Hotline #996 - August 22, 1997

President Clinton named a three-member Presidential Emergency Board yesterday to examine the dispute between Amtrak and the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes. That wipes out a 30-day cooling-off period that started August 4. Clinton said that "a strike on Amtrak would have an adverse effect on the traveling public and would severely hamper freight rail shipments." If Clinton had done nothing, there could have been a strike right after Labor Day. If he had waited until Labor Day to act, the 60-day period would have been pushed forward into November, when Congress might be out of session for the year and unable to end a strike at that point.

Rail labor was very critical of Clinton's move, so rail passengers should write the President and tell him he did the right thing yesterday.

Now, another 30-day period begins in which the Emergency Board will make recommendations to the two parties. Then there is another 30-day cooling-off period, which goes though about October 20. At that point, Amtrak may make work rule changes, and the workers may strike. However, Congress might intervene quickly, since it would disrupt travel for about 500,000 intercity and commuter passengers.

Part of the historic Rockville Bridge over the Susquehanna River just west of Harrisburg collapsed the evening of August 19. This bridge is used by over 60 trains a day, including Amtrak's Three Rivers and Pennsylvanian. The side of one section of the stone arch bridge -- 12 feet wide and 30 feet long -- crumbled into the river, taking with it four coal cars of a passing train. Nevertheless, Amtrak did not miss a single scheduled trip over the bridge, using the remaining two tracks on it.

Associated Press reported that railroad inspectors had reported a month ago that that section of the bridge was "weak," and that tracks shifted whenever a train passed over. Also, a stone retaining wall on the 95-year-old bridge had been bulging out. However, Conrail said it had still considered the bridge safe during that period, and conducted daily inspections while it tried to find a qualified contractor to fix the bridge. Such a contractor was supposed to start work August 25 to put reinforcing rods into the wall, but now the entire bridge section must be rebuilt.

The Surface Transportation Board has delayed its decision on the dispute between Amtrak and Guilford over the terms for Boston-Portland passenger service. The proceedings are now supposed to last until August 26, with a ruling after that.

California Gov. Pete Wilson (R.) vetoed several lines in the state budget on August 18, including $2 million for expansion of Amtrak service. Wilson vetoed $1.5 million to increase Capitol Corridor trains from four to six each way daily, and $550,000 to run trains between Sacramento and Stockton, to connect with the San Joaquins. He said he was in favor of the money, but that it would not be needed until negotiations with the Union Pacific about improvements were completed.

General Motors' Oldsmobile division and a Michigan state legislator are proposing a commuter rail service from Lansing to Detroit, over the Grand Trunk route by way of Durand and Pontiac, according to the August 16 Lansing State Journal. GM will be moving 1,200 workers from Lansing to Detroit by the end of next year, while Lansing-area officials would like to see them still live in Lansing, since they were described as highly paid employees with strong ties to the community. GM is not proposing to fund the train, but is hoping for revenues from casinos in downtown Detroit.

The Federal Transit Administration released on August 19 $3.7 million in funds for a new intermodal terminal in Albuquerque, N.Mex., which will include Amtrak. The historic Santa Fe station there burned down four years ago.

An opinion column by Amtrak President Tom Downs in favor of saving Amtrak ran in the Washington Post, August 17. The same day, the Philadelphia Inquirer ran a pro-Amtrak editorial.