Hotline #927 - April 26, 1996

The Sunset Limited will no longer serve Phoenix, beginning with trains originating June 2. At that time, it will be rerouted to the Southern Pacific's mainline to the south, which will allow for a running time that is two hours faster. But it will also make Phoenix the biggest metropolitan area without Amtrak service. Rather than a previously expected stop at Casa Grande, there will be a stop at Maricopa, just south of Phoenix. But Thruway bus service to Phoenix will connect with the train at Tucson, creating a long detour for passengers from the west.

Amtrak President Tom Downs, speaking today at the NARP annual board meeting, said Amtrak tried unsuccessfully to involve the state and cities in saving the direct line west of Phoenix. He called the state shortsighted for not wanting to spend $28 million to save the route for passenger and freight service -- through the state does spend $1 billion on highways. Downs remarked that tiny Maricopa has shown far more interest in passenger train service than big Phoenix.

Downs also told the NARP board about the agreements Amtrak has with freight railroads beyond May 1, as described here last week. He said that Amtrak expects that the terms of the new agreements will add $25-30 million a year to Amtrak's operating costs. But that's a lot better than the $100 million that was feared just two years ago, he said.

At the NARP reception last night, Lenore Slimbock, who is with Customer Services at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia, was presented the Dr. Gary Burch Memorial Award for her work to improve passenger safety. Sen. William Roth (R.-Del.) was presented the George Falcon Golden Spike Award for his work on ISTEA flexibility and the Amtrak half cent.

S.1318, the Senate Amtrak reauthorization bill, may come up for a vote this week. It's very important that the bill come to a vote and that no Democrats try to block it because of the liability language.

The American Public Transit Association, which lobbies for transit agencies in Washington, is back at work trying to kill the Amtrak half cent -- even though S.1395, as reported by Senator Roth, protects the interests of transit. It stops the flow to Amtrak from the transit account of the Highway Trust Fund if the balance falls to $8 billion, which is very unlikely.

CSX has agreed to allow a 90-day trial of passenger train service on the Gulf Coast this summer. Amtrak will run a daily train from Mobile to New Orleans in the morning, and back in the evening, with support from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Service will begin around July 1.

The Vermont State Senate approved $1.9 million last week for commuter rail service between Burlington and Charlotte, and other funds for repair work on the freight branch between Whitehall, N.Y., and Rutland. That will allow an Empire Corridor train to be extended from Albany to Schenectady, Whitehall, and Rutland.

The RegioSprinter, which is the Siemens product pictured in the February NARP newsletter, arrived in Baltimore on March 11. It resembles a low-floor, light-rail vehicle, but runs on a diesel engine. Since April 12, it is being tested on a Canadian Pacific freight branch as a feeder to the Calgary light-rail system.