Hotline #209 - September 21, 2001

In the days since the September 11 attacks, there have been frequent mentions in print and web media (but not so much in broadcast media) of a big jump in public interest in passenger trains. In the September 12-17 period, many trains sold out nationwide. Preliminary Amtrak ridership figures show a 17% increase (from 60,000 to 70,000 a day), but that doesn't include the many airline tickets Amtrak honored. Ridership on long-distance trains grew 35% and on the Northeast Corridor grew 9% (despite the near-shutdown of businesses and schools throughout the Northeast). The number of tickets issued for the following several days was also much higher than normal.

Amtrak added hundreds of seats a day to its trains -- 1600 on long-distance trains, 300 in Amtrak West, and 2000 on the Northeast Corridor. Through September 18, it handled 237 carloads of mail above normal levels. It provided transportation into New York for medical and other rescue workers, and thousands of emergency relief kits for the Red Cross. About 40 Senators rode a special train to New York yesterday to inspect the World Trade Center site.

Amtrak and other railroads report that they have increased police presence and other inspections around stations and rights-of-way. Amtrak has been considering a new policy to require passengers to carry photo identification, but has made no announcement about implementation.

On Capitol Hill, a $40-billion package relating to general security, military, and relief issues was quickly made law. Beyond that, in recognition of the great harm caused to airlines by last week's shutdown, and the big role aviation plays in the national economy, Congress and the Bush Administration have begun considering a substantial aid package. A House proposal a week ago for $15 billion in aid to the airline industry has become a $17 billion proposal supported by House, Senate, and Administration leadership, and is moving rapidly. It would provide $5 billion in direct grants to airlines that can show losses relating to last week's attacks, and the rest in credits or loan guarantees.

But Congress must not forget about passenger rail. Amtrak played an important role last week, even with its assets stretched very thinly by decades of underfunding and a misguided mandate for operational self-sufficiency. That enhanced role will continue as many people who are reluctant to fly look to rail as an alternative, and as longer waits in air terminals will make many rail trips more time-competitive. Amtrak's security costs are also increased (as implied above).

On September 19, 16 Senators wrote to Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta, saying they had asked Amtrak for a proposed aid package resulting from last week's attacks, and that Congress and the Administration ought to provide the funding for that package. The Senators were Hutchison (R.-Tex.), Hollings (D.-S.C.), Specter (R.-Pa.), Biden (D.-Del.), Schumer (D.-N.Y.), Kerry (D.-Mass.), Jeffords (I.-Vt.), Corzine (D.-N.J.), Carper (D.-Del.), Torricelli (D.-N.J.), Kennedy (D.-Mass.), Clinton (D.-N.Y.), Sarbanes (D.-Md.), Mikulski (D.-Md.), Reid (D.-Nev.), Chafee (R.-R.I.), and they deserve your thanks and encouragement.

Media reports of the 18-month, $3.2-billion package that Amtrak developed in response to the Senators' request began appearing yesterday and today. About $1.5 billion would go toward improving passenger safety and security nationwide, including more Amtrak police and security officers and accelerating safety work on the Amtrak tunnels in New York. Another $1.6 billion would go toward expanding capacity, including repairing wreck-damaged and stored cars and locomotives; overhauling more equipment; improving selected track segments, catenary segements, and bridges in the Northeast Corridor; and perhaps an order of ten train sets (of unspecified type).

Amtrak will need this funding -- in whatever upcoming legislation is appropriate -- if it is to play a more meaningful and reliable role in the new transportation environment in the U.S. Another priority is the High Speed Rail Investment Act (HSRIA), which is up to 182 sponsors in the House, and which would provide resources to expand rail's role as an air alternative nationwide. Please tell your legislators, the President, and newspaper editors that Amtrak must have this supplemental funding and that the HSRIA must be enacted this year -- before the expected adjournment of Congress a month from now.

The status of the annual appropriations bill is unclear. Fiscal 2001 ends September 30, but Congress has not yet passed any of the 13 appropriations bills for 2002, including transportation. Any bill not enacted by then will have to be covered under a "continuing resolution," which carries funding for programs in pending bills forward into the new fiscal year at current levels.

Last week we reported that PATH believed one of its trains might be under the World Trade Center site, based on press reports current at the time. Later reports indicated there was an empty train left in the PATH station there, but that the station had been evacuated in time. Workers have entered the station and found it mostly intact, but with no one in it. During the height of the crisis, PATH employees helped evacuate about 3000 people from trains in the station and from the station itself onto the street, and diverted trains headed for the World Trade Center. Some PATH employees then were evacuated to Jersey City by train. Some interruptions to New York City subway service continue, most acutely on the 1-9 IRT line, which experienced some tunnel collapses.

A carload of donated fruit left Wenatchee, Wash., September 17, bound for East Coast relief efforts. The 200,000 apples were donated by the Washington Apple Commission, and Amtrak and ExpressTrak donated the transportation. The car also carried messages and posters from schoolchildren in Central Washington. Upon arrival, it will be distributed by the New Jersey Food Bank to help feed rescue workers and others impacted by the terrorist attacks.

The new Amtrak station in Martinez, Cal., will have its grand opening September 22 (10:00 am). It is located at 601 Marina Vista, near the former station. The intermodal facility will serve two Amtrak corridors (San Joaquin and Capitol), two Amtrak long-distance routes (California Zephyr and Coast Starlight), Amtrak Thruway buses, and local buses (including connecting to the North Concord/Martinez BART station), making it a true crossroads in its region. Amtrak ridership at Martinez was 280,000 in fiscal 2000, 23% over 1999.

Effective October 1, Amtrak will convert Metropolitan Lounges in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington into "ClubAcela." The space will be open to any Amtrak passenger with a same-day first-class ticket (including sleeper). A plan to charge a membership fee for access to the lounges -- published in Amtrak's recent on-board magazine -- is on hold.

Tomorrow is the last day of operation for Amtrak's Chicago-Janesville Lake Country Limited. It was reduced to once-weekly status six months ago, as Amtrak realized that the plans it announced in February 2000 for express traffic for the Janesville train (and other, similar ones proposed) were not materializing. Also, Amtrak began to emphasize long-haul (transcontinental) express over shorter runs, and connecting express trains that were planned did not get freight approval.

Amtrak train 305 (southbound State House) was stranded for about four hours after about 10:00 pm September 16, due to a disabled locomotive, according to a St. Louis Post-Dispatch report. The train, with about 80 people aboard, was in a remote area about three miles from the nearest crossing, and was without power. An Amtrak spokesman said that made it impractical to have people walk to board a bus, rather than wait for a relief locomotive.

Amtrak will discontinue the Cardinal stop at Alderson, W.Va., with last day of service September 28 (eastbound) and September 30 (westbound).

California Gov. Gray Davis (D.) has before him a bill, AB1419, to transfer the Transbay Terminal in San Francisco to local authorities. They plan to convert the terminal to an intermodal facility, with provision for extending Caltrain commuter service from a more peripheral location.

A light rail extension in Dallas begins revenue service September 24. DART's Blue Line will use a new branch from Mockingbird Station to Northwest Highway/White Rock Lake. Events to welcome the new line will take place over the weekend.