Hotline #901 - October 27, 1995

The NARP board is meeting in Seattle today. The featured speaker was Bob VanderClute, who is the acting chief executive of Amtrak's Intercity business unit. VanderClute said he would rather lead Intercity -- which runs Amtrak's Midwest trains and most of its long-distance trains -- into a phase of revenue growth. He contrasted that to a philosophy centered on cost-cutting that had been the rule at Intercity.

However, VanderClute said that Amtrak's 1996 appropriation is tight. He could not predict what will happen.  He said he'd like to work to save the Pioneer, a train mentioned frequently for elimination. To that end, a second sleeper will be added to the Pioneer November 15 for the rest of the year and the train will be promoted better.

VanderClute discussed many other aspects of Intercity's operations, including a last-minute deal between Amtrak and Michigan to save daily service on the International -- for now. He also said the new Viewliner sleepers will run on the Lake Shore Limited this winter so they can be tested in the cold; then they will run on the Crescent.

Amtrak Intercity this week also reversed its decision to eliminate service to Hollywood, Fla. NARP applauds this reversal. Though only a short distance from Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood boards nearly 30,000 people a year and generates more revenue than cost -- even more revenue than Fort Lauderdale or Tampa.

There is still a stalemate on the National Highway System conference over Amtrak and ISTEA flexibility and billboards. It is still important to contact your Senators and tell them to tell Senate conferees to hang tough on Amtrak flexibility. This is even more important now that the transit industry is beginning to oppose Amtrak flexibility too -- just like the highway lobby.

A school bus stopped partially on the tracks at Fox River Grove, Ill., was hit by a Metra commuter train on October 25, killing seven high school students. Investigators are looking at the timing of a highway signal adjacent to the crossing.

Amtrak will run a special, whistle-stop version of the Cardinal tomorrow from Clifton Forge to Huntington to increase public awareness of the service. It is hoped that Senate Appropriations Chairman Robert Byrd (W.Va.) will be aboard. The day before, a group of travel agents will ride the revenue Cardinal from Washington to Charlottesville.

The RTL-2 turbo train, which was in the South this week, now heads north. On November 1, it leaves Chicago at 8:30 am, arriving at Dearborn-Greenfield Village, Mich., at 3:30 pm. On November 2 it will run to stations on the Pontiac line, and be on display at Greenfield Village. On November 3, it runs to Kalamazoo and Niles and ends up back in Chicago.