Hotline #243 - May 17, 2002

David L. Gunn, as previously announced, became president of Amtrak on May 15. That was one day after a logging truck drove in front of the southbound Silver Meteor, derailing all ten cars and causing minor injuries to 14. The accident occurred at a crossing of a CSX line at Coosawatchie, S.C., just south of Yemassee. Fortunately, the damage to nine of the ten cars (all but the baggage car) is relatively minor. Gunn ordered the cars repaired at Yemassee. Fortunately for car-short Amtrak, all nine cars were expected to be released for service by May 19. Until the site was cleaned up, some passengers were bussed between Charleston and Savannah, some trains detoured to the Silver Star route, and some detoured via Columbia, Hamlet, and Pembroke.

Speaking in Washington on May 13, Amtrak Executive Vice President-Operations Stan Bagley (then also acting president) said, "I'm one derailment away from having to cut service." He said he "pulled every rabbit out of my bag" to keep all routes operating after the April 18 Auto Train derailment. That added to an already sizeable backlog of wreck-damaged equipment that Amtrak lacks the funds to repair.

Bagley this week also wrote to Senate Commerce Chairman Ernest Hollings (D.-S.C.) and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R.-Tex.) to answer their questions about wreck-damaged equipment. He wrote that, not counting the Silver Meteor cars, there are 98 pieces of repairable wreck-damaged equipment out of service -- 42 Superliners, 33 single-level cars, 16 mail, baggage, and express cars, and seven locomotives. It would cost about $34 million to repair all of them. Of those 98 pieces, 56 could be repaired within 18 months at a cost of $19 million, mostly for the Intercity business unit. Bagley told the Senators that those 56 pieces are the first priority for repairs, should funding materialize.

The revamped H.R.2950, the Young-Quinn high-speed rail bill, as noted last week, has provisions affecting grade crossing removal and train speeds. Full text of the substitute bill is still not available, but a summary suggested that all grade crossings would have to be removed for a project to qualify for funding. Actually, the requirement is for removal of all crossings in zones where the highest speeds would be achieved.

On the issue of speeds, the bill says that running at 125 mph or more is required for any project, over some part of the project's route. That reflects the belief of House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Don Young (R.-Alaska) and Ranking Democrat James Oberstar (Minn.) that only those speeds will be adequate to attract travelers from autos and planes. Still it would require states with no plans for 125-mph running -- notably in the Pacific Northwest, Midwest, Southeast, and Northern New England -- to revise their plans and, likely, increase their costs. It would also give an edge to regions where such speeds are being considered, like the Northeast and California -- which already have much more passenger rail service than the other regions named.

Operation Lifesaver, the grade-crossing safety organization, had a reception in Washington on May 15 and honored two members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Railroads Subcommittee -- Chairman Jack Quinn (R.-N.Y.) and Ranking Democrat Bob Clement (Tenn.) -- for their support for safety programs. Also honored was Amtrak's senior vice president for system security and safety, Chief Ron Frazier, for his partnership with Operation Lifesaver when he was leader of the International Association of Railroad Police.

We reported "good news" from Missouri two weeks ago, but that was reversed at the 11th hour. Legislative negotiators from the House and Senate -- which had earlier agreed to $6 million for Kansas City-St. Louis service (as passed by the House), changed it back to $5 million (as passed by the Senate). Amtrak had said earlier that the lower amount would lead to a reduction in service. Rep. Joan Bray (D.), a great rail supporter and one of the budget negotiators, said she hoped the state and Amtrak would run both daily round trips as long as the funding lasted, keeping in mind that the state could provide a supplemental appropriation later.

A new station in Provo, Utah, was opened May 15 by officials from Amtrak, the city, and Union Pacific. The new facility features an enclosed waiting area and pay phone, both of which were lacking in the previous facility, built in 1986.

May is a good time to enroll in Amtrak's Guest Rewards program, if you haven't already. Amtrak is offering 500 extra points to new program members who enroll in May and book a round-trip ticket on-line in May.

Additionally, Guest Rewards has an offer currently that allows members who book a trip on Amtrak's web site during May (for travel from now through June) to gain additional Guest Rewards points).

Amtrak is offering a discount linked to use of a Master Card. From May 20 through June 30, most rail fares paid for by Master Card can get a 25% discount. You have to ask an Amtrak agent or travel agent for this particular discount -- it's not offered automatically. It's good for travel from May 29 to August 29 (but except July 4). Tickets are non-refundable. Certain services, like Auto Train, Acela Express, Metroliner, are excluded.

Amtrak's reach into New Hampshire expanded greatly with a partnership with Concord Trailways that began April 29 (though not indicated in the new timetable). Several Thruway bus connections a day are now available from Boston South Station to Manchester and Concord. Other service is available on three routes (also serving Manchester and Concord) -- Tilton-Laconia, Tilton-Plymouth-Lincoln-Littleton, and Meredith-Conway-Berlin.

Passenger rail officials from the West Coast -- Amtrak West President Gil Mallery, Amtrak West Vice President-Customer Service Bill Duggan, Capitol Corridor Managing Director Gene Skoropowski, plus officials from Caltrans, Oregon DOT (by phone), and Altamont Commuter Express -- met with Union Pacific officials in Omaha to discuss worsening delays on UP lines in Oregon and California. Metrolink, the Los Angeles-area commuter railroad, also met with UP earlier this spring, and has filed a notice of non-performance due to delays.

Flooding this week in the Midwest caused cancellations for the Southwest Chief between Chicago and Kansas City, and delays to the California Zephyr east of Lincoln.

Amtrak will run a Monster Mile Express special train from New York to Dover, Del., for a NASCAR race on June 2.

Passengers on Amtrak's Downeaster service tomorrow morning should not be surprised to see 185 colorfully dressed women travel from Boston to Portland for the day. They are members of the Red Hat Society, "a national organization whose only requirement for membership is a red hat and a purple outfit" (according to a wire story).

A Navy official supported the idea of high-speed rail service at a meeting of the Virginia High Speed Rail Development Committee on May 15, in Williamsburg. Rear Admiral David Architzel, commander of the Mid-Atlantic Region in Norfolk, said most of the Navy's business travel occurs between the Norfolk area and Washington, 36,000 round trips a year, of which 27,000 are by automobile. Architzel said an improved rail service would save the Navy time and money.