Hotline #823 - April 29, 1994

NARP Executive Director Ross Capon testified before the House Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee on April 25, on Amtrak funding for 1995. In the absence of Chairman Carr, David Price (D.-N.C.) chaired the hearing. Ranking Republican Frank Wolf (Va.) asked most of the questions.  Concerned about GAO and Amtrak statements that Amtrak needs more money to run existing services well, Wolf asked rail-related witnesses their views on a route-closing commission similar to the military route-closing commission.

Ed Harper, president of the Association of American Railroads, talked about the appropriateness of having a national passenger rail network funded by general revenues. He gracefully avoided Wolf's inquiry about Harper's "personal views" on the commission. Wolf told Capon that new cut-rate New York-Washington air fares are hurting Amtrak. Capon responded that these fares are all the more reason to get more progress in work-rule reforms and that efforts to downsize the Amtrak could hamper this. Wolf said he would have his commission look at labor as well. He said failure to downsize Amtrak might lead to its collapse, the very opposite of what NARP wants.

Clearly, Wolf needs to hear from Republican members of Congress who consider long-distance trains vital. Of course, Democratic members need to contact Bob Carr (D.-Mich.).

The amount that Appropriations Committees will have to allocate for transportation still has not been determined. Conferees were to get back to work this week on reconciling House and Senate budget resolutions. The transportation amount in both resolutions is close, so that is not a point of contention in itself, but conferees may cut all programs overall. The more that is cut from transportation at this point, the harder it is to get more for Amtrak later.

The Amtrak board met on April 27 and launched a new effort to inform the public and Congress on the freight railroads' record in providing on-time performance. In 1993, 36% of all Amtrak train delays were caused by factors directly attributable to freight-railroad actions. The three worst carriers identified were CSX at 59% on-time for the first quarter of 1994, Conrail at 58%, and Burlington Northern at 54%. Also rated were the number of minutes' delay per 10,000 train-miles. This is a factor that accounts for the severity of delays. CSX was at 496, Conrail at 555, and Burlington Northern at 468.

Amtrak President Tom Downs was quick to point out that some railroads perform well. Canadian Pacific was 88% on-time at 137 minutes down per 10,000 miles. Norfolk Southern was 83% on-time at 58 minutes down.

Southern Pacific has earned a small profit in the first quarter of 1994. It is to be hoped that this trend continues, because SP's poor finances in recent years is a direct cause of deteriorating passenger services on its routes. Track maintenance has declined and, as a result, the SP system is strewn with slow orders that are affecting Amtrak's long-distance passenger trains. Other large freight railroads also have had a good first quarter.

The Channel Tunnel between England and France will be dedicated formally on May 6, by Queen Elizabeth and President Mitterand. This historically important link is finished, but problems with rolling stock have delayed the commencement of rail service through the tunnel. It is hoped that they will be phased in this summer. There will be shuttle services just from the ends of the tunnels, for cars and for trucks. Fast day trains, using new-generation TGV Eurostar equipment, will link Edinburgh and London to Paris and Brussels. New night trains will link Glasgow and southwest England with Paris and Brussels; and London with Cologne and Zurich.