Hotline #173 - January 12, 2001

Passenger rail is a key part of the U.S. Conference of Mayors' Winter Meeting in Washington, which starts January 17 at Union Station with "the Conference's first ever National Summit on 'A National Rail Policy for the 21st Century.'" New Orleans Mayor Marc H. Morial, the Conference's incoming president, chose rail as the topic. The mayors will have an open dialogue on a new vision for passenger rail investment, release a national poll on "Passenger Rail Investment in America," and take an Acela Express trip to Baltimore.

Regarding the High Speed Rail Investment Act (HSRIA), it's not too early to ask your senators -- particularly those who were sponsors last year -- to agree to co-sponsor again as soon as they are asked. Getting 51 original co-sponsors would be a good way to start this year's campaign. There is an interesting analysis of the challenges awaiting the HSRIA in 2001 in an article in the January 11 Washington Post. Meanwhile, Olympia Snowe (R.-Me.), a strong passenger rail supporter whose state gains Amtrak service in a few months, has won a position on the Finance Committee (while retaining her Budget Committee seat).

In the House, the new chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation is Rep. Harold Rogers (R.-Ky.), whose district in the southeastern corner of the state, has no Amtrak service. At Transportation and Infrastructure, due to term limits -- and contrary to what we said last week -- Thomas Petri (R.-Wis.) cannot continue to chair the big Ground Transportation subcommittee. John Duncan (R.-Tenn.) also is term-limited at the Aviation subcommittee. A Petri/Duncan trade is possible, leaving others to compete for Railroads. The committee says chairmanships will be announced after the inauguration.

We hear that about a half dozen people have been contacted as possible candidates for Federal Railroad Administrator. The Meridian Star reported on January 10 that the former Bush Administration's Administrator, Gil Carmichael (now Amtrak Reform Council chairman), sees Meridian Mayor John Robert Smith as "in the top group of prospects."  Smith is currently a member of the Amtrak board.

The Clinton Administration's "current services" budget for fiscal 2002 likely will be submitted to Congress on February 5.  The Bush transition team, however, is working on its own budget proposals, which the Office of Management in Budget will review and pass back to the departments.  Resulting budget revisions will be submitted to Congress in March or April.  That could allow Congressional appropriations hearings to begin in February or March (as usual), but perhaps without the benefit of knowing what the new administration will propose.

Media coverage of the first four weeks of Acela Express ridership has been good. The single daily train (serving Washington at 5:00 am north and 11:43 pm south) carried over 11,000 passengers, or 12% above projection. The train had an on-time performance of 92%. That includes a 15-minute grace period (as for other Amtrak short-distance trains), but also includes a first week that was laden with service problems.

In a proposed budget for California for 2001-02 released January 10 by Governor Gray Davis, intercity passenger rail gets substantial funding above existing commitments. The proposed new funding requires legislative approval and includes $48 million for more Pacific Surfliner double track, $29.4 million for more San Joaquin double track (particularly near Pittsburg), $20.6 million for more Capitol Corridor double track (particularly between Sacramento and Davis), and $9.5 million in operating funds for additional service.

Amtrak Intercity said today that George Erickson, recently hired from the Alaska Railroad, will become General Manager, Chicago Terminal, effectively trading places with Steve McClarty, who becomes Senior Director, Operations Support. Jim Wolfe, General Manager, Midwest Corridor, is leaving Amtrak January 15. Though service annulments discussed here in previous messages remain, problems on remaining Chicago-based trains seem to be less severe than two weeks ago. The weather has been milder the last week, with days above freezing, and that may be helping.

Buses will replace certain Amtrak trains between Oakland and Stockton, Cal., between January 17 and February 8, due to track work. This applies to San Joaquin trains 713 and 716, weekdays only. Also, a track improvement project in the Florida panhandle is requiring some bus substitution for the Sunset Limited.  For eastbound trains (train 2) arriving Pensacola on Mondays and Wednesdays through January 31, the train will terminate in Pensacola (the Friday train will operate normally). On Monday, February 5 and Wednesday, February 7, train 2 will terminate in Tallahassee instead.

Amtrak will run an ad with a coupon for a 10% travel discount in USA Today starting today. It is meant to stimulate winter travel demand, but it is more restrictive than the NARP 10% discount (for example, the coupon is not on most Northeast services). The coupon is redeemable only at travel agencies, a feature that was praised by the American Society of Travel Agents.

Washington Metro tomorrow opens the rest of its Green Line, from Anacostia in the District of Columbia to Branch Ave. in Prince George's County, Maryland.  That completes all five lines as originally planned.  However, expansion efforts have not stopped, as new maps appearing in subway cars this week already show a planned Blue Line extension in Prince George's County east from Addison Rd. to Largo, and a planned Red Line "infill" station at New York Ave., N.E.; both scheduled to open in 2004.  Additionally, Metro and Virginia officials are working on plans for transit service to Dulles Airport by way of the enormous office center of Tysons Corner, whether by express bus, Orange Line Metro branch, or some combination of the two.