Hotline #238 - April 12, 2002

The Railroads Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held its third hearing this year on passenger rail. The title of the April 11 hearing was "Intercity Passenger Rail in America: What Should it Look Like?"

Chairman Jack Quinn (R.-N.Y.) said that "we can't envision this country without a national passenger rail system ... I know not everyone here agrees on that" but "we need to forge an agreement and we need to put all options on the table." Ranking Member Bob Clement (D.-Tenn.) said, "Rail is the best opportunity to reshape our transportation network. We need to think about what other countries are doing and that we're not. Amtrak is a true national security issue. Amtrak already is expanding its revenues and ridership while maintaining a safe railroad operation. We need to explore ways to expand upon that."

The only government witness, JayEtta Hecker of the General Accounting Office, spent more time describing current conditions than outlining any vision for the future. Much was made of Amtrak's "low" ridership, compared to airline or bus ridership, ignoring the fact that Amtrak ridership is as much a function of sparse services offered as it is general interest in its services. Hecker pointed out that two-thirds of Amtrak's ridership is in the Northeast, and another sixth in California, as if that had any significance beyond the fact that most Amtrak services are located in those places.

Chairman Quinn asked, "Isn't this an expensive system, outside of the Northeast Corridor, for a handful of riders?", and Hecker answered, "It's not competitive ... The long-hauls can hardly ever be competitive. [Rail service] may be competitive in the 300-500 mile range, but that still won't get people out of their cars." Hecker later described the four western "transcontinental" trains as "rolling national parks" that are "not convenient" and that go "over the Rockies at night" [sic].

Jim RePass, president of the National Corridors Initiative, referred to witnesses who talked about privatization, saying, "Many ideas have been presented, some good, some bad. But without funding, all such talk is utterly meaningless."

The day before the hearing, Federal Railroad Administrator Allan Rutter contacted Railroad Subcommittee leadership and asked to be removed from the witness list. Observers speculated last week that Rutter would use the hearing to present the Bush Administration's long-delayed proposals for the future of passenger rail. However, Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta wrote to the subcommittee leadership, "Unfortunately, after many meetings with the highest levels within the administration, our work is not yet complete." Several Subcommittee members asked Chairman Quinn to hold another hearing when the Administration's views are known.

There was talk earlier in the week that Railroad Subcommittee leadership was moving toward a House Amtrak reauthorization bill that would last one year and authorize $1.2 billion for Amtrak in fiscal 2003. However, no such bill was introduced this week, and it was not discussed at yesterday's hearing. In any event, the 2003 appropriations process is likely to run ahead of any authorization bill.

S.1991, the Hollings multi-year Amtrak reauthorization bill, got its 30th Senate sponsor this week, with the addition of Collins (R.-Me.).

The Missouri House on April 4 voted to approve funding for continuing Amtrak service between St. Louis and Kansas City. The vote was for $4.5 million from general revenues, and $1.5 million from the state DOT budget, totaling $6 million. The Senate must approve this. Governor Holden had recommended "funding" Amtrak with a loan from the state's Rainy Day Fund.

The Federal Railroad Administration has placed slow orders -- of 10 mph -- where there are switches on the Union Pacific line between Longview and Fort Worth, Tex. This is a long stretch of the Texas Eagle's route, which will subject that train to significant delay until UP addresses the switch issue with the FRA and the FRA lifts the orders.

The Raleigh-Charlotte Piedmont has lost its baggage car. Amtrak still offers checked baggage service on the train, using space in one of the coaches, but no bicycles -- checked or carried aboard -- are permitted.

Last week, we reported that the Georgia Senate Appropriations Committee had added $12 million -- not requested by Governor Barnes -- into the 2003 state budget to go towards Atlanta-Macon passenger rail. However, during House-Senate negotiations on the budget on April 7, the provision was dropped, further delaying an already much delayed proposal.

An empty mail car behind the passenger cars of the eastbound Lake Shore Limited derailed early April 6, near Corfu, N.Y. (between Buffalo and Rochester), according to a wire story. No other cars derailed, and no one was injured, but the mail car apparently was pulled along at least a mile before its derailment was detected by a passing freight crew. The cause is being investigated.

A clarification from last week's report about the Silver Palm losing its sleeping car. Passengers who are "bumped" may -- in addition to being able to take coach or Business Class space on the (new) Palmetto the same day, or sleeping-car space on one of the other two Florida trains on the same date (if available) -- get sleeping-car space on one of the other two trains the day before or after the original date of travel. But if passengers want to get new sleeping-car space earlier or later than that, they will be subject to whatever fare is available then (lower or higher).