Hotline #52 - September 18, 1998

The House named its conferees for the 1999 transportation appropriations bill, H.R.4328, on September 15. As we indicated last week, they turned out to be all the members of the Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, plus the chairman and ranking Democrat on the full Committee. All conferees still need to hear one message loud and clear -- Amtrak needs the $609 million provided by the House bill.

The Amtrak Reform Council met in Washington yesterday. The Council's membership is complete now with the recent appointment of the remaining two presidential slots -- Mayor John Norquist (D.) of Milwaukee and Clarence Monin, president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. Disturbingly, in a question he asked DOT Secretary Rodney Slater, Norquist seemed open to the idea of breaking up the national system. Slater replied that Congress is willing to go along with what is in place now, if it can be improved. Deputy Secretary Mort Downey added that "the burden is on the corporation to prove the existing system can work." Other Council members said appropriations conferees must drop the ban on Council consultants that is in both versions of the appropriations bill, if the Council is to carry out its responsibilities.

In its bi-weekly report to the Surface Transportation Board, Union Pacific reported that the operating problems that plagued the carrier in California this summer are largely resolved. UP noted that the backlog in handling shipping containers that was over 3,000 loads at one point in July is now down to 700-800. UP also said that the average daily delayed train departures was 219 -- about 10% of total departures and half the amount six weeks ago. All that affects Amtrak, of course. The eastbound Sunset Limited was over three hours late into Houston yesterday; and the westbound train is two-and-one-half hours late into Los Angeles this morning.

NARP is a party to the Houston and Gulf Coast Area portion of the STB's proceeding on the UP-SP merger. Today, NARP filed comments suggesting that the STB mandate certain track improvements UP has proposed in connection with the merger, require UP to include updates on its investment program in its periodic reports to the STB, and take appropriate remedial actions to address problems for Amtrak trains that result from directional operations on UP lines.

UP announced on September 15 the appointment of Ike Evans as President and Chief Operating Officer. Jerry Davis, who held those posts, is now Vice Chairman.

The Federal Railroad Administration has proposed a new rule governing the condition, inspection, and maintenance of brakes on freight trains. The new rule would preserve the requirement to inspect the brakes of a freight train every 1,000 miles -- the railroads had wanted it increased to 3,500 miles, which would have meant no en-route inspections since no route is that long. The new rule tightens requirements covering the operational status of locomotive brakes and requires 100% of the cars in a train to have operative power brakes when the train departs its originating terminal.

The National Transportation Safety Board ruled this week that Burlington Northern Santa Fe's failure to adequately inspect its tracks and bridges contributed to the derailment of Amtrak's Southwest Chief at Kingman, Ariz., last year. The NTSB recommended Amtrak improve its passenger manifests, improve crew training, and improve emergency lighting.

The grand opening of the new Amtrak station in Goleta, Cal., eight miles west of Santa Barbara, is tomorrow. The open house lasts from 11:30 am to 2:00 pm, with a ceremony around 1:30 pm. Some free train rides to Santa Barbara will be offered. The San Diegan trains that currently terminate in Santa Barbara now will turn at Goleta, where new facilities for train-servicing also have been built, meaning those tasks no longer have to be performed in downtown Santa Barbara. The new station is near a University of California campus.