Hotline #270 - November 22, 2002

The 107th Congress ended with the Senate's approval of a homeland security bill a week ago. Sen. Tom Carper (D.-Del.) attempted to add a provision to the bill that would have authorized $1.2 billion in Amtrak security items, but this was blocked. Carper made a floor statement on November 19 critical of the fact that Congress has taken action on security for all modes of transportation except rail. His statement included the following:

"How can we ignore the FBI warnings made a few weeks ago that al-Qaida is considering directly targeting U.S. passenger trains and that operatives may try to destroy key rail bridges and sections of track to cause derailments? How could the Senate have voted to appropriate $2 million to remove jars of formaldehyde and alcohol from the Smithsonian's buildings here on the Mall because of their threat to the Capitol and yet leave the rail tunnel traveling under the Senate and House buildings and the Supreme Court unprotected from terrorist attack? How can we end the 107th Congress having approved increased and strengthened security programs for every single transportation mode except rail, a mode we know that al-Qaida may currently be targeting?"

Carper also pointed out that there are more people using New York Penn Station on any day than all three New York-area airports put together. Yet no other Senator rose to answer Carper's questions.

Amtrak filed a suit against Bombardier and Alstom, who make up the Canadian-French consortium that built the Acela Express train sets and the HHP-8 electric locomotives, on November 20. That was the last day Amtrak could exercise its option for a countersuit against the one filed by Bombardier in November 2001. A motion by Amtrak to have the Bombardier suit dismissed was rejected by a federal judge in September, and Amtrak is appealing that decision. Amtrak is looking for over $200 million in damages arising from late delivery of the trains and failing to meet performance targets.

Bombardier, in its $200-million suit, claimed that Amtrak did not prepare the Northeast Corridor for high-speed service and made excessive modification requests. Bombardier spokeswoman Carol Sharpe called Amtrak's latest action "a necessary step toward resolution of the dispute." She said Bombardier remains "hopeful we'll come to a settlement" before the suit goes to trial, and that talks between Amtrak and the consortium are continuing.

Amtrak is now one of many companies selling products (or tickets, in this case) on the internet auction site, eBay. Some deals on coach tickets can be had, but it may be worthwhile for visitors to the eBay site to check Amtrak's own Rail Sale site as well. See the eBay site for details.

A Union Pacific derailment between Alpine and El Paso, Tex., on November 16 disrupted Sunset Limited service. Amtrak had to turn one train set at each place, and transfer passengers between the two places by bus. Amtrak President David Gunn was on the eastbound train, including on the substitute bus.

A restored Selma, N.C., station reopened with a celebration on November 19. The station was restored to its original, 1924 appearance for $2.7 million, using a mix of federal, state, and local funds. The town has owned the building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, since 1978. Selma is a stop for Amtrak's Carolinian. The Palmetto and Silver Star pass through without stopping, though local officials hope a stop can be added for one of those trains, now that the station is complete. There is also optimism over a proposed commuter-rail line to Raleigh, which would stop at Selma. Though Selma, with 6,000 residents, is a small town, it's only three miles from Smithfield (7,500) and 20 miles from Goldsboro (41,000).

Amtrak and Pennsylvania DOT officials met November 19 to discuss the condition of a bridge over Amtrak's Keystone line immediately west of the Lancaster station. The Fruitville Pike (State Route 72) bridge was closed to traffic suddenly on November 12, after inspectors found that cracks in a support pier had widened. The pier stands between some of the tracks, and Amtrak engineers are concerned about running passenger trains under the bridge. The engineers said if the bridge deteriorates any further, it would have to suspend service west of Lancaster, but state engineers would not provide a guarantee that the bridge is safe, or an evaluation of what the immediate risk is. Current train speed under the bridge is 20-25 mph. The state is considering a temporary bridge that could open in March.

New York State Transportation Commissioner Joseph H. Boardman wrote to Amtrak Chairman John Robert Smith to complain that Amtrak is not accepting state-funded, rebuilt turbotrains fast enough, that Amtrak is not making capital investments within the state that Amtrak committed to in exchange for the turbotrains, and that Amtrak is asking states to pay more for their intrastate service. Amtrak has a list of 54 items that need to be fixed on the turbotrains before it will accept them, including cracked panels, rusted screws and doors, and bubbled paint.

The South Carolina Transportation Commission increased funding for developing high-speed rail from $2.6 million to $4.6 million, in a meeting in Columbia on November 21. While that trails other states in the region, it's a welcome step. The state hopes to tie into ongoing efforts by Virginia and North Carolina.

The Indiana Department of Transportation, the Ohio Railroad Development Commission, and Amtrak on November 21 released a study saying that the proposed Chicago-Toledo-Cleveland high-speed rail route should run via Fort Wayne, and not on the current route through South Bend. The overall corridor is both part of the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative and a federally designated high-speed corridor. The announcement came at a news conference at the Baker Street Station in Fort Wayne, last used by Amtrak in 1990. Some form of Chicago-South Bend service would be retained and enhanced (presumably in addition to the South Shore commuter service).

A new Thruway bus service begins December 2, connecting Amtrak with San Joaquin trains at Modesto, to and from Oakdale and Sonora, Cal.

Metrolink's Ventura County line was extended five miles, from Oxnard to a new station in Montalvo, Cal., November 11. Two round-trips a day now serve Montalvo, which is adjacent to a yard Metrolink uses to store trains overnight. A future extension, another five miles west to Ventura, is being planned. Ventura already has Amtrak service, which Metrolink passholders can use under the "Rail 2 Rail" program.

DART's Blue light-rail line was extended November 18 from the LBJ/Skillman station (which opened May 6) northeast into Garland, Tex. (4.6 miles). Two new stations in Garland are now open -- Forest/Jupiter and Downtown Garland (on Walnut between 4th and 5th). The Dallas system will expand again on December 9, when the Red Line is extended north from Galatyn Park in Richardson to Parker Road in Plano.

Connecticut's Transportation Strategy Board is looking into commuter-rail service on Amtrak's New Haven-Hartford-Springfield line, according to a November 19 wire story. The board held a meeting that day to discuss preliminary ideas, but must submit its recommendations on a ten-year transportation plan to the governor by December 15. An expansion of commuter-rail service would also have to include provision for more rolling stock, more parking facilities, and capacity improvements on the line, most of which Amtrak single-tracked years ago. Improvements to existing Metro-North commuter service are also being considered, along with and expansion of Shore Line East service during a major bridge replacement project on I-95 scheduled to last from 2004 to 2010.

Officials of the Sonoma-Marin Rail Transit District (SMART) toured most of the route of a proposed 70-mile commuter-rail line on November 19. The group traveled in hi-rail vehicles from San Rafael, through Petaluma and Santa Rose, to Cloverdale, Cal., along the former Northwestern Pacific Railroad. A hood-mounted video camera recorded the trip, as part of collecting data for an environmental review. SMART may try to get a tax measure on the ballot in 2004 in order to start service in 2007. Public meetings were held in several communities during November.

Charlotte's Metropolitan Transit Commission approved a plan for building light rail in the northeast and south corridors, commuter rail in the north corridor, and a central streetcar line, but deferred a decision on the east and west corridors until 2005. Until then, ongoing transit studies will look at both light rail and busways on the east and west (airport) corridors with the understanding that one or the other will be picked later. That is a victory for community activists in eastern and western neighborhoods who favor rail over bus, and were upset that bus was selected for their corridors earlier this year. Charlotte's mayor (a member of the commission) and the transit agency both still favor busways there.

Colorado Railcar's new diesel-multiple-unit will be on display tomorrow at the MAX light-rail station in Beaverton, Ore. The new car, or something like it, could be considered for a proposed Wilsonville-Beaverton commuter line. The car is on tour and also recently visited Chicago, Madison, and St. Paul.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has eliminated one of three bidders for its commuter-rail contract. Bay State Transit Services, Inc., which is backed by Stagecoach Group (of Britain) and Herzog Transit Services, was pushed out for not including insurance costs in its bid, according to the Boston Globe. Bay State had previously won a maintenance contract in 1998, but that was reversed over allegations of union-busting. The remaining bidders are Guilford (which lost the contract to Amtrak in 1986) and the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Rail Corp. (led in part by Connex of France and Bombardier of Canada). Amtrak decided not to compete, citing numerous, new MBTA requirements that make the contract costlier and that limit the contractor's ability to make its own personnel decisions.

Best-selling author David Baldacci rode today's westbound Capitol Limited from Washington to Pittsburgh this afternoon, with a BBC radio reporter, to help promote his new book, The Christmas Train. Much of the book takes place on a cross-country train trip. Baldacci also did a "Live on Acela Express" book signing earlier this month. Amtrak is partnering with the publisher (AOL/Time Warner) and WalMart to promote the book.