Hotline #788 - August 27, 1993

We understand that one of the reasons that the high-speed corridor bill, S.839, has not advanced in the Senate is that they have received very little mail in support of it. It is very important to write your Senator in favor of S.839, as well as the best Amtrak funding possible when the Senate gets H.R.2750, the 1994 appropriations bill.

Contrary to earlier official denial, we understand the Amtrak board was back in Washington last week, reportedly to discuss a successor to Graham Claytor and Amtrak's financial health. No announcements have been made. Service and maintenance cuts on October 1 seem more and more likely unless the Senate comes through with authorized funding amounts.

A restraining order was granted on August 24 to Amtrak, preventing the United Transportation Union from striking for now. A hearing on an injunction that could have the effect of making the order permanent is September 21. The UTU objects to Amtrak Mechanical Department employees moving Metrolink commuter trains within the maintenance facility at Taylor Yard in Los Angeles.

The National Transportation Agency of Canada granted permission on August 24 to the Canadian Pacific to abandon its line across northern Maine, used by VIA Rail's tri-weekly Atlantic, effective one year from now. The NTA did not consider passenger issues, nor the environmental effect of freight shifted to trucks. VIA will have one year to consider acquiring the line, which, given VIA's financial condition, does not seem very likely. The ICC will hold a hearing in Bangor on October 12.

Four House Republicans -- Oxley (Ohio), Moorhead (Cal.), Bliley (Va.), and Fields (Tex.) -- all members of the Energy and Commerce Committee, have introduced a bill to amend the Railway Labor Act to make permanent the type of baseball-style arbitration used to end the 1992 national rail strike. Both rail labor and management oppose this.

The ICE will be on display at Los Angeles Union Station from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on August 29. On August 30, it will leave Los Angeles at 7:30 am for a round trip to San Diego, stopping there 10:00 am to 10:30 am, and with brief stops at Oceanside. It arrives back at Los Angeles at 1:00 pm, leaves again at 1:25 pm and arrives Phoenix at 11:00 pm. On August 31, it leaves Phoenix at 9:00 am and arrives El Paso at 6:30 pm. On September 1, it leaves El Paso at 8:00 am and arrives San Antonio at 8:30 pm. On September 2, it leaves San Antonio at 9:00 am and arrives at New Orleans at 10:00 pm. It leaves New Orleans on September 4 at 7:00 am, arrives Pensacola 12:30 pm and Jacksonville 9:30 pm. On September 5, it leaves Jacksonville at 12:00 noon and arrives Orlando at 3:00 pm.

South Korea awarded the contract on August 20 for a high-speed line between Seoul and Pusan to GEC-Alsthom, which plans to build a TGV. The 250-mile line, costing over $13 billion, should be completed in phases after 1997.

The government of British Columbia ordered BC Rail workers back to work August 25, ending a five-week strike that closed passenger and freight service on that line. A 90-day cooling-off period was imposed.

A federal judge in Newport News sentenced a man on August 24 to 16 years in prison for switch tampering, which caused the Colonial to derail last August and injure more than 70 people. The maximum sentence was 20 years and a $250,000 fine. The defendant had pled guilty on June 11. Some of the victims, including the Amtrak engineer, returned to testify at the sentencing. A second defendant, described by federal authorities as the planner of the derailment, is still getting psychiatric evaluation and no court date for him has yet been set.