Hotline #903 - November 10, 1995

A federal government shutdown would not affect Amtrak service. Amtrak told employees today it has enough cash to run through December.

National Highway System conferees reportedly reached a deal yesterday, and ISTEA flexibility for passenger trains is not included. Now, getting the Amtrak gas-tax half cent is even more important. The half cent is now a separate bill, S.1395. We hope Senate Finance Chairman Roth (R.-Del.) will attach this bill to budget reconciliation, or to another tax bill that may be coming soon. House Ways and Means Committee members need to hear support for the Amtrak half cent.

As for S.1318, the Senate Amtrak reauthorization bill, efforts continue on reaching agreements on two Northeast Corridor matters before the bill goes to the floor. One would allow Amtrak to renegotiate contracts with commuter agencies running trains on Amtrak lines, and the other deals with electricity generation.

Officials of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) leafleted customers at six of its stations to protest the commuter contract language in S.1318. SEPTA predicted its payments to Amtrak would double, from $25 million to $50 million -- even though Amtrak says SEPTA is paying only $16.4 million now. Amtrak says the actual projected increase is $7.5 million, which still would be less than what SEPTA thinks it's paying now.

SEPTA lobbied against ISTEA flexibility for passenger trains and continues to oppose the half cent for Amtrak.

Voters in New Jersey on November 7 approved a transportation trust fund dedicating capital money to rail projects.

Crown Prince Filipe of Spain rode Amtrak's Mount Adams on November 6 from Seattle to Olympia. For that day, the train was equipped with the Talgo set, which is normally on the Vancouver run. The Crown Prince was greeted at the Olympia station by a group of Washington ARP members and there was a reception for him at the state capitol.

The Crescent gets its fourth round trip west of Atlanta next weekend. This trip leaves New York Fridays, reaching Atlanta and New Orleans on Saturdays. The eastbound trip leaves New Orleans Sundays. However, this fourth round trip does not have a dining car, where the other three have.

The week there will be a publicity trip for the Crescent including a new Viewliner sleeping car. It leaves Atlanta at 6:00 am on November 14, arriving Anniston 7:30 am, Birmingham 9:30 am -- a one-hour stopover -- Tuscaloosa 11:45 am, and Meridian 2:15 pm, where the train will be on display. On November 15, the special train leaves Meridian at 9:00 am, arrives Laurel 10:00 am, Hattiesburg 11:00 am, Picayune 12:20 pm, Slidell 1:05 pm, and New Orleans 4:00 pm, with another train display.

The State of Florida received five proposals on October 31 for future high-speed service from Miami to Orlando and Tampa. The state is going over the proposals and plans public hearings.

A good opinion column by Jessica Mathews of the Council on Foreign Relations was in yesterday's Washington Post. She said Amtrak "for years has gotten the worst possible treatment from Washington -- bold mandates to provide service all over the country paired with too little funding to succeed." She was sympathetic to the Amtrak half cent and closed by saying, "The major reason we need rail is that without it, the road-air system can never be made to work."

Lester Lamm, who was president of the Highway Users Federation from 1986 to the beginning of this year, died on November 1 at Fairfax, Va. As president of HUF, which is a trade group representing businesses and associations interested in highways, Lamm often was a critic of Amtrak. He was replaced by William Fay, who has stepped up HUF's anti-Amtrak campaign this year, especially on the question of ISTEA flexibility for intercity passenger rail.