Hotline #287 - March 21, 2003

As the country moved into wartime status this week, and as the Department of Homeland Security raised the threat alert level to Code Orange, transportation interests tightened security. Amtrak increased police shifts and dog patrols, and is continuing its ticket identification programs. Amtrak police are in contact with the Department of Homeland Security, and they get real-time security updates from the FBI.

Late last week, House and Senate Budget Committees approved fiscal 2004 budget resolutions that would increase transportation spending by 3%. The Administration's proposal, by comparison, increases it by 2%. While there has been growing anxiety over cutting domestic spending in order to avoid deficits associated with tax cuts and wartime spending, the House based its resolution today, with the Administration's tax cuts intact.

The Senate continued debate today. The Senate Budget Committee had approved $900 million for Amtrak, half of what Amtrak says it needs in 2004, and 14% below what it got in 2003. That level also matches the Bush Administration's request.  Committee Republicans say that it is an increase over "average" funding levels of the past ten years -- but Amtrak's delicate financial situation today is a direct result of inadequate funding throughout that period, and Amtrak's 2004 request of $1.812 billion is meant to start to make up for those past deficiencies. If you pick a different era to compare to -- say, 1982-1984 -- then the Senate Budget figure is a reduction of 40% (adjusted for inflation).

Budget resolutions are, in a sense, guidelines, and appropriators will still have to debate and assign funding levels later on as they consider their own funding bills for 2004. But, in a welcome move, Sen. Robert Byrd (D.-W.Va.) introduced an amendment to increase the Amtrak level in the resolution to $1.812 billion. It was approved today, 51-49.

Several schedule changes of note will occur with the April 28 timetable change. In the Northeast, the biggest change is the elimination of the Newport News-Boston Twilight Shoreliner. It will be replaced by two trains -- a coach train from Newport News to Washington, and a coach and sleeper train from Washington to Boston. The latter will be called the Federal, which was the pre-1971 name for the night train between those cities. It will run on a schedule similar to Amtrak's old Night Owl, leaving both cities about 10:00 pm, and arriving in both at much more civilized times than the Twilight Shoreliner.

Other changes will include shorter running times on Chicago-West Coast trains, relating to the scaling back of express traffic. The Lake Shore Limited and Capitol Limited both will run later westbound and earlier eastbound.

Piedmont service is suspended Mondays through Thursdays through April 17, due to a Norfolk Southern track work project. The other train that serves the Charlotte-Raleigh route, the Carolinian, will not be affected, as it runs outside the work window for the track work each day. Amtrak and North Carolina DOT both said that Norfolk Southern had given very short notice about the service interruption.

In Michigan, H.B.4343, the bill that would lift a legal cap on what the Michigan DOT can spend on passenger rail service, is attracting more support. Some legislators, including originating sponsor Rep. Lauren Hager, have said that in return for the bill's passage, Amtrak must rehire ticket agents and put the International on a "more convenient" schedule (which could mean no through-service to Canada). A hearing on the bill will be held March 27, 9:00 am, at the Anderson House Office Building in Lansing (124 N. Capitol, 3rd floor). If the bill passes, it still needs Senate approval, and an order from the governor to the DOT to release the funds to Amtrak.

Save Our Trains will hold another rally in favor of saving the International. It will be April 5, 1:00 pm, at the Durand Amtrak station, 200 Railroad Ave.

The Missouri legislature has sent Governor Holden a supplemental funding bill that contains (among other things) the $800,000 intended to let Amtrak keep running both St. Louis-Kansas City round-trips through the fiscal year (June 30).

The Texas House of Representatives has a bill before it, HB3381, which would direct the Texas Transportation Commission to create a "border region" high-speed rail authority. The authority would have the power to accept public grants, issue bonds, and hire a train operator. The trains would have to run at 150 mph or more. The bill was introduced March 14 by Rep. Tommy Merritt (R.-Longview).

MARC will open its new Silver Spring, Md., commuter-rail station on March 24, adjacent to Metro's Silver Spring Red Line station and a major bus hub.

Flash flood warnings across the Southeast on March 20 wreaked havoc with passenger trains using both CSX and Norfolk Southern tracks. Orders in the 15-25 mph range were in effect over wide territories -- from Atlanta and Savannah north to Alexandria. Amtrak annulled some trains; others ran hours late. MARC and VRE both cancelled several trains, but were to run normal schedules today.

VRE Chief Operating Officer Pete Sklannik and Amtrak President David Gunn both wrote letters to VRE passengers to complain of CSX treatment, pointing out that CSX kept running its own freight trains at 40 mph.

A record snowstorm crippled Denver on March 19, but Amtrak ran through it, no more than two hours late. However, on March 20, a rockslide west of Denver forced a detour of the California Zephyr through Wyoming (with trains having to back up to Denver and Salt Lake City, causing several hours' delay).

NARP Region 1 will meet on March 22 in Providence, R.I.; and Region 6 will meet in Detroit. On March 29, Region 5 meets in Fayetteville, N.C., Region 7 meets in Lake Delton, Wis., Region 10 meets in Denver, and Region 12 meets in San Diego.