Rail Groups Welcome Vermont House Vote

Release #07-04—March 8, 2007

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Washington, D.C.—Two major organizations representing railroad passengers, the National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) and Trainriders/Northeast, welcomed the decision of the Vermont House Transportation and Appropriations Committees to support the purchase of new diesel multiple unit (DMU) rail cars for Vermont passenger service. The five new state of the art cars would come from the Colorado Rail Company, which has agreed to refund 90% of the purchase price if the DMU program proves unsuccessful over the first three years of use.

The new cars are more efficient, quieter, and more environmentally friendly than the existing equipment. Moreover, assuming that the Senate appropriately alters the House-approved resolution, service frequency over most of the “Vermonter” route would double, from one to two daily round-trips. These advantages are expected to more than offset the need for passengers traveling below New Haven, Connecticut, to change trains.
Senate consideration should begin next week in the Senate’s Transportation Committee.

If the full legislature supports purchase of the new cars, Vermont would contract with Amtrak to operate them. At New Haven, connections would be made with Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor trains to New York City, Philadelphia, Wilmington, Baltimore, Washington, Richmond and the Tidewater area, and intermediate points.

This purchase marks a major step in the Vermonter’s recovery from the loss of service to Montreal. After an initial drop in ridership north of Burlington, passengers have steadily returned to the state supported route. A Burlington Free Press article in November 2006 noted that the train was completely sold out in advance of Thanksgiving holiday travel.
Ridership since June of 2006 has increased 14%, despite ridership losses in months when Amtrak had to provide bus service for the route due to maintenance work by the freight railroad companies that own the tracks.

NARP and Trainriders/Northeast are optimistic that the DMUs will prove successful and allow for future expansion of train routes throughout New England. The cars have been tested for ice and snow in Alaska, and one is running successfully in commuter service in southeast Florida.