Hotline #79 - March 26, 1999

The investigation into the March 15 grade-crossing accident that derailed Amtrak's City of New Orleans continues. The coroner in Kankakee County doesn't plan to release the cause of death for the 11 victims until an inquest has been held, which could take up to two months. There is still some question as to what these passengers -- who were all in one heavily damaged sleeping car -- died from. It could have been the heavy impact resulting from the side of the Superliner car hitting the end of a locomotive, or from fire or carbon monoxide resulting from the fire. Knowing the cause of death is very important for planning for future safety improvements.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R.-Tex.), who chairs the surface transportation subcommittee of the Senate Commerce Committee, held a hearing yesterday about grade-crossing safety. She asked the chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, Jim Hall, questions about the Amtrak Genesis locomotive fuel tanks, which leaked fuel that fed the fire that burned the sleeping car, even though they are of a newer, stronger design. Hall said the new design met NTSB recommendations and had performed well in previous accidents, and they will examine what the next step in fuel tank safety should be. He also noted that the collision force in this accident was "very destructive."

Hutchison pressed Federal Highway Administrator Kenneth Wykle on increased penalties for grade-crossing violators, and wanted to know when rules -- that have been pending for almost a year -- would take effect. He said they would be issued soon. NARP formally went on record last year supporting the new rules.

House and Senate leaders have agreed to separate, but similar, budget resolutions. Leaders hope to reconcile them in April after the holiday recess. Both resolutions call for increasing military spending, cutting taxes, and leaving budget caps intact. House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Bud Shuster won a commitment from Speaker Hastert to have a vote later on his aviation reauthorization bill, called "AIR 21." Shuster's bill would guarantee a doubling of airport improvement spending over five years by setting up firewalls like TEA-21 did for highways and transit. It would triple air-traffic-control funding, still using general funds for 30% of the cost -- even though government and military planes cause less than 10% of those costs.

The Senate yesterday approved Sen. Richard Shelby's (R.-Ala.) sense-of-the-Senate amendment number 225 opposing new transportation firewalls and noting that AIR-21 would "drastically cut or eliminate" funding for the National Transportation Safety Board, the Coast Guard, Amtrak, and safety programs for rail, pipelines, and hazardous materials. Significantly, Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R.-Miss.) joined Senators Ted Stevens (R.-Alaska) and Pete Domenici (R.-N.Mex.) as co-sponsors.

There was a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Amtrak station in Burlington, N.C., on March 23, on the Piedmont and Carolinian route. It cost $260,000, all funded by the North Carolina DOT.

The Georgia Legislature approved a bill on March 23 to create a new Georgia Regional Transportation Authority, a 15-member board to oversee the Georgia DOT, the Atlanta Regional Commission, and commissioners of member counties. The new authority will decide what transportation and land-use plans will be implemented in the 15 counties around Atlanta that are in a clean-air non-attainment area. The Georgia Rail Passenger Authority will advise the new Regional Transportation Authority.

The Surface Transportation Board yesterday approved the takeover of the Illinois Central by the Canadian National.

A poll conducted by Ohio State University and published in the Columbus Dispatch on March 22 says that 51% of area voters favor doubling the current quarter-cent sales tax to benefit transit improvements, including commuter rail. In fact, 56% were specifically in favor of commuter rail for the Columbus area.