Hotline #192 - May 25, 2001

When Sen. James M. Jeffords becomes an Independent, the Senate will have 50 Democrats and 49 Republicans. Democrats will take control. Jeffords said he would change his voter registration after Congress finishes work on the tax-cut bill -- not before June 5. Except for a special agreement making Jeffords himself the chairman of Environment and Public Works, it is likely that the new chairmen will be Democrats who are now ranking committee and subcommittee members. Key for us -- Patty Murray (Wash.) replacing Richard Shelby (Ala.) as Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee chair; Ernest Hollings (S.C.) replacing John McCain (Ariz.) as Commerce chair.

The Senate Commerce Committee hearing on Amtrak scheduled for May 22 was postponed (less than an hour before it was to start), possibly to the week of June 4, because so many floor votes on the tax-cut bill were "stacked up" for that morning. Congress will not be in session next week.

On the Senate floor on May 21, soon-to-be Senate Finance Chair Max Baucus (D.-Mont.) offered and then withdrew Amendment #676, identical to what Senator Torricelli (D.-N.J.) offered in the Finance Committee last week. In other words, the amendment was the High Speed Rail Investment Act with two key changes made to satisfy Baucus and others. Baucus withdrew the amendment because he said it was not germane, but on May 23 on the Senate floor he said he "would like to hold a hearing within a month after the completion of this tax [-cut] package." The amendment makes clear that no new Highway Trust Fund money will go to passenger rail as a result of the bill, and eliminates any "federal preemption" of state and local property taxation rights.

Also May 23, on the Senate floor, Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D.-Del.), said, "I am grateful that [Baucus] is not only willing to sign on to this amendment ... but he is committed to helping us move this legislation through the Finance Committee and on to the floor as soon as we can." In a further floor colloquy on May 23, Biden thanked Baucus for his support of the new version of the bill, while Baucus committed having a hearing on it in about a month.

Amtrak President George Warrington gave a luncheon speech at the National Press Club on May 24. He said we need closure on three questions -- What should the national intercity passenger rail system be?; Should it cover costs through cross-subsidies, direct support, or other means?; How much capital are we willing to provide? The Washington Post reported, "Amtrak cannot meet conflicting goals of providing national passenger service and breaking even financially, [Warrington said]. He appealed to political leaders to resolve, at last, whether Amtrak's public or private responsibilities come first. 'You cannot meet a mandate to run a national network and operate in a true, profitable, commercial sense.'" National Public Radio webcasted his talk (some NPR stations broadcast it); see their archive.

The start-up date of the Meridian-Dallas section of the Crescent (or Crescent Star) is delayed until at least early 2002. Eleven employees who were hired to work on the new train have been temporarily laid off. Amtrak Board Member and Meridian Mayor John Robert Smith told the Meridian Star newspaper on May 19 that the delay stems from the need to get a loan approval. Amtrak and host railroad Kansas City Southern have a loan application pending before the Federal Railroad Administration under the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing program (RRIF). KCS will allow the new service to begin once loan approval is gotten (i.e., before the improvements to be paid for by the loan money are actually made).

The RRIF program was created by TEA-21 in 1998. FRA's final rules for the program took effect last September, but no loans had been approved as of an April 25 House hearing on the subject. At that time, one loan (to I&M Rail Link) was in "final stages of review." Mayor Smith told the paper that the process had been delayed by pending presidential appointments -- for example, we understand that a confirmation hearing for Federal Railroad Administrator nominee Allan Rutter will be June 6.

The Washington Metro board last week approved testing a car-sharing program for its users. Under a one-year trial starting in the fall, Metro users who pre-register and pay a fee will be able to reserve and rent a car to go places beyond Metro's reach. Other car-sharing programs exist in Boston, Chicago, and Portland, Ore., but Metro's will be the first program set up by a transit system.

The one-week interruption in Sunset Limited service east of New Orleans (reported here earlier, covering roughly the first few days in July) results from a massive track work project. Such projects -- closing down a railroad (or a highway) for several days of intensive work, rather than stretching out the work over several weeks or months "under traffic" -- are becoming more common. CSX will assign 600 people from 7:00 am July 2 to 10:00 am July 6, mostly in a zone from near Bay St. Louis, Miss., to Grand Bay, Ala. (just west of Mobile), working in 12-hour shifts, to install 120,000 ties, rebuild 50 road crossings, lay five miles of new rail (in various places), and work on 25 bridges. Some work will take place as far west as New Orleans and as far east as Montgomery.

The eastbound Empire Builder (not westbound) will detour certain days between St. Paul and La Crosse, missing stops at Red Wing and Winona, Minn., due to track work on the Canadian Pacific. The dates are Monday-Thursday, the weeks of May 21, May 29, June 4. The detour should cause a delay of about an hour each trip.

Capitol Corridor passengers can take advantage of a new "Transit Transfer" program. This allows a passenger to ask an Amtrak conductor for a Transit Transfer, which is a two-part, validated coupon (one part for use on an immediate connection, and one to be used with validation date for a return trip to the train). The transfer is good for a free ride on Sacramento RTD buses and light rail trains, and a free ride on AC Transit (Oakland/East Bay) buses. Also available on board the train (in the Club/Cafe car) are BART tickets sold at a discount (a $5 BART ticket for $4).

The Sacramento City Council approved a compromise plan May 22, proposed by Mayor Heather Fargo, to retain the historic Southern Pacific station as an Amtrak station, but move the track area 500 feet back (north) from the station. Amtrak and Union Pacific support moving the tracks -- Amtrak says it will improve operations and UP wants to develop 37 acres that would be freed up. An enclosed area in the resulting gap between the station and tracks (where the platforms are today) could be used for buses and light rail. There is no schedule for the project.