August /September 2006

Washington Rail News August /September 2006

Publication of the Washington Association of Rail Passengers A NotNot----forforforfor----profitprofit Consumer Organization “Moving forward...On Rail ."."."

Fourth Seattle-Portland Cascades roundtrip Union Pacific – lessons in kicks off with celebrations in four cities how not to run a railroad July 1, 2006 marked the start of the By Jim Hamre fourth Amtrak Cascades roundtrip be- Amtrak’s Coast Starlight was once tween Seattle and Portland. Celebra- the railroad’s flagship national network tions were held in Bellingham, Seattle, train and the company’s pride and joy. Centralia and Portland. Through the mastery of Brian Rosen- The celebra- wald and his team, the Seattle-Los tion in Seattle in- Angeles train was equipped with new volved WashARP, Superliner II cars and given a major WSDOT, Amtrak, upgrade in services and amenities, the City of Seattle, such as the Pacific Parlour Car, wine BNSF, King tasting and improved meals for first County, Sound Judy Giniger, left, of WSDOT, Amtrak’s class sleeping car passengers; the Transit, Nitze- Kurt Laird, behind Giniger, and Kiddy Car, with a children’s play area; Stagen and others. There was music WSDOT Secretary Doug MacDonald on-board entertainers; and Amtrak best by the Ballard Sedentary Souza Band. preside over the ribbon-cutting cere- employees. Goodwill Industries volunteers mingled mony before passengers board train Oh, how the mighty have fallen. And with visitors and travelers why wearing 513, the new 11:20 a.m. southbound much of the blame must be laid at the authentic vintage clothing dating back a Cascades departure. The young lady feet of the Union Pacific Railroad, over century that have been donated over helping cut the ribbon is the first pas- whose tracks the Coast Starlight oper- the years. senger to board the new run. ates between Portland and Los Ange- les. The train still has many of its The July 1 festivities also amenities and mostly top-notch crews, wrapped up the two-month long but the continuing (and worsening) on- centennial celebration of the open- time performance issue is driving away ing of King St. Station. passengers in droves. The train is rou- One centennial project was the tinely (always?) more than four hours recording of oral and written recol- late arriving Seattle or Los Angeles. lections people have of King St. Often the delay is more like eight or Station. A Reader's Theater Pres- nine hours. The last time the Starlight entation on King Street Station arrived on-time into Seattle was Febru- Memories is being broadcast on ary. The familiar refrain heard through- In the above photo, Darleen Flem, Seattle Cable Channel 21. The last out the train is “I’ll never ride Amtrak seated, and Susan Sauer, at right, staff showing is Aug. 11 at 8:30 p.m. The again!” (Airlines all-to-often put pas- the WashARP table. One-on-one out- heartwarming video is also available at sengers through similar experiences reach to fellow citizens is an excellent www.seattlechannel.org/videos/ but the public just keeps flying.) way to generate additional members. video.asp?ID=5010647. It is well work First off, it’s unbelievable that Union watching. Pacific has allowed this important west coast freight route to deteriorate to the point that there are dozens of slow orders costing Amtrak more than three hours right there. The line was only in fair shape when UP bought out South- ern Pacific, whose finances didn’t allow for a glass smooth ride. However, UP Cascades 513 passes Titlow Beach in has put so little money into maintaining Tacoma on July 2. the track much of it is now well below Cascades 513 idles after arrival from the condition of any other UP mainline. Photo credits: Above, Scott Gibson; remaining Bellingham on July 1 as it prepares to photos, Warren Yee. depart for Portland. (See Lessons, page 4) page 2 passenger rail service at or near the should not happen. The Empire Builder From the top of their priority list. But most of the travels mostly on BNSF tracks and has Executive Washington and Oregon Congressional a better on-time record, but follow the Director's Desk delegations have voted for passenger above check-on-it procedures anyway. by rail funding bills. And Sen. Murray is The Amtrak Cascades are a different among those in the US Upper House matter. We travel those as a welcome Lloyd H. Flem who has expressed direct concern alternative to I-5, often to meetings or about the deleterious effect of passen- other scheduled events when an hour Those Delayed Trains!; ger train delays upon the rail traveling late is not at all acceptable. If possible, A German Friend; public and the well being of Amtrak. have road transportation as a backup, July 1 at King Street Station WashARP is aware our Gov. Gre- but again try not to "boycott'" passenger goire has led support for Amtrak fund- trains, explain to others that WSDOT A phone message greeted me today ing among her Western governor col- and Amtrak are not at fault, and that (28 July) from the San Francisco leagues. Oregon's Gov. Kulongowski passenger trains can be the superior Chronicle. I have been working with rail has endorsed passenger rail. Califor- travel mode. Also remind folks that "I advocate counterparts in California nia's governor…(Aside: a few of you can drive to Seattle in an hour" is true about the chronic multi-hour delays just may have heard of him. He speaks only when traffic congestion is not hor- which have devastated the Coast Star- with the accents of Graz, Austria, was rendous – increasingly less often – and light , the once-grand daily train joining rumored to have pumped a bit of iron at one doesn't encounter the daily wreck the three West Coast states. My Cali- one time, and wasted a few bad guys at the Tacoma Dome! fornia counterparts recently held a on celluloid it seems.)...has been rea- I would hope a return to decentral- press conference about the delays sonably supportive of passenger rail ized, regional train dispatching might be which the Chronicle took very seriously, during his time in Sacramento. Gover- considered by rail management. With thus the big Bay Area daily wanted to nor S is also independent from ortho- the tremendous increases in freight know what we in Washington were do- dox partisanship and quite unlikely to volume (again, a good thing) more ing about the situation. be intimidated by corporate power! My hires for this important craft are re- Some background: Although there West Coast counterparts and I now are quired. I understand BNSF has recently are seven Class One freight railroads in asking our governors to not only per- hired 80 new people for their dispatch- the United States, the overwhelming sonally address the on-time perform- ing corps. I would hope UP is also in- majority of Amtrak and commuter rail ance of the Coast Starlight , but also our creasing the number of dispatchers. It mileage is on the Big Four, CSX and Amtrak Cascades and California's im- just seems reasonable that if dispatch- NS in the East; BNSF and UP in the portant corridor trains. ers serving the Pacific Northwest terri- West. Amtrak's contract with the We don't ask freight railroads to tory could be based here, really get to predecessors of these since-merged "give away" capacity to passenger know the property, and have other of railroads mandates that passenger trains on their tracks. California taxpay- their craft be able to focus on other trains have operational priority. And if ers have invested hundreds of millions sub-regions of the vast rail empires, the Amtrak trains run reasonably on into UP infrastructure in exchange for more efficient movement of passenger time, the freight railroads get significant ensuring timely operation of Amtrak and freight traffic would result. bonus money. Two of the four roads, and commuter trains, which to an in- (Don't read the following if eco- NS and BNSF, generally try to follow creasing degree is not happening. Our nomic analysis isn't your thing!) the law and so add "free money" to DOT has reached agreement with OK, so I have a bias. Other things their bottom line. CSX and UP? Let us BNSF to accomplish similar ends in our being equal, I am an advocate for local just say the passenger rail community state. The record: While BNSF has and regional units of production and hopes they might at least some day as- been responsible for some late running administration, be it private or public sume the attitude of the other two! of the Cascades , as has Amtrak itself, sector. I see the alleged "efficiencies" In my interview with the Chronicle I and the occasional "other" reason for of centralization as often one- said WashARP is pleased the freight delay such as grade crossing incidents dimensional, with negatives foisted railroads are carrying the greatest ton- or winter mudslides, in absolute and upon the outside world. A homely ex- nage of freight ever. We are pleased relative terms, UP has the most room ample: The USPS, now an independent railroad profits are up, allowing needed for improvement. Let's hope for Federal agency rather than a Cabinet capital investments, even making the improvement. department, insists it is more "efficient" impatient kids on Wall Street at least What can we as informed rail advo- to have first class mail now processed temporarily happy. We know that items cates do before this pattern of passen- in Olympia (which includes essentially such as public safety, fuel consump- ger train delays can be alleviated? all mail from Thurston and Lewis coun- tion, and air quality improve as rail's First, do not cease riding trains, if rea- ties) shipped to and from Tacoma! So a freight market share grows compared sonable! The scenery along the route letter I might mail to my daughter Syl- to road. We wish all freight railroads of the Starlight is still world class, the via, who lives but blocks away, would growing success, including CSX and, service pretty good, and the inherent be trucked to Tacoma, blessed with a impacting us here in the West, UP. safety and comfort of North American Tacoma postmark, and trucked back a Governors and members of Con- rail travel remain. Do phone or have day or more later to Oly for home deliv- gress have dozens of issues they must anyone meeting you at your destination ery. Even if economies of scale some- deal with. Passenger rail advocates re- phone 1-800-USA-RAIL to learn the how make such an operation more alize few of these elected officials put status of the Starlight . Waiting for hours (See Flem, page 5) page 3 “1-Mississippi…2-Mississippi…” Not Years ago, I heard a story about The View only does this help relieve stress in a someone who had a friend who never meditative way, but you can actually get had taken the train, and was on Amtrak Down the to timing which lights are really long enjoying the ride, not caring about time. Tracks ones. What you find out is that most However, when they started paralleling ======traffic lights are actually pretty short the freeway, and he caught sight of the with Jim Cusick cycled, maybe the longer times being cars going faster than the train, he about 1 minute. The looong ones usu- became uptight about the fact that, at Tick… Tick… Tick…. ally are only about 90 seconds. least to him, they were wasting time. Okay, I’m running a little bit late. Here’s another exercise. The next Well, other than maybe he needs to Jump in the car, head out on the road. time you are out on a short little trip, either cut back on the caffeine, or Try… try to make a complete stop at plan to update your cell phone with a maybe could use some Valium, what the neighborhood intersection. Don’t new number, or maybe plot a different was his issue? have time for the official 3 second stop, route to your destination with your His issue was his perception of but just in case there’s a police officer Thomas Guide, planning the route as speed. It might not have mattered that nearby, I’ll be good. Accelerate briskly you go. the train was delivering him to a more to the next intersection… but DANG, I Being a safe driver, I know you won’t convenient downtown spot, on or close missed the green light. want to do that while you’re actually to schedule, and in reality, if there are Tick… tick… tick… Sigh. Okay, moving, so each time you have to wait no problems on the host railroad, the finally the other direction is turning yel- for a red light, glance down at the map, elapsed time is roughly equivalent, low, now red. Boy, that seemed like an or the phone, and do what you need even with station stops. eternity, but now I’m roll- On the train, it helps if ing again. Vrooom!... Now the “cruise” speed feels I’m cruising… wait, what’s On the train, it helps if the “cruise” speed fast. At the very least, it that ahead? What are feels fast. At the very least, it needs to not needs to not feel slow or those flashing yellow irregular. However, what lights in the road…? Oh feel slow or irregular. However, what makes the train the alter- for crying out loud! It’s a makes the train the alternative of choice is native of choice is its PEDESTRIAN. Sheesh. consistency. Each day, Tick… tick… tick… its consistency. Each day, the train leaves the train leaves on time I’m going to be late… on time and arrives at each station stop on and arrives at each sta- It’s 8:30:30… C’mon, or close to schedule, day in – day out. tion stop on or close to c’mon, what is this, a schedule, day in – day Sunday stroll? 8:30:40… out. Next time you visit a until you get the green light. Of course, Finally, she’s across… now I can get major city, whose commute reports when you want a red light to occur moving again at 8:30:50. Hmmm, well, include road traffic and mass transit, when you get to the intersection it al- okay, so it only took 30 seconds for the pay attention to how often mass transit ways seems like they’re all green. Now walk cycle. Never mind, I’m rolling gets reported as “on or close to why couldn’t that happen on the days again… uh oh, waiting for that pedes- schedule.” trian at the mid-block crosswalk might you are running late? make me miss that next light… Not if I It’s a very enlightening exercise, Time to Ride? since you realize it really is a matter of can help it! Hey, it was yellow, well only This brings me to another conversa- perception. When you wait, with noth- a light shade of red, maybe. tion I had with a co-worker at a previ- ing to do, it sure seems a lot longer, but What now, the guy in front of me is ous job. As I was discussing with the when you have something to occupy dawdling along in the fast lane. Crim- receptionist about her daily trials and your time, well, then time seems to fly iny, he’s on his cell phone! PAY tribulations, of course the issue of traf- by. ATTENTION FOOL! Rats, I still didn’t fic came up. She had a commute from When I’ve had commutes that had make it to the next light on time. Now I Marysville to Mountlake Terrace. This me driving in congestion, it never really have to wait for a whole cycle. required her to take I-5 during the usual stressed me out because I just gave Hmmm... hmmm, 8:35:02, tap... tap... crush hour. Of course, at that time, I myself enough extra time. Yes, there tap… okay, now the turn lanes for our decided to impress her with my non- were days where the trip was excep- road can go at 8:35:42…, then it’s our automotive commute expertise. tionally long, but there was no real turn, well ten seconds later at 8:35:52. So I asked her why she didn’t take stress since the only concern I had was Okay now wait just a minute!! Why transit, in this case, the bus. She said slowly accelerating and braking the car, does it feel like a long time, but now that wasn’t at all appealing, since the not what time it was. In fact, if I didn’t that I’m checking my watch, it’s only a bus would constantly be accelerating have to worry about braking and accel- half a minute, to maybe a one minute and decelerating. While describing this, erating, it would be a downright enjoy- wait each time? she was also giving a visual of the able commute. Of course, we all know lunging that it feels like to her when she how to relieve drivers of that tedious Time is Relative has ridden the bus. task. Ride the Train. It’s really a matter of perception. If What should I bring up next to you have stop at a traffic light or a Railroad Time impress this young woman, you say? crosswalk, the next time, start counting (See Cusick, page 5) page 4 the siding to continue around ured out we could back out of Lessons, from page 1 that freight train only to pull the siding to regain the main- The railroad is now trying to rectify into the next siding to await line. It turned out the broken some of the worst track problems in another freight and our sister rail actually a switch problem northern California and southern Ore- train going north. That took on the siding that was directly gon with a massive tie replacement another half hour. We could in front of the locomotive. program. have easily made the second Since no southbound trains Of course, UP has never heard of siding to await the three went by while we sat, there working at times when the Starlights northbound trains. was no reason we could not are not passing through a particular o One mile north of the Salinas have been underway as soon area so maintenance windows are station we parked in a siding as station work was finished. adding more delays on top of the slow for more than a hour to await o Between Albany and Salem orders for track conditions. And UP passage of the northbound we started lollygagging along continues to demand schedule adjust- Starlight. We could have pro- and the conductor announced ments on the fly from Amtrak. After a ceeded to the Salinas station we were following behind a 45-minute earlier departure from Los and continued on our way to freight. No explanation why Angeles for six weeks, UP now de- meet the northbound train at a the freight was going only mands the northbound be train held at siding south of town. No about 20 mph. Then we came Klamath Falls until 11:00 a.m. with a freight trains were evident in up to a red signal and it was hoped-for arrival into Seattle at 11:39 this area. announced that UP was hav- p.m. But at least this problem should o All told, we left Tacoma 58 ing signal problems. As we sat improve over the next several months minutes late (due to late arri- at this red signal for over an as track repairs are completed hour I head the engineer (over and speed restrictions lifted. I compare the difference between my scanner) continually re- Far more problematic is minding the dispatcher that Union Pacific’s inability to riding UP rails and riding BNSF rails our train crew had nearly properly dispatch Amtrak to the difference between riding the reached their 12-hour limit for trains, not just on the Coast Cannonball Express (from the TV being on duty. Suddenly, with Starlight route but throughout only minutes to spare, the its system. The laws that cre- shows Green Acres and Petticoat dispatcher gave permission to ated our national intercity pas- Junction) and riding the French TGV. pass the red signal and we senger service, relieving the proceeded several miles to freight railroads of the re- Marion where a relief crew quirement to operate passenger trains, val of the previous day’s train) and arrived San Luis Obispo, was waiting to take over. After explicitly requires the host railroads to the relief crew boarded we give Amtrak trains “preference over where we detrained, at 10:30 p.m., 7 hours and 23 minutes quickly took off at (for UP) a freight transportation…except in an good clip. Suddenly the freight emergency.” Admittedly, the nation’s late, due to slow orders, speed restrictions because of train in front of us and the railroads have seen huge increases in “signal problems” had myste- freight traffic in recent years, with re- heat (over 100 degrees in Sacramento when we arrived riously disappeared! sulting congestion on an infrastructure o 6 hour late), and the dis- This train left Los Angeles 3 they had spent decades downsizing in minutes late and arrived the face of previous business patching. This despite more than 4 hours of recovery time Tacoma at 3:05 a.m., exactly downturns. 8 hours late. It took nearly However, I and some family mem- built into the schedule. • 13.5 hours to go from Klamath bers made a round-trip on the Starlight Northbound (June 29): o Falls to Portland, a trip that is in late June and it is difficult to see In the Cascades of Oregon we were subjected to a series of supposed to take about 7 where freight train congestion caused a hours. majority of the delays we experienced. meets with both north and southbound freights that were I compare the difference between Much of the delays can be laid to poor riding UP rails and riding BNSF rails to dispatching or deliberate sabotage. poorly planned and executed. o Arrived in Eugene at 5:24 the difference between riding the Can- Take you pick. Mine is deliberate nonball Express (from the TV shows sabotage. Here is just a sampling of p.m., less than 5 hours late, giving hope for an arrival back Green Acres and Petticoat Junction) what went on: and riding the French TGV. I noted the • into Tacoma before midnight. Southbound (June 22): train crew was reluctant to discuss the o Lost more than an hour in the But it was not to be. After pulling into the station siding dispatching over the radio lest the dis- last twenty miles before patcher hear them and further punish Eugene. First into a siding to detrain passengers, it was announced there was a bro- us for them daring to question his com- with a southbound freight to petence and judgment. await passage of a north- ken rail ahead and we’d have to wait for it to be repaired. NARP sent a letter to the Surface bound freight. It was more Transportation Board on July 12 out- than a half hour before it ar- After sitting more than a hour the dispatcher suddenly fig- lining Amtrak’s on-time performance is- rived. We then backed out of sues with the freight railroads, parti- page 5 cularly UP and CSX. They asked the STB people out of their cars is the class ride his efforts by responding in what I hope is to investigate and hold public hearings to: the train affords. If you spend time at acceptable understandable German. I'll in- • Identify specific, detailed causes of King St. Station during the evening rush, quire how he came to learn of us. I will also the freight train interference you don’t see “railfans,” you see young praise his country's superb rail passenger issues; professionals, half of them women, riding systems. Maybe someday here, again…. • the train. It’s the preferred mode for those I noted while in Europe in 1998 that rail Determine whether and how much hobbyists do favor American railroads for who have the choice. freight train interference delay re- pictures, modeling, etc. One hobby store, in sults from actions which might Yep, A Train, Now That I’d Take. Augsburg, Bavaria featured models of have been reasonably avoided; classic Santa Fe passenger trains, UP Big and Boys and other immense locomotives of • Flem, from page 2 Most importantly, identify short and efficient to the internal operation of the the late steam era, Old West scenery, etc. long term remedial actions. USPS, the addition of more trucks on al- It seems the sheer size and scope of US The entire letter can be viewed at ready-congested I-5 impose a variety of railroads and the American landscape in- www.narprail.org/cms/index.php/ safety, time, and environmental costs on trigue European rail hobbyists. ☯☯☯☯☯☯☯ resources/more/surfboard_otp/. everyone else using that piece of pave- West Coast rail advocates are also ment. External costs are not the responsi- The fourth daily Amtrak Cascades working this issue, including urging the bility of USPS administrators, it would round trip on the first of July commenced with ceremonies at several Northwest Cor- governors of Washington, Oregon and seem. Just one more example of decisions ridor rail stations. The Big Send Off was at California to intervene with UP. (See made in apparent absence of comprehen- sive costs and benefits. Economic geogra- Seattle's King St. Station, featuring good Lloyd Flem’s column.) The Train Riders music, refreshments, and brief upbeat Assoc. of California held a news confer- phy 303 lesson over; won't be on the test! ☯☯☯☯☯☯☯ speeches by Amtrak's Kurt Laird and ence at the Sacramento Amtrak station WSDOT Secretary Doug MacDonald. Now, to a far more pleasant topic: I re- on July 27 to raise attention to the UP’s KSS was crowded, but more with pas- cently received a delightful letter from a handling of the Starlight. Members of TV, sengers than with fourth-train celebrants, man from Leudenscheid, Germany. Tho- radio and print media were in attendance. I'm pleased to say. mas K. is a married father with a small WashARP had a booth at KSS, staffed An AP article on the event was reported daughter. He is a railfan with particular in- by George Barner, Darleen Flem, Susan in newspapers throughout the state. terests in "the passenger railway system in Sauer, Don Petersen, Loren Herrigstad and UP’s problems also affect the opera- the great and beautiful USA." Thomas col- yours truly. Many people stopped to chat tion of the Cascades between Eugene lects rail-oriented materials of all kinds. He and hear our pitch about supporting pas- and Portland (as well as corridor service said he had heard very good things about senger trains Three folks joined WashARP. in California), despite investments by the good work of the Washington Associa- The new members included Doug Mac- ODOT to improve UP’s signal system tion of Rail Passengers, citing our hard Donald, who we hear is also somewhat of a and track capacity. We will continue to work in seeking "modern, customer- (Shhhhh! Don't tell!) railfan! friendly, and fast train service in the won- bring pressure on UP to obey the law and Secretary MacDonald is of course re- derful and beauty state of Washington." improve its handling of passenger trains. sponsible for all transportation modes Thomas asked if I might send him material within WSDOT. WashARP, while our mis- about "your famous WashARP" and our re- sion is primarily the advocacy of the rail from page 3 gional trains. Cusick, mode, has publicly supported funding for all Herr K. concludes with "I wish you and Something about the train, of course! forms of transportation. all the members of WashARP, all my best Knowing that the then-future Sounder Northbound Amtrak trains that origi- wishes and good luck for your very good service only went to Everett, I said that nated south of Portland were, on that day, work for a modern train service in Wash- unfortunately she couldn’t take the train again quite late. But efficient action by Am- ington with a good future." directly, but that maybe farther in the fu- trak train crews and KSS staff effected a Made my day! Of course I am very quick turnaround and we departed for ture the train might come to Marysville, pleased to send Thomas the full comple- Olympia on the mid-afternoon Cascades , but the closest it would come to work ment of materials, including a couple of J would be Edmonds. What she said next Craig Thorpe's magnificent prints featuring following the festivities, precisely on time. surprised me, but I was quite pleasantly our trains in classic Washington state The trip back to Southwest Washington surprised. She said, “Now if there was a settings. featured the normal good Cascades ser- train, I’d take it!” My new German friend wrote in good vice and the exquisite scenery along Puget That seems to be the key. What gets fully-understandable English. I shall honor Sound. A good day. WashARP Officers Important Addresses and Phone Numbers Chuck Mott, Mukilteo..Chairman ...... 425 710-9665 [email protected] U. S. House of Representatives: Tony Trifiletti, Shoreline..President ...... 206 440-9451 [email protected] Washington, DC 20515 James Neal, Ephrata..VP-East ...... 509 754-3114 [email protected] U. S. Senate: Washington, DC 20510 Rocky Shay, Federal Way..Secretary ...... 253 925-2085 .... [email protected] Capitol Switchboard (all members): 202 224-3121 John Carlin, Edmonds..Treasurer ...... 425 778-4529 [email protected] Jim Cusick, Bothell..VP-Commuter Rail ...... 425 481-2322 [email protected] State Legislature: State Capitol, Olympia 98504 Jim Hamre, Puyallup..Newsletter Editor.....253 848-2473 [email protected] Hotline for leaving messages: 800 562-6000 Warren Yee, Seattle..E-newsletter...... 206 723-0259 [email protected] Amtrak Reservations/Information: 800 872-7245 Brandon Swalley, Lakewood..Communications Dir. ..253 906-0932 [email protected] Lloyd Flem, Olympia..Executive Director ...360 943-8333 [email protected] WashARP: www.washarp.org Office FAX...... 360 943-0136 NARP: www.narprail.org Address...... 3704 22 nd Ave SE, Olympia 98501 NARP Hotline: www.narprail.org/cms/index.php/hotline/ Amtrak: www.amtrak.com All are evening numbers, except Lloyd's, which is available 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily. Amtrak Cascades: www.amtrakcascades.com Sound Transit: www.soundtransit.org

page 6 WashARP News How important is an Spokane-Johnstown interconnected passenger rail Seattle-Winter Haven Minneapolis-Deland September 9: WashARP meeting at network? Let’s find out! Texarkana-Fayetteville 12:45 p.m. at Andy’s Diner, 2963 4th Critics of intercity passenger rail ser- San Antonio-Newport News Ave. S., Seattle (just north of Spokane vice are always saying we should just lop Portland-Richmond St.; on Metro routes 23 and 174, and of the one or two or three worst perform- Fargo-Baltimore near the busway). ing national network trains to “save Spokane-Philadelphia September 21: Commuter Rail Group money.” Bob Glover, a NARP director Memphis-Sebring from Oakland, loves to analyze Amtrak meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Andy’s Diner, St Louis-Rocky Mount th connecting passenger information to Milwaukee-Yemassee 2963 4 Ave. S., Seattle (transit show the importance of a national sys- information above). Detroit-Winter Haven tem. Here is Bob’s data for Train 30, the Battle Creek-Richmond October: No WashARP meeting is Capitol Limited, of June 20, 2006: Columbus-New York scheduled for this month. 215 onboard from Chicago, of which You can draw your own conclusions, WashARP welcomed the following new 121 (56%) were transfers from other but I see a network where connections trains. Over half the trainload. members in June and July: Julia are critical and transfers are more readily 24 transfers off at Pittsburgh for Train Eulenberg, Seattle; Doug MacDonald, made when they don't involve long waits. 42, the Pennsylvanian. Olympia; Thomas Noyes, Seattle; Jim I see people traveling out of the direct 173 onboard into Washington, DC line of travel to ride trains. What else ex- Moore, Seattle; Kim Turner, Seattle; with 110 transfers (64%) to other trains. and Adron Hall, Vancouver. plains Memphis to Sebring via Chicago, Again over half the trainload. or Texarkana-Fayetteville via Chicago, or 48 transfers on at Chicago also WashARP members contributing to this Los Angeles-Orlando via Chicago? I also transferred off at either Pittsburgh or newsletter include Jim Cusick, Tony see a delicate and fragile skeleton of na- Washington – they rode at least three tional trains that will fall apart if critical Trifiletti, Lloyd Flem, Warren Yee and trains with at least two transfers. Trips Ron Sheck. links disappear. Trains 29-30 would not made by these individuals and groups: survive without the connections to and Los Angeles-Orlando Due to an editing error in the last from western trains. Fullerton-BWI Airport Washington Rail News Al Runte’s I see passengers willing to travel four Flagstaff-Altoona nights by train to get from origin to name was left out of the below news Kansas City-Baltimore brief. Sorry, Al! destination. Los Angeles-Charlotte I see the potential of exponential pas- WashARP member (and Seattle Galesburg-Orlando senger growth over long distances if we mayoral candidate last year) Al Albuquerque-Newark only had a few more links in the skeleton, Runte had his op-ed article in the Fullerton-Orlando with connections at Denver, Ft Worth, St May 30 Seattle Times discussing the San Bernardino-Kingstree Louis, Jacksonville, Atlanta... lack of a national transportation pol- Los Angeles-Harrisburg I see travel from small communities icy that fully utilizes our passenger Emeryville-Rocky Mount like Kingstree, Minot, Texarkana, Fargo, rail assets and lessens our depend- Glenwood Springs-Trenton Sebring, Altoona, Glenwood Springs and ence on oil. Go to www.seattle Denver-Philadelphia Fayetteville all made possible by trains times.com and search on “Runte.” Sacramento-Wilmington that travel long distances through many Free registration required. Denver-Trenton such small communities. Minot-Lancaster

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