Hotline #704 -- April 29, 2011

The Federal Railroad Administration awarded $100 million to the state of California for the purchase of 27 bi-level intercity rail passenger cars and two diesel-electric intercity locomotives for Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner and San Joaquin corridors.

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will use the money to expand capacity on the popular routes.  The Pacific Surfliner service has seen a 65% surge in ridership over the past decade, and the San Joaquin has seen a 45% increase over that same period.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood pointed to the energy reduction and congestion mitigation benefit that expanding capacity on these heavily used corridors will provide for the people of California.

“With gas prices at record highs, President Obama is committed to making sure Americans can choose safe, efficient passenger rail options for reaching their destinations,” said Secretary LaHood.  “Thanks to this investment in new, American-made cars and locomotives, Californians will continue to enjoy the congestion relief, economic growth, and affordable travel provided by these popular rail lines.”

The FRA touted the newly enacted uniform equipment design standards, which will be a boon to the U.S. passenger train manufacturing sector. By creating economies of scale, businesses will feel safer in investing the capital required to retool shops to build rail cars.

“We are very pleased to fund this first order for rolling stock under the new Next Generation design standards,” said Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph C. Szabo.  “These standards benefit manufacturers and suppliers, the railroad industry and overall passenger safety, utilizing the best technology available.”

Buy America provisions ensure U.S. businesses will receive the maximum economic benefits from this investment of taxpayer dollars.


Secretary LaHood also announced a $474 million funding agreement between the U.S. DOT and the Twin Cities’ Metropolitan Council this week, clearing the way for a light rail line between Minneapolis and St. Paul.

The 11-mile Central Corridor linking the two cities is one of the heaviest traveled corridors in the region.  Providing a modern transit link will reduce oil use, mitigate congestion, and spur development along the lines.

“Our investments in this critical transit link between the Twin Cities will cut travel costs for consumers, and help create a cleaner, greener way to get from one place to another” said LaHood.

The money will go towards 18 new stations, 31 new rail cars, and a new vehicle maintenance facility located in St. Paul.  The line is scheduled to begin operating in 2014.  Initially, trains will operate at 7 ½ minute intervals during peak hours.  The total cost of the project is $957 million, with ridership estimates of 40,000 people on an average weekday by the year 2030.

“The Obama Administration is thrilled to partner with the people of Minnesota to build the largest public works project in the state’s history,” said Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff.  “This project truly embodies the President’s vision for winning the future through infrastructure investment. It will create thousands of construction jobs now while paving the way for many thousands of jobs that will come to the Twin Cities through the economic development successes surrounding the new rail line.”


NARP members advocated for the benefits of passenger trains at a town-hall meeting hosted by Senator Ron Wyden (D).  The meeting took place in Coos Bay, Oregon on April 23.

Wyden was urged by NARP board member Art Poole to support the inclusion of dedicated funding for intercity passenger rail in the next surface transportation reauthorization.  This legislation is currently being considered in the U.S. Congress.  Poole also pointed to the benefits of including trains in the Build America Bonds program.

Wyden spoke about his Transportation and Regional Infrastructure Projects initiative, a bond program directed at transportation projects.  He said that public-private partnerships would be increasingly important in funding infrastructure projects.

The exchange is a reminder of the importance of increasing awareness about the benefits of a modern, customer-focused train system.  Not just so that elected officials hear from train passengers, but so that other voters here it as well.  Poole is to be congratulated for his work to increase awareness about this important issue.


Metrolink will be adding an express service between San Bernardino and Los Angeles starting May 9.

The express service will cut 30 minutes from the total trip coming from San Bernardino compared to the previous schedule, and save 15 minutes coming from Rancho Cucamonga.

The express trains—there will be another that runs between L.A. and Antelope Valley—are a pilot program that is part of an aggressive 2011-12 budget.  Metrolink revealed that 16 new Southern California trains would be added.

“Metrolink is looking to play a bigger role in meeting the region’s transportation needs and providing service to where passengers need it most,” Metrolink spokesperson Sherita Coffelt told reporters.


Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) called for a better coordination of Amtrak’s track inspection program with Long Island Railroad (LIRR) operations, asking the railroad to hold off on maintenance work during peak travel times.

The statement was a response to an April 18th incident where repairs initiated by Amtrak took several hours to complete, continuing into peak rush-hour service.  The LIRR canceled 21 trains and suspended all service into Penn Station for over three hours.  The observance of Passover meant passenger traffic was especially heavy.

In a letter to Amtrak CEO Joseph Boardman, Senator Schumer recognized that these repairs are “necessary and critical”, but said the timing of the repairs is “clearly an issue”.  In a prepared statement released April 26, Schumer demanded more flexibility from Amtrak to accommodate peak hour commuter service:

“There are few things as maddening as having your train home delayed for hours or even cancelled. The bottom line is that the LIRR is handcuffed by a dated an inflexible agreement with Amtrak that prevents it from scheduling normal track work during off-peak hours. While it’s vital that Amtrak does everything in its power to ensure safe and reliable track infrastructure, it defies logic to conduct major repairs during peak operational hours, particularly in the lead-up to a holiday.  Amtrak must do a better job of coordinating repair work and inspections with peak demand schedules on the LIRR so that thousands of commuters don’t get stranded trying to get to and from work.”

You can read Schumer’s letter to Boardman on the Senator’s website.


Seven straight weeks of hard work by a corps of over 8,500 engineers paid of this week as East Japan Railway Co. completed the repair of its busiest high-speed rail line, damaged in last month’s tragic earthquake.

The magnitude-9 earthquake caused damage along the entire JR East line, necessitating 1,200 individual repairs—including stations, bridges, tunnels, signaling devices, and overheard wires.  A lesser aftershock damaged an additional 550 pieces of infrastructure.

The Shinkansen bullet-trains are a vital part of JR East’s business—the damage cost 117.7 billion yen ($1.45 billion) in repair costs and lost fare revenue.  But it’s more than a revenue generator.  JR East’s high-speed trains carried more than 88 million passengers last year, and the transportation is a vital component of the regional economy that links communities together.

“Restoring the train and Shinkansen network in the quake area is vital to the community,” said Akihiro Ohata, Japan’s transport minister. “Repairing railways and ports is indispensable to safeguarding employment in the area.”


Travelers Advisory:

• The Texas Eagles resumed its regular schedule yesterday after delays caused by the deadly storms that wreaked havoc in the Southeast U.S. earlier this week.
• Now there’s even more reasons for families to travel by Amtrak.  The railroad announced that, as part of its 40th anniversary celebration, children (ages 2 to 15) can ride free of charge for 40 days.  This special offer will be in effect between May 1 and June 9.  Kids must be traveling on the same itinerary with an adult who purchased a regular adult rail fare. To make reservations, visit Amtrak.com or call 1-800-USA-RAIL and use the discount code H859.  See Amtrak.com for full details and restriction.
• In celebration of National Train Day Amtrak is offering 25% off ticket prices on the Capitol Corridor, Pacific Surfliner, and San Joaquin.  This offer is valid for purchase between April 28 and May 19 on travel from May 1 through May 22.  Advance reservations are required a minimum of 3 days prior to travel.
• Amtrak released a summary of the May 1 changes to its timetable this week. There are no new changes to the Northeast Corridor spine and the Keystone Service timetable, which simply incorporate changes that took effect March 14. Amtrak has left the Midwest corridors largely unchanged, with only a “minor timing adjustment” for a single Lincoln Service train (#304). There no are changes for any of the four West Coast corridor services. Look for the new timetable at Amtrak.com and throughout Amtrak stations.
• An Amtrak Silver Star train caught fire Tuesday night at the Wilmington, Delaware station.  No one was injured, but SEPTA was forced to suspend service along the Wilmington/Newark Line that serves the Philadelphia International Airport.