Hotline #703 -- April 22, 2011

Amtrak unveiled the schedule for their 40th Anniversary Exhibit train this week.  Check out the NARP Blog for more info.


Missouri’s state Senate rebuffed an attempt to strip $37 million in passenger rail improvement funds from the state budget April 20.

State Senator Jim Lembke (R-St. Louis) tried to force the removal of the money.  The money comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and he argues that it adds to the U.S. national debt.

The effort was quickly turned back.  Senators supporting the investment defended the projects, saying they would increase capacity for both passenger and freight, benefitting Missouri’s economy.  The projects—which will upgrade tracks between St. Louis and Kansas City—would also create construction jobs and improve passenger safety.

Spending on intercity passenger trains accounted for 0.28% of federal spending in fiscal year 2010, when the Recovery Act was passed.


A bipartisan group of North Carolina legislators eliminated a provision that would have required the North Carolina General Assembly to explicitly approve the receipt of federal funds.  This provision was drafted as an attack on $460 million in federal funds to upgrade passenger train service in the state.

By a vote of 17 to 15, the North Carolina House Transportation Committee approved an amendment to delete the provision requiring the legislature’s explicit approval for the receipt of federal funds when the state is required to provide a match of more than $5 million.  Supporters of the provision argue that lawmakers should have the final say on whether taxpayer money is spent.  Opponents would prefer to give transportation officials more discretion in determining how to allocate the legislature-approved state transportation funds.

As explained in the lead story of the April NARP News, the improvement funds will help straighten the state-owned right-of-way between Charlotte and Raleigh, restore full double-track to the Greensboro-Raleigh segment and add sidings to Raleigh-Greensboro to add capacity for freight and passenger trains, and build 12 new bridges to eliminate highway crossings.


The New York Times featured an editorial speaking out on elimination of high-speed rail funds in its April 21 print-edition. The editorial had strong words for Congress, saying:

The agreement between Congress and the White House to virtually eliminate money for high-speed rail is harebrained. France, China, Brazil, even Russia, understand that high-speed rail is central to future development. Not Washington.
  ...
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has to choose among 90 proposals from 24 states, the District of Columbia and Amtrak [for the $2 billion remaining from Florida’s rejected funds]—$10 billion worth in all. The real scandal is that Washington won’t pay most of them.

The Times goes on to highlight the Northeast and San Francisco-Los Angeles Corridors as the most promising.  They also point to the 11 Republican governors who have lined up to secure high-speed and intercity passenger rail grants in the most recent round of applications.  While the Times strikes a pessimistic note for reinstating funding in the 112th Congress, they make an appeal to these Republican governors to help make the case.


Amtrak officials said it could take as much as $100 million to upgrade bridge and tracks to maintain Empire Builder service for the North Dakota cities of Devils Lake, Rugby and Grand Forks in the face of recurring flooding.

A study done for BNSF by Barr Engineering [PDF] found a $77 million price tag for raising the bridge and $22 million net cost of replacing jointed rail on the line, a separate project needed to maintain Amtrak service here.  The possibility exists that the $77 million might be lowered, for example, if a pumping station now under construction eliminates the need to raise the track level.

Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said track owner BNSF Railway will make the ultimate decision on whether the tracks and bridges are capable of carrying trains safely, though BNSF doesn’t run freight trains over the route in question.  An alternate routing from Minot to Fargo would bypass the flooded area, but end service at Devils Lake, Grand Forks and Rugby.

BNSF has made clear that any project would have to come out of state or federal funds; this involves a segment of line which freight trains no longer use.  While Magliari says Amtrak would consider any suspension of service merely temporary, he cautioned that any disruption has the potential to extend indefinitely. 


A group of 80 cities, businesses and chambers of commerce has gathered together to show Governor Rick Scott the groundswell of support for SunRail, the proposed Central Florida commuter train.

Led by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, the group sent a letter to the Governor asking him to reinstate the project which was suspended upon Scott’s taking office in January.  The Governor told the public that he would like his Administration to reexamine the details of the line.

“SunRail is the product of an historic level of collaboration between Central Florida’s local governments, its business community and many civic organizations and our residents,” said the letter.

Members of the group include heavy-hitting private sector names, such as Walt Disney World, the Orlando Magic, and the Florida Association of Realtors.  The project would create an estimated 4,200 construction jobs, and spur millions of dollars of real estate development around the 17 stops.

Scott has said he will make a decision sometime in June or July.


Elected officials from the San Francisco Peninsula issued a call to the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) this week to integrate the Los Angeles to San Francisco line into Caltrain’s existing system and abandon plans to construct a new, dedicated right-of-way.

“We call upon the High-Speed Rail Authority and our local Caltrain Joint Powers Board to develop plans for a blended system that integrates high-speed rail with a 21st century Caltrain,” said state Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) at an event held April 18.

Cities and towns along the Peninsula have been resistant to the plan to run high-speed trains through their communities.  They have objected to a proposal to build an elevated viaduct for the trains in particular, voicing concerns that the structures will fundamentally alter the feel of their communities.

Caltrain responded that they would be willing to do a feasibility study to determine whether it is possible to integrate high-speed operations into the Caltrains existing right-of-way. 

“Caltrain, CHSRA and Peninsula communities will need to work together to define a planning process that facilitates meaningful dialogue and consideration of an initial HSR service,” said Caltrain’s planning and development executive officer, Marian Lee, in a statement.

The integration would require electrification and system upgrades, at the very least.  There could also be concerns of the curvature of Caltrains’ right-of-way; if high-speed trains are to achieve their namesake velocity, they require relatively straight tracks to run on.


Amtrak announced this week that it will be reaching out to rail fans to make the national train network safer.

“Partners for Amtrak Safety and Security” launched April 19, and will offer resources for the public to report suspicious or unlawful activity to Amtrak Police.  People can register online to become part of a national neighborhood watch-style community.  Registrants will receive membership cards and get tips on what to look for.

“[Rail fans] know sometimes better than our employees,” Amtrak Police Chief John O’Connor said. “They know engine numbers and car numbers and time tables. They know better than the fisherman knows the tides.”

Rail fans have long engaged in sightseeing, photography, and videography of trains and tracks.  After the terrorist attacks on 9/11, however, a heightened awareness of security led them to be viewed with suspicion by law enforcement and security forces. 

In 2006, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway bucked that trend by initiating its “Citizens for Rail Security” program.  BNSF chose to see these members of the public as a resource rather than a threat.  The program has been a success, with more than 10,000 CRS members providing information to BNSF security officers on potential trespassers, suicide attempts, and theft.

“We saw the railfans as potential allies,” BNSF spokesman Steve Forsberg said. “They have a shared interest with the railroad.”

Amtrak is hoping to follow suit, and engage this active community for the benefit of all passengers.

“People want to feel connected to the railroad in some way,” Trains associate editor Andy Cummings told reporters. “Up to now, the railfan’s role and connection has been ambiguous. Generally, there have been some suspicions about what their motives are.”


The price tag for Honolulu’s proposed rapid rail transit line has fallen by $200 million thanks to updates in financing plans and adjustments for inflation.

The city of Honolulu issued its latest draft of the financial plan yesterday.  The update drops the total cost of the rail system to $5.3 billion—down from the $5.5 billion estimate in August 2009.  A large portion of the decrease comes from cutting a contingency fund from $1 billion to $865 million.


China’s national railway announced this week that it would lower speeds on its new high-speed trains to save energy and reduce wear-and-tear.

The Chinese trains will reduce their current speeds of 217 mph to a slower (yet still blazingly fast) 186 mph, bringing them more in line with European operating conventions.

This will reduce the forces exerted on the tracks, lowering the cost to maintain the infrastructure.  It will also lower energy costs—Chinese rail officials told reporters that speed above 205 mph require a substantial increase in energy to achieve.

The changes should save passengers at the fare box.  The Ministry of Railways also announced a program to increase the number of trains running at 125-155 mph, giving additional low-cost options.  The move is an important reminder that speed is not always the most important consideration for travelers.


Travelers’ Advisory:

• With 30% less energy used per passenger mile than automobiles, there’s already enough reason for environmentally minded travelers to choose Amtrak.  And for this Earth Day, Amtrak Guest Rewards is offering a special incentive to travel by train.  Between today and May 7, 2011, CarbonFund.org will matching 50% of your Amtrak Guest Rewards redemptions. By simply redeeming the points you earn by traveling on Amtrak, you can offset even more of your carbon footprint and help preserve the environment.  Carbonfund.org has helped reforest thousands of trees in the Louisiana Tensas River Valley, supported over 200 million kilowatt hours of clean, renewable energy like wind and solar, offsetting over 5 billion pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.