Hotline #850 - November 4, 1994

Amtrak service between Boston and Portland moved much closer to reality last week. Maine Transportation Commissioner Dana Connors told the NARP board that "Section 13(c)" labor protection agreements have been reached. Now materials can be ordered over the winter, with construction beginning April 1. Service could begin next fall.

Most Amtrak management staff must decide by November 14 whether to take the proposed buy-out. But the only jobs posted so far in the new SBU's are a few in the Northeast. Amtrak seems about to lose many good, experienced people.

There are two new vice presidents of Customer Services for the Intercity SBU. They are Chuck Bothwell, now assistant vice president of Customer Services, who will be based at Jacksonville; and Peter Turrell, a former general superintendent of the Midwest Division, who will be in Chicago. Bill Duggan, now general superintendent of the Midwest Division, will be General Manager of Terminal Services in Chicago. Maria Green, now a Law Department counsel, will be General Counsel and Director of Commercial Development in Chicago.

Amtrak has a new chief engineer, the first woman to hold that post on a major railroad. She is Allison Conway-Smith, who replaces Dave Staplin. She will be in the Northeast SBU but will be responsible for all track owned by Amtrak.

Departures of four Amtrak vice presidents have been announced. Tony DeAngelo of Real Estate retires this month. Bob Gall of Marketing and Sales will leave by March. Pete Cannito of Engineering and Elyse Wander of Corporate Planning will leave by April.

Freight railroads and unions delivered their Section 6 notices, which are bargaining demands, on November 1 -- the first possible day. The current contracts, which Congress imposed in 1991, may be amended January 1. The industry has sued to keep maintenance-of-way workers from negotiating by individual carrier. Some unions believe avoiding national negotiations will preserve their right to strike.

The Air Transport Association has urged President Clinton to extend the federal fuel-tax exemption for airlines. Amtrak has had to pay this 4.3-cent tax since 1993. Fifty-six Senators have signed such a letter. The airline exemption expires next October 1. NARP is urging exemption of Amtrak from this tax if the airlines' exemption is extended.

New Jersey Transit extended three trains from Netcong to Hackettstown, N.J., a distance of eight miles, on October 31. One of them is a reverse-commute schedule.

Citizens for Modern Transit report that officials from several Midwestern cities are visiting St. Louis to inspect the successful light-rail system there, including Milwaukee, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Louisville, and Dayton. They also said that the St. Louis intermodal terminal is moving into final engineering and design.

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on November 7 in an Amtrak case. Lebron v. NRPC will examine to what extend Amtrak is to be considered a private or government enterprise when First Amendment issues are concerned. The case arises from Amtrak's refusal to allow a large political advertisement in New York Penn Station.

Norfolk Southern will drop its popular steam excursion program next month. The company cited lack of track capacity and managerial resources, due to the general increase in freight traffic. Graham Claytor began the program in 1964, when he was a vice president of the Southern Railway.

Rep. Thomas Ridge (R.), who is running for governor of Pennsylvania, will run a campaign train November 6 at 1:00 pm from Pittsburgh, stopping at Greensburg and Altoona, and arriving at Harrisburg at 7:15 pm. On November 7, it leaves Harrisburg at 9:00 am, stopping at Lancaster and Ardmore, and arriving at Philadelphia at 11:40 am.