Hotline #197 - June 29, 2001

The House version of the High Speed Rail Investment Act (HSRIA), H.R.2329, was introduced June 27 by Representatives Houghton (R.-N.Y.) and Oberstar (D.-Minn.). This was announced in a news conference the same day, at which nine of the bill's sponsors spoke (Houghton and Oberstar, plus Quinn, R.-N.Y.; Clement, D.-Tenn.; Buyer, R.-Ind.; Larsen, D.-Wash.; Nadler, D.-N.Y.; Baldacci, D.-Me.; Blumenauer, D.-Ore.), plus David King of North Carolina DOT and Amtrak President George Warrington. The bill itself had a total of 125 sponsors (now 129), click here to see a list. Houghton's comments are in the June 27 Congressional Record.

Oberstar said, "We have had plenty of money for studies ... but haven't had money to implement the studies.  Now we can start building with this bill." Warrington said, "This is not about Amtrak, nor about competing with resources with other modes of transportation, but about developing the third leg of an intermodal transportation stool."

The House of Representatives on June 26 approved H.R.2299, fiscal 2002 transportation appropriations, with no change to Amtrak's proposed $521 million (to be paid at once). However, an Andrews (D.-N.J.) amendment was approved on a voice vote to cut funding for the Amtrak Reform Council from $785,000 to $450,000. A Jackson-Lee (D.-Tex.) amendment was rejected on a voice vote to strip out a ban on federal funding for Houston light rail. Mica (R.-Fla.) expressed hope that funding could be found later for Florida high-speed rail, where state enabling legislation was passed after the process for H.R.2299 had begun. The bill deleted all funding for the Penn Station/Farley project; last year, the same thing happened and the money was restored in conference.

The Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee held a hearing June 28 on aviation and passenger rail. Federal Aviation Administrator Jane Garvey was a witness, but most of the time was spent on Amtrak. Subcommittee members Shelby (R.-Ala.) and Bennett (R.-Utah) both questioned the need for passenger trains away from the Northeast, with Bennett going so far as to say he didn't care if Utah lost its remaining service. He did, however, ask for more aviation resources before the 2002 Winter Olympics. Witness John McCain (R.-Ariz.) echoed that, saying rail was needed only in the Northeast and West. He implied the HSRIA is a bailout for Amtrak (even though it would help rail in the places even he acknowledges it has a use).

Witness Joe Biden (D.-Del.) gave a spirited defense of passenger rail, calling into question the goals of the operational self-sufficiency mandate (a point also raised by Chairman Murray, D.-Wash.), and attacking rail critics for opposing every legislative idea that has ever come along to make rail more viable. He said that if Amtrak were cut back to the Northeast and the West -- as suggested by McCain, Shelby, and Bennett -- the votes would be lacking to maintain even that -- a "Catch-22" for Amtrak.

Warrington, the last witness, outlined areas of progress and challenge for Amtrak, saying that Amtrak is still on the path to meeting the narrow definition of operational self-sufficiency. He said Amtrak did the Penn Station mortgage to address the gap in revenues caused by late delivery of Acela Express trains, instead of coming back to Congress for "bailouts." He repeated the call he made at the National Press Club for Congress to decide how much of a rail system it wants and then commit to the funding needed for that system. Chairman Murray said she expected the subcommittee to consider a Senate fiscal 2002 transportation funding bill on July 12.

At an outreach hearing in Newark on June 26, the Amtrak Reform Council ran into great criticism for its proposal (as they now phrase it) to "appropriately separate" Amtrak's infrastructure from its operations. States from Maine and Vermont to Delaware opposed the proposal. For example, New Jersey Transportation Commissioner James Weinstein said, "The current structure has served well and should remain unchanged." He decried the small size of Amtrak's federal appropriation and said the ARC plan "has negative implications for how we provide financial support ... Separation will ultimately destroy both our national rail passenger system and our regional system as well." New York DOT Deputy Commissioner Jack Guinan complained that the ARC has not "framed a debate about the future of passenger rail" but simply presented a series of options on how to implement an Amtrak-restructuring "conclusion ARC has already reached."

The Senate Commerce Committee held a brief confirmation hearing for Allen Rutter, President Bush's choice for Federal Railroad Administrator, June 26. There were other nominees in the same hearing, and Rutter got no questions. His prepared statement said, in part, "I look forward to being given a chance to work with Secretary Mineta's team, the Bush Administration, and Congress in developing a national passenger rail policy as this committee's 1997 Amtrak legislation reaches its conclusion this coming year."

At Amtrak's annual Presidential Service and Safety Awards June 22, one of the honorees was Dr. Bill Pollard, of Conway, Ark. He is chairman of the Texas Eagle Marketing and Performance Organization (TEMPO), a NARP Region 9 board member, and president of the Arkansas Rail membership group. Pollard was among those recognized in the "Champion of the Rails" category, for all his work on helping save the Texas Eagle a few years ago, on TEMPO, on assisting the Arkadelphia station renovation project, advocating getting "pathfinder" highway signs to all Arkansas stations, and on starting the Hot Springs Thruway bus.

A major bridge project will cause busing for Amtrak's Pacific Surfliners, July 7 and 8, between Los Angeles and Norwalk Metrolink station, north of Fullerton -- not normally an Amtrak stop. The Southwest Chief will take a different route between Los Angeles and San Bernardino, missing its Fullerton stop (protected by a Fullerton-San Bernardino bus). During this weekend project, a new bridge over the Los Angeles River will be put into place near Redondo Jct., and old signal systems will be replaced at several points, allowing Amtrak trains to pass through the zone more quickly.

The Capitol Limited will have a schedule change July 9 (in addition to the July 9 Northeast Corridor changes described here earlier). Westbound, the train arrives Chicago 9:19 am, 19 minutes earlier than now. Eastbound, the train leaves Chicago 6:40 pm, 55 minutes earlier than now and arrives Washington 1:23 pm, 77 minutes earlier than now.  In both cases, most of the reduction is west of Toledo.