Canada Report Winter 2018 NEWSLETTER p. 5 Fall 2018 Vol. 15, Issue 4 Save the Date for RUN’s Individual Annual Meeting/Public Forum Highlights In Springfield, MA By Richard Rudolph, Ph.D. additional service along the some of the challenges that rail Chair, Rail Users’ Network northern end of the Knowledge advocates are currently facing A Vote of “No Corridor from Springfield to across North America. Confidence” for Amtrak Please join us at the Rail Users’ Holyoke, Northampton and . Management p. 2 Network’s Annual Meeting / Greenfield, MA, starting in The public forum will start with Public Forum taking place at 2019. The program will also U.S. Congressman Richard Neal Can the SW Chief Stay the Pioneer Valley Planning focus on the ongoing effort to (invited) and Massachusetts State Commission Offices at 60 establish seasonal rail service Senator Eric Lessor, who will be on Track? p. 4 Congress St. in downtown called the Berkshire Flyer from on hand to greet attendees as Springfield, MA. This free, Pittsfield, MA to New York City, well as give welcoming remarks. Southeast Rail News p. 6 exciting event, co-sponsored by and the East-West Passenger John Bernick, Assistant Rail the PVPC, is taking place on Rail study that is currently Administrator for Rail Design, Report from the Saturday, Oct. 13 from noon underway. Construction and Maintenance Southwest p. 7 to 5 pm. It will highlight the of Way at CT DOT, will provide efforts underway which have The program will begin at high an overview of the new CT already led to the expansion noon with a brief RUN business Hartford Line. He is responsible Lackawanna Coalition of passenger rail service meeting to elect board members, for managing engineering and NJT’s “Summer between New Haven and with opening remarks given by and construction activities on from Hell” p. 8 Springfield, MA, as well as the the organization’s chair, Richard Connecticut’s entire rail proposed pilot program to offer Rudolph, who will talk about (Continued on page 3) Canada Report p. 9 MTA, NYC DOT Draw Up Plans for Amtrak Loses Sight of L Train Shutdown Service Mandate p. 11 By Andrew Albert weekends prior to the April, Out-of-system transfers, such as 2019 shutdown when the L line the Livonia Ave/Junius Street View from Cascadia p.12 It’s certainly been in the will not operate, and these are transfer between the #3 & L news frequently, especially as actually greater closures than the lines will not be ready yet, the Vermont Update p.13 community meetings to inform actual shutdown, as these close Hewes St/BroadwayJ/M/Z/G the public about the L-train the line from Broadway Junction transfer will not be ready, nor shutdown, which is happening to 8th Avenue, whereas the will the 21st St G/Hunterspoint Survey of Rail Service in in April of 2019, continue to major shutdown will be between Ave 7 transfer be ready. the Western U.S., take place. Plans continue to Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg Part 3 p. 14 be drawn up, as this important and 8th Avenue. So what’s the plan to move link between Brooklyn & 300,000 people between Expanding Passenger Manhattan, and especially the Many of the alternatives that Brooklyn & Manhattan while Rail in Michigan p. 17 Superstorm Sandy-damaged will be offered in the large the Canarsie Tube is closed Canarsie Tube under the East 15-month shutdown will not for repairs? It involves multiple River, prepare for preliminary be ready for the weekend modes of travel, including other work, prior to the actual closure. closures, which will largely subway lines, buses, ferries, and There will actually be many begin in October of 2018. (Continued on page 5) RAIL USERS’ NETWORK NEWSLETTER Page 2 of 20 An Amtrak Trip Report and a Call for “No Confidence” in Amtrak Management Commentary By David Peter Alan of mechanical problems. It appears feasible to do so. All they offered were that much of the time was lost because excuses that managers were competent Despite my having ridden more than of difficulties with a locomotive on the and had looked into every option; 750,000 miles on Amtrak since 1995, westbound trip, which was not properly assertions that I, as an experienced events during my summer itinerary repaired in California. To make matters rider and advocate, strongly dispute. (Reservation No. 00102A) have worse, the dining car lost refrigeration and demonstrated reckless disregard by air conditioning on the westbound trip, Those excuses were clearly false. I attempted Amtrak for the mobility and contractual which was also not repaired in California. to convince anyone at Amtrak who would rights of its customers to an extent unseen This writer and other passengers boarded listen that Amtrak could charter a bus during any other Amtrak travel in which in Denver after midnight, more than five in Chicago that would meet Train #6 in I have engaged previously. If Amtrak is hours behind schedule. Naperville, IL and take us to South Bend, to survive as a mode of transportation of IN, which was the first stop on Train #448. national scope, it is imperative that drastic We continued to lose time steadily on Given the actual arrival time at Naperville, changes in Amtrak policies, and perhaps Monday. I was booked to connect with there would have been enough time for in senior management at Amtrak, take Train #448 to Boston (with a connection a bus to go directly to South Bend on place without delay. to New York), scheduled to leave Chicago highways that bypass Chicago by running at 9:30 pm; and was one of at least 18 south of the city. That would have enabled My itinerary was a USA Rail Pass, with coach passengers booked to make that us to make the connection and enjoy our segments originally scheduled in several connection, along with more riders in holiday at home, as we had planned. regions of the country. They included a the sleeping cars. Amtrak was fully aware segment on Train #7 (the Empire Builder) that it had a number of passengers who Amtrak chartered a bus, but not to allow its from St. Paul, MN to Portland, OR on expected to make the connection at customers to proceed to their destinations. Saturday, June 8, to be followed by trips to Chicago. Amtrak was also aware that Instead, it took the stranded passengers just various destinations in California on Trains Train #6 was running significantly behind to a hotel elsewhere in downtown Chicago, #11 and #14 (the Coast Starlight) and a return schedule, so there was time to arrange where we were to spend 24 hours and waste to the East through Seattle. While in St. for us to make our advertised connection the Fourth of July traveling, rather than being Paul, I received from Amtrak the news that at Chicago. Instead, Amtrak ignored its where we had planned to be. In the process, there was a service disruption in Northern responsibility to get us to our destinations Amtrak purchased hotel accommodations (at California that would prevent Trains #11 and did nothing. This willful inaction ended the Swiss Hotel on East Wacker Drive) that and #14 from operating. Presumably, the up costing Amtrak thousands of dollars sold at retail for at least $159 per room. With other passengers received it, too. and causing dozens of its customers to miss the number of passengers who mis-connected, their Fourth of July holiday. that retail cost would have amounted to several For a few days, affected passengers were thousand dollars, which was compounded sent around the disrupted area by bus, The events of July 2 have demonstrated, by lost revenue from seats or rooms that which proved that Amtrak was capable at least to me, that Amtrak’s attitude were not occupied on Monday night and of providing alternate transportation to toward its customers has become one had to be given to stranded passengers who get their customers to their destinations. of disdain, if not outright contempt. were forced to stay in Chicago until Tuesday As of Tuesday, June 12, Amtrak suddenly Despite several attempts to contact a evening. Under the circumstances, I could and inexplicably withdrew the bus bridge. manager with line authority to help us not wait and had to travel to New York by It was no longer possible for me to get to get to our destinations, Amtrak enforced air on Tuesday morning. It was necessary California as scheduled, so I had to cancel a strict policy that customers are NEVER to spend extra money for the trip, resulting appointments in California and stay in the permitted to talk to any managers with in actual cash damages that Amtrak could Empire Builder’s service area. authority. Neither “regular” call-center clearly have foreseen and that would not have agents, “customer service” personnel been necessary if Amtrak had cared enough An incident on Monday, July 2 was even or “customer relations” agents were to charter a bus that would take us to our worse. I was booked on Train #6, the willing to even find a manager who had connecting train. That had been customary at California Zephyr, which left Emeryville, the authority to ensure that customers Amtrak until recently, but apparently Amtrak CA on Saturday morning, June 30. The going east of Chicago could make does not do that anymore. train was delayed, apparently because their connection, even though it was (Continued on page 10) RAIL USERS’ NETWORK NEWSLETTER Page 3 of 20 Save the Date for RUN’s Annual Meeting/Public Forum (Continued from page 1) the Berkshire Flyer which will operate from in time to have a late breakfast or early Pittsfield, MA to Albany / Rennesseler and lunch.