Most of the China's leaders are former engineers who like to plan, design and build things. In America, most of our leaders are attorneys.

 

Back in the good old Cold War days, the same thing was said about the USSR.  Unfortunately, the Russian legislature was just a foil for the leaders, who were essentially dictators. 

 

Is there a way to check the education/occupations of legislators in other countries?  How do Germany, Australia, Canada, France, etc. compare to the US in engineers as legislators/governmental leaders?

Among the long-distance Amtrak trains, the Cardinal (New York - Chicago) had the largest increase of 15.9 percent.

 

Daily service, please.

Imagine how much more those ridership numbers would increase with improved time-keeping and more available coaches!  Reliablility with incremental improvements in speed could work wonders and make these latest numbers look like child's play.

A press release from the National Association of Railroad Passengers....

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (#11-05)

February 14, 2011

Contact: Sean Jeans-Gail – 202-408-8362 [cell: 202-320-2723]

 

President “walks the walk” on passenger rail

 

The National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) applauds the President’s forward-thinking rail proposal to, in Secretary LaHood’s words today, do “big things [rather than just] march in place.”

 

NARP President Ross Capon praised the plan: “Integrating passenger trains into an expanded Transportation Trust Fund recognizes that passenger rail is a vital transportation choice.  This is an important step forward to ensure that trains are not the ‘odd man out’ when it comes to federal transportation investment.  This could be a key point in providing the public with real transportation choice to cope with crippling road congestion and steadily-rising gas prices.”

 

The proposal, part of President Obama’s fiscal year 2012 budget request released today, would provide $8 billion for intercity passenger rail, including Amtrak.  The $8 billion is a down payment on the President’s six-year, $53 billion plan which aims to “keep the country on track toward a system that gives 80 percent of Americans access to a modern passenger rail system featuring high-speed service within 25 years.”

 

White House support for $8 billion—$4 billion for network development, and new infrastructure and equipment; and $4 billion for state of good repair on Amtrak, and operating support for crucial corridors—is exciting news for train passengers.  Capon said, “We stand ready to support enactment of such funding, which we recognize will be a big challenge.”

 

There is, however, an immediate concern about how many Amtrak employees might be laid off in the next several weeks.  The House this week has before it a continuing resolution that would cut Amtrak’s Fiscal 2011 capital grant 20%, or $202 million.  This is likely to mean significant layoffs.  The cut is particularly harsh since it must be sustained in less than seven months.

 

# # #

Brand new Amtrak You-Tube Channel....

 

http://www.youtube.com/Amtrak

NARP: Transport fund plan could hurt Amtrak

Monday, February 14, 2011

 

The National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) says Amtrak, along with high speed rail projects, could lose out financially if President Obama’s proposal for a rail account in a new transportation trust fund is advanced.

 

The proposal for funding a new six-year surface transportation law, to succeed the current SAFETEA-LU, would end direct operating subsidies to Amtrak and for the first time include rail programs in what is often referred to in Capitol Hill shorthand as the “highway bill.” SAFETEA-LU was to expire on Sept. 30, 2009, but was extended several times until allowed to expire by Congress on January 12.

 

Passenger rail operations have been excluded from every surface transportation bill enacted by Congress since the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act, or ISTEA, was signed by President George H.W. Bush in late 1991.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.railwayage.com/breaking-news/narp-transport-trust-fund-plan-could-hurt-amtrak.html

FYI: this notice was issued today by the Midwest HSR Association.......

 

Three separate items regarding high-speed and intercity passenger rail are in play in DC right now.  It has resulted in a little confusion with big increases proposed for future years while huge cuts are very possible this year.  Hopefully, this email will help to clarify what is going on.

 

But quickly, it is critical that you remind your elected officials that you want fast trains today.

Click here to send a message.

 

2011 Appropriation - Congress did not pass appropriations bills for FY2011 (which began on October 1, 2010.)  The government is operating on a continuing resolution (CR) that expires March 4.  Freshmen congressman have insisted on at least $100 billion in spending reductions in the replacement CR.  The current proposal reduces high-speed rail funding from $2.5 billion to $0 and reduces Amtrak funding.  The bill is being debated in the House today.  Congressman Sessions has offered an amendment to slash Amtrak funding to roughly $400 million.

 

2012 Appropriation - The Obama Administration presented his budget proposal yesterday.  The proposal includes dramatic changes to transportation funding and includes $8 billion for high-speed and intercity passenger rail.  Amtrak also released their 2012 budget request yesterday.

 

Transportation Authorization - The surface transportation authorization expired on September 30, 2009 and has been operating on a CR since.  The Obama administration combined their 2012 budget proposal and their authorization proposal.  Their proposal would authorize $53 billion over 6 years and in would move high-speed rail and Amtrak into the surface transportation authorization.

 

The Transport Politic (http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/) has a good overview of each of the proposals and the Progressive Policy Institute has a good first pass on the implications of the authorization proposal. (http://www.progressivefix.com/budgeting-for-a-fast-train-future)

 

2/17/2011    Transportation Report

 

Rural access to intercity rail declines, BTS says

 

Intercity rail access for the U.S. rural population declined from 42 percent to 40 percent between 2005 and 2010, according to a new report by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).

 

The report, "The U.S. Rural Population and Scheduled Intercity Transportation 2010: A Five-Year Decline in Transportation Access," defines access to rail as a person living 25 miles from a station providing intercity service.

 

In 22 of the 47 states with intercity rail, rail coverage exceeds 40 percent. In one state, Rhode Island, all residents live within the 25-mile radius of an intercity rail station, according to BTS.

 

 

Full story at: http://www.progressiverailroading.com/prdailynews/news.asp?id=25819

http://www.railwayage.com/breaking-news/house-rejects-slashing-amtrak-fy11-funding.html

 

House rejects slashing Amtrak FY11 funding

Thursday, February 17, 2011

 

The House of Representatatives Thursday approved cuts of various sizes for various government programs, but rejected a proposal to cut $446.9 million in Amtrak funding for the current fiscal year 1011.

 

Seeking to cut $61 billion from the current fiscal year budget, the House approved cuts affecting the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), school improvement funds, and the U.S. Institute for Peace.

 

The vote rejecting the Amrak cuts reportedly was 250-176, indicating more Republican House support for the nation’s passenger railroad network than many observers anticipated.

Amtrak to O’Hare Airport? Illinois inquires    

Tuesday, February 22, 2011 

 

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has asked Amtrak CEO Joseph Boardman to conduct a study examining Amtrak passenger rail linking Chicago Union Station and O'Hare International Airport. Quinn has requested that the study be completed by summer.

 

The governor reportedly sees a synergy in linking O’Hare to the Amtrak network, including the railroad’s Chicago-to-St. Louis service, now undergoing an upgrade to 110 mph higher-speed rail (HrSR) service in a public/private partnership involving the state, Amtrak, and Union Pacific.

 

“This connection would also provide better access to downstate cities and significantly boost ridership” outside the Chicago area, the governor wrote in a letter to Amtrak’s Boardman. “Advancing this connection would also establish O'Hare as a central —and connected—component of the nine-state, 110-mph Midwest Regional Rail System.”

 

Read more at: http://www.railwayage.com/breaking-news/amtrak-to-o-hare-airport-illinois-inquires.html

^ Not sure how I feel about this.  two Metra Lines already stop right next to O'Hare and have connections to Union Station.  Wouldn't it make more sense to just upgrade/improve those connections?

 

Not sure why someone would take a plane into O'hare and then need the line to be connected to St. Louis via HSR...

^ Not sure how I feel about this.  two Metra Lines already stop right next to O'Hare and have connections to Union Station.  Wouldn't it make more sense to just upgrade/improve those connections?

 

Not sure why someone would take a plane into O'hare and then need the line to be connected to St. Louis via HSR...

 

I think the idea is to have a one-seat ride from Springfield, Bloomington-Normal and other downstate cities to O'Hare and Chicago's western suburbs.

Ya I get that-- I just don't see who would use it.  Springfirled people would fly out of St. Louis.  Blooming-Normal could benefit...but thats such a small population.  Anyone near downtown would probably still just take Metra, or not see the benefit of building the line.

 

It's interesting... who knows.

 

On the other hand-- What's the status of the Chicago to St. Louis rail upgrade (barely HSR).  Has it actually started? Local news reports seem to imply it hasn't

BTW, here are the Ohio Congresspersons who voted on a bill last week to decrease Amtrak funding for FY2011. A "no" vote was in support of passenger rail.....

 

Ohio

Aye OH-1 Chabot, Steven [R]

Aye OH-2 Schmidt, Jean [R]

No OH-3 Turner, Michael [R]

Aye OH-4 Jordan, Jim [R]

Aye OH-5 Latta, Robert [R]

Aye OH-6 Johnson, Bill [R]

Aye OH-7 Austria, Steve [R]

No OH-9 Kaptur, Marcy [D]

No OH-10 Kucinich, Dennis [D]

No OH-11 Fudge, Marcia [D]

No OH-12 Tiberi, Patrick [R]

No OH-13 Sutton, Betty [D]

No OH-14 LaTourette, Steven [R]

No OH-15 Stivers, Steve [R]

Aye OH-16 Renacci, Jim [R]

No OH-17 Ryan, Timothy [D]

Aye OH-18 Gibbs, Bob [R]

 

Ya I get that-- I just don't see who would use it.  Springfirled people would fly out of St. Louis.  Blooming-Normal could benefit...but thats such a small population.  Anyone near downtown would probably still just take Metra, or not see the benefit of building the line.

 

It's interesting... who knows.

 

There's also flights between Springfield and Chicago, but they cost a LOT of money. I question whether people would travel more than 100 miles to the south to the St. Louis airport when they would be traveling 185 miles north to Chicago by train. But you might see more people traveling from the south suburbs near Joliet through to O'Hare without transferring.

 

On the other hand-- What's the status of the Chicago to St. Louis rail upgrade (barely HSR).  Has it actually started? Local news reports seem to imply it hasn't

 

Yes, they started reconstruction last September of the Union Pacific rail corridor from Alton north to Springfield. That section is pretty much done. Here's some websites regarding this project:

 

http://www.idothsr.org/

http://www.gatewaystreets.org/2011/02/chicago-st-louis-high-speed-rail.html

http://www.connectthemidwest.com/

 

Lots more on Google.

^Is that before or after we lost 2 seats?

BTW, here are the Ohio Congresspersons who voted on a bill last week to decrease Amtrak funding for FY2011. A "no" vote was in support of passenger rail.....

 

Ohio

Aye OH-1 Chabot, Steven [R]

Aye OH-2 Schmidt, Jean [R]

No OH-3 Turner, Michael [R]

Aye OH-4 Jordan, Jim [R]

Aye OH-5 Latta, Robert [R]

Aye OH-6 Johnson, Bill [R]

Aye OH-7 Austria, Steve [R]

No OH-9 Kaptur, Marcy [D]

No OH-10 Kucinich, Dennis [D]

No OH-11 Fudge, Marcia [D]

No OH-12 Tiberi, Patrick [R]

No OH-13 Sutton, Betty [D]

No OH-14 LaTourette, Steven [R]

No OH-15 Stivers, Steve [R]

Aye OH-16 Renacci, Jim [R]

No OH-17 Ryan, Timothy [D]

Aye OH-18 Gibbs, Bob [R]

 

 

It is well worth noting the number of Ohio "R's" who bucked their own party and voted to support Amtrak funding.  Good to see such bi-partisan support for passenger rail.

Good to see such bi-partisan support for passenger rail.

 

Where were they last year with the 3C? 

Republicans don't have to be against rail. It's just that the ones that are against it have nasty mouths on them and oppose it with religiosity.

^ I also think a huge part of the GOP support for amtrak is an interest in getting high speed rail across all of northern Ohio- and they were still against 3C.

 

I WISH we had support for HSR from Cincy to Chicago and additionally across northern ohio- unfortunately, our congressional representatives don't give a damn, and even the GOP up north do.

2/18/2011

RRIF program needs reforms to incent private rail investments, Mica and Shuster say

 

Yesterday, Reps. John Mica (R-Fla.) and Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) addressed the importance of improving the federal Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) program during their testimony at a House hearing titled, “Sitting on our Assets: Rehabilitating and Improving our Nation’s Rail Infrastructure.”

 

Created in 1998, the RRIF program authorizes the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to lend up to $35 billion for railroad infrastructure improvements, equipment and facilities development. However, loan processing time is averaging about 13-and-a-half months instead of the 90 days stipulated in the RRIF law, said Mica, who chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, according to a prepared statement.

 

“The cost of the RRIF program to taxpayers is exactly zero, yet only $400 million is currently out in loans of a total $35 billion loan authority, utilizing only a little more than 1 percent,” he said, adding that the FRA approved only two loans in 2010, two in 2009 and one in 2008.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/news/article/RRIF-program-needs-reforms-to-incent-private-rail-investments-Mica-and-Shuster-say--25832

I just received the April 2011 issue of Trains Magazine in the mail. This issue is all about high speed rail-- around the world, what's happening in the US with rail development (including political problems), what works and what doesn't, etc. It's packed with good articles on the subject, including case studies. I highly recommend folks pick up this issue. I don't know when the April issue will hit the newsstands, but I suspect within a couple of weeks.

It is true, Ken, the RRIF loans are a PAIN IN THE ARSE to apply and qualify for.  The reason for so few being given out is that so few are being applied for. 

 

The ironic thing is that Rep. Mica was the chairperson of the Transportation Committee when the RRIF program was first authorized (If I recall correctly).  Nothing wrong with fixing things after the fact.

 

  It will be interesting to see if they try to blame the lack of current interest in the RRIF program on the current administration and the last Congress even though the program predates both of their reigns.

Not a copyrighted piece....

 

Secretary of Transportation’s blog post

February 25, 2011

It's simple: Rail means jobs

 

I’ve been pretty vocal about the economic benefits of moving forward on American high-speed rail. And yesterday was no different, when I was honored to speak at the Indiana Rail Summit.

 

In addition to being the crossroads of America, Indiana is also the heartland of America’s emerging rail manufacturing industry.  And these manufacturing jobs are proof that high-speed rail is already creating jobs and providing economic benefits.

 

Skilled workers at Columbia City’s Steel Dynamics, Incorporated, are already forging the steel track for construction workers to install in New England. Engineers are busy grading new routes.  These are good jobs that American workers and their families are benefitting from now.

 

Soon, factory workers will get to work building new locomotives and cars to race along the tracks.  We have already secured commitments from 30 foreign and domestic rail manufacturers.  If selected for high-speed rail contracts, they’ll establish or expand their base of operations in shuttered American manufacturing plants, hiring American workers.  And our "100% Buy America" requirements ensure they'll be using American-made supplies and materials, so U.S. companies, workers, and communities will receive the maximum economic benefit of our high-speed rail investment.

 

And then there are the ripples of growth and expansion along the corridors and near stations.  When America was building our Interstate highway system, other businesses followed.  First, a few small businesses--like gas stations--planted their feet near off-ramps.  Soon, entire towns grew, with grocery stores, restaurants, and other businesses benefiting from the activity that highway access created.

 

Our highways are proof that if you build it, they will come.  Today, existing towns can be revitalized in much the same way, with rail. 

 

In Meridian, Mississippi, for example, a small town mayor leveraged $1.3 million of public dollars and $135 million of private dollars to build a downtown transportation hub.  Now, Amtrak service comes to the station and brings 350,000 passengers a year through a town of only 40,000.  Rail has breathed new life--and new business--into a historic community.

 

Finally, we must think about the economic consequences of not building an efficient alternative to our roadways.  Four decades from now, America will be home to 100 million additional people.  That's the equivalent of adding another California, Texas, New York, and Florida.  If we settle for the status quo, our families and neighbors will fight ever-thickening congestion on their way from one place to another.  If we fail to lay a new foundation for competitiveness, our goods will hit bottlenecks instead of markets and America’s next generation of entrepreneurs will find our arteries of commerce clogged.

 

Let's not forget that it took ten presidential administrations and 28 sessions of Congress to make America’s roadways the best in the world.  It took leaders who were courageous enough to think about the next generation, not just the next election.

 

Today, we have a President, a Vice President, and many governors and legislators from many states leading the way.  But we need more leaders to help move this train further down the track.  We need leaders with the vision to represent the two-thirds of Americans who are ready to ride high-speed rail.  We need leaders with the vision to represent the more than two-thirds of Florida residents who support state and federal funding of high-speed rail.

 

We need partners who understand we're not building high-speed rail for ourselves.  Like those who built the transcontinental railroad and the interstate highway system, we're building it for our children and for their children.

 

Right now, Americans of every party, across the country, are calling for increased high-speed rail investment.  They see the path to winning the future, and this administration is doing everything we can to make sure the work gets done.

 

And when we bring this vision to life, our legacy will be much more than trains, tracks, and ties.  It will be an American economy on the move for generation after generation.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://fastlane.dot.gov/2011/02/its-simple-rail-means-jobs.html

FYI.....

 

 

Congress returns to Washington, DC this week. Friday is the deadline for passing a continuing resolution (CR) to avoid a government shutdown. Since spending bills must originate in the House, the Senate will consider the CR passed by the House two weeks ago.

 

The House bill eliminates the high-speed rail program, slashes Amtrak funding, and eliminates funding to expand transit. It even eliminates all un-obligated high-speed rail funds from the stimulus and the 2010 budget.

 

Please CALL your Senators and let them know that you want faster and more frequent trains, not less.

 

SENATOR SHERROD BROWN

Toll Free from Ohio: 1-888-896-OHIO (6446)

 

SENATOR ROB PORTMAN

Toll-Free from Ohio: 1-800-205-OHIO (6446)

High-speed rail

Eminent domain but not for trains

Mar 4th 2011, 14:49 by M.S.

 

RESPONDING to Paul Krugman's train-sceptical commenters, Matthew Yglesias points out that high-speed rail in the northeast corridor would benefit coast-to-coast air travelers by freeing up more runways for routes that can't be traveled by train. You can't take a train from New York to Los Angeles, so we should upgrade train service from New York to Boston in order to reduce the need for New York-Boston air travel and free up runways at La Guardia (and planes, and jet fuel) for the LGA-LAX route. Then, on a realist note, he adds:

 

Now a separate question is whether there’s any feasible way to actually do this in a country that doesn’t have a French (or Chinese) level of central political authority empowered to build straight tracks through people’s suburban backyards. The answer seems to be “no,” but the potential gains from greater rail capacity in the northeast are large and would (via airplanes) spill over into the rest of the country.

 

This is true. The government hasn't been able to use its eminent domain powers effectively in recent decades to clear land for railways. But up until a few years ago, there was a strange corollary to this failure, which was that American government was increasingly using its eminent domain powers to do other things that have a much less clear connection to the public benefit. The old-fashioned idea that rapid land-based transit from New York to Boston needs a straight thoroughfare, and that the tens of thousands of property owners who lie along that route will be unlikely to organise themselves spontaneously to create a railroad or expressway, is a pretty clear case of a collective-action problem that requires government intervention. The idea codified by  the Supreme Court's 2005 Kelo decision, that regional governments should be able to seize people's property and give it to a corporate developer on the theory that the developer will be able to generate more economic activity and thus benefit the community as a whole, was a much more tortuous case.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2011/03/high-speed_rail

RAILWAY AGE COMMENTARY ON HIGH SPEED RAIL   

Friday, March 04, 2011 

 

Railway Age sent the following today to the White House:

 

 

DEAR MR. PRESIDENT:

 

Will Florida’s loss be California’s gain? That’s one of many questions that arise from the Florida Supreme Court’s decision that Governor Scott was within his rights in spurning federal grants to bring fast trains to the Sunshine State.

 

If the Obama Administration really wants to see a corridor in the United States that meets international high speed standards—trains cruising at 200 mph—the fastest path right now may be to transfer Florida’s funds to California, just as the DOT recently transferred funds in smaller amounts from Ohio and Wisconsin, which rejected them, to Florida and California.  

Full letter at: http://www.railwayage.com/breaking-news/railway-age-commentary-on-high-speed-rail.html

 

This is true. The government hasn't been able to use its eminent domain powers effectively in recent decades to clear land for railways. But up until a few years ago, there was a strange corollary to this failure, which was that American government was increasingly using its eminent domain powers to do other things that have a much less clear connection to the public benefit....

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2011/03/high-speed_rail

 

I had suspected that our federal "shared powers" system of government makes it difficult to implement rail lines for the public good.  One documentary commenter I heard said this about France: "They still have Napoleon".

Rail Subcommittee to Examine Private-Sector Involvement  

 

Jason Plautz, E&E reporter

Mass Transit Magazine

 

A House panel this week will review opportunities to bring in private-sector investment for passenger rail with the aim of speeding up construction of rail lines and reducing the cost to the federal government.

 

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials will meet Friday to discuss ways to bring in private-sector competition to the nation's passenger rail program. Although states are currently eyeing private companies to operate their high-speed rail lines and offer more financing, there is no formal system in place.

 

Privatizing rail has long been a pet project of subcommittee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) and T&I Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.) as a way to move the expensive systems along. Most proposals would have private companies taking financial risk off governments by maintaining or operating the lines while also covering cost overruns.

Read more at: http://www.masstransitmag.com/online/article.jsp?siteSection=3&id=13857

R IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 9, 2011

ATK-11-028

Contact: Media Relations

202 906.3860

 

AMTRAK MARKS 16 STRAIGHT MONTHS OF RIDERSHIP GROWTH

Increasing gasoline prices contribute to record February

 

WASHINGTON – February marked 16 consecutive months of Amtrak ridership growth and was the best February on record with 2,099,010 passengers.

“The ridership increase shows the continued popularity of rail travel and the need for continued investment in passenger rail service,” said Amtrak President and CEO Joe Boardman. “We anticipate demand for rail travel will increase with the rise of gasoline prices, and Amtrak is prepared to be there for passengers who want to leave the car behind.”

This strong performance is part of a long-term trend that has seen America’s Railroadsm set annual ridership records in seven of the last eight fiscal years, including more than 28.7 million passengers in FY 2010.

Specifically, there was a 7.6 percent increase in riders in February 2011 vs. February 2010, or more than 147,000 passengers. The 16 straight months of ridership growth spans from November 2009 to February 2011 and averages a 6 percent growth rate over this period.

Factors that are contributing to the success of Amtrak include a moderately improved economic environment allowing some recovery of business travel along the Northeast Corridor, sustained high gasoline prices, the increased appeal and popularity of rail travel, effective marketing campaigns, and the introduction of Wi-Fi on the high-speed Acela Express trains.

The highlights below compare the first five months of current FY 2011 (October 2010-February 2011) to the same period during FY 2010 and show increased Amtrak ridership across the country from coast to coast.

 

East Highlights

The high-speed Acela Express service continued its popularity with a ridership increase of 9.7 percent in the Boston-New York-Washington corridor. Amtrak’s state supported

 

Adirondack Service (New York City-Montreal) saw a 9.3 percent hike and the Piedmont service (Charlotte-Raleigh) experienced a significant gain of 101.8 percent following the introduction of an additional round-trip frequency last summer. In addition, Virginia routes had sizable gains with Washington-Lynchburg at 28 percent and Washington-Newport News at 16.8 percent.

 

Central Highlights

The Chicago hub experienced steep ridership gains as led by the Blue Water (Chicago-Port Huron) at 26.4 percent. In addition, the Chicago-Pontiac Wolverine Service was up 18.1 percent, the Chicago-Carbondale corridor up 16 percent, and the Chicago-St. Louis corridor was up eight percent. Also, the Missouri River Runner (Kansas City-St. Louis) experienced a 14.6 percent gain and the Heartland Flyer (Oklahoma City-Ft. Worth) was up 8.8 percent.

 

West Highlights

In California, routes experienced gains including the Capitol Corridor service (San Jose-Auburn) with 8.4 percent and the Pacific Surfliner service (San Luis Obispo-San Diego) with 6.1 percent growth.

 

National Highlights

Among the long-distance Amtrak trains, the Cardinal (New York-Chicago) had the largest increase of 17.1 percent. Other long-distance trains with strong gains were the Palmetto (New York-Savannah) at 16.6 percent, the Sunset Limited (New Orleans-Los Angeles) at 12.6 percent, the City of New Orleans (Chicago-New Orleans) at 10.9 percent, and the Lake Shore Limited (New York-Chicago) at 10.6 percent.

 

About Amtrak®:

Amtrak is America’s Railroadsm, the nation’s intercity passenger rail provider and its only high-speed rail operator. A record 28.7 million passengers traveled on Amtrak in FY 2010 on more than 300 daily trains – at speeds up to 150 mph (241 kph) – that connect 46 states, the District of Columbia and three Canadian Provinces. Amtrak operates trains in partnership with 15 states and four commuter rail agencies. Amtrak also is a strong financial performer achieving an 85 percent cost-recovery ratio in FY 2010.

This is from the ranking minority party member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. For those who don't know, Amtrak's New York-Chicago Cardinal route stop in towns on the WV and Kentucky side of the Ohio River until it crosses into Cincinnati.....

 

Rahall: Opportunities Abound for Rail

http://www.rahall.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=10&parentid=5&sectiontree=5,10&itemid=1802

 

03/03/11

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) today urged AMTRAK officials to move forward with plans to reestablish daily service for the Cardinal and local officials to prepare for the completion of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) reserve in Fayette County. 

 

“We need to begin NOW marketing our rail heritage to the Boy Scouts,” said Rahall.  “We should start with our native sons, the good scouts of southern West Virginia.  What better ambassadors for our region, as they share with their new friends at the Jamboree the cool things to see and do in our backyard?” 

 

Rahall’s remarks were delivered at AMTRAK’s “Civic Conversation” held in Huntington today, which included discussions about community and economic development efforts for train stations serving passenger rail lines, along with possible funding sources.

 

In 2013, the BSA reserve will host the Scout’s National Jamboree and its high adventure camp will be operational.  Tens of thousands of scouts will attend, many arriving and departing by rail or car with family members.  Community planning is ongoing, and Rahall is advocating a regional outlook on the job opportunities the events will create. 

 

“Huntington’s Pullman Square is an example of the job growth that transportation hubs can generate for a community.  You and I know train stations make great front doors for a community and just may serve as anchors and hubs for other transportation modes.  I refer to those modes that make sense for smaller communities, especially those promoting tourism, small transit, bikes and commercial ventures.  Opportunities abound for our stations to attract scouting interests.  And, keep in mind, Scouts need to perform community service to be promoted in rank.  The time is ripe to create marketing and development plans for the train stations serving AMTRAK’s Cardinal line as plans progress for daily service,” said Rahall.

 

Stops in West Virginia along the Cardinal line include:  Huntington, Charleston, Montgomery, Thurmond, Prince, Hinton, Alderson, and White Sulphur Springs.

 

Rahall serves as the top Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee which has jurisdiction over AMTRAK’s programs.  He has been a strong advocate for AMTRAK and the Cardinal line, most recently fighting against an effort to slash the program’s funding by over $400 million.

 

###

I had a little bit of time between meetings in NE Ohio today, so I drove by Alliance's $1.5 million station shelter, ADA platform, parking and landscaping being built by Amtrak & Allen Construction. It was a horrible day weather-wise to take pictures, but I tried anyway.....

 

 

EXCERPTED FROM TESTIMONY OF STEPHEN J. GARDNER VICE PRESIDENT FOR POLICY AND DEVELOPMENT AMTRAK, 60 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE, NE WASHINGTON, DC 20002 (202) 906-2486 BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON RAILROADS, PIPELINES, AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS OF THE HOUSE TRANSPORTATION & INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011 10:00 A.M. 2167 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING

 

 

Encouraging More Private Sector Involvement

 

Efforts to encourage increased private sector involvement and investment in intercity passenger rail service should take into account two important considerations that are illustrated by past experience in the United States and other countries.

 

First, private sector involvement in passenger rail service is not the silver bullet that ensures success. Competition can produce reductions in costs, but it can also lead to fragmentation of services and elimination of network efficiencies and economies of scale, which increase costs.

 

Internationally, many of the countries that have become world leaders in developing high-speed rail service, such as France and Spain, have chosen to expand and operate their services primarily or exclusively through government-owned entities. Conversely, Great Britain’s privatization of passenger rail service and (initially) infrastructure maintenance triggered safety, maintenance and customer service issues that took years to resolve and increased public funding requirements.

 

Closer to home, public subsidies and wage costs increased after a joint venture entity replaced Amtrak as the operator of Boston-area commuter service in 2003. Massachusetts’ lieutenant governor has recently indicated that the state may assume direct operation of the service to remedy service deficiencies.

 

The table below shows farebox recovery – the percentage of operating costs covered by ticket or farebox revenues – for passenger railroads in the United States for 2009, the most recent year for which non-Amtrak data is available.

 

 

Amtrak has by far the highest reported farebox recovery of any U.S. passenger railroad: 74% in 2009 and 76% in 2010. ….[W]hat is also noteworthy is that the larger commuter rail systems, most of which are operated directly by state and regional transportation authorities and provide service over multiple routes, have much higher cost recoveries than smaller commuter rail systems, generally operated by private contractors, that provide service over a single route.

 

Second, increased private sector involvement is not a substitute for adequate, consistent and assured federal funding. To the contrary, providing adequate, consistent and assured federal funding for intercity passenger rail service is the only way to attract – and maintain – private sector participation and financing.

 

Private sector investors expect to realize profits from their investments. However, unlike parking garages and toll highways, existing passenger rail service in the United States – and most other countries – does not generate sufficient operating profits to pay off capital investments in equipment or infrastructure. New high-speed rail lines could generate sufficient revenues to cover operating costs, but building them will require huge expenditures many years before service begins and the first revenue dollar is generated. The only major U.S. passenger rail project funded entirely by the private sector – the Las Vegas Monorail – secured funding before the Wall Street crisis of 2008, and is presently in bankruptcy.

 

Not surprisingly, potential private sector participants in high-speed rail service have emphasized that significant public funding is an essential prerequisite to private sector involvement in high-speed rail. The private sector goes to where the money is and, in the United States, the federal money has gone primarily to highways and aviation. That has to change to attract private sector interest and investments in passenger rail.

^ Yeah. I don't see why people are surprised at the need for public money to build HSR. We spent public money on football stadiums, tax incentives, highways...but somehow HSR is magically exempt despite a clear and growing need for it?

 

Good stuff in this thread.

^ Yeah. I don't see why people are surprised at the need for public money to build HSR. We spent public money on football stadiums, tax incentives, highways...but somehow HSR is magically exempt despite a clear and growing need for it?

 

Good stuff in this thread.

 

So far, it's proven impossible to dispel the myth propagated by the anti-rail folks ever since the 1971 creation of Amtrak, that train travel shouldn't be subsidized because we don't subsidze driving or air travel.

Two lines of thought:

 

One, regarding the "subsidy" issue. There has always been a double standard when it comes to Amtrak. We "need" highways. We don't "need" trains. Spending on rail is a "subsidy", while spending on roads or aviation is and "investment." Newspaper articles frequently refer to "money losing" Amtrak, quoting the $30 odd billion spent since its incention way back in 1971, while highways get a pass, never mind the $2.8 TRILLION spent during that same time.

 

Two, our aces in the hole are Amtrak's high farebox recovery ratio and increasing costs of auto ownership, especially high gas prices. These mean that if energy costs rise and stay high, Amtrak will have the power to raise fares to the point where they won't need an operating subsidy or cut it substantially. At that point, it might be attractive to investors and could fuel public-private partnerships. In fact, the latter could be done NOW to develop areas near train stations, in corridor development schemes, with TIF revenue offsetting operating costs.

 

 

I might also add that if the rail passenger system expands with frequent services on many routes, we would have an economy of scale which would make the issue of operating subsidies less of a problem. The norm on many routes is just one daily train and in some cases, only three times a week. That results in high costs, due to poor equipment and personnel utilization.

 

On top of that, more trains means more travel choices and that means more riders. However, we also need more capacity on existing trains. The mere act of adding one car to each train would have a huge impact on Amtrak's ridership. Right now, there is a 135 car order in the works, but that won't go far enough. I remember the Lake Shore Limited routinely running with 17-18 cars, but today it runs with about 12. There's a lot of room for expansion and added revenue.

 

The wonder of Amtrak is that it does as well as it does. The less than skeletal system they operate is almost guaranteed to fail.

Private Sector Participation in Intercity Rail Service

Yonah Freemark

March 11th, 2011 |  37 Comments

 

Three weeks after Florida Governor Rick Scott ® cancelled the Tampa-Orlando intercity rail project — a decision that seems increasingly foolish considering newly released projections of profitability on the route — members of the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials held a hearing today on the potential for increased private sector involvement in the funding and operations of intercity passenger rail service. The stated goal is to consider how to make intercity rail less expensive to run, at least in terms of government subsidies.

 

For Republican supporters of passenger rail, as few and far between as they are nowadays, getting non-governmental actors into the business is a major priority. Yet the ability to do so has been previously handicapped by other members of the GOP, most recently by Mr. Scott, whose decision to reject federal funds for his state’s project came before companies had the chance to respond to an offer to operate the line that would have required them to absorb construction and operating risks. And the whole goal of encouraging private investment may be troubled by the fundamental deficits in American rail infrastructure.

 

Full story at: http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2011/03/11/private-sector-participation-in-intercity-rail-service/

I sent a thank-you note to Freemark for his column and I pointed him to All Aboard Ohio's testimony on the subject at:

 

http://allaboardohio.org/2011/02/21/all-aboard-ohio%E2%80%99s-house-ti-testimony-with-right-policies-rail-will-be-the-only-mode-that%E2%80%99s-privatized-%E2%80%9Cfrom-the-infrastructure-on-up%E2%80%9D/

I might also add that if the rail passenger system expands with frequent services on many routes, we would have an economy of scale which would make the issue of operating subsidies less of a problem. The norm on many routes is just one daily train and in some cases, only three times a week. That results in high costs, due to poor equipment and personnel utilization.

 

On top of that, more trains means more travel choices and that means more riders. However, we also need more capacity on existing trains. The mere act of adding one car to each train would have a huge impact on Amtrak's ridership. Right now, there is a 135 car order in the works, but that won't go far enough. I remember the Lake Shore Limited routinely running with 17-18 cars, but today it runs with about 12. There's a lot of room for expansion and added revenue.

 

The wonder of Amtrak is that it does as well as it does. The less than skeletal system they operate is almost guaranteed to fail.

 

An unwanted consquence of longer passenger trains is an overwhelming boarding crush and often a long hike with luggage at origin stations like Chicago's Union Station, and the answer to that is increased frequencies with smaller trains, which also would provide performance and train-handling benefits including quicker acceleration to track speed after stops. That comes with a cost in the form of more locomotives and crew members, though, and although those might eventually be offset by higher ridership, that's a difficult hurdle to overcome initially.

 

Maximum train length in some cases is ruled by the length of available sidings. As I recall, the length of the Broadway Limited between Chicago and Pittsburgh through Fort Wayne (R.I.P. November 12, 1990) couldn't exceed 14 cars because of the length of some of the sidings it might have to use. On single-track lines this is especially critical.

 

Last Saturday (March 12) when I arrived at Toledo Central Union Terminal about 9:30 for the All Aboard Ohio meeting the westbound Lake Shore Limited was at the platform, safeguarding its reputation for running hours late. This time, the delay was caused by a track washout and detour in New York State. I didn't count the cars, but it appeared to stretch the entire length of longest platform, the one immediately adjacent to the station, with locomotives at the far west end just clear of the switch that gives access to the main. A train that length is arduous to walk through when you're making your way to the lounge or dining car, especially if you haven't done strength training to cope with the doors at the ends of some of the older equipment.

 

That may sound like I don't like Amtrak, and that's far from true. I, too, prefer to travel by train whenever possible, and I'm impressed by how much Amtrak's managers and passenger-service people can do with so little. I really want to see that change, and I let my legislators know of my support for passenger trains.

Senators Applaud Administration's Decision to Designate Northeast Corridor as Federally-Recognized Rail Corridor

New Designation will Allow Amtrak to Apply Directly for High-Speed Rail Grants

 

Lautenberg Press Office, 202-224-3224

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

 

WASHINGTON – Senators Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) wrote to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood yesterday, applauding his recent decisions to designate the Northeast Corridor as a federally-recognized high-speed rail corridor and to provide states and Amtrak with the new opportunity to compete for Florida's recently rejected $2.4 billion High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program funds.

 

The designation of the Northeast Corridor as a federally-recognized high-speed rail corridor will allow Amtrak to apply for grant funding from Florida's rejected high-speed rail funds for projects on the Corridor. Previously, only the Northeast states could apply for projects on the NEC. Permitting Amtrak to apply will allow projects that connect the entire Northeast Corridor to be considered for funding and will bring Amtrak's extensive knowledge of the operations and maintenance of the Northeast Corridor into the grant process.

 

"Given the Northeast Corridor's strong track record with high-speed rail and the region's high gross domestic product, improvements to the Corridor's rail service would be a smart investment of Florida's rejected high-speed rail funds," said the Senators. "We believe that Secretary LaHood's recent decisions are a positive step that will encourage further higher speed rail development along the Northeast Corridor. We will continue to work with the Administration to ensure that the Corridor receives its fair share of the available high-speed rail funds."

 

Florida Governor Rick Scott rejected $2.4 billion in federal funding for construction of a high-speed rail line between Tampa and Orlando on Feb. 16. Senators Carper, Lautenberg, Menendez, Blumenthal and Coons, along with other Senators from Northeast states, wrote a letter to Secretary LaHood on Feb. 28 to request that Florida's rejected funds be redirected to the Northeast Corridor. The Senators also met with Secretary LaHood on March 9 to further discuss the request.

 

A copy of the letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation follows:

 

March 14, 2011

 

The Honorable Ray LaHood

Secretary

U.S. Department of Transportation

1200 New Jersey Ave, SE

Washington, DC 20590

 

Dear Secretary LaHood,

 

 

          We write to thank you for meeting with us last week to discuss the opportunity to redirect the $2.4 billion in High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program funds that the State of Florida rejected.  We applaud your recent decisions to designate the Northeast Corridor as a high-speed rail corridor and to provide states and Amtrak with a new opportunity to compete for these funds.

 

          Today's designation of the Northeast Corridor as a federally-recognized, high-speed rail corridor is a critical first step toward increased speeds and improved service in our region.  This designation will allow Amtrak to apply for grant funding for projects on the Corridor, bringing Amtrak's extensive knowledge of the operations and maintenance of the Northeast Corridor into the grant process.

 

          In last week's announcement about the new funding opportunity, you stated that grants will be made available to "projects that can deliver public and economic benefits quickly."  Because the Northeast region accounts for one-fifth of the United States' gross domestic product, the entire nation will benefit from rail service improvements to the Corridor.  In addition, Acela Express' six hundred percent increase in ridership is evidence of high-speed rail's proven track record on the Northeast Corridor.

 

          We believe that your actions are a positive step toward bringing improved rail service to the Northeast Corridor.  Because the Corridor has received less than two percent of the $10.5 billion provide by Congress for the High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program, we look forward to working with you to ensure that the Corridor receives its fair share and to advance the nation's only operating high-speed rail corridor.

 

Sincerely,

 

Thomas R. Carper

Frank R. Lautenberg

Robert Menendez

Richard Blumenthal

Christopher A. Coons

 

 

###

States should use federal act to foster more passenger-rail competition, AIPRO says

Progressive Railroading

 

States should embrace the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act (PRIIA) by introducing competition into the bidding for passenger-rail operations, an Association of Independent Passenger Rail Operators (AIPRO) official said in testimony during a recent hearing before the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

 

PRIIA required states to bear cost increases in existing operations, while concurrently allowing them to seek contracts with service providers. AIPRO's aim is to encourage competition in the market, association officials said in a prepared statement.

 

AIPRO, which was formed earlier this year, is calling for the next surface transportation bill to include a provision that would "maintain the robust investment in the nation's freight-rail network and stimulate cost-effective passenger-rail expansion," association officials said.

 

Read more at: http://www.progressiverailroading.com/news/article/States-should-use-federal-act-to-foster-more-passengerrail-competition-AIPRO-says--26049

 

AIPRO Testimony at: http://republicans.transportation.house.gov/Media/file/TestimonyRailroads/2011-03-11%20Feinsod.pdf

 

A Northeast-Corridor Bullet Train

Today's Amtrak service—under the Acela brand name—is by international standards a joke. A new public-private partnership could change that.

 

By EDWARD G. RENDELL

AND PETER A. PEYSER JR.

President Obama was right to emphasize high-speed rail development in his January State of the Union address. Investing in our passenger rail infrastructure will create construction jobs, keep our steel factories busy, and make our economy more competitive. Unfortunately, even with a commitment from the president, the current fiscal situation in Washington does not allow for a large and sustained investment of federal money.

But there is a way to fund high-speed rail in a place where leaders in both parties support it—the Northeast Corridor from Boston through New York and Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. How? By creating a partnership among the federal government, state governments and the private sector.

The market for high-speed rail along the Northeast Corridor is already established, the dedicated right-of-way already assembled, and the economy there already reliant on passenger rail service. But today's Amtrak service—under the Acela brand name—is by international standards a joke. It takes two hours and 45 minutes to make a 225 mile journey from New York to Washington. The train rarely gets above 100 miles per hour. Even so, the Acela captures about as many passengers as the air shuttles in the same corridor.

 

Read more at: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704893604576200872143551748.html?KEYWORDS=Rendell

Transit operations: Service providers compete for passenger-rail business

by Julie Sneider, Assistant Editor

 

Dale Zehner has great expectations for Virginia Railway Express (VRE) now that Keolis Rail Services America took over operations of the commuter-rail service in July 2010.

 

VRE's chief executive officer considers the five-year, $80 million contract with Keolis an opportunity to raise the bar on customer service for the 19,000 VRE riders who travel daily between northern Virginia's suburbs and Washington, D.C.

 

Prior to Keolis taking over VRE's service, the agency contracted operations to Amtrak, which had been VRE's service provider since the agency's 1992 inception. As the Amtrak contract expiration date approached, Zehner knew he wanted to explore options to see what companies — Amtrak included — could offer. He found that, in an increasingly competitive environment, firms are willing to go the extra mile not only to provide reliable service, but also add special touches to enhance the rider experience.

 

Read more at: http://www.progressiverailroading.com/pr/article.asp?id=25975&[email protected]

Note that ridership on the Chief and Zephyr are growing faster than on the state-supported corridor trains.

 

Gasoline Prices Drive Travelers to Amtrak

 

GALESBURG — High gasoline prices equal record passenger numbers for Amtrak. Officials of the passenger rail line reported February was the 16th consecutive month of increased ridership. February 2011 was Amtrak’s best ever for riders in February, with nearly 2.1 million passengers.

 

Amtrak’s Chicago-based spokesman Marc Magliari said there was a local exception to increased ridership, with a 3.3 percent drop in the number of riders on the Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg. The two state-supported passenger trains each stop twice a day here on the way between Chicago and Quincy.

 

The good news is there is a ready explanation for the decrease. Magliari said it was “due to service disruptions because of the blizzard” that hit the area Feb. 1-2. He said the feeling is that if not for the record-breaking snowfall, followed by blowing and drifting, ridership may have been up on those trains in February.

 

Read more at: http://www.galesburg.com/newsnow/x1777811776/Gas-prices-drive-travelers-to-Amtrak

 

US Passenger-Rail Systems Urge Delay In New Safety Rules

3-17-11 11:02 AM EDT

 

WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- U.S. passenger-rail operators urged Congress Thursday to push back a deadline for installing anticollision hardware on trains, arguing that the current mandate will force them to cut back on service and other safety measures.

 

Federal law requires passenger and freight trains to install the technology on track segments that carry passengers or highly toxic chemicals by the end of 2015. The technology, known as positive train control, is designed to automatically stop a train if the operator misses a stop signal. Congress mandated the technology in the wake of a 2008 train collision in California that killed 25 people.

 

Thursday, a Florida rail official representing the American Public Transportation Association urged Congress to push back the deadline by three years, to Dec. 31, 2018. APTA represents passenger-rail systems.

 

Read more at: http://www.morningstar.com/newsview-1/--DJ--201103171102DOWJONESDJONLINE000469_univ.xml.shtml

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 31, 2011 ATK-11-038

 

Amtrak Contact: Marc Magliari

312 880.5390

 

Illinois DOT Contact: Guy Tridgell

312 814.4693

 

ILLINOIS HIGH-SPEED RAIL CORRIDOR WORK RESUMES

Amtrak Lincoln Service and Texas Eagle trains affected

 

CHICAGO - Ninety-six miles of tracks and a quarter-million railroad ties for future high-speed Amtrak trains will be installed in Central Illinois starting this weekend, leading to the substitution of chartered motorcoaches for some Lincoln Service trains for several weeks and the detour of the Texas Eagle between Chicago and St. Louis.

 

The temporary changes will allow Union Pacific Railroad crews to improve infrastructure to allow Amtrak service at speeds up to 110 mph/177 kph, an increase from the current maximum of 79 mph/127 kph.  The Illinois Department of Transportation (Illinois DOT) anticipates a track segment between Dwight and Pontiac will be ready for faster service next year.

 

The Chicago to St. Louis high-speed rail corridor is among the first high-speed rail projects in the country to begin construction, breaking ground north of Alton last September.  Last week, Governor Quinn and railroad partners announced the start of 2011 construction, with $685 million in work this year.

 

"Bringing high-speed rail to Illinois has been a top priority of my administration because of the thousands of jobs and long-term investment it will bring to our state," said Gov. Pat Quinn at the event held at the Amtrak locomotive facility in Chicago.

 

"We've been privileged to partner with Illinois DOT for more than 39 years and Amtrak is looking forward to operating high-speed trains on the Lincoln Service corridor," said Amtrak President and CEO Joseph Boardman.

 

This year's high-speed rail construction is from Elkhart (north of Springfield) to Dwight.  The attached Passenger Service Notice covers the first phase of the 2011 work, nearly 49 miles between Springfield and Bloomington, from April 2 to May 10, with an operating plan similar to last year's construction season.

 

Illinois' high-speed rail signature route, Chicago to St. Louis corridor was granted $1.1 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds for corridor improvements  The plans also include new locomotives and passenger cars, station improvements, installation of premium rail and concrete ties, enhanced grade crossing warning systems with four-quadrant roadway and pedestrian gates (subject to state and federal regulatory approvals) and implementation of state-of-the-art safety signaling technology.  The State of Illinois is showing its financial commitment by providing more than $42 million in capital funding.

 

Illinois intends to issue a Request for Proposals for the new rail equipment this summer.  Until the new trains arrive in a few years, Lincoln Service trains will continue to operate with the current Amtrak cars and locomotives, which are capable of higher speeds.

 

Meanwhile, new transportation centers in Joliet and Normal are planned and fully funded through federal, state, local and railroad partnerships, with construction now underway in Normal.  At Amtrak Chicago Union Station, work is continuing that will lead to expanded passenger capacity in 2012-13 and federal funding for track improvements has been received at the St. Louis Gateway Station.

 

Amtrak ridership on this corridor has grown significantly with the creation of the Lincoln Service when ridership surged 42 percent from 2005 with the addition of two round-trips in 2006.  Lincoln Service ridership grew another 14 percent in 2008 and six percent in 2009.  Despite some disruption during construction in 2010, ridership rose 11 percent.  From October 2010 through February 2011, 256,633 passengers have chosen to travel Amtrak on the corridor, 18,519 more than a year ago, an eight percent increase.

 

Passenger Service Notices are posted at stations and will be displayed as part of the booking process on Amtrak.com, with updates on the Official Illinois High-Speed Rail Chicago to St. Louis project website, www.idothsr.org. 

 

Further notices will be issued through the 2011 construction season, with 54 miles of tie replacement and track work between Bloomington and Dwight scheduled for later this year.

 

About Amtrak®

 

Amtrak is America's Railroad(sm), the nation's intercity passenger rail provider and its only high-speed rail operator. A record 28.7 million passengers traveled on Amtrak in FY 2010 on more than 300 daily trains - at speeds up to 150 mph (241 kph) - that connect 46 states, the District of Columbia and three Canadian Provinces.  Amtrak operates trains in partnership with 15 states and four commuter rail agencies.  Amtrak also is a strong financial performer achieving an 85 percent cost-recovery ratio in FY 2010.  Enjoy the journey(sm) at Amtrak.com or call 800-USA-RAIL for schedules, fares and more information.  Join us on Facebook at facebook.com/Amtrak and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/Amtrak.

 

About Illinois DOT

 

The Illinois Department of Transportation provides safe, cost-effective transportation for Illinois in ways that enhance quality of life, promote economic prosperity, and demonstrate respect for our environment.  Illinois DOT provides leadership throughout Illinois for the improvement and coordination of the state's multi-faceted transportation system and serves as an advocate and trusted adviser to local governments and other community agencies involved in providing transportation access and services for all of Illinois.  For more information, visit http://www.dot.il.gov/.

"This Is the Renaissance of Rail."

All aboard the mass-transit express? Maybe, but don't expect a smooth ride. An interview with D.J. Stadtler, CFO of Amtrak.

Randy Myers, CFO Magazine

April 1, 2011

 

President Obama devoted a portion of his January State of the Union address to the subject of high-speed rail transport, and the following month Vice President Biden announced a 6-year, $53 billion plan to invest in it. The Administration's long-term goal is to make high-speed rail service available to 80% of the nation's population within 25 years.

 

While cheered by rail enthusiasts and mass-transit advocates, this vision faces a funding battle in a Congress desperate to show voters that it can rein in government spending. Some states are rebelling, too; governors in Florida, Wisconsin, and Ohio have rejected $3.6 billion in federal funding for new passenger-rail lines, precipitating a scramble among other state governors eager to take their share.

 

Amtrak, the $2.5 billion government-owned railroad that carries the bulk of the nation's rail passengers, faces multiple battles of its own, including aging cars and infrastructure, and a continuing reliance on government subsidies. Despite these challenges, Amtrak finance chief D.J. Stadtler, who assumed the post in February 2009 after a career divided between government service and his family's central Virginia engineering firm, says good things are happening at the nation's passenger-rail company.

 

Read more at: http://www.cfo.com/printable/article.cfm/14564879

I was stealing time from my own life on YouTube last night and found this video. It's not bad, but the best is the walk-through the Lake Shore Limited which stops in Ohio in Cleveland, Elyria, Sandusky, Toledo and Bryan. Next time someone tells you no one rides trains, please show them this video.....

 

A Ride on Amtrak's Lakeshore Limited From Albany to Chicago

ILLINOIS HIGH-SPEED RAIL CORRIDOR WORK RESUMES

Amtrak Lincoln Service and Texas Eagle trains affected

 

Any sense how much these improvements will reduce the Chicago to St. Louis journey time?

I was stealing time from my own life on YouTube last night and found this video. It's not bad, but the best is the walk-through the Lake Shore Limited which stops in Ohio in Cleveland, Elyria, Sandusky, Toledo and Bryan. Next time someone tells you no one rides trains, please show them this video.....

 

A Ride on Amtrak's Lakeshore Limited From Albany to Chicago

 

Great video- Before I moved to Cincinnati I used to ride the Pacific Surfliner every few weeks while visiting friends in San Diego. I remember one train that was insanely packed.  Every single seat- I asked the conductor how many people were on the train- he said, "we're completely full- so about 400 people."  I was blown away! This was a sunday, by the way.