June /July 2006
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Washington Rail News June /July 2006 www.washarp.org [email protected] Publication of the Washington Association of Rail Passengers A NotNot----forforforfor----profitprofit Consumer Organization “Moving forward...On Rail ."."." King Street Station’s 100 th anniversary Amtrak President David th Hughes speaks to the NARP celebration wraps up July 1 with start of 4 David Hughes, acting president and Seattle-Portland Amtrak Cascades roundtrip CEO of Amtrak, told the NARP board of th directors that Amtrak is on the right track The 100 anniversary celebration of Pullman Railroad Company, Railway after former President Seattle’s historic King Street Station Express Agency, and Sound Transit. David Gunn brought kicked off on May 10. The ongoing One honoree was Amtrak station agent the company back celebration will wrap up on July 1 with a Marlene Koob, who has followed in the from the brink of full day of festivities. Events will include footsteps of her father and grandfather bankruptcy and near- the launch of the fourth daily roundtrip in working at the station. certain liquidation in between Seattle and Portland. More One aspect of the centennial cele- 2002. Key positive in- information on centennial events hap- bration is the collection of oral histories David Hughes dicators include: from people that have special memo- • Revenue per ries of the station. Though it’s too late passenger mile is up 10% so far in to participate in the live interview pro- 2006 over 2005. gram, you can still provide your • Amtrak has had consecutive years thoughts via the station centennial of ridership growth, going from website Click on the Share Your 21.7 mill. passengers in 2002 to a Memories link. projected 24.3 mill. this year. Be sure to join other WashARP • Ticket revenue through March is members at King Street Station on July $8 mill. above budget and is pro- 1 to close out the centennial celebration jected to reach an all time high of J. Craig Thorpe, left, unveils his paint- and to launch the fourth Seattle-Portland $1.36 bill. • ing of King Street Station at Seattle (See 4th Cascades, page 4) The workforce size has steadily City Hall on May 10. The painting was decreased over the last six years. commissioned by the King Street Sta- • Federal support for operations has tion Centennial Committee. Joining decreased from $494 mill. in 2002 Craig for the unveiling are WSDOT’s to $475 mill. in 2005. Judy Giniger and Ron Sheck. • State commitments to passenger Photo by Jeff Schultz rail service have climbed 82% pening throughout the rest of June can from 2000 ($148.3 mill.) to 2005 be found at www.kingstreet ($272.3 mill.). centennial.org. • The number of equipment over- The May 10 events included a panel hauls and remanufactures grew discussion at city hall. Audience mem- nearly five-fold from 86 in 2003 to bers learned how King Street Station a planned 416 this year. contributed to a vibrant Seattle in the Those attending the May 10 events at • FRA-reportable employee injuries past and what its role will be in Seattle's King Street Station marvel at the beauti- are down 26% so far in 2006 over future as rail and transportation profes- ful rest oration of the Compass Room, the 2004. sionals provided insights on what King main entrance to the station from King One area that continues to head in Street Station means to their organiza- St. The chandelier is the only original the wrong direction is on time perform- remaining after the 1960s “remodel” of tions. WashARP was represented at ance on much of the system outside the the station. The brightly lit Compass mostly Amtrak-controlled Northeast Cor- the panel discussion by Executive Di- Room makes the rest of the waiting room rector Lloyd Flem and by Ron Sheck, ridor. On time performance for trains op- look even shabbier. The next phases of erating over the freight railroads has who is also the WSDOT manager for work, both inside and outside the station, steadily declined over the last six years the station restoration project. will start later year. Keeping 1.7 mill. from about 58% to 35%. Much of the Later in the day, at King Street Sta- Amtrak and Sounder passengers each year and 26 trains a day (soon to be 28) poor performance is on the Union Pacific. tion, there was a celebration of the em- BNSF does a much better job of properly ployees of station, past and present, moving through the station during the restoration will be challenging but all operating Amtrak trains than UP, but from Great Northern, Northern Pacific, those travelers will greatly appreciate the even BNSF’s performance is suffering in Amtrak, Burlington Northern, BNSF, final results. Photo by Jeff Schultz (See Hughes, page 5) page 2 many, Britain, and North America. essential. Spain's plan is that rail will From the Rail investment examples I cited at serve as the primary means of moving Executive Microsoft include that in Japan, which people and freight in and through their Director's Desk pioneered modern higher-speed passen- economically booming country. ger trains in 1964, and continues to in- So, how about us? The Class One by vest billions in ever more and better railroads (BNSF, UP, CSX, NS, CN, CP, Lloyd H. Flem intercity service; and the People Republic KSS) are now doing well financially and of China, whose explosive economic are making major capital investments The World Invests in Rail; growth is manifest in every basket of which are designed to bring about rela- consumer goods entering virtually all tively quick financial returns. This is Some Mostly Good News households in North America and surely good; the great volume of products In preparation for a recent presenta- Europe. Also, South Korea. A favorite arriving on American store shelves from tion I made on current rail developments quote of mine attributed to the Korean Asia are making much of the trip within in Europe and East Asia at a transporta- prime minister is a polite, "How can we North America by train. But I fear the tion technology conference sponsored by afford not to?" in answer to an American concern with quick returns, preferred by the Cascadia Project of the Seattle- questioning his country's huge invest- today's Wall Street and corporate bean based Discovery institute held at the Mi- ment in high-speed intercity passenger counters, if not by long-term-strategy- crosoft campus in Redmond, I did some rail service. Try 82 trains per weekday oriented railroad men, may not be in the rather intensive research on what was between Seoul and Busan (Pusan)… best interests of even those shareholders happening with the rail mode in this 21st oops, 92 on weekends! Korea is not a who are in for the long haul and are not century. While I do attempt to keep up on poor country. They are an economic tiger obsessed with instant (financial) gratifi- these issues on a regular basis, this re- with a high and growing standard of living cation, much less for our country's search confronted me with mas- economy, which should be even sive amounts of newer informa- "So much rail invest ment" in the rest more oriented to a wider, not tion that was at once very narrower, range of goods which pleasing and depressing. of the world is very pleasing. That use the rail mode in the future. So much rail investment is North America, particularly in In addition, the battle to get occurring in large and small public funds for rail is tough and countries, highly-industrialized passenger rail, continues to fall never-ending. Even in the public to "third world," capitalist de- further behind, is depressing. sector, where long-term broad mocracies to authoritarian community values ought to be and high rates of car ownership. states, that I could only pick and choose emphasized, "quick payoffs" sometimes For Europe, I again couldn't resist the a few examples to present to the atten- motivate investment strategies. Swiss example. What will be the two dees, most of whom were more into the Private sector, public sector. As in- longest land tunnels extant are under area of high technology rather than the vestors and citizens, are we Americans construction through the Alps. The peo- less-fun realm of transportation policy willing to look beyond "I want it for me... ple of this very democratic, free- and how-to-pay-for-stuff, which is my now!" and think of the future for our- enterprise-loving federation recognize emphasis. selves, our children and grandchildren, and have repeatedly voted to add "So much rail investment" in the rest and our country? Let's hope so. (mostly-public sector, but including pri- of the world is very pleasing. That North ☯☯☯☯☯☯☯ America, particularly in passenger rail, vate capital too) billions in rail invest- continues to fall further behind, is de- ments to an already superb system in WashARP was fully involved in the pressing. No where else in the world is order to retain their leading roles in trade recent 100th anniversary celebration of there a small but noisome group of peo- and citizen mobility. King Street Station. I participated in an ple that have at least a little traction with Finally, my new favorite rail country: oral history (of our Northwest rail memo- some "think tanks" and the politicians Spain. We "Cascadians" feel good about ries and experiences), as did several who pay attention to them, and who not the Spanish, who were and remain our other WashARP members.