Hotline #114 - November 26, 1999

Congress adjourned its 1999 session without further Senate action on the important flexibility bill, S.1144. Though it was approved by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on September 29, it has not yet been "filed," something that must happen before floor action. However, filing early in January is likely.

Before the Senate adjourned November 19, one more Senator signed onto S.1900 as a sponsor. This is the Lautenberg-Jeffords High Speed Rail Investment Act bill. The most recent and 30th sponsor is Gordon Smith (R.-Ore.).

Rep. Jim Oberstar (D.-Minn.) has introduced H.R.3446, which would extend to commuter authorities the same rights of access to freight railroad trackage that Amtrak has enjoyed since 1971, including the right of appeal to the Surface Transportation Board in the event of failure to reach agreement.

A coalition of Florida interests -- including local commerce groups, Walt Disney World, and a local electric utility -- are lobbying the state for increased, upgraded, conventional train service between the Tampa Bay area and Orlando. The coalition has pledged $100,000 toward a study, and is asking Florida DOT for another $900,000, to come from the $70 million a year the state would otherwise be spending on the FOX high-speed project killed by Governor Bush early this year.

The completion of renovation work on the historic Canton Viaduct was celebrated at a ceremony in an adjacent park on November 18. The 70-foot-high viaduct, in continuous use since 1835, is on the Northeast Corridor in Massachusetts between Route 128 station and Providence. In order to be fit for high-speed rail service, the 20-mph speed limit had to be raised by strengthening the viaduct and increasing the space between the two tracks on it.

At the November 8 Amtrak Reform Council meeting in Dallas, in response to a question, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R.-Tex.) indicated she was sympathetic to postponing by one year the deadline for Amtrak to reach operational self-sufficiency. At the Chicago meeting last month, a motion to recommend the year's delay was tabled pending input from the Clinton Administration and rail labor.

The Texas Eagle will be running with a second Chicago-Los Angeles sleeping car starting today westbound and November 29 eastbound, through the end of January, to handle extra holiday business. The Crescent is running with extra coach space through the Thanksgiving period, including some New York-Atlanta cut-off coaches.

A new Amtrak Thruway bus will connect the Southwest Chief and Ann Rutledge at Kansas City to and from the east, serving Bartlesville and Tulsa, Okla., effective December 6. Effective December 8, a new Thruway bus will connect with the Texas Eagle at Dallas to and from the east, serving Abilene, Big Spring, and Odessa, Tex.

SEPTA extended its Monday-Saturday R5 line commuter service 2.9 miles from Downingtown to Thorndale, November 21.

Transit officials in Orange County, Cal., announced November 20 they were drastically scaling back the scope of their proposed light rail system, to open about 2007. Now they plan just 12 miles between the Irvine Transportation Center (intermodal rail station) and Costa Mesa, including John Wayne Airport.

Following the lead of the Georgia Rail Passenger Authority and the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority, the board of the Georgia Department of Transportation on November 19 approved a $1.9-billion passenger rail plan. The first priorities will be a commuter line from Athens to Atlanta scheduled to begin in 2004, and service from Macon to Atlanta -- including Griffin-Atlanta commuter service -- to begin in 2005. The three state agencies have asked the Georgia legislature for more than $25 million as the state's matching share of a proposed 80% federal/20% state funding program for the fiscal year beginning July 2000.

A county judge in Ohio ruled November 22 that Aaron Hall was insane at the time he allegedly stabbed three people on Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited in August, but that he is now able to stand trial. The next hearing is December 22.

A truck stalled on a grade crossing east of Toronto, near Bowmanville, Ont., caused a fiery derailment of a CN freight rain and VIA Rail passenger train the evening of November 23, injuring about 12 passengers. The freight train struck the truck and dragged it, leading to the truck being struck again by the eastbound passenger train approaching on the other track. It is the second truck-caused passenger train derailment in the Toronto area this month.