Hotline #247 - June 14, 2002

Amtrak President David Gunn appeared on PBS television's "Newshour" program on June 13. He discussed Amtrak's current financial problems and how they came to be. He told interviewer Jim Lehrer that the $200 million bank loan (discussed in last week's Hotline) has not yet been obtained. Gunn said Amtrak would have to shut down without such financing. The full transcript of the interview is on the PBS web site.

Once again, Amtrak is making changes to its sleeping-car routes. The Kentucky Cardinal will lose its Viewliner sleeper for the summer, with the last southbound trip leaving Chicago June 15, and the last northbound trip leaving Louisville June 16. The Twilight Shoreliner will regain the Viewliner sleeper it lost May 20. The first southbound trip leaves Boston June 21, and the first northbound trip leaves Newport News June 22. While the sleeping car contributes a big percentage of overall revenues on the Kentucky Cardinal, it also brings Amtrak about $250,000 (a month) less in revenues than it would on the Twilight Shoreliner.

S.1991, the National Defense Rail Act, now has 36 Senate sponsors, with the addition of Miller (D.-Ga.) and Dayton (D.-Minn.). This Hollings reauthorization bill for Amtrak runs for multiple years and does the most to stabilize and expand passenger rail services of all types.

A letter to Senate appropriators urging an Amtrak appropriation of $1.2 billion -- the amount Amtrak says it needs to survive fiscal 2003 -- now has 52 Senate signatures. A similar letter with 162 signatures went to House appropriators last week.

The FBI warned transit systems on June 7 and 8 that there was a chance of a nerve gas attack in a subway around July 4. This follows a more general alert that was issued by the Department of Transportation late in May to all rail systems, though the FBI was not involved at that point. The newer FBI bulletin said that it had information that the terrorist group Al-Qaida was planning such an attack.

On account of track work related to the high-speed rail project, some Amtrak trains between Chicago and St. Louis will have schedule changes from June 17 to August 9. Northbound, train 300 runs 20 minutes earlier, train 304 30 minutes later, and train 22/422 (Texas Eagle) 90 minutes later. Southbound train 303 runs 45 minutes later.

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation and Amtrak announced on June 11 an agreement to operate the Heartland Flyer for another two years. Oklahoma will pay Amtrak $4.6 million to run the Oklahoma City-Fort Worth train from this past June 1 to May 31, 2003, and another $4.8 million to run it beyond that for another year. The rest of the operating funds will come from ticket and concessions revenues that accrue to the state. At the end of this contract period, all the $23 million in federal Taxpayer Relief Act funds that Oklahoma got will be used up.

Celebrations marking the third anniversary of the Heartland Flyer were held this morning at all stations in Oklahoma, plus Gainesville, Tex., mostly timed around the train's southbound schedule. Also, a new station in Pauls Valley, Okla., was dedicated. A new facility with climate-controlled waiting area, restrooms, and parking has been built adjacent to the former Santa Fe station, which has been a city museum for a number of years. On the same route, the station in Ardmore is currently undergoing a renovation.

Streetcars may be coming to Fort Worth, as the city council voted June 11 to endorse a 7.6-mile starter route. The vote was 7-2. Local voters could vote on the proposal in 2004, and service could start in 2008. It would run in streets from the city's Cultural District (west of downtown) to Texas Wesleyan University (southeast of downtown). The city council also endorsed a long-term (30-year) proposal for expanded transit service, including extending commuter-rail from the current terminus at the T&P station to the far west side (using the ex-Santa Fe line, in the direction of Brownwood).

A ceremony planned to announce an agreement between Amtrak and Pennsylvania on Keystone Corridor upgrades was postponed. We had reported on May 10 that the ceremony would be June 11. The postponement was not related to the agreement itself. We will update that as information becomes available.

Construction on the new train station for the Albany, N.Y., area is proceeding, but unlikely to be completed this month. The plan earlier this year was to have it done in June. The station is being built adjacent to the current Amtrak station at Rensselaer, by the Capital Transit District Authority.

The Wisconsin Association of Railroad Passengers will release the results of a statewide survey on transportation alternatives, particularly passenger rail, on June 18. The release will occur at news conferences in Madison and Milwaukee.

A two-year, $21 million double-track project will begin in September on a 15-mile stretch of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe through Hanford, Cal. That is a stop for the San Joaquins, which are expected to have better reliability when the project is done. The money is coming from state gas taxes, by way of the California Department of Transportation.

Two Metra trains collided June 12 outside the station at Aurora, Ill., partly derailing one and injuring 29. The collision occurred at low speed. So far, there is disagreement between investigators and crew members over the color shown by a signal.

"Bring Back the Streetcars! A Conservative Vision of Tomorrow's Urban Transportation" is a new report by Paul M. Weyrich and William S. Lind, of the Free Congress Foundation in Washington. The authors define the unique role that traditional streetcar lines can and do play in reviving urban centers. Projects in Dallas, Memphis, and Portland, Ore., are examined in more detail. The 41-page report can be ordered through the Foundation's web site for $10 each.