Hotline #829 - June 10, 1994

The House Appropriations Committee approved a 1995 transportation funding bill yesterday. The Amtrak numbers were not changed and language jeopardizing Clean Air Act enforcement was dropped. The Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee may act late in June. The House version of the Amtrak authorization bill, H.R.4111, should come before the full Energy and Commerce Committee the week of June 20. The Senate Commerce subcommittee may act June 21.

The Ohio legislature passed two crucial passenger-rail bills this week. One creates an Ohio Rail Development Commission, combining the duties of the Ohio DOT's Rail Division and the Ohio High Speed Rail Administration. A second bill provides a dedicated funding source for all rail projects, about $6 million.

The eastbound International was derailed on June 6 by a dump truck at a private grade crossing at Comstock, Mich., three miles east of Kalamazoo. The truck driver was killed. The train had a VIA Rail locomotive and three Amtrak cars. About a dozen passengers received minor injuries.

This points out the importance of a bill recently introduced in the Senate by John Danforth (R.-Mo.). S.2127 would require the Secretary of Transportation to issue regulations establishing penalties for grade crossing violations by commercial trucks.

Amerada Hess, which owns the tanker truck involved in the fatal Fort Lauderdale grade crossing accident in March 1993, has sued Amtrak and CSX. Amtrak called the suit illogical, since Amtrak had been absolved from blame by the National Transportation Safety Board. The oil company settled out of court with the victims' families for $6.5 million.

Amtrak is selling a deep-discount children's fare on some routes through September 30. The one-way fare is $5 on the Northeast Corridor, including Newport News, and $29 on all Florida trains, Carolinian, Crescent, and Gulf Breeze. Limit two children per adult ticket.  It is not valid with All Aboard tickets. With no ad money left, Amtrak is relying on media coverage and its friends to get the word out.

The Massachusetts House approved on June 8 the transportation bond issue that includes the $60 million for preliminary work on the Central Artery rail link, as proposed by Governor Weld.

A bill to restrict the power of the Interstate Commerce Commission to review short line sales was introduced by Rep. Bernard Sanders (I.-Vt.). This is in reaction to the pending sale of Central Vermont Railway to Rail-Tex, a short-line conglomerate. The bill would guarantee six years' labor protection for all short line sales. The rail industry said this would jeopardize future short-line sales and long-term short-line employment.

Canadian Pacific is said to be near a decision on selling its line across Maine, the route of VIA Rail's Atlantic. One bidder, Guilford, would keep only the eastern half and focus on north-south traffic. The other bidder, Cantrak, would operate the whole line.

In California, the Planning and Conservation League and the Train Riders' Association of California are working on qualifying a transportation bond initiative for the fall. It is called "CALTEA," after the ISTEA federal law. PCL says CALTEA should qualify by June 19, but is concerned it may face an uphill battle with voters.

The New York City Council voted yesterday to allow the city to seek bidders to build the 42nd Street light-rail project in Manhattan.