Hotline #774 -- August 31, 2012

A conceptualization of Norfolk's new train station

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell (R) announced this week that the extension of Amtrak’s Northeast Regional service to Norfolk will begin operations on December 12 of this year.  Tickets are available for purchase immediately.

“The partnership between the Commonwealth and Amtrak to bring an Amtrak Virginia station to the city of Norfolk reflects my administration’s commitment to continue to make progress in improving our transportation networks for the state,” said Governor McDonnell. “By providing the citizens of Virginia an alternative way to get to and from Southside Hampton Roads, it takes cars off the highways, helping ease congestion on already highly-traveled roads. The new station provides a one-seat ride to Richmond, Washington, DC and major cities along the northeast corridor, offering an economical and environmentally-friendly way to travel.”

By connecting Norfolk—and, as part of the extension, the Petersburg Station in Ettrick. —the Commonwealth of Virginia is tapping these population centers into the nation’s busiest rail corridor, connecting businesses and travelers to Washington, D.C, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, and as far north as Boston, all on a one-seat ride.  State planners are counting on an economic boost similar to that seen in Lynchburg, Virginia, which has seen exploding ridership since that service was launched in 2009.

“The people of Southside Hampton Roads will now have another transportation option when making their travel plans outside the region, in addition to benefiting the environment by taking more cars off the road, improving air quality, and saving fuel,” said Thelma Drake, Director of the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation. “This new service is a significant expansion of the Commonwealth’s passenger rail service. I appreciate the commitment of Amtrak, CSX, Norfolk Southern and the City of Norfolk to make this new service a reality.”

Norfolk has been without intercity passenger rail service since 1977.  Note that the new train has only one Richmond stop: Staples Mill Road Station.  The train will not serve Main Street Station, as the line to Norfolk bypasses downtown Richmond.

The House Committee on Transportation on Housing & Infrastructure is holding a hearing on September 11 entitled “A Review of Amtrak Operations Part 2: The High Cost of Amtrak’s Monopoly Mentality in Commuter Rail Competitions.”

The agenda for the hearing hasn't been made public, but T&I Chairman John Mica's (R-FL) statements to Politicothat he's "still on a holy jihad to try to get Amtrak's operations under control" provide some indication.

A third hearing on Amtrak is planned before the year is out, with Mica indicating the topic will be "money-losing routes that require subsidies."

As part of its 2012 National Convention, the GOP released a party platform statement that included this:

“Amtrak continues to be, for the taxpayers, an extremely expensive railroad. The public has to subsidize every ticket nearly $50.  It is long past time for the federal government to get out of way and allow private ventures to provide passenger service to the northeast corridor. The same holds true with regard to high-speed and intercity rail across the country.”

NARP responded in an August 30 entry:

[T]here are broader implications to the notion that passenger trains (or many of them) could keep running if federal funding was cut off, and these implications need to be addressed—and rest assured, NARP has communicated its platform recommendations to the leaders of the platform committee. To put it simply: this is not a credible assertion.

The country has been through the suggestion of a private takeover before.  On Feb. 21, 1985, Secretary of Transportation Elizabeth Dole told a Senate subcommittee, “I do believe that creative methods will be devised.  I’m optimistic that the Northeast Corridor especially will survive” without federal funding.  But two months later, on April 23, she testified to a House subcommittee that the possibility of a private takeover “was one of the things we wanted to look at early on and I think, in the time that has intervened, we have had a chance, really, to focus on that.  I don’t think realistically that is likely to happen.”

The NARP blog entry goes on to deconstruct the $50 figure provided in the platform statement, and also takes a closer look at the demographic trends that have been driving record-setting growth in train and transit ridership in the U.S.

Hurricane Isaac saturated the Gulf Coast region with heavy rain fall and high winds all week, disrupting transportation networks throughout the South and Midwest, forcing Amtrak to cancel all service to and from New Orleans until the first week of September at the earliest.

Amtrak is currently operating the Sunset Limited only as far east as San Antonio rather than New Orleans, eliminating stops in east Texas and Louisiana until at least September 2 (for westbound, September 3 for eastbound).  The Crescent will not run west of Atlanta, eliminating service along the Alabama and Louisiana portions of the route until September 1.  The City of New Orleans will not run south of Memphis, eliminating service to Mississippi and Louisiana until at least September 3.

Amtrak.com has more details:

Sunset Limited, Trains 1 & 2

This three-days-weekly service from Los Angeles and Tucson will terminate and originate in San Antonio, rather than New Orleans, with no service on this route in Louisiana or in Beaumont or Houston, Texas, eastbound through September 3 and westbound through September 2. BNSF Railway Co. owns, controls and maintains most of the Louisiana segment of the Sunset Limited route. Amtrak is working closely with BNSF regarding repairs being made and reopening of the tracks for freight and Amtrak trains.

Amtrak Thruway Bus Connections at Houston to and from Longview and Galveston are continuing to operate. [The Texas Eagle remains unaffected.]

Crescent, Trains 19 & 20

This daily service from New York and Washington will terminate and originate in Atlanta, rather than New Orleans, with no service on this route in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana through September 1. Norfolk Southern Railway owns, controls and maintains the segment of the Crescent route in the affected states. Amtrak is working closely with Norfolk Southern regarding repairs being made and reopening of the tracks for freight and Amtrak trains.

City of New Orleans, Trains 58 & 59 

This daily service from Chicago will terminate and originate in Memphis, rather than New Orleans, with no service on this route in Mississippi and Louisiana through September 3. CN owns, controls and maintains the segment of the City of New Orleans route in the affected states. Amtrak is working closely with CN regarding repairs being made and reopening of the tracks for freight and Amtrak trains.

Following through on previous announcements, Amtrak will begin operating two new Thruway bus service routes to communities in Eastern North Carolina starting October 3.

The first Thruway route will connect the North Carolinian cities of Greenville, New Bern, Havelock and Morehead City to the Amtrak train station in Wilson, served by the Palmetto.  The second bus will connect Goldsboro, Kinston, Jacksonville and Wilmington, also via the Wilson train station.

“The new Thruway bus services are an important connection that will bring Amtrak passengers to Eastern North Carolina communities and provide expanded transportation options for the people in the region,” said Amtrak President & CEO Joe Boardman.

Massachusetts officials announced the purchase of the Connecticut River Rail Line on August 27, another step in returning Amtrak service to the Knowledge Corridor by 2014.

Federal and local leaders are using $73 million in federal stimulus funds from 2009 to restore service to the old Boston & Maine (now Pan Am Southern) line.  Once the work is complete, Amtrak’s Vermonter service will shift from its current route on the New England Central Railroad.  The communities of Northampton and Greenfield will benefit from new service and the train will have a shorter, faster run between Vermont and Springfield-south points.

The region between Springfield and Hartford is commonly referred to as the “Knowledge Corridor”—a reference to the 29 colleges and universities that dot the 25-mile corridor.  With the local populations supplemented by over 100,000 students, the region is well suited for intercity train service.

“Investing in passenger-rail service along the Knowledge Corridor is one example of how government is working to promote economic development in all regions of the state,” said Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray in a prepared statement.

The announcement was made the same day Murray, U.S. Representatives John Olver (D-MA) and Richard Neal (D-A), and Mayor Alex Norse toured the site of a future Holyoke train station, slated for design-work this fall.

Following June’s appointment Jeff Morales as its CEO, the California High-Speed Rail Authority announced that it had filled several key positions on its executive team this week, putting in place a more clearly defined management structure in the lead-up to the implementation of the 2012 Business Plan.

“The Authority is making major strides in putting in place an experienced management team to significantly improve its operations,” said Morales. “Today marks a major milestone in achieving our staffing goals with more progress soon to follow.”

A statement by the Authority identified eight different positions that had been filled, including Chief Deputy Director, Risk Manager, and Chief Administrative Officer.

The announcement came the same week as two local passenger rail projects designed to complement the high-speed rail line moved forward: 

• Southern California’s Metrolink received $60 million in high-speed rail bond money to help fund the purchase of  21 to 30 locomotives, and 44 to 55 rail cars.
• The city of Anaheim announced that construction will begin next month on a $127 million transit hub that will connect downtown Anaheim with buses, taxis, conventional rail, and (eventually) high-speed rail.  The project will create around 5,000 new construction jobs.

A new podcast will offer passengers on the Texas Eagle a unique look at the historic and natural highlights of the 1,300-mile route.

The podcast is a joint venture between Amtrak, the National Park Service and the Texas A&M University Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences.  It offers 103 points of interest on history, attractions and natural features—providing stories that range from the farmlands of Illinois to the cattle trails of Central Texas.

“The National Park Service Trails and Rails Program is pleased to be a partner on the production of the podcasts,” said David Vela, Regional Director, National Park Service, Southeast Region. “The podcast will provide travelers with a valuable tool that will help enhance their understanding and experiences as they travel through some of our nation's special places.”

Interested passengers can download the podcast at AmtrakRailGuide.com, which is compatible with all portable MP3 players.