Hotline #16 - January 9, 1998

Though the Amtrak reauthorization law says the Amtrak Reform Council was to have been appointed by January 1, no one expected that deadline to be met -- and, indeed, it was not. This week, however, there seemed to be a little movement. House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt (D.-Mo.) is said to be close to releasing the name of his choice, and House Republicans are considering their choices.

Though both Administration and Congressional budget officials are predicting a short-term budget surplus, President Clinton's Budget Request is expected to shortchange transportation, including Amtrak. This would be particularly ironic, since it apparently means the Budget Request will not be consistent with the additional funding contemplated in the recently negotiated Amtrak/Maintenance of Way labor contract settlement that Secretary Slater orchestrated. NARP pointed this out to President Clinton in a letter today. NARP urged full funding of the authorized levels. NARP also urged that a supplemental appropriation now being developed include a reversal of the language in the 1998 transportation appropriations law that knocked $199 million off the special Amtrak funding in the Taxpayers Relief Act.

The President's budget will be released within a month, and there is every reason to believe whatever low amounts he proposes for Amtrak will be a ceiling not to be exceeded by a Republican Congress.

The energy company Enron is asking the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to order the Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland Interconnection regional power pool to open its system and allow Enron to sell electricity directly to Amtrak, according to the Journal of Commerce (January 5). Enron wants FERC to consider Amtrak as an electricity wholesaler, since Amtrak sells almost half the electricity it buys now from local utilities to other parties, namely commuter rail agencies that use the Northeast Corridor. If approved, the arrangement would greatly reduce the $40 million Amtrak currently spends on electricity, helping it to survive operating grant cuts and reducing costs for the commuter agencies.

Amtrak's internet booking system had a record level of bookings in November, over 6,000 -- though December may have been higher. That is over $1 million in sales. This program offers internet users some convenience, but it has a few drawbacks. For example, it is no good for long itineraries of over four segments. Because of yield management, there is seldom a single fare for a trip segment or sleeping car accommodations, so it takes some time to download several possible fares for long trips. It also requires full payment by credit card to secure the reservation, which means no grace period of a week to make changes to an itinerary.

Two weeks ago we reported that kids can travel free on the Vermonter when a paying adult is with them. Contrary to what one Amtrak agent told us, this deal also is good on the Ethan Allen. It's two kids per adult and, again, is good only on trips involving at least one point in Vermont.

The Dunbarton Bridge over the south end of San Francisco Bay burned in a spectacular fire last weekend. Though the former Southern Pacific trestle was out of service and had not had passenger service in many years, some saw it as having potential as a commuter rail route between the Altamont Pass and San Francisco. The bridge also lies on the route of a line proposed by the state high-speed rail commission in late 1996. The east end of the bridge is still intact.

An unnamed California company is considering a regular tourist-oriented passenger service from Montreal to Portland over the St. Lawrence & Atlantic route, according to a recent wire story. The Sunday River Ski Train used the Bethel-Portland section of this line.