Hotline #689 -- January 13, 2011

A powerful Florida business lobby announced January 12 that they would be forming a high-speed rail coalition to ensure that the Orlando-Tampa passenger rail project stays on track in the face of recent criticism.
 
The statement by the Associated Industries of Florida (AIF) comes a week after a study by the Reason Foundation attacked the project, citing the potential costs to taxpayers—criticism picked up on by Florida State Senate President Mike Haridopolosh, who is threatening to do his utmost to get the project canceled.
 
[Click here to read NARP’s press release responding to the Reason Foundation’s study.]
 
AIF has responded to these attacks by highlighting the benefits that the investment in trains would bring.  The association has also argued that the private sector should be given an opportunity to demonstrate their support for the project by helping fund construction (federal funds will cover $2.4 billion of the line’s construction costs, but the state has to find $280 million in matching funds).
 
“The Orlando to Tampa project will not only bring 5,000 construction jobs to Florida at a time when we desperately need them, but will also make an international impression as the home of the first high speed rail of its kind in this country” state the group’s press release, going on to say “It is important to remember that while a match of $280 million is required in order to draw down the billions in federal dollars that are committed to this project, these dollars do not necessarily have to be state dollars and can come from the private sector.”
 
The statement produced an immediate response from Haridoplos. 
 
“I think high speed rail is something people would like to have, [but] I would make the argument, and I have made the argument, that it’s something we cannot afford at this time using state dollars,” the Senate President told reporters.  “If the last 10 percent is made up by the private sector, then we’ll see high speed rail being done, but I want to see not only the short term, but the long term, the operation and maintenance like we have with SunRail put on the backs of the private sector.”
 
Newly elected Governor Rick Scott has not stated whether he intends to support the project, but it is expected to make an announcement considering the train in the next few weeks.


America 2050 released a report this week that identified three U.S. mega-regions for targeted high-speed rail investment.
 
The study, done by America 2050, provides a comprehensive comparative study of almost 8,000 existing and proposed rail rights of way of fewer than 600 miles in length, and their relative ability to attract passengers.  They found that the Washington, D.C. to New York City corridor did the best, followed by the Great Lakes mega-region (using Chicago as a central hub), with the top three rounded out by California and the American Southwest.
 
The group, a national initiative to develop an infrastructure plan for the United States that will bring about sustainable economic growth, found that a very large city connected to medium and smaller-sized cities by a rail corridor has greater impact than connecting medium cities of the same size for generating ridership.
 
Some media outlets in Florida seized on the of the report to bolster arguments against the proposed Orlando-Tampa high-speed rail line.  America 2050 was quick to publicly contest this interpretation.
 
“Some critics may seize on this evaluation to bolster their claims that Florida should not invest in a high-speed rail system” said a statement by America 2050 seeking to clarify their findings. “They are misinterpreting the point of our report, which identifies the most promising corridor in each region and points to ways to improve each project’s chances for success.”
 
The groups clarifying statement emphasized that the Orlando-Tampa line leads the nation in feasibility, citing project readiness and public ownership of the right of way for the initial segment.
 
You can find a copy of the study here [PDF].


Virginia Railway Express announced that they will be unveiling free wireless access to the internet this spring, though the rollout will be limited at first.
 
The commuter railroad is investing $50,000 to bring WiFi to their trains, although initially only the a few two passenger cars per train will have a usable signal.
 
“Right now it’s a matter of trying to determine the demand and trying to mitigate the cost” VRE spokesman Mark Roeber told the Washington Examiner.


A massive winter storm that hit the east coast on the evening of January 11 delayed train service in much of the Northeast while crews dealt with the resulting damage.
 
The storm—which came on the heels of a large snowfall in December—abbreviated service north of New Haven, Connecticut on Wednesday.  Local news sources reported multiple fallen trees.
 
Amtrak reported that they were almost completely back on schedule as of Thursday morning.


A January 8 landslide along the border between Washington state and Vancouver, British Columbia halted passenger train service over the weekend while Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) crews worked to clear debris and ensure the integrity of the track.
 
BNSF, which owns the stretch of track, reported that freight operations resumed within a few hours of the slide.  But the increased need for safety in passenger operations meant that Amtrak Cascades trains were halted until crews could perform a safety inspection on Monday.


The Surface Transportation Board announced that it will be holding a hearing on May 3 to examine the state of competition in the rail industry to determine whether any policy initiatives are needed to address a lack thereof.
 
“I said last year that it was time for the Board to revisit the current rail regulatory framework and that is what we are doing,” said Board Chairman Daniel Elliott III. “We need to strike a balance between providing access to competitive rail transportation for shippers while maintaining the rail industry’s impressive economic renaissance.”


Amtrak is inviting college students from Illinois, Michigan, Missouri and Wisconsin to participate in their “2ndAnnual Amtrak Trainsportation Video Contest”.
Amtrak is asking students to submit a travelogue or a train-travel themed video.  The winning submission will receive more than $3,000 worth of prizes, including a MacBook Air, a Fuji 3D Digital Camera, and free travel aboard Amtrak.
 
“Last year’s contest was a success in Illinois. Now we’re expanding to four states to get more college students excited about enjoying the journey on Amtrak,” said Tracy Robinson, Director of Marketing for Amtrak. “This contest engages college students in a fun and exciting way, introducing them to the best option for travel to more than 500 destinations in 46 states. I’m looking forward to seeing the students’ creativity.”
 
The deadline for submissions is Feburary 28, 2011.  Interested contestants should go to the Amtrak Trainsportation Video Contest website for a full list of rules and details.


Amtrak announced a special promotion this week winter travelers on the popular Acela Express service will earn a free trip for every three paid roundtrip.

Amtrak Guest Rewards members will earn one free Acela Express roundtrip for every three qualifying Acela Express roundtrips (or six one-ways) taken between now and March 19, 2011. Members will be able to book their free trips beginning on June 1, 2011 for travel between July 3 and August 31, 2011.
 
A number of restrictions apply.  Check AmtrakGuestRewards.com for full details.