Hotline #84 - April 30, 1999

VIA Rail passenger train 74, the weekend St. Clair, headed from Windsor, Ont., to Toronto, derailed and overturned April 23 at Thamesville. Press reports suggested that the train went through an improperly aligned crossover switch at 80 mph, and that part of the train hit three large hopper cars parked on a nearby siding. Two people -- an engineer and engineer trainee in the locomotive -- were killed. About 100 people on board the train were injured. Another VIA train, the westbound Trillium, train 71, was approaching the scene but apparently was warned by radio in time enough to stop.

Amtrak announced last week it was ordering another 129 RoadRailers from Wabash National Corporation. Of those, 89 will be designed for use in postal shipments.

A Washington State DOT official is quoted in press reports saying that there will be a study of a new train over Stampede Pass, from Seattle to Ellensburg, Yakima, Pasco, and Spokane. The official said the train would not replace the Empire Builder, which currently runs over Stevens Pass and through Wenatchee. However, the official suggested that a Yakima train would somehow cause the state to want to reroute the Empire Builder also through Yakima.

Amtrak reservations personnel will ask people booking to certain locations if they would like a rental car, starting May 3. If they say "yes," they will be switched to Hertz. Amtrak gets a commission and customers are assured the car will be provided conveniently, even if their train is late. At first, there will be 17 locations, but the list will be expanded as fast as possible. The list includes Orlando, Kissimmee, Chicago, San Diego, Oakland, Seattle, Portland, and several other Amtrak West sites. There are likely to be some growing pains, so no formal announcement is planned next week.

All current Amtrak Custom Class services and Metroliner coach class will be renamed "Business Class" effective May 16. Some local variations on the name will exist -- Pacific Class replaces Custom Class on the San Diegans, there will be Cascades Business Class on Talgos in the Northwest, and Carolina Business Class on the Carolinian. Newspapers and beverages will still be provided, except in the Northeast, where the only train with Business Class providing papers and drinks will be the Twilight Shoreliner. Most Business Class seats have electrical outlets for laptops; eventually all will.

Everything in the Northeast will be replaced by three classes. Metroliner Club Class becomes First Class, offering services consistent with those planned for Acela Express First Class service later this year. Business Class replaces all current Metroliner coach class and NortheastDirect and Empire Custom Class seats. Coach Class will be the coach seats on all the other trains. Many Northeastern passengers and crew are unhappy that this arrangement will end all Club or First Class service between New York and Boston until the new Acela Express trains are running.

The Arizona Republic reported on April 23 that pending legislation would speed up construction of Phoenix-area freeways by seven years. At the same time, the bill would strip away any regional transportation authority that could hold an election to extend a Maricopa County sales tax that is supposed to benefit both freeways and transit.

The Greater Buffalo-Niagara Regional Transportation Council plans to take bids in the next two months for turning part of the Memorial Auditorium in downtown Buffalo into an intermodal station. It would include both Amtrak and light rail. Amtrak trains that currently run in a tunnel under the building would be rerouted to run alongside. The existing Exchange Street Station would be closed if the new facility opens on schedule in 2002.

A Japanese maglev beat its own previous record for speed with people on board on April 14. The old record, set in December 1997, was 342 mph. The new record is 343 mph.