Hotline #271 - November 27, 2002

From Tuesday, November 26, to Monday, December 2, all trains on the Northeast Corridor [except Keystone and Clocker trains], Empire Corridor, Pacific Surfliner route, and Chicago-hub routes (except Milwaukee trains) will be all-reserved. Amtrak advises passengers to arrive one hour before scheduled times. Amtrak expects today and Sunday, December 1, to be the busiest days, and says there will be 58 extra Northeast Corridor trains this week.

Amtrak is extending its "late fall" offer of 30% off regular adult fares (35% if purchased on-line). Purchase by December 13 for travel through February 28. The offer is not good on Acela Express and Metroliner services; and cannot be combined with other discounts (e.g., AAA, NARP, etc.).

Amtrak announced a Buy Two, Get One Free offer on Acela Express and Metroliner services for passengers enrolled in Amtrak's Guest Rewards program. Guest Rewards members will earn a free round trip to any Acela Express/Metroliner destination when they take two qualifying round trips (four one-way tickets) between Boston, New York, and Washington. For every two round trips, Amtrak will provide members with a free, same-class travel certificate good April 22 - August 28, 2003. All certificates are transferable to friends or family members, but qualifying travel must occur before February 28, 2003. There is no limit to the number of redeemable certificates.

MSNBC today has 20 letters on Amtrak, 13 of them positive. One says Amtrak's web Rail Sale discounts can have better deals than the broad 30/35% discount. Two of the negative letters complained about fares -- in one case the web site offered a La Crosse, Wis. - Salt Lake City trip via Portland and Sacramento. Today's Detroit Free Press has a "local comment" column based on a good San Diego - Los Angeles trip. Writer Julie Candler raves about being able to show up five minutes before departure, and finding "no need to sardine ourselves into a coach seat ... on which overweight passengers ooze over into adjoining seats."

The U.S. is in the Stone Age when it comes to airline/intercity passenger rail links. Newark is the only major airport that qualifies. Harrisburg is under construction, but Providence remains in doubt. Rhode Island's General Assembly has denied Gov. Lincoln Almond (R.) authority to sell bonds for the planned $168 million transportation center, so Almond is squaring off in court against a lawyer for six airport car-rental companies who oppose Almond's plans to sell bonds anyway. Almond has asked the state's Supreme Court to approve his plan, so project bonds will get an investment-grade rating, according to today's Providence Journal. Meanwhile, plans to provide a fixed-guideway rail/airport link at BWI are on indefinite hold.

The $1.9-billion Air Train to link Kennedy Airport to New York subways remains indefinitely postponed, after a September derailment in which a test operator was killed. Meanwhile, Newark International Airport has gained a real competitive edge over other area airports. Jonathan Bowles, who recently completed a study for the Center for Urban Future, said, "Kennedy's been losing business to Newark because it's just not accessible ... [New Yorkers] perceive Kennedy as a nightmare to get to and they're right."

States face "the worst fiscal problems since World War II," the New York Times said November 26 in reporting a new National Governors Association report. Tax revenues are down an average 6.3% in the fiscal year that ended June 30, with Oregon, California, and New York among the hardest hit. Against this unfriendly backdrop, Amtrak is seeking increased payments from states, to cover 100% of direct and variable train and route costs (but not interest and depreciation) of all short-distance services. (The New York-Toronto Maple Leaf evidently is not in this category).

Today's New York Times reports on a continuing dispute between Amtrak and New York over Amtrak's policy direction -- and Amtrak's refusal thus far to accept the turbo trains that were rebuilt with state funds. [This was also mentioned in last week's hotline.] New York State Transportation Commissioner Joseph Boardman released his November 18 letter to Amtrak that says it is unrealistic to require states to fund both operating losses and a significant portion of capital costs that have historically been a federal responsibility. Boardman wrote that New York provided $22.3 million for Amtrak operations in 2002, yet Amtrak has not followed through on commitments to improve infrastructure in the state, including the Empire Corridor, fire-safety improvements in the Penn Station tunnels, and the Farley Building.

Things are not much better in Michigan, where Amtrak on January 5 will close ticket offices in East Lansing, Flint, and Port Huron and use a food cart on the Grand Rapids train. Passengers will be able to purchase tickets on board. The cutbacks result because the state appropriated $5.7 million, whereas Amtrak sought $7.9 million to run the International and Pere Marquette in fiscal 2003. Michigan expects to sign a $2.85 million, six-month contract (half of the appropriated $5.7 million), leaving the fate of the services after March 31, 2003 (halfway through the state's fiscal year), up to the new governor.

As reported here last week, Connecticut's Transportation Strategy Board is considering a proposal to spend $248 million over the next few years on 12 electric locomotives and 40 coaches for the New Haven Line and eight locomotives and 24 coaches for Shore Line East. Over the next 20 years, the board is considering recommending $3 billion in passenger rail improvements, including the introduction of a New Haven-Hartford-Springfield commuter rail line. However, Connecticut, like most states, is facing its worst budget crisis in more than a decade; in the immediate term, lawmakers must overcome a projected two-year budget gap of $1.5 billion.

The Florida High Speed Rail Authority released two independent studies, which concluded that passenger revenues would cover the operation and maintenance of the service between Tampa and Orlando. C. C. "Doc" Dockery, who championed the constitutional amendment mandating that Florida begin construction of a high-speed rail line by 2003, stated, "The study shows we have a very, very viable project between Tampa and Orlando." The study estimates passenger revenue would generate $26-33 million annually. Funding for construction and purchase of trains, nonetheless, remains the primary hurdle to the project.

Caltrans has approved $130,000 toward the development of a new train station in Madera, Cal., which would be located on the southwest corner of the Madera Country Club. To complete the project, Caltrans must allocate the balance of the $670,000 in the 2002-03 fiscal year.

The Texas Association of Railroad Passengers released its new logo for the Caprock Xpress route, which run from Fort Worth to Abilene, Lubbock, Amarillo, and Denver.