service to Maine. There are now two vacancies for NARP Director from Region 1.

Region meetings for NARP members are coming up. On March 4, Region 1 meets at Providence at the Marriott Hotel, 11:30 am to 5:00 pm. The speaker will be Ross Capon of NARP. Also March 4, Region 2 meets at Albany at Jack's Oyster House, 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. Speakers are State Transportation Commissioner John Daly, Amtrak Northeast Corridor Chief Financial Officer John Bennett, and Scott Leonard of NARP.

On March 11, Region 6 meets at Beech Grove, Ind., at the Ramada Inn South, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm. The speaker will be Scott Leonard of NARP, plus a tour of the Beech Grove shops. Also March 11, Region 12 meets at Santa Ana, Cal., at the station, 10:00 am to 2:30 pm. Speakers are Gil Mallery and Lee Bullock of Amtrak West, Cindy McKim of Caltrans, Richard Stanger of Metrolink, and Ross Capon of NARP. On March 12, Region 11 meets at Albuquerque, N.Mex., at the Gourmet Diner, 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm. The speaker is Ross Capon of NARP.