Hotline #874 - April 21, 1995

A post card went out to all NARP members this week as a reminder of the urgency of Amtrak's position before the House Budget Committee. Budget Chairman John Kasich (R.-Ohio) has said that the resolution he plans for May will take people's breath away. We fear it also will take people's trains away.

Kasich is working toward balancing the budget by 2002 and leaving room for new tax cuts, including the ones just passed by the House. This is a discretionary funding bloodbath. Although Kasich spared most Amtrak funding in March, he reportedly remains under heavy pressure from rural members of the Budget Committee to hit Amtrak even harder in the next round of cuts, in early May.

Although the Senate Budget Committee generally is friendlier to Amtrak, we must not overestimate the Senate's ability to overcome bad House numbers.

If you are represented by anyone on the House Budget Committee, try to call or see them while they are in your district this month. Otherwise, urge your Representative to urge the Budget Committee to spare Amtrak.

The Northeast Corridor and several other key Amtrak corridors would be eligible for National Highway System funds -- both for capital and operating -- under a bill expected to be introduced soon by Senators Roth (R.-Del.) and Biden (D.-Del.).

Amtrak and the State of Oregon will extend the Mount Adams Talgo from Portland to Salem, from today through April 26. It will keep its normal schedule north of Portland, running as a Seattle-Salem through-train. There haven't been three daily round trips between Portland and Salem in over 35 years. A non-revenue round trip to Salem yesterday included Amtrak President Tom Downs, DOT Secretary Federico Pena, and Sen. Mark Hatfield (R.-Ore.), the appropriations chairman.

The Federal Railroad Administration has rescheduled its Chicago high-speed outreach meeting. It was to have been in Chicago yesterday, but instead will be June 1. The others are accurately listed in the April newsletter that has just gone out. The next one is in Loudonville, N.Y., on May 2.

About 300 people attended both Amtrak Task Force public forums this week. Speakers at Sacramento included Amtrak Board Member and former Rep. Don Pease, Rep. Vic Fazio (Cal.), State Sen. Jim Costa, State Assemblyman Tom Hannigan, and Sacramento Mayor Joe Serna. NARP Directors Gene Skoropowski and Doras Briggs also testified. Briggs, speaking about senior citizens' need for passenger rail, got a standing ovation. At Seattle, two members of the Washington Association of Railroad Passengers testified -- group president Chuck Mott and Paul Scott.

There are two forums next week -- April 25 at Cleveland, 7:00 pm to 10:30 pm, at the Stouffer Renaissance Hotel on Public Square -- then April 27 at Dallas, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, adjacent to Union Station, 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

The Quebec, North Shore & Labrador Railway has applied to the National Transportation Agency of Canada to discontinue its passenger trains. This is one of North America's most remote passenger services. A comment period is in place through May 26.

Next week is the NARP Board annual meeting in Washington. There will be a reception the evening of April 27, at which Meridian Mayor John Robert Smith will receive the George Falcon Golden Spike Award; and Amtrak locomotive engineer Billy Parker of Jacksonville will accept the Dr. Gary Burch Memorial Safety Award. On April 28, the luncheon speaker will be Amtrak Chief Financial Officer Betsy Reveal; and on April 29 it will be Rick Yager, Vice President of Planning and Finance for Amtrak Intercity, of Chicago.