Hotline #840 - August 26, 1994

The United Transportation Union and Soo Line this week held only their second set of talks since their strike began July 14. But by the end of the week, the talks had collapsed. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers took the unprecedented step of asking its engineers to cross the UTU picket lines because of a dispute between the two unions. If the engineers follow through -- and it looks like they are -- it could cripple the strike that has greatly disrupted Amtrak service in Wisconsin.

The Senate passed S.839, the high-speed rail bill, on August 18. Like its House counterpart, H.R.4867, the Senate bill is a scaled-back version of the high-speed bills that have been grounded since last November. It is not clear if there needs to be a conference committee to reconcile differences between S.839 and H.R.4867, because the differences are minor. It is possible informal staff contacts can do the job before both Houses vote on a final version.

Transportation funding for 1995 and Amtrak reauthorization will not be taken up until after Labor Day.

The Texas TGV project was officially terminated by the state High Speed Rail Authority on August 19, though any informed observer could have seen the end coming in 1993. Indeed, there were fatal flaws evident in the make-up of the proposal, going back a few years. As in the case of the failed Florida high-speed rail project, the State of Texas awarded a franchise to the consortium that promised not to spend state money, with little regard to other proposal features. But no rail proposal can be completely privately financed and still compete with government largesse enjoyed by competing modes. Once again, a failed, all-private high-speed rail project has proven the point.

A report issued by a panel of "transportation specialists" last spring has been released and, as expected, it says that the Boston Rail Link is too expensive. Nonsense, says state Rep. John Businger, who is chair of the Legislature's Rail Link Caucus, made up of almost all members of that body. He told the Boston Globe on August 24 that "it was very clear that the conference was set up for the Urban Ring." The Urban Ring is an idea to develop bus services around the city perimeter. Of course, that would do absolutely nothing for intercity rail passengers.

Ironically, Amtrak board member Robert Kiley was a member of the conference that criticized the rail link that would help Amtrak so much. Of the five panelists, only two had a clear connection to Boston, and Kiley was the only one with a clear transportation background. One panelist was Harvey Gantt, former mayor of Charlotte, N.C., and unsuccessful Senate candidate -- what he could be expected to know about Boston or transportation is unclear. Fortunately, the Weld Administration and Massachusetts legislature remain in favor of the Rail Link.

Yesterday's Boston Globe came out with an editorial that is a ringing endorsement of the Rail Link.

NARP Region 1 board member James Ullman died August 24 at his home in Meriden, Conn. He was an attorney who was active with the Valley Railroad and was active in the effort to restore Montrealer service in 1972. The funeral was this afternoon.