Hotline #77 - March 12, 1999

Amtrak officials unveiled a new brand name and marketing strategy for its services in the Northeast on March 9 in New York. All current Metroliner, NortheastDirect, Empire, Keystone, and Clocker services are to be combined under a single new brand, called "Acela."

Under the Acela brand, there will be three types of service -- Acela Express, with all-reserved first-class and business-class seats, will use high-speed train sets and replace today's Metroliners. Acela Regional, with reserved business class and unreserved coach seats, will use new high-speed locomotives and refurbished Amfleet cars and replace today's NortheastDirect and other corridor trains. Acela Commuter will use rebuilt AEM-7 locomotives and refurbished Amfleet cars and replace today's Clockers. All of these improvements will be in place by fall 2001.

Amtrak hopes to use its new Acela brand to stress in the minds of potential customers all the equipment overhauls and service-quality improvements Amtrak is planning. Indeed, Amtrak views this program as vital to its survival after 2002, when it legally must be able to survive without a federal operating grant. Amtrak hopes that the Acela brand can be spread to other corridors in other parts of the country.

Exact schedules and fares for the new high-speed service were not announced, and probably will not be until later this year. However, the fares will probably be higher than the Metroliner, but less than the air shuttle.

The name Acela will sound funny to many long-time Amtrak supporters. Indeed, the name "Amtrak" itself probably sounded funny in 1971. Other supporters will question getting rid of many train names in the Northeast. But Amtrak is convinced that it must pursue this branding project in order to get non-train-users to try the train for the first time. Amtrak acknowledges that the service has to be good for these new people to come back a second time.

Contrary to previous reports, there was not an actual high-speed train set that was unveiled at the March 9 event. However, the first train set is supposed to go to Pueblo, Colo., for testing very soon.

The Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee held a hearing March 10 on fiscal 2000 funding for Amtrak. The witnesses were Amtrak board chairman and Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson, Amtrak President George Warrington, and DOT Inspector General Kenneth Mead. During discussion, Senators Lautenberg, Campbell, Kohl, and Reid of Nevada were supportive of Amtrak.

However, the chairman, Richard Shelby (R.-Ala.), devoted much of his opening statement to expressing his skepticism of long-distance trains. He was impressed with some of the testimony he heard, such as that covering Amtrak's recent deal to contract out its commissary work. Shelby also spoke ominously about the upcoming problem with federal budget caps and the firewalls for other modes that protect them from federal budget shortfalls -- both of which are legitimate and serious concerns.

The Caltrain Joint Powers Board rejected by one vote a study of electrifying the San Jose-San Francisco commuter rail line, on March 4. Caltrain staff had recommended against the study, citing numerous other capital improvements needed on the railroad. However, the Board will try to have another vote in a month because three board members were absent.

A report released this week by the Surface Transportation Policy Project suggest that incidents of road rage or overly aggressive driving occur in places hit hard by urban sprawl, with few or no transit alternatives or sidewalks. On the other hand, these incidents appear to occur less frequently in places that are pedestrian-friendly and have good transit service.