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Arizona Rail Makes Sense for Phoenix
Media Coverage
- "Fans get to ride the rails to BOB -- Trying out a train" by Mary
Jo Pitzl, The Arizona Republic April 19, 1998, page B1. QUOTES:
"One thousand train tickets sold out in seven hours." "Gil
Mallery, president of Amtrak West, was in town Saturday morning to brainstorm
possibilities with [ARPA] ... He said Amtrak is interested in exploring
corridor travel -- such as between the Valley and Los Angeles, the Valley and
Tucson, and the Valley and San Diego -- as well as local commuter
travel..."
- "All Aboard the 1st D-Backs Express" by Vivi Stenberg,Mesa
Tribune, April 19, 1998, page A5. QUOTE: "And although it was meant as
a one-time promotional event on the Diamondbacks' behalf, passenger said they
would eagerly catch another ride with the express if it's offered again."
- "Bumper to Bumper: Milwaukee discovers trains are 'the way to
go'" Column, Bob Petrie, The Arizona Republic April 19, 1998, page
EV1. QUOTE: "The quick sellout of the Diamondbacks Tempe-to-Phoenix train
commuter package for this weekend's games with the Florida Marlins makes me
wonder why rail wouldn't be a nice alternative to being stuck in rush hour
traffic, day after day." "Rail is now working in Milwaukee, where a
masstive freeway paving project on Interstate 94 sparked the creation of a
temporary passenger train service between the west suburbs and
downtown..."
- "Central Ave. events throw fans curveball: Mall bus won't run
Sunday" The Arizona Republic April 17, 1998, page A1. QUOTES: The
baseball shuttle bus "was more successful than transit officials had
dreamed of. More than 20,000 people rode the shuttles during their first week
of operation." "...transit officials said the huge response has been
encouraging, especially because so many of the riders apparently had not used a
bus before."
- SIDEBAR: "Private firms bid to run buses" (ibid, page A12).
QUOTES: "The city-run baseball shuttle buses have been a roaring
success... the shuttles generated nearly enough money from the $2 round-trip
fare to cover costs..."
- All
aboard for tickets on D-Backs' shuttle train The Arizona Republic
April 7, 1998
- "Fans can
go to 2 games by train from Tempe," The Arizona Republic April
3, 1998
- "D-Backs Express keeps fans on track: Team touting 2-game train rides
from Tempe." Mesa Tribune, 3 April 1998, page A1. QUOTES: "A
train dubbed the 'Diamondbacks Express' will take fans from downtown
Tempe to the Bank One Ballpark in
Phoenix for the April 18 and 19 games... The Diamondbacks might repeat the
event if the idea proves successful, but as of now, no additional trips are
planned."
- News report, 10 February 1998:
[Team
owner Jerry] Colangelo seeks train service to Diamondbacks games
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Route of the
Diamondbacks Express
Fans
boarded the train in the morning at the Tempe Depot. Souvenir baseballs, and
snacks and soft drinks, were distributed. Each passenger received a
"boarding pass" which instructed them which car (1 through 8) to
board. Car 8, the Dome, was boarded through Car 7.
The train
pulled in right behind Bank One Ballpark at a temporary platform. The eight
passenger cars and two engines (one at either end of the train) stopped between
the outskirts of the UP/SP Phoenix Yard and the grade crossing just to the west
of the Ballpark. Equipment for the train was brought from Los Angeles and
consisted of seven Amfleet cars from the San Diegan service and
Full Dome #9302.