Hotline #692 -- February 4, 2011

NARP has responded to unfolding events in the Middle East by asking Congress to sweep aside a proposal that would gut passenger rail and transit, and focus on policies that give Americans real travel choices and reduce the nation’s massive dependence on imported oil.

The Republican Study Committee is urging an end to U.S. intercity passenger train service, eliminating federal funding for Amtrak and high-speed rail.  The proposal also has huge mass transit cuts, including elimination of New Starts, a vital resource in building new transit lines.

Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) this week introduced a bill (S.178) that incorporated the RSC proposals to zero-out funding for Amtrak and high-speed rail.  Even though House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WS) has resisted eliminating all of Amtrak’s funding, he is publicly considering drastic reductions in passenger train funding which could also lead to a service shutdown.

NARP is asking Congress to fully fund intercity passenger trains to build a truly national rail passenger system.  Passenger trains and transit will help address the consumption side of our dependency on foreign oil by providing energy-efficient transportation choices—Even under capitalized Amtrak is 30% more energy efficient than cars, and 20% more efficient than air travel (based on BTUs per passenger mile and 2008 data).

You can read the full press release here.


According to a study released January 27 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the Federal Railroad Administration has green-lighted $4.3 billion worth of high-speed rail projects, only one year after the awards were announced.

“We are fully engaged in a game-changing national enterprise that enhances mobility, saves energy, reduces pollution, revives inner cities, creates jobs, and boosts the economy,” said Secretary Eugene Conti of North Carolina Department of Transportation, who also chairs AASHTO’s High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail Leadership Group.

The study examined data gathered from 15 states, and found that the high-speed rail grants are being used to expand and upgrade existing lines; purchase new locomotives, tracks, and equipment; upgrade existing train stations and build new ones; and plan for the future service expansions and improvements.

“High-speed and intercity rail investments give people more travel options and reduce traffic congestion on highways and in the air” said John Horsley, AASHTO Executive Director.  “They’re also good for America because they’re regional in scope, supporting significant economic development along corridors, sustainable jobs, and more opportunities for U.S. manufacturing.”

You can find the AASTHO study here.


Governor Rick Scott of Florida has continued to withhold final judgment from a number of passenger rail projects, putting four Orlando-area SunRail commuter train contracts on hold last week.  Undeterred, transportation officials moved ahead with the Florida East Coast route revival, budgeting $118 million in state funds to reroute an Amtrak train between Jacksonville to Miami via the coast-hugging line.

As part of a larger statewide audit, the newly elected Republican Governor ordered four SunRail contracts worth $235 million to be put on hold pending further review.

“Those items listed as being on ‘hold’ are pending additional information for review,” Scott spokeswoman Amy Graham wrote in response to reporter inquiries.

Scott’s Administration is still steadfast in its refusal to come out with a final decision on the Tampa to Orlando high-speed rail line—funded almost entirely by federal Recovery Act funds.  Now, SunRail seems to be in doubt as well—a development that surprised the city officials along the route who support the system.  SunRail has been strongly supported by House Transportation & Infrastructure Chairman John Mica (R-FL).

Officials in Florida’s Department of Transportation downplayed the decision, however.

“Everything is on track, pun intended,” Noreanne Downs, who heads up FDOT in Central Florida. “I’m looking forward to some good news in the future.”

FDOT has also identified $118 million for restoration of passenger service along the FEC corridor.  The state-supported route will require matching funds, however, with a total price-tag of around $250 million.

“The state is working with Amtrak on figuring out what the sources would be for the rest of the funds,” said Kim Delaney of the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council.


Amtrak unveiled a first look at this year’s National Train Day festivities—an event that will kick off a year-long celebration of the company’s 40th Anniversary.

“This year’s event will kick off during Amtrak’s 40th anniversary and is an opportunity to celebrate the company’s contributions to the history and future of passenger rail in this country,” said Emmett H. Fremaux, Amtrak’s vice president of marketing. “The day promises to delight the kid in all of us.”

Train day celebrations will focus on events at train stations in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Chicago.  Local groups are encouraged to participate, and last year over 185 regional events took place..  Activities will include live entertainment, exhibitions of train equipment, a look at the 142nd anniversary of the transcontinental railroad, and interactive exhibits.

One of the featured exhibits aboard the 40th anniversary special train that will tour the country will be about NARP and our history, with content contributed by NARP volunteer leaders and staff.

For a more complete list of events, please visit www.nationaltrainday.com.


Amtrak’s Cascades service now offers free wireless Internet access for all passengers.

Passengers traveling along the Portland-Seattle-Vancouver, B.C. corridor just need to search for the “AmtrakConnectCascades” among the available networks, select it, and they’ll have instant access to the office, e-mail, and online entertainment.


The Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corporation (Metra) has hired a Los Angeles County high-speed rail official as the new executive director for the Chicago commuter rail system.

The Chicago Tribune reported February 1 that Alexander Clifford, formerly the executive officer for high-speed rail at the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, took over the top position.

Clifford has highlighted an agenda based around accountability and reform, entering an agency that is still trying to recover a public image tarnished by the suicide of former executive director Phil Pagano, who was facing corruption charges.


Class 1 railroad employment for train and engine workers increased 9.2% in 2010 (up to 62,027 train crew employees in total).

The news, released by the Association of American Railroads, shows that rail continues to be a bright spot in an uncertain economy.  Total Class 1 employment rose to 154,400 (up 5.2%).

The numbers are a clear reminder that investment in trains is a powerful tool to generate economic activity, and create good-paying jobs that can’t be exported overseas.


The Government Accountability Office released a study January 31 that says the Federal Transit Administration’s Rail Accident Database contains systemic inaccuracies and flaws, leading to an inaccurate picture of the facts on the ground.

The FTA’s Rail Accident Database is a record of incidents where two or more people (passengers and workers) were injured on a subway, Amtrak, or other rail system.  An audit by the GAO found that data gathered by the FTA was inconsistently compiled by the individual transit agencies.  These inconsistencies lead to errors in dates, injury and fatality tallies, and duplication efforts, among others.

The report went on to state:

“The lack of reliable data limits FTA’s ability to produce accurate accident rates and trend information… FTA officials acknowledged data inaccuracies and inconsistencies and have implemented changes to the data collection process over the past few years to address some of these issues. In addition, FTA is currently working to validate the SSO Rail Accident Database by conducting data comparisons with NTD and contacting rail transit agencies to identify and correct for discrepancies, as appropriate. However, the validation effort proposed by FTA to correct inaccuracies for previous years does not contain specific efforts to establish procedures that would improve data reporting in the future.”


A massive snow storm hit the Northern U.S. on Wednesday, halting and delaying travel across the country.

Train travel weathered the storm better than its highway and airline counterparts.  Some train passengers were faced with delays and cancellations in particularly hard hit areas, though, especially around Chicago.

In the Northeast, travel was halted throughout much the Northeast Corridor on the afternoon of February 2, due to unknown power problems.  Amtrak was able to resume service to most of the network of the NEC by early yesterday, though delays of 60 to 90 minutes were widespread.

In the Midwest, which experienced some cancellations, Amtrak reports that it hopes to restore most service to the Chicago Hub by today, with complete restoration on Saturday, February 5.  Passengers are encouraged to call 800-USA-RAIL or visit Amtrak.com for schedule information and train status updates.