Hotline #802 - December 3, 1993

Amtrak announced, on November 30, the retirement of President and Chairman W. Graham Claytor, Jr., effective December 6. President Clinton signed a resolution commemorating Claytor's entire career (H.J.Res.394; P.L.103-165).

Effective December 7, Amtrak's new President and Chairman will be Thomas M. Downs, the New Jersey DOT Commissioner and New Jersey Transit Chairman. Downs told the Washington Post he will resist efforts to cut back long-distance national routes but that there are no guarantees that rains would continue to operate on current routes if other routes make more sense. Downs said, "In my mind, this is America's passenger railroad. It is not a series of regional railroads." His first priority is "a detailed view of the budget that examines every financial aspect and operational assumption of the railroad."

With Downs in attendance, the Amtrak board on December 1 presented Claytor with a resolution of appreciation. Claytor said he considered his tenure "the height of [his] entire career" and that he looked "forward to Amtrak going further and further." The board approved final operating and capital budgets for 1994, with Bob Kiley abstaining on the former and opposing the latter. Amtrak plans to rebuild its 52 AEM-7 electric locomotives to extend their lives another 15 years. The board approved $7 million for relevant engineering and for the prototype rebuilding of two of these locomotives. In a victory for passengers, Claytor announced that Compin, whose comfortable seat won a technical competition, will provide coach seats for the new Superliner coaches.

A truck carrying a heavy power plant turbine derailed Amtrak's northbound Silver Meteor on November 30 at a grade-crossing at Intercession City, Fla., eight miles southwest of Kissimmee. More than 70 people were injured. Two baggage cars, and possibly the F-40 locomotive, were total losses.

The trucker notified CSX about three other crossings used by the truck earlier in the trip. At first, a spokesperson for the Kissimmee Utility Authority, to which the shipment was bound, said "they" called Amtrak with a warning that the truck was on the private crossing -- owned by the utility where the accident eventually occurred. "They" was never defined. This statement made Amtrak look bad while the media spotlight was on. The utility's later admission that no call was made got much less attention -- for example, a brief item in the back of yesterday's Washington Post.

Florida law requires the trucker to notify authorities about oversized vehicles using grade crossings but the penalty for failing to do so is a mere $37 traffic ticket.

The truck, which had a police escort, was not stalled but had stopped on the crossing while workers decided whether to make adjustments to hydraulic jacks.

This accident, like the one at Mobile, is dismaying in that it appears to show how vulnerable trains are to the ignorance and stupidity of others. There is already talk of including in next year's Amtrak authorization new provisions conditioning federal highway funding on states enacting and strongly enforcing laws against grade crossing violations.

Through January 15, the eastbound Southwest Chief is detouring from Los Angeles to San Bernardino by way of Fullerton. Stops at Pasadena and Pomona will be protected by bus. The westbound Chief will run on the normal route.

Via Rail Canada has announced it will lay off 147 non-union employees this year and 100 more next year.

Light rail for Cincinnati has been proposed by the area MPO, the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments. It calls for 70 miles of light rail lines and 18 miles of diesel commuter rail. It will ask the Federal Transit Administration for planning money.

An Amtrak-related case was rejected by the Supreme Court on November 29. An assistant conductor from North Carolina, who is a member of the Worldwide Church of God, was fired after refusing to work on his sabbath, which is sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. When he was given his sabbath off, other members of the United Transportation Union complained about having to cover for him. Without comment, the Court rejected the man's arguments and rejected the case.

The last DOT-sponsored public hearings on ISTEA are at Tulsa on December 13 at the Convention Center; and at Denver on December 14 at the Executive Tower Inn, 1405 Curtis St.