February 1998In this issue:
In the printed edition, but found on other pages on this site:
On February 8th, Amtrak will begin the fourth weekly Texas Eagle, with through service from Los Angeles to Chicago via Yuma, Tucson, and San Antonio. The inaugural train, which leaves Chicago on the 6th, will carry two "VIP sleepers" in addition to an already lengthened consist. Rail passenger supporters from throughout the Midwest have purchased much of the available space on this train.
ARPA members are encouraged to meet this train and the many rail advocates it will carry as it passes through Benson and Tucson the evening of the 8th, and through Yuma the following morning.
The fourth Eagle marks the first increase in intercity passenger rail frequency in Arizona since before the start of Amtrak in 1971. With the Grand Canyon Railway, the Verde Canyon, and the San Pedro & Southwestern carrying tourists within our State, upcoming extensions to the Old Pueblo Trolley in Tucson, the possibility of a fifth Eagle later this year, the prospects of Tucson-Phoenix high-speed rail, and ongoing studies of regional and light rail in metropolitan Phoenix, we are in the midst of a renaissance of Arizona Rail.
While Amtrak will receive its $2.3 Billion "tax refund," it is still dependent on operating funds, and will continue millions just to keep the trains running. While the "Amtrak Act" specified operating funds, those were not binding figures.
The New York Times on 16 January reported that the Clinton Administration was considering "zeroing out" Amtrak's operating assistance for FY99; while the Administration denied these reports, it is yet unclear what funds Amtrak might receive other than the $2.3 Billion "tax refund."
In a 15 January letter, Senators Roth, Lautenberg, Moynihan, Chafee, Biden, Kerry, and Jeffords expressed their dissatisfaction with this part of the 1999 budget: "The request, if enacted, would prevent Amtrak from achieving operating self-sufficiency, which is precisely the goal that Congress and the President agreed to in the Amtrak Reform and Accountability Act of 1997. It would also have the affect of undermining our efforts to keep Amtrak from going bankrupt."
A memo from the National Association of Railroad Passengers on January 23 states, "White House officials told the media the they were 'mystified' by the letter from Senator Lautenberg and others. The White House people claim the draft budget meets Amtrak's needs.
"In response, Peter Rogoff, of Senator Lautenberg's staff, wrote a detailed explanation of what's wrong with the President's draft budget. He says it breaks faith with the Amtrak labor agreement the Administration itself helped to arrange. He also says the OMB - ignoring DOT requests - concocted a budgetary 'shell game' that leaves Amtrak over $84 million short of its needs for 1999."
On 11 December 1997, just one week after President Clinton signed the Amtrak Reform & Reauthorization Act, Tom Downs submitted his resignation as president of Amtrak. George Warrington, formerly president of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor business unit, will be acting Amtrak President; Stan Bagley will be NEC President.
According to The Washington Post, Downs "apparently was pushed out during a two-day meeting of Amtrak's board… Sources said Amtrak's board of directors was unhappy with Downs' handling of recent labor talks between the railroad and its track-maintenance workers, who had threatened a strike until an agreement was reached (in November)… Clinton Administration officials had asked the board to enter the negotiations after Downs refused to meet directly with the unions."
Amtrak's Intercity Business Unit is testing food service reductions on the New York-Florida trains. Food will be pre-cooked and warmed up on board, then served "family-style" instead of in individual portions. Menu variations from train to train will be reduced. Amtrak will also go back to plasticware on the tables. All this comes just a few years after, as NARP president Jack Martin puts it, "they told us they were going from plastic to china to save money."
Details of Amtrak's mail-and-express plan continue to come to light. The Surface Transportation Board is considering whether Union Pacific can be forced to carry Amtrak's increased mail and express train volume. As part of UP's defense, it revealed Amtrak's mail-and-express plans. A host of new trains and routes would be initiated; each train would be up to 45 cars in length.
However, TRAINS magazine in its January 1998 issue says that in the wake of Union Pacific opposition, "Amtrak is already downplaying an ambitious business plan it developed just last summer to operate a new network of trains devoted primarily to mail and express." The preliminary "phase one" implementation includes the new fourth Eagle and a fifth frequency this spring.
The Maricopa Oversight and Input on Transportation Legislative Committee (MOVE-IT) began last July, held several public forums across metro Phoenix, and issued its final recommendations on December 4.
At the public forums, several ARPA members testified before the committee and recommended regional rail as part of a balanced transportation system. Further support for better transit came from other public testimony.
Nevertheless, the final recommendations are for more and better highways to address the Valley's transportation needs. There was one ray of hope in the report: A recommendation that any abandonded rail lines be reserved for future light rail, or bicycle trail, use.
See also: Comments to the "MOVE-IT" Committee
Larry Bonine has left as director of the Arizona Department of Transportation. Mr. Bonine, along with Department of Environmental Quality Director Russell Rhoades, came out against the Phoenix and Scottsdale transit elections last September, just days before the election was held. Deputy director Mary Peters, who is also chairwoman of the High Speed Rail committee, was named acting director of ADOT.
In response to the implementation of the recent Tempe Transit Plan and the half-cent sales tax, the City of Tempe and the Tempe Chamber of Commerce received a Way to Go! Award by the Environmental Protection Agency at the October 29 Rail-Volution '97 conference in St. Louis. Tempe's bus system, and its bicycle and pedestrian access, are already receiving the benefits of the Transit Plan. ARPA hopes these will be soon augmented with a regional rail component.
From the Tempe Transportation Division's Winter 1997 newsletter, Local Motion:
"Bob Barber, Tempe resident, began participating in municipal affairs when the city established commissions on two of his interests: arts and transportation. He served on the Transportation Committee for nine years before the Transportation Commission was formed and was then appointed a commissioner. His term expires at the end of 1997...
"Bob would like to see the Transportation Commission be the catalyst in developing a suburban rail system using the Union Pacific line from the state Capitol to the East Valley. He was a supporter of commuter rail back in the days of ValTrans but considered the elevated system in ValTrans too expensive...
"Hats off to you Bob for your dedication and time you have devoted during the past ten years to improving transportation in Tempe. Let us hope that some day soon there will be a passenger rail line in the Valley... for you, your grandchildren and their children."
TucsonThe City of Tucson, as part of a land-swap deal, is purchasing the Southern Pacific depot which serves as the Amtrak station. The Old Pueblo Trolley, Arizona's only operating light rail line, plans a line extension to connect the depot to the University of Arizona. An exhibit at the depot, sponsored by the "Tucson Depot Gateway Vision" project, includes historic drawings and photographs, as well as that project's plans for the Depot as an intermodal center. San JoseSan Jose, already the southern end of the Caltrain San Francisco service, by late May 1998 will add the Altamont Commuter Express, a new service from Stockton to San Jose. This is a delay from the original January opening, with several cities only recently beginning bid processes for station construction. The $50 million project will initially have two weekday round-trips. San DiegoAn extension to the San Diego Trolley will help carry this year's Superbowl crowds. The extension, opened November 23, stops at Jack Murphy Stadium, where the game will be played. Officials expect to carry at least 20,000 fans on game day; only 3,500 of the stadium's more than 19,000 parking spaces will be available on game day. Los AngelesRail can succeed even in the "auto capital of the world," as these average daily rail ridership figures (October 1997) show: Red Line 40,000 [heavy rail] Blue Line 50,500 [light rail] Green Line 19,000 [light rail] Metrolink 25,000 [regional rail] DallasDART has approved an accelerated program to bring rail service to the Plano and Garland lines between 6 and 18 months earlier than originally planned. Lines earlier planned for interim single track construction will now be double-tracked from the beginning increasing capacity. St. LouisIn spite of defeat of a recent bond election, MetroLink is continuing other expansion plans. A $350 million extension will open in 2004. VermontA second New York-Rutland train will begin in February 1998, complementing the recently added Ethan Allen. Amtrak says it will save $400,000 a year in crew layover costs. Also: American Skiing Co. is talking with environmental groups to coordinate their efforts in returning rail service to northern New England. |
MaineSlow progress in negotiations between Amtrak and Guilford Transportation are causing continued delays in the startup of Amtrak service to Portland. Now the issue is who will pay for Guilford's liability insurance. The matter is before the Surface Transportation Board, but STB has set no date when a decision will be handed down. The service is now more than three years late. [DVARP] ClevelandBased on a proposal to extend the Waterfront light rail line to the northeast side of downtown Cleveland, a local developer is planning a $400 million mixed use residential-commercial development. The new neighborhood would consist of townhouses, apartment buildings, and sidewalk retail centered around the line extension. [Ohio ARP] CincinattiFacing the 3rd fastest traffic congestion growth in the country (behind Salt Lake City, UT and Columbus, OH), the OH-KY-IN Regional Council of Governments is developing plans for a 33 mile light rail line. The line will go from the Airport in Covington, KY through downtown Cincinatti, and along the I-71 corridor to Paramount Kings Island. The idea has growing support among Cincinatti residents. [Ohio ARP] New Jersey Towns Choose Bus over Parking[from Delaware Valley ARP] The project got its start when the town of Maplewood rejected a parking garage proposed by NJT, and instead started a local bus route. That route succeeded beyond expectations, and now NJT wants to replicate that success. Coast StarlightRidership on the daily Coast Starlight increased 24 percent last year, serving more than 497,000 customers. |
William Lindley
The repeal of the Amtrak monopoly strangely continues to generate little press. Just like lifting of the long-distance telephone monopoly, or deregulation of the airline and freight railroads, repealing the Amtrak monopoly changes everything. While there other laws might seem to provide some disincentives, no potential operator need now seek Amtrak's approval before initiating new rail services.
Already the Florida Fun Train operates regular intercity passenger rail service in that state; its operator, First American Railways Inc., who also operates the Durango & Silverton, has issued stock as capital to implement its business plan, which calls for further passenger rail operations.
Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, Railway Service Corp., under the name Diamond Railway, wants to take over Amtrak's Keystone Harrisburg-Philadelphia service, with hourly trains and food service. Diamond would utilize the Harrisburg line's electrification instead of the diesel trains Amtrak now runs, and restore service to downtown Philadelphia. After the downtown terminus was dropped in the late 1980s, ridership dropped sharply. According to Scott Spencer, "What we've offered is a way to cut their operating costs… We're trying to create a win-win situation for Amtrak."
I welcome an expanded role for private enterprise in our nations' passenger rail future.