Hotline #810 - January 28, 1994

In the wake of the January 17 earthquake, Los Angeles Metrolink's Santa Clarita commuter rail line has become flooded with new passengers. Before the earthquake, average daily ridership was under 1,000. The day after the earthquake, it was 8,000 and on January 26 it was 21,000 -- 21 times the former level! On January 24, two round trips were added to Santa Clarita and two others extended 43 miles through the twisting Soledad Canyon to Palmdale and Lancaster in the Antelope Valley. DOT Secretary Federico Pena rode one of the trains that morning.

A new station at Sylmar opened to bus and carpool traffic on January 26 and will have parking beginning February 21. Another new station at Vincent, within Soledad Pass at the north throat of the canyon, opens January 31. The Vincent site was built quickly by Navy Seabees. Another Soledad Canyon station, an old railroad point called Humphreys but called Via Princessa by Metrolink, opens February 7 a few miles north of Santa Clarita just off the congested Antelope Valley Freeway. Metrolink systemwide ridership now is up to about 30,000 a day. Metrolink has leased seven cars from CalTrain and hopes to get 25 more, as well as locomotives and cab cars, from GO Transit in Toronto very soon.

Federal emergency funds may be used to extend the Moorpark line to Camarillo next month. Governor Wilson said that I-5 will be open to 50% capacity very soon, which should help the San Joaquin Thruway buses.

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D.-Cal.) yesterday chaired a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing on the earthquake. Secretary Pena, a witness, said the $7 billion proposed supplemental funding bill includes $135 million for transit. Sen. Diane Feinstein (D.-Cal.) told the group, "Now is the time for Metrolink to demonstrate that rail can work -- and to demonstrate that to the most cynical audience in the country." California Assembly Transportation Committee chair Richard Katz also testified.

Amtrak has shopped a total of 255 cars for freeze damage the past few weeks. The number of frozen cars out of service at the same time peaked at 148 on January 24; today it is 107.

The Amtrak board's newest member is Sylvia de Leon, who takes the preferred shareholders slot formerly held by Republican National Committee Chairman Haley Barbour. De Leon is a partner in a Washington law firm and has strong ties to Texas. She does a lot of transportation policy work and was on President Clinton's airline commission last year.

Amtrak Passenger Services Vice President Art McMahon has announced a reorganization of his department, including the appointment of Chuck Bothwell as Assistant Vice President and Leon McLaurin as Staff Director, Customer Service Operations. There are many changes in Passenger Services field and headquarters personnel.

Amtrak had a terrible first quarter with an operating loss $9 million over budget. Revenues were hurt by well publicized accidents and consequent postponement of advertising. However, the new fare discount produced an encouraging result this month.

DOT has a new 14-page pamphlet called the "Strategic Plan." It gives passenger rail good prominence, saying that the passenger rail industry should be restored and that Amtrak should be moved toward financial stability and world-class passenger service.

The Maryland MARC commuter rail service will increase weekday Brunswick and Camden line services on January 31 from seven to nine round trips. Martinsburg service remains at two trains in and three out. The Penn line is reduced from 21 round trips to 19 south and 20 north. Around March 1, extra-fare parlor cars are expected on one Brunswick rush hour round trip and two Penn Line off-peak round trips. Foreign language courses will be offered on one morning train on both lines. Currently, only the Long Island Rail Road runs regular parlor car service.