NEWSLETTER Winter 2015-2016 Vol. 13, Issue 1 Save the Date for RUN’s New England Regional Conference

Individual By Richard Rudolph, Ph.D. services as well as improving can promote greater equity and Highlights Chair, Rail Users’ Network the quality and level of services good health. currently provided. The morning Join us in Boston, the nation’s program will feature several The afternoon session will feature New Rail Extensions first city with a subway, for invited speakers including Gerald three panels. The first subject “Who’s Looking Out for You? Francis, General Manager, Keolis is the status of passenger rail/ In SoCal p. 2 The State of Rail Advocacy in Commuter Rail; Frank DePaola, transit advocacy and plans for New England.” The conference, General Manager, MBTA; and expanding passenger rail/rail MTA Finally Gets New sponsored by the Rail Users’ Stephanie Pollack, Massachusetts transit in New England. The Capital Program p. 3 Network, will take place Friday, Secretary of Transportation. focus will be on the Green Line April 29, 2016 from 9:00 a.m. Extension to Union Square and NJ Transit Riders Suffer to 4:30 p.m. at the Boston During lunch, participants will Medford, the Indigo Line, the Foundation, 75 Arlington St. be afforded an opportunity College Corridor, the South Coast Service Cuts p. 4 (Green Line, Arlington stop; to share information and Rail Project and expansion of rail Orange Line, Back Bay stop), experiences regarding their service in Maine. A Tribute to and will examine current actions efforts—and those of their Delores Gravning p. 5 in New England regarding organizations—to promote The second panel will explore passenger rail/transit issues. The passenger rail and rail transit in the current state of advocacy in A Focus on focus will be on how transit/ their local areas. Our luncheon the Greater Boston area, who commuter rail riders can have speaker will talk about how the major players are, the impact British Transport p. 6 a greater voice in planning new transit-oriented development (Continued on page 8)

Questions Remain in Colorado Needs Front Range Canada p. 7 Passenger Rail By Jim Souby Colorado needs to supplement Colorado is one of the fastest RUN Reaches Out and Gary Sprung its road network with passenger growing states in terms of In Cleveland p. 8 railroad trains running between population and economic ColoRail’s Vision Statement for Ft. Collins, Denver, Colorado opportunity. The Colorado Indiana’s Push for Front Range Passenger Rail: Springs and Pueblo. A Front Department of Local Affairs Passenger Rail p. 10 Range passenger rail system, predicts that the state’s with connecting transit services, population will increase from • Fast, frequent and safe would provide much needed five million in 2015 to about Rail Advocacy in the passenger rail services; capacity growth, while significantly eight million people in 2040. Pine Tree State p. 14 reducing greenhouse gas emissions, 6.2 million of these people will • Connect Front Range increasing the mobility of live along the Front Range. Riding the Rails in communities; Coloradoans, and providing major Today, only Interstate 25 links Germany, Austria economic stimulus to the cities the cities. It often gets severely • Promote economic and Hungary p. 16 and communities served. It could congested, and therefore slow. development; and significantly relieve congestion on I-25 will be insufficient to meet highways, making them work better the projected population growth All Aboard St Kitts’ • Enable single-day round-trips for automobile and bus drivers and in the decades to come. Scenic Railway p. 18 for business and pleasure future smart vehicles. (Continued on page 12) RAIL USERS’ NETWORK NEWSLETTER Page 2 of 20 Impending Openings of New Rail Extensions Create Excitement in SoCal

By Dana Gabbard begin on March 5, 2016. This 11.5-mile Like the Gold Line extension, the extension includes six stations in the cities extension of the Expo Line light rail is Southern California in the coming months of Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte, Irwindale bring constructed by an independent state will be experiencing something rather and Azusa. The extension also features a created entity, in this case the Exposition unique: the opening of the extension new yard/maintenance facility in Monrovia. Metro Line Construction Authority. The of three rail lines. This unprecedented Construction and design was overseen by the 6.6-mile extension will have seven stations expansion of our rail network puts an Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority and extend the line from the current exclamation point to the regional rail (an independent agency created by state terminus in Culver City to Santa Monica. revolution in the Southland that our legislation), while the Los Angeles County The cost of the project is approximately annual conference held in Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority $1.5 billion, which includes a new yard/ earlier this year heralded. (Metro) will operate it. Cost of the project is maintenance facility. The Expo Line $957 million. mainly utilizes a right of way purchased The first opening is slated for the end of in the 1990s from Southern Pacific and this year. This will be an extension of the The right of way being utilized for the which from 1909 to 1953 had been served Metrolink commuter rail system’s 91 Line. extension was purchased in the early 1990s by PE streetcar passenger service (known From the current terminus in downtown by Metro from the Atchison, Topeka and as the Santa Monica Air Line). Riverside, the extension stretches 24 miles and Santa Fe (ATSF). Until 1994, this alignment includes four new stations in Riverside Hunter was served by Amtrak’s Southwest Chief (until Train testing along the alignment has Park, Moreno Valley/March Field, Downtown it was rerouted via Fullerton). A further already begun (as with the Gold Line, Perris and South Perris. The Riverside County extension along the right of way is being Metro will be operating the Expo Line) Transportation Commission is the lead agency planned, extending the Gold Line 12.3 but the actual start of operations will likely for the project, in partnership with the Federal miles and adding six further stations in be delayed until next summer. This is Transit Administration, Southern California Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne, Pomona, due to an unfortunate situation involving Regional Rail Authority (Metrolink), March Claremont and Montclair. the availability of rolling stock. In 2009, Joint Power Authority, County of Riverside, controversy engulfed Metro’s procurement City of Perris, City of Riverside and the The terminus in Montclair will actually of light rail cars (known as the P2550) Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad. The extend the line a mile or so into San from the Italian firm AnsaldoBreda. Metro estimated cost of the project is $248.3 million Bernardino County and thus entails claimed the cars were overweight and (excluding the 1993 purchase price of the San cooperation in planning and funding with delivery was years behind schedule. As a Jacinto Branch Line, which is the right-of-way the Metropolitan Planning Organization consequence, Metro’s then-CEO, Roger being used). for that county, SANBAG (San Bernardino Snoble, recommended to the Board of Associated Governments). Currently the Directors that the agency not exercise an While initially this will be a weekday- project is undergoing advanced conceptual option for an additional 50 cars. Given its only service, many rail activists hope it engineering, with it being ready for design- plans for expansion, additional cars would will eventually provide weekend service build procurement in approximately a year. be needed but Snoble felt that instead to access the Orange Empire Railway of exercising the option, a competitive Museum in Perris, which has electrified Funding for the approximately $1-billion bidding process should be undertaken for track for the operation of the historic cost of constructing the Glendora to the building of the additional cars. streetcars in its collection (which include Montclair segment has not been identified. several PE Red Cars and LA Railway Most activists anticipated it will be among AnsaldoBreda vigorously fought to Yellow Cars), at least during special events the projects included in a proposed 0.5% instead have the option exercised and like its annual Spring festival. As this transportation sales tax to put before Los even dangled the possibility that a issue went to press, a specific date for the Angeles County voters next November, manufacturing plant in the Los Angeles opening had not been announced. the details of which are being worked out area would be built to construct the under the leadership of Move LA and its vehicles, This inducement drew support It has been announced that passenger service politically savvy leader Denny Zane. Once for exercising the option from then-Los on the extension of the Gold Line light funded, design and construction of the Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. rail line between Pasadena and Azusa will project should take about five years. (Continued on page 19) RAIL USERS’ NETWORK NEWSLETTER Page 3 of 20 Finally—the MTA has a 2015-2019 Capital Program

By Andrew Albert is, and continues to be, the way things get the expansion plans, and apparently, it done in New York State. Caught in the was actual construction of phase 2 of the It’s been a tough struggle, made all the middle of all the tumult was the Chair of 2nd Avenue subway. Engineering and tougher by the long-running feud between the MTA, Tom Prendergast, who I’m sure other non-construction work will proceed, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo has earned his salary during all the tense however. The State of New York will kick in and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. negotiations. When you have a system that $8.3 billion, the City of New York will kick But at long last, largely by the Governor’s includes the city, the Long Island suburbs in $2.5 billion, federal funds will be $6.4 snipes at the Mayor, much of it brought and the northern suburban areas, including billion, MTA bonds and PAYGO Capital on by the Mayor’s intransigence and initial West of Hudson counties such as Orange will be $7.7 billion, Bridges & Tunnels & unwillingness to kick in an appropriate and Rockland, every area (and their PAYGO Capital will be $2.9 billion, and amount of money to the Metropolitan representatives) is looking for their piece of MTA local funds, as well as design/build for Transportation Authority’s Capital the pie, and deservedly so. Unfortunately, several of the projects will total $1.2 billion, Program, the largest public transportation not everyone can get what they want, so for a total Capital Program of $29 billion, system in the nation now has a Capital compromise is the name of the game. the largest in the history of the MTA. Program. While the final vote has yet to be taken by the Capital Program The negotiations took much longer this There’s a lot in this Capital Program to Review Board in Albany, there appears to time than they normally do, so some like, too. These include: completion of be—pending any last minute “deals” that projects—such as phase 2 of the 2nd the Positive Train Control installation; get thrown in—a blueprint for rebuilding, Avenue subway—will likely be delayed, Expansion of Select Bus Service; new upgrading, and expanding New York’s a situation that is not lost on the elected “contactless” payment technology; expansive (and expensive) transit system. representatives of East Harlem, who are still beginning of phase 2 of the 2nd Avenue trying to get additional money dedicated subway; continuing work on the Long For the system that moves something in the to this important project. Because the City Island Rail Road East Side Access plan, area of 4/5 of all mass transit users in the of New York did not produce the $3.2 including Penn Station access for Metro- US, this shouldn’t have been so difficult. billion the MTA was looking for, but rather North Railroad, with four new Bronx Yet, politics, one-upmanship, and turf was, $2.5 billion, something had to “give” in (Continued on page 5)

The Rail Users’ Newsletter is published quarterly by the Rail Users’ Network, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit corporation. Current board members include: Name Location Affiliation Richard Rudolph, Chair Portland, ME NARP / TrainRiders Northeast, Maine Rail Group Andrew Albert, Vice-Chair New York, NY New York City Transit Riders Council Chuck Bode, Membership Secretary Philadelphia, PA Tri-State Citizens’ Council on Transportation Gary Prophet, Treasurer Ossining, NY Vice President, Empire State Passengers Association David Peter Alan, Esq. South Orange, NJ Lackawanna Coalition Steve Albro Cleveland, OH Cleveland RTA Citizen Advisory Board Mela Bush-Miles Boston, MA Greater 4 Corners Action Coalition (MBTA) James E. Coston, Esq. Chicago, IL Corridor Capital LLC Bill Engel Clinton, OH Ohio Rail Tourism Association Dana Gabbard Los Angeles, CA Southern California Transit Advocates Steve Hastalis Chicago, IL National Federation for the Blind J.W. Madison Albuquerque, NM Rails Inc. Dave Mitchell Virginia Beach,VA Hampton Roads for Rail Andy Sharpe Philadelphia, PA SEPTA

Please send comments, letters to editor or articles for possible publications to the Rail Users’ Network at: RUN; P.O. Box 8015, Portland, ME 04104 or email to [email protected] Layout/design editor: Paul Bubny RAIL USERS’ NETWORK NEWSLETTER Page 4 of 20

New Jersey Transit Riders Suffer

By David Peter Alan Sunday, Sept. 13. The last train was eliminated to the schedule. When a private short-line on the Boonton Line west of Montclair (the operator wished to operate an independent It has been a difficult year for rail riders last Penn Station connecting departure moved service over a line that NJT had abandoned on New Jersey Transit (NJT) and, from all from 12:40 to 9:51; the line does not run on in 2002, NJT refused to allow a hearing over indications, their troubles will not be over weekends) and on the Pascack Valley Line (the the actual elimination of the three stations at anytime soon. Rail service in and out of last departure from Hoboken moved from 12:45 issue. He eventually got his hearing, but he New York’s Penn Station suffered from to 11:15 on weeknights, although the 12:45 still had to litigate for it, and all the court order serious reliability problems last winter runs on Fridays and on weekend nights). Those did was get him a hearing. He never ran the and this past summer. Commuters and were the announced cuts. NJT did not give service that he had proposed. other riders suffered through the delays, actual notice on its web site, www.njtransit.com, which occurred with frightening and of the elimination on the other lines until the One state senator has proposed a bill that would disheartening regularity. preceding Thursday, less than three days before require NJT to give public notice and hold a the cuts went into effect. The new schedules hearing before any service cuts. Riders and their The situation improved for bus riders at were available the night before that, but with no advocates like the idea, but it is doubtful that the Port Authority Bus Terminal one-half printed warning that riders on the affected lines New Jersey’s politicians do. Much of the blame mile north of Penn Station, as NJT took were about to lose their last train. has gone to Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican steps to alleviate backups of bus traffic candidate for President who has pledged not and the departure delays resulting from it. In response to complaints from this to raise the user fuel on gasoline and diesel There was no comparable improvement writer about the unannounced cuts, NJT fuel, which is the second-lowest in the nation for rail riders. NJT blamed Amtrak for managers replied that they were not and reached its present level in 1988. Transit its riders’ difficulties. Amtrak has its own required to give any notice, because they fares have risen nine times since then. For its problems dealing with an 80-year-old considered the cuts in question to be a own part, the legislature, which is controlled by signal system and an equally-old electrical “service adjustment.” The applicable New Democrats, failed to appropriate more money system for powering trains, as well as Jersey statute calls for hearings in the event for the operating side of NJT, which might have capacity constraints at Penn Station during of a proposed “elimination or substantial averted the fare hikes and saved the trains that peak-commuting hours, but NJT also drew curtailment” of service on a route. were eliminated. Legislative funding for NJT has criticism from riders for not doing more to Transit riders now had a new curfew declined by about 90% since Christie took office. make their commutes less difficult. that was at least 45 minutes earlier than it had been until mid-September, which The cuts that went into effect in September NJT’s answer to all of its riders was to require some advocates consider a “substantial were severe for late-evening rail riders on them to pay higher fares. Fares rose on curtailment” of their available mobility. several lines, although NJT made some Oct. 1, mostly by 9% or slightly more. NJT Since the New Jersey statutory provision positive adjustments in November. Riders claimed that the fare hikes were necessary comes from the Transportation Act of on the Morris & Essex Line from New to close a budget gap of $58 million left 1979, a remedial piece of legislation York to Dover had a train at 1:19, the last after NJT devised its own cost-cutting that established NJT, it is customary to one left Penn Station at 12:34 under the plan. In addition to the fare increases, NJT construe remedial statutes broadly, for September schedule, and it now leaves at eliminated several late-evening trains and the public good. Under that construction, 12:56. NJT had given back 22 minutes of several bus routes. NJT reported that 690 advocates including this writer believe that the 45 that were taken from the service people attended nine hearings held around NJT should have given the public and day in September. The 12:34 train had a the Garden State in May concerning the fare their representatives the opportunity to connecting train on the Gladstone line, but hikes and announced service cuts, but the find a way to keep those trains running. the last connecting train to that line left entire plan was adopted, with no significant New York at 11:35 under the September give-backs to address riders’ concerns. NJT has a history of construing service schedule and now leaves at 11:56. NJT reductions to be “service adjustments” took 59 minutes from the service day in It appears that part of NJT’s cost-cutting and refusing to allow potentially-aggrieved September and gave back 21 of them. plan was to eliminate several late-evening persons a hearing. When the agency cut Inbound, the last train used to leave Dover trains, in addition to the ones discussed at the mid-day service on the M&E Line from at 11:37 (historically it had left Dover hearings, without notice to the public or even half-hourly to essentially hourly in 2008, at 12:30), and it left at 10:32 under the to the advocates who represent the riding it was done without public notice, and the September schedule. It now leaves at public. The service cuts went into effect on trains that were cut were never restored (Continued on page 13) RAIL USERS’ NETWORK NEWSLETTER Page 5 of 20 MTA Finally Gets New Capital Program

(Continued from page 3) locomotives, switches, and track for the account for over $10 billion a year! But just Metro-North Railroad; and many new keeping the system up is not good enough stations for the New Haven line; decks, toll plazas, and electronic toll for a dynamic and growing city like New completion of the Long Island Rail collection for the bridges and tunnels York—we must have expansion, improved Road double track program for the owned and operated by the MTA. service, and equipment that won’t break Ronkonkoma branch; improved down. We are averaging six million Clearly, this is a lot of renewing, customer communications with real- subway riders a day now—but our aging rebuilding, and expansion, and as always time train arrival information for the signal system won’t allow us to provide when major work is being undertaken, “B” division of the subway; purchase the frequency that our riders need and there is some pain to riders and motorists of hundreds of new subway cars to deserve, hence the installation of CBTC who will be using these facilities while replace the aging R-32, R-42, R-46 on several lines. the rebuilding and upgrading is taking fleet; improved signals and installation place. Even now, work is still being done A system such as New York’s magnificent of communications-based-train-control on subway tunnels and stations that were transportation system is always needy - (CBTC) on several lines, which will devastated by Hurricane Sandy. If you Capital, Operating, and other funding is allow more frequent and reliable ride the subway on any weekend, there essential for the system to meet the needs service; rebuilding of stations, including are likely to be at least 12 of the 22 lines of a growing, international city. Kudos to making more ADA-accessible stations; undergoing some type of re-routing. our elected officials for finally putting aside replacement of elevators and escalators In a system as big and in service 24/7, their differences and getting the MTA’s throughout the system; replacement of work must be done, so the overnight and 2015-2019 Capital Program off and track & switches in the subway system; weekend periods are the ones that will be running. New York’s 12 million daily riders investment in line structures, especially impacted the most. deserve no less. the elevated lines of the subway system; replacement & upgrading of A tremendous part of the MTA’s Capital Andrew Albert is Vice-Chairman of RUN, the bus depots and train yards; upgrading Program is devoted to keeping the system Chair of the NYC Transit Riders Council, and of substations on the LIRR; new in a state of good repair—which alone can Riders’ Representative on the MTA Board. A Tribute to Delores Gravning of Rails Inc By J.W. Madison instead of ripping up the damn things predictable and Flat-Earth attacks that we’re without replacing them. all entirely too familiar with. This time On Oct. 29, Dolores C. Gravning, 86, somebody (I don’t care who) wants to sell it She raised two good men, one of whom suddenly left this Earth. She was the off to some private company. The head of pre-deceased her by eleven years. She Vice President, editor, and brilliant the NMDOT, Tom Church, said in a recent was an excellent actress and makeup common-sense advisor to Rails Inc. interview that this was not going to happen, expert on the Albuquerque stage, with She played a large role in our efforts to citing both the benefits of the train and its a five-state regional acting award to her midwife what became the Rail Runner lack of desirability to an ordinary buyer. He credit. Later, she became a gifted Zoo (she called it the Dust Devil when it was seemed to think the idea was funny. It’s not, docent and volunteer teacher. merely the fantasy of our group and of but I hope he continues to laugh it off. some other New Mexico visionaries). She was independently spiritual, could The Southwest Chief: do almost anything very well, was She was born in Chicago in 1929 to Mediterranean-beautiful in the bargain, Some good news here via Rick Klein, City a working class family, making her and more people will miss her deeply Manager of La Junta CO, dated Oct. 26: a Depression baby. She lived and than she (or even I) ever guessed. worked in Pasadena, CA, Fargo, ND, Washington, DC – Senator Cory and Albuquerque before commencing I first met her at the Albuquerque Little Gardner (R-CO) announced today that a successful 31 year career at Sandia Theatre in 1981. She became my “life the Department of Transportation has Corporation in Albuquerque. She was partner” for 33 years. I’ll never get over awarded a $15.2-million grant to the a teen-age secretary in the Pasadena how “lucky” or “blessed” I have been to City of La Junta to add approximately Planning Dept in the late 1940s, during have been her Other Half for so long. 39 miles of new railway and rehabilitate which time she used to politely (I think) an additional 20 miles of rail along the ask her bosses why they didn’t put tracks The Rail Runner: Southwest Chief Amtrak line. in the medians of the new Freeways The Rail Runner has been under the same (Continued on page 13) RAIL USERS’ NETWORK NEWSLETTER Page 6 of 20

A Focus on British Transport By Anthony Smith for that particular service route or area are considered. For example, long-distance “Put transport users first”—the clarion cry services usually have more emphasis on of the independent watchdog for Britain’s comfort than commuter type services, which transport users, Transport Focus. Speaking are all about reliability. to more than 100,000 rail passengers, 50,000 bus passengers and almost 5,000 Following heavy snowfall during the winter tram passengers was just part of the work months that saw transport grind to a halt a we carried out this year. The organization few years on the run, we began research into has been making a difference for passengers the effect of extreme weather—snow, wind, under various names since 1947. Since ice, rain and fog—on the railways. We asked passengers what they expected from their February of this year, it has also represented train service during these times. The results users of the strategic road network—a sign of were published this summer in time for train the government’s confidence in its abilities. operators prepare and plan for any bad weather this winter, in a way that better suits passengers. The work began with research into road continue below the half-way mark, at 45%. user experience, which you can see on Our research isn’t always focused on the our website (www.transportfocus.org.uk). Some of this was put down to issues around things that immediately spring to mind when As well as this, we continued to make the rebuilding of a major station in London. you think about improving the rail network. a difference for passengers of public We’re working with industry and government This summer saw us investigating lost and transport—trains, buses, trams and to develop ways to get instant feedback to sit found and not because we were looking for coaches. Everything we do is evidence- alongside NRPS and help us monitor whether something we’d forgotten. We found that all 23 train companies across the country have based, providing the data needed to prove improvements are being felt by passengers. their own individual lost property system. to the transport industry and government Results also showed that only just over three They don’t communicate with other train that change is necessary. A key tool for in 10 passengers—and less than a quarter of companies. This means that passengers who making life better for rail passengers commuters—are satisfied with the way their have traveled on two different services first is the National Rail Passenger Survey train company dealt with delays. have to find the right company before they (NRPS), now in its 20th “wave.” We seek can even think about finding their belongings the views of passengers by producing this We continue to press the industry to manage again. We called for a national database survey twice a year. More than 50,000 rail disruption properly, and gets services back of lost property to make the whole system passengers across a representative sample up and running as quickly as possible. We simple and efficient. We’re now working with of journeys complete the questionnaire. also looked at how people’s perceptions of train companies to set up a better scheme. We also carry out smaller ad-hoc work on lateness compared to actual performance. As well as general research, we are a statutory rail, to inform and sit alongside this work. Passengers expect “on time” to mean a train appeals body, meaning that we take on cases arriving within one minute of the scheduled where passengers are unhappy with the This ability to track changes over time, time, not the current industry standard of service they have had and resolve it for them. to a very detailed degree, is what makes five minutes (or 10 minutes for long-distance You can read about some of our case studies NRPS so valuable. It has played a vital trains). We also found low awareness of the of passengers we have helped at http://www. role in bringing about the changes that current performance measures and a lack of transportfocus.org.uk/help/case-studies. passengers want to see. Over the years trust in how the rail industry measures train it has become highly regarded in the punctuality. We’re now using this work to It has been a very successful summer for industry and is now used as part of targets press operators to improve the information Transport Focus and the work continues—using within franchise contracts and, in some provided to disrupted passengers, and to be social media and sentiment analysis to boost cases, as targets for management bonuses. more open about punctuality. our understanding of passengers’ experiences of their journeys, work on smart ticketing, what passengers expect from High Speed 2 and The most recent NRPS highlighted a drop The GB rail network is a series of franchises delay compensation schemes. See more on in passenger satisfaction. Overall satisfaction specified by Government and delivered by what we have coming up here: http://www. is 80% (down from 82% in spring 2014), private sector bidders after a competition. As transportfocus.org.uk/research/coming-soon. satisfaction with punctuality is down to 75% well as providing data from the NRPS, we (from 77% in 2014)—this figure drops to 65% provide bespoke work for each new franchise Anthony Smith is Chief Executive of Transport Focus. for commuters—and value for money ratings contract to make sure that passengers’ needs RAIL USERS’ NETWORK NEWSLETTER Page 7 of 20

New Canadian Government Elected—Questions Remain

Canadian city tries to catch up on half a century of inadequate investment and poor decisions on urban transportation. Larger, more progressive communities are pursuing the LRT option with effective intermodal connections. Others, where either bus or LRT are both viable options, seem to be willing to trade off the higher operating cost of bus systems against the much lower overall life-cycle cost of LRT.

Critics watch carefully for politicized decisions on modal choices and routes, under- estimates of capital cost and other such boogeymen that seem to haunt public investments. The jury also remains out on public/private partnerships for transit GO Transit is now taking delivery of these new bi-level, cab-end cars from the Bombardier infrastructure. More on this in future articles. plant in Thunder Bay, ON for its push/pull trains of up to 12 cars, serving passengers in the Greater Toronto/Hamilton area. Improved, European-style external cosmetics, better quality The Province of Ontario remains committed seating and other interior appointments will further improve passenger appeal. to a 320-kph/200-mph high-speed rail line on new route from Toronto to Windsor but has By Ken Westcar insisting on being left alone to get on with observers scratching their heads over the 60- to their business as they see fit. 72-month environmental assessment period. Oct. 19 saw a new federal government Whether this is realistic or a delay tactic remains elected in Canada, largely as a result of This does not bode well for VIA or for to be seen. Meanwhile, VIA Rail is seeking the increasingly anti-democratic, smaller- route abandonment that those, with an private money to build a new government-at-all-cost stance of the eye to the future, see as critical national high-speed line then-incumbent Conservatives under infrastructure being dismantled. In other between Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto, largely Stephen Harper. Light and heavy rail words, shareholder value comes first and to escape the clutches of CN. passenger transportation has never been national interest a very distant second. a priority under the Harper or previous Hope is that Canada’s well-heeled pension federal governments, regardless of political While the new Liberal government funds will step up to both projects but they may stripe. Considered “subsidized services,” under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has hesitate due to government bureaucratic churn they received very sporadic funding, usually pledged another C$10 billion annually and perhaps a shortfall of indigenous HSR to support members of parliament in for the next three years for infrastructure expertise. Rumblings of high-level lobbying by their ridings with ribbon-cutting photo- investment, it is too early to say whether the Chinese to finance and build either or both ops. Attempts to get VIA Rail Canada his party will work to halt and reverse projects are likely not without cause but, whether protected by a legislative framework, the tragic decline of VIA’s intercity and this would be acceptable when Canada needs to similar to Amtrak, failed this year when transcontinental services. Canada’s leading diversify its economy away from “rip and ship” a private member’s bill was defeated by a rail passenger transport consultant, Greg resource extraction back to high, value-added Conservative majority against the onslaught Gormick, puts it succinctly: “No new manufacturing, is the key question. of full support by all opposition parties. rolling stock investment—no VIA.” So, the next 12 months or so will be interesting Industry sources suggest that both Canadian Greg has proposed a detailed historic and times in Canada for intercity and urban Pacific and Canadian National lobbied forward thinking perspective on VIA transportation. The Paris Climate Change hard to get the bill thrown out, as it would for Transport Action Ontario (TAO) titled Summit later this year will see a strong Canadian have required them to treat VIA better by “VIA 1-4-10.” It was launched on Nov. delegation, possibly intending to repair Canada’s working harder to keep passenger trains 6 in St. Marys, ON and is expected to be international pariah status on greenhouse gas on schedule. VIA’s on-time performance widely endorsed by communities across emissions. If this results in carbon-weighted continues to decline on many CN- and Canada and brought firmly to the attention transportation policies and strategies, then CP- owned routes, notably the legendary of the new federal transport minister. RUN intercity passenger rail could be a beneficiary. If “Canadian” transcontinental service, Newsletter readers can check the report out at not, it’s bye-bye VIA, and come-on-down more thereby frustrating passengers and driving http://www.transport-action-ontario.com/. highways and short-haul flights. up operating costs. CN and CP have already fired additional warning shots across At the provincial level, there’s lots of activity Ken Westcar is a Board Member of Transport the bows of the new federal government by on transit issues as just about every major Action Ontario. RAIL USERS’ NETWORK NEWSLETTER Page 8 of 20

RUN Reaches Out to Riders and Advocates in Cleveland By David Peter Alan Authority (GCRTA, known locally as the cars, since they are more than 30 years old “RTA”), runs the city’s transit. It includes and must last for another 10 years. He said On Friday, Sept. 25, a contingent from the Red Line, a line featuring heavy- that there are efforts to design a car that RUN’s Board of Directors and other RUN rail equipment, which runs from east of will operate on the entire system. members began their RUN to Cleveland downtown Cleveland, through downtown for a look at the local rail transit, an and west to Hopkins Airport. It also includes The tour group included RUN members, outreach meeting with local riders and their two light-rail lines to Shaker Heights; the members of the RTA’s Citizen Advisory advocates and an opportunity to explore Green Line on Shaker Boulevard and the Board (CAB) and advocates who belong the only city in Ohio that has rail transit. Blue Line on Van Aken Boulevard. Locals to All Aboard Ohio (AAO), the statewide still refer to those lines collectively as the organization that is pushing for more The visiting members met in the middle “Shaker Rapid” (or simply the “Rapid”), and trains and rail transit in the Buckeye of the night at Cleveland’s Amtrak station, they run on the same track from downtown State. After the shop tour, the group went since all trains to or from the Northeast Cleveland to Shaker Square. There is also to Shaker Square to inspect the area, or Chicago arrive then. After exchanging the Waterfront Line, an extension along the including the farmers’ market which is some sleepy greetings and finding coffee lakefront from downtown. held there on Saturday mornings. Shaker downtown, the visitors assembled at Square was a busy place, with plenty of downtown Cleveland’s Tower City Center. The day started with a tour of the Central “locals” shopping and otherwise enjoying The location was known as Terminal Rail maintenance facility, the RTA shops. the beautiful weather. Everyone from Tower from its opening in 1930 until trains The agency uses the shop to maintain RUN enjoyed watching and hearing the stopped going there in the 1970s. It is now both the Red Line cars and the streetcars streetcars stop there, too. Advocates and a three-level shopping mall, but it is still a that go to Shaker Heights on the Blue some planners consider Shaker Square to transfer point for local rail transit lines. and Green Lines. Casey Blaze, RTA’s Rail be the first transit-oriented development District Equipment Manager, led the tour. (TOD) project, to use today’s expression. The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit He noted that it is difficult to maintain the (Continued on page 9) RUN’s New England Regional Meeting

(Continued from page 1) a number of transit modes running in includes a continental breakfast, lunch, and near Boston, inspect some of the a refreshment break, and all conference they are having on the MBTA and transit facilities that provide mobility for materials/handouts. If you wish to stay in transit service, and what can be done hundreds of thousands of Bostonians, and Boston before or after the conference, we to insure greater rider representation to take a close look at how neighborhoods suggest that you look at Boston’s official improve and expand service. and their residents are benefiting from the tourism website to learn about hotel opportunity to get around Boston and go accommodations in the area. The third panel, “The Great Missed to other nearby towns on transit. Opportunity—The North/South Rail Please join us at what promises to Link” will examine why the “Big Dig” Who should attend: civic, business and be a very exciting, worthwhile event. was a highway-only project, and did not non-profit leaders; real estate developers, Participants can register and make include a rail link between North and planners and environmentalists; rail payment on RUN’s website: railusers.net South Stations. Panelists will present a advocates; and intercity rail & rail transit or via regular mail. Send checks to RUN, case study on efforts underway today riders who want to know about the efforts Box 8015, Portland, ME. 04104. to correct it, featuring advocates on the underway to expand passenger rail & rail front line of these efforts. transit in New England, how to give riders More details will be announced on our a greater voice in planning new services, website as arrangements are made, and Attendees will also have an opportunity as well as improving the quality and will also appear in the Spring issue of the to sample public transportation in the level of services currently provided. The RUN Newsletter. For more information, Boston area, with an optional inspection registration fee is $45 until March 15, $55 call Richard Rudolph, Chair, Rail Users’ tour on Saturday, April 30. We will ride until April 28 and $65 at the door. This Network at 207-776-4961. RAIL USERS’ NETWORK NEWSLETTER Page 9 of 20 RUN Reaches Out in Cleveland

(Continued from page 8) also a member of the RUN Board. He Prendergast was the next presenter at the introduced the CAB, which was founded in meeting. He started his talk by saying: “Yes, The lines have been running since 1914, the late 1970s. An ADA (Americans with there is a future for rail here in Ohio.” and Shaker Square opened as a shopping Disabilities Act) Advisory Committee was He introduced the organization, which center, surrounded by apartment buildings, later formed and merged into the CAB. was founded in 1973 and has members in 1930. The rail line bisects the property, Albro noted: “We ride and we have a throughout the state. He stressed the and the shopping center remains a busy presence in the community.” There is also a need to “work around a rail-hostile state place, after 85 years in operation. People Volunteer Action Council at the RTA. government.” According to his figures, the still take the “Rapid” to get there, too. State of Ohio spends only 68 cents per Joseph A. Calabrese, CEO and General person on public transportation annually; The next destination was the new Red Manager of the RTA, presented an far less then every other state in the region. Line station in Little Italy, known officially overview of his agency, which carries Still, Prendergast suggests that cities and as the “Little Italy—University Circle about 200,000 riders on a typical weekday. counties can get together to promote new Station.” Project manager Matthew The RTA Board contains representatives rail initiatives, and avoid the need to get Marotta gave the group an orientation from the City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga approval from an anti-rail state government. about the new station, and then it was County and some suburban towns in He expressed hope that there would be a time for lunch. the RTA service area. He mentioned the viable passenger-rail network in Ohio again RTA’s unique Student Advisory Board someday, and said that it is feasible to bring The meeting began at 1:30 at RTA and the “U-Pass” program sponsored by trains back into the old Union Terminal, Headquarters downtown. RUN Chair the colleges and universities in the area. which is now Tower City Center. Richard Rudolph started the meeting Students do not have to pay for their rides; with some background about RUN, the money comes from their student fees. The final presenter was Jeanne Cantu, mentioning RUN’s core mission, which is Business Controller for Amtrak’s Long- to help transit advisory committees and Calabrese mentioned a number of projects Distance Services. She stressed Amtrak’s advocacy organizations to advocate more that RTA was undertaking but, like many funding difficulties, asking rhetorically: effectively for better transit. He also talked other transit managers, he stressed the “How do we reduce our financial footprint about how younger people are choosing to agency’s need for money. Ohio is not a to run our long-distance trains?” and live in places where there is good transit, transit-friendly state, and Calabrese said that noted that the trains rest on a “three- and about how transit improves those his agency was “trying to downsize and still legged stool” of funding, safety and neighborhoods by fostering social inclusion. serve more people.” Calabrese described customer satisfaction. She spent much of “We have a better public transportation himself as “a passionate advocate for BRT” her presentation describing changes at system with rail,” Rudolph said. (busways, called “bus rapid transit”), but also Chicago’s Union Station, including the said that he was not anti-rail. Still, he warned: new “Legacy Lounge” where customers RUN Vice-Chair Andrew Albert noted that “there’s a real possibility that rail may shut not riding in sleeping cars could hang out, “New Yorkers are flocking to the subway” at down without more money.” wait for their trains and enjoy priority the rate of six million riders per day. Albert boarding for a $20.00 charge. Not all of is Chair of the NYC Transit Riders’ Council Kenneth J. Prendergast, Executive Director the attendees were as enthusiastic about in New York and can participate in MTA of All Aboard Ohio (AAO), detailed this the new lounge as she was. Board meetings. “We don’t have a vote, but grim prospect in a feature posted on the we have a voice,” he said. RUN Secretary organization’s website, www.allaboardohio. The meeting concluded with a Public Chuck Bode, a Philadelphian, explained the org. The article began: “In the next few years, Forum. Some questions concerned transit virtues of RUN membership, especially the the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit in Cleveland, although most of them were exchange of information between advocates Authority (GCRTA) may be compelled to about Amtrak. The most popular topic was that happens at RUN. “You don’t have to shut down one or all of its three rail lines just Amtrak’s food service, which has been roundly start from Ground Zero and re-invent the as millennials and real estate developers are criticized, by both riders and some politicians, whole wheel,” he said, adding: “This is repopulating city neighborhoods and making often for different reasons. There were also grassroots democracy in action.” rail more cost-effective here. That bright suggestions about how Amtrak could improve future may be derailed by multiple factors its marketing and promotion, and about Steve Albro is Vice-Chair of the RTA’s converging at the same time.” The article connectivity with local transit in Cleveland. Citizens Advisory Board (CAB) and also reported on the RUN event. (Continued on page 15) RAIL USERS’ NETWORK NEWSLETTER Page 10 of 20

Indiana Advocates Push for Passenger Rail

By Donald Yehle SC: 21st Century Passenger Rail refers of what’s needed. The decision by the to the use of “state of the art” passenger Indiana legislature to provide funding for Most passenger rail advocates know of rail systems in the national transportation the next two years for the Hoosier State is the ongoing effort to retain and improve network, including Indiana. This a significant step in moving awareness ridership on the Hoosier State line, jointly can mean true high speed rail (220 to something tangible. True high speed operated by Iowa Pacific Holdings with mph); higher speed rail (110 mph), or rail would be the ultimate, as it has the Amtrak engineers and conductors, and conventional rail (80 mph). additional property of changing how we funded by the Indiana Department of think of time and space (e.g., Indianapolis Transportation. What isn’t known is the Would you be specific about the becomes a suburb of Chicago). Indiana Passenger Rail Alliance’s (IPRA) existing national transportation largely behind the scenes efforts to support network in Indiana? Speaking of passenger rail along that train, participation in other Indiana the Chicago-Indianapolis corridor, rail projects, and overall vision for passenger SC: Business and leisure travelers ride a what’s the latest on the private-public rail in the state. number of passenger trains in and through partnership involving Amtrak, Iowa our state, including the Blue Water, the Pacific, and the Indiana Department IPRA welcomes this opportunity Cardinal, the Capitol Limited, the Hoosier State, of Transportation? to inform Rail Users’ Network the Lake Shore Limited, the Pere Marquette members about us. We seek your and the Wolverine. The Northern Indiana SC: Significant ridership gains haven’t yet support when necessary on our Commuter Transit District operates the been realized since Iowa Pacific’s takeover projects. Largely through our South Shore line between South Bend, IN of the Hoosier State in August. Many monthly electronic newsletter, and Chicago, as well. Through Greyhound individuals, including IPRA members, we pledge to keep you informed Lines, Amtrak provides “thruway bus have worked hard and continue to labor by asking you to go to www. connections” to and from Nashville, to realize an improved train between our indianahighspeedrail.org and click Tennessee; Louisville, Kentucky; Cincinnati, state capital and the Windy City. Passengers on the pdf for All Aboard Indiana. Ohio; Indianapolis, and Chicago. now have a train that offers Wi-Fi, food Persons interested in receiving and beverage services, and the safe access a complimentary copy of our How does “state of the art” as always provided by Amtrak. Iowa Pacific electronic newsletter should email technology factor into the definition has added a fourth coach which is ADA- [email protected]. of 21st Century Passenger Rail? compliant. The company has a sales and Please include your name, email marketing manager working to bring on address, home mailing address, and SC: The overall system in place in Western board millennials in an effort to drastically telephone number. Europe is a great example of 2lst Century boost ridership on the line in the next 18 to Passenger Rail. It incorporates service speed, 24 months. The next step will to be add bus A diversified board of directors, propulsion, computer-based command, and coach service to the Hoosier State corridor representing passenger rail advocates passenger amenities. What we have in this to/from Bloomington (home to Indiana throughout Indiana, governs the country, today, is a skeletal system, not even University) and Gary. Association. The board holds open as good as the mid-20th Century system that monthly board meetings, rotating them could be found around, say, 1948-1952. Where does Indiana stand with other among four quadrants of the state—Fort passenger rail initiatives, particularly Wayne, Indianapolis, Lafayette and IPRA members, and for that matter, the proposed Chicago to Columbus, Northwest Indiana. Meetings are held on most Hoosiers, know our state and Ohio, passenger rail line being either Thursdays or Saturdays, presided our country are “light years” behind developed by the Northeast Indiana over by President Steve Coxhead (SC), a our European and Asian friends when Passenger Rail Association (NIPRA)? Northwest Indiana resident. it comes to passenger rail. What can be done to change that reality? SC: Revival of passenger rail service on Please find below a series of questions this corridor that would serve Warsaw addressed to Coxhead about the SC: 2lst Century Passenger Rail needs to and Fort Wayne hit a snag earlier this Association. The first question tackles be our target to optimize choice, comfort year when funding wasn’t secured for its the organization’s vision for 2lst and convenience for the traveling public. Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement. Century Passenger Rail. We’re working on creating the awareness (Continued on page 11) RAIL USERS’ NETWORK NEWSLETTER Page 11 of 20

Indiana Advocates Push for Passenger Rail

(Continued from page 10) approved Oxford, OH stop on the Cardinal. were thrilled to have the national rail advocacy As with all rail initiatives, these efforts take spotlight pointed at the “crossroads of America,” They’re working on new funding plans, time and never move nearly as fast as rail particularly since it came a few months after the which makes me excited about the advocates would like. private-public partnership involving Amtrak, possibilities for that service. I’m equally Iowa Pacific, and INDOT was launched. We proud that our organization is working Thinking economic vitality, IPRA’s hope comments from speakers like Ed Ellis with NIPRA on rail development across board of directors have had of Iowa Pacific resonated among the nearly the state and am confident that they’ll discussions with Anderson and 200 participants. A panel discussion involving execute the proper strategy at the right Muncie residents to advance the millennials and traditional rail advocates about time to gain the needed funding. case for commuter rail to and from future rail passengers left an imprint. The tour Indianapolis. Would you tell us a of Amtrak’s Beech Grove maintenance facility Drums are beating loudly from little more about that project? the Friday before the education and advocacy folks in the Cincinnati area with the meeting showcased the potential for expansion desired end condition to bring daily, SC: A meeting took place among a few of that facility and a walk-through of “for sale” modern, 21st Century Passenger IPRA members and East Central Indiana Talgo trains created a stir. Rail to the Chicago-Indianapolis- commuter rail proponents to define broad Cincinnati corridor. Would you outlines of the project, identify prospective IPRA is the newest member of the share with our readers how that stakeholders, and to determine appropriate Rail Users’ Network. Why did your effort is progressing? political support. IPRA is encouraging the organization join with us and how does need to organize a local committee, the need your organization think it will benefit SC: Ohioans announced a major campaign to “time” the project so as to secure funding your passenger rail advocacy activities? in recent weeks to expand Hoosier State to study the project, and how to tie current service to Cincinnati. (See the November project enthusiasm with a 2008 “Final SC: Phillip Streby, a longtime IPRA issues of All Aboard Ohio and All Aboard Report of the Central Indiana Commuter member and an Amtrak conductor, Indiana.) I attended a June meeting in Rail Feasibility Study.” recommended our participation with Cincinnati, which was a preliminary RUN. Many of you know Phil. He can discussion about conducting an economic and The National Association of be very convincing, especially when it feasibility study for expansion of rail service Railroad Passengers (NARP) comes to advancing passenger rail. Phillip on this corridor. Discussion participants held its annual fall conference in has frequently lobbied congressmen and included a councilwoman and staff members Indianapolis in late October. What senators as one of Indiana’s two NARP from the City of Cincinnati; a Hamilton significance can be placed on that council members. The board became County, Ohio, commissioner; the CEO and meeting being held in Indiana? convinced information gained at your executive director of the Ohio, Kentucky, meetings and contacts made will be helpful Indiana Regional County of Governments; SC: As you know, NARP is America’s largest as Indiana moves toward the dream of 2lst Transportation Consultant Rich Davis of Fort advocacy group in support of passenger rail. Like Century Passenger Railroading. Wayne, and Derek Bauman of All Aboard RUN and like us, NARP desires a 2lst century Ohio, who is excited about the recently passenger rail system. Those of us from Indiana Donald Yehle is editor of All Aboard Indiana.

Your Help is Needed!

By now you should have received our annual appeal letter. While it is always difficult to ask for financial help, your generosity will help us to continue and deepen our work in the coming year. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution before the end of this tax year. Rail advocacy is important to a balanced national transportation system. Each organization is stronger working together rather than individually; RUN can make a stronger case for rail service with a geo- graphically diverse, larger membership base. Your contribution will strengthen our impact and broaden our reach as we continue to represent all rail passengers, including long distance, commuter, and transit riders. You can donate online using your credit card or PayPal account on the Rail Users’ Network website or make a check out to RUN and mail it to Box 8015, Portland, ME. 04104. We thank you in advance for your support and hope you have a great holiday season and new year. RAIL USERS’ NETWORK NEWSLETTER Page 12 of 20

Colorado Needs Front Range Passenger Rail

(Continued from page 1) speed, with good reliability, at competitive The Market prices. Those trains were run by private We need to plan to meet this railroad companies who competed Beyond the simple fact of our rapidly transportation challenge. In order to with each other for travelers’ dollars. increasing population, other factors point to help launch this urgent planning effort In Colorado, you could catch several a need for Front Range travel options. The for Colorado, ColoRail has developed a trains a day from Denver to Ft. Collins number of individuals in Colorado who are vision and strategy for a rail component. and Cheyenne, to Colorado Springs and 65 and over will increase from 555,000 in Given the extensive lead times for projects Pueblo. 2010 to 1,243,000 in 2030. Many of them of this magnitude, history tells us the cannot or will not drive cars. outreach and planning must begin now! In the mid-20th century, America’s federal, state, and local governments The cost of a car, its fuel and maintenance is Why Passenger Rail? decided to spend vast amounts of a significant burden to lower-income people. public money on highways and airports. Public transit can serve them better. For college Most other industrialized countries have This created severe competition with students and military personnel, the equation come to understand these principles: the private railroads and killed the is often similar. Furthermore, the transit option profitability of passenger trains. The is safer for all concerned. Business people who 1. Steel wheels on steel rails have private railroads got out of the business use the good train system of the Northeast enormous capacity. A dedicated two-track and Congress created Amtrak in 1970 to Corridor appreciate the opportunity to work rail service has the same capacity as 14 maintain what was left of the passenger while moving. Many people who daily ride lanes of highway. rail system. Unfortunately, Congress RTD buses and trains do the same. has never funded Amtrak at a level high 2. Passenger rail is less subject to enough to create an efficient, quality Another trend favoring rail is changing disruption by weather compared to nationwide service. choices by young adults. The “millennial” highways and air travel. generation is much less interested in While everyone today appreciates the driving than were “baby boomers.” It’s 3. Passenger rail is potentially much faster convenience and comfort of our modern possible that America’s love affair with than rubber tires on pavement. automobiles, and we expect to be able to the car is waning just a bit. fly across the continent in mere hours, 4. Trains move more people and more these benefits have come with significant These factors indicate that there will be a goods using much less energy than cars economic, social, and environmental large population in need of more diverse and trucks, and far less than airplanes. costs. Other nations who invested in mobility options. highways, airports, AND railroads gained 5. Passenger rail is safer than car travel. significant benefit from the better balance. What About Money?

6. Trains create immense economic In recent years, many U.S. states and cities In a recent study, the Colorado benefits in nearby communities. have implemented new commuter and Department of Transportation has intercity rail systems and are upgrading their estimated that building a feasible 7. Trains “leave the driving to us,” which existing services with higher speeds and passenger rail corridor from Ft. Collins means passengers can watch the scenery expansion. Some have been able to leverage to Denver would cost about $1.2 billion. instead of the road, accomplish job tasks, funding for the services by tapping into the This is a huge amount but it is not out of read a good book, play a video or game, increased property values from development order when you think of the $1-billion socialize, and eat and drink. surrounding stations. Their leaders have upgrade that is planned for a short stretch recognized the twin values of rail to citizen of Interstate 70 in eastern Denver. A beautiful history and mobility and economic development. a critical economic and CDOT’s assessment of transportation mobility choice for the future Colorado faces a critical choice: Will we options from Denver north to Ft. Collins try to meet the challenge of our growth estimates that passenger rail costs are through expansion of I-25 to six, eight America, including Colorado, once had about $25 million per mile. That’s a lot, or 12 lanes? Or will we invest in a more an excellent passenger rail system. It took but it is not more than highway expansion diverse transportation system? you where you wanted to go, at reasonable (Continued on page 14) RAILRAIL USERS’ USERS’ NETWORK NETWORK NEWSLETTER NEWSLETTER PagePage 13 10 of of 20 12 New Jersey Transit Riders Suffer

(Continued from page 4) This writer and other members of the None depend on transit for their Lackawanna Coalition complained mobility, so none of them feel the pain 11:30, but skips a number of to the media and to elected officials that they inflict on transit-dependent intermediate stops and terminates in about the cuts, and especially about riders. This may be a symptom of the Hoboken, rather than New York. the secrecy with which they were recent politization of transit in this implemented. This writer credits that country, now that transit is part of the Riders on the North Jersey Coast campaign with NJT’s act of restoring public sector. New Jersey’s transit riders Line south of Long Branch were hit some of these services only eight weeks do not like the situation, or the current even harder. Their last train used to after they were cut; a rare concession condition of the transit they ride, but leave Penn Station, New York at 1:00; from NJT to riders. it does not appear that they can do now it leaves at 11:18, one hour and anything about it, at least not in the 42 minutes earlier. The Friday night In the final outcome, only people who foreseeable future. Gov. Christie does schedule is the same as on Monday depend on transit have lost mobility not leave office until the beginning of through Thursday nights. There is and find themselves paying more for the 2018, and there is no guarantee that no late departure on Friday evenings, mobility they still have. Motorists can the next governor will be any better for except on the Pascack Line. The last still go anywhere they want, and at any transit riders than he has been. trains on Saturday and Sunday evenings hour. Some New Jerseyans point to the did not change from the pre-September fact that the legislators, the NJT Board David Peter Alan is a RUN Board Member and schedule. and senior managers are all motorists. Chair of the Lackawanna Coaliton in Millburn, NJ. A Tribute to Rails Inc’s Delores Gravning

(Continued from page 5) Rail Transit For Albuquerque: (RTD) are bullish on Rail Runner maintenance going onto the Railyards, a perfect fit for a small Gardner, along with Senator Michael Here’s a lightly edited letter to me from part of the acreage. Bennet (D-CO), had previously written a Isaac Benton, the Albuquerque City letter to the Secretary of Transportation Councilor who’s with us: Another alternative is being discussed: the advocating for the grant. City and RTD could run an hourly “heavy I very much support the concept of the Yard rail” passenger train between the RY and “The grant announced today will allow Bird, an electric light rail connecting the Old Town via the Sawmill spur, opening up for critical maintenance and upgrades to historic Railyards (RY) to Alvarado Transit potential for more high-density infill housing the Southwest Chief line to move forward,” Center. It could run in 1st Street, and in and commercial redevelopment north of Gardner said. “This line is deeply important a future phase might connect to National Downtown. This option also could be good for to the economies of many communities in Hispanic Cultural Center. business in the old center city! southeast Colorado, and keeping it well-run and well-maintained will help ensure that Such a conveyance would foster redevelopment Why should such a system be operated those communities continue to benefit from in the Railyards and Downtown without by RTD and not ABQ Ride? The RTD the Southwest Chief’s operation. I’m pleased choking the area with cars. It would fit neatly already owns the right of way and already that the Department of Transportation with the proposed 400-car garage and mixed- are licensed to run heavy commuter rail (but awarded this grant, and I look forward to use redevelopment at 1st and Copper, the not light rail). As part of a cooperative deal continuing to advocate for the Southwest Innovate ABQ project, and a less car-oriented with the City, the Rail Runner would gain a Chief.” development at the Railyards. needed indoor maintenance facility.

Also, there is an excellent article by Andrew Meanwhile, RY master developer Samitaur is Note: Part of what might make this latter Breiner, posted May 19, 2015, titled, “Why We moving quite slowly and includes no rail features in proposal possible is the recent proliferation Should Spend Billions More On Trains”. This their master plan other than the Wheels Museum of small breweries and “brew pubs” around piece is in an online periodical called “Portside” and BNSF’s right to use the existing turntable. Per Albuquerque. (www.portside.org). It focusses heavily on rider the master development agreement with the City, safety and on Rail spending comparisons Samitaur’s clock could run out next year and other J.W. Madison is a RUN Board Member and among several countries. Also try: www. options could open up for the City. The operators president of Rails Inc, based in Albuquerque, NM. thinkprogress.org. of our Mid-Region Regional Transit District RAIL USERS’ NETWORK NEWSLETTER Page 14 of 20 The Status of Passenger Rail Advocacy in the Pine Tree State By Richard Rudolph, Ph.D. the State Legislature will be voted on in the to extend passenger rail. This organization Chair, Rail Users’ Network upcoming second session of the legislature has been actively building support for in the coming year. This would provide $5 the restoration of rail service to Augusta A lot has happened during the past 12 million for Lewiston-Auburn, $7 million for and beyond. Last year, the Augusta and months, even though passenger rail isn’t the state-owned Mountain Division rail line Waterville City Councils passed resolutions on the bucket list of Republican Gov. Paul from Portland to Fryeburg, $8 million for calling for a study to determine the feasibility LePage’s Administration. Due to the efforts building a five-mile siding at Royal Junction of restoring rail passenger service to their of Tony Donovan, the founding member of in Yarmouth to increase the frequency of cities. This was an important first step. the Maine Rail Transit Coalition, and co- Downeaster service to Brunswick, and $5 The next logical step is a comprehensive chair of the Maine Chapter of the Sierra million for other state-owned rail lines. plan integrating all parts of this vision. It Club, the Maine State Legislature overrode would include a definition of the level of the governor’s veto of a $400,000 funding Trainriders/Northeast, which was rail service and connections, ridership and bill for a Feasibility Study and Service instrumental in restoring passenger revenue projections, capital and operating Development Plan for Train Service service between Boston and Portland, is cost projections, funding sources for capital from Portland to Lewiston-Auburn. This now also actively pursuing a new plan and operations, and an agreement with Pan funding is contingent on the twin cities, to promote direct service from Maine Am railroad to sell or utilize track east of the the second largest community in Maine, to New York City. The Downeaster would Kennebec River bridge. contributing an additional $50,000 each to go to Worcester, connecting passengers help pay for the initiative. Both city councils to existing Amtrak service there. The The state currently owns the rail line agreed to appropriate the matching funds proposal would require the upgrade of the called the “lower road.” It runs from required. Connecting the two cities with existing Pan Am freight line from Lowell Brunswick, ME to downtown Augusta Portland is the immediate goal, while the to Worcester. From Worcester, passengers and then over the Kennebec River to the long term goal is to revive rail service to would continue on to Springfield, Pan Am rail line running along the east Montreal, utilizing the right-of-way of the Hartford, New Haven and then NYC. side of the former Statler Paper mill site St Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad. to Waterville. While acknowledging that A more detailed look at the endeavors much would need to be done to restore rail On another front, a $25-million dollar bond of The Maine Rail group illustrates the service, the Maine Rail Group believes proposal which was introduced this year in challenges facing those in Maine who wish (Continued on page 15) Colorado Needs Front Range Passenger Rail

(Continued from page 12) Range passenger rail system would be a of that money to the individual and the manageable, worthwhile transportation regional economy. When you couple to achieve the same capacity. So a cost for Colorado, particularly with federal, this possibility with the very probable conservative cost estimate puts the price innovative state and local, and possibly commercial benefits from train stations, it tag for Front Range passenger rail at $4.4 private sector investment. becomes easy to understand why local and billion. Widening I-25 would cost roughly regional economies with passenger rail the same, but with far less reliability, much In addition to the mobility options a service thrive. higher energy consumption, lower safety, strong rail and transit alternative offers and ultimately the same problems with citizens, the personal economic benefits Front Range passenger rail is not only an highway traffic congestion, with or without can be large. The American Automobile attractive alternative for travelers, it is an smarter cars. Association estimates that owning a economy booster by increasing productivity car costs between $8,000 and $11,000 and value in the corridor. With lead times Certainly, Colorado and America are per year. Most of that money leaves of 15 to 25 years for large rail projects, the not going to give up on cars and roads. the community in payments for energy, time to begin serious planning is now! But to meet the growth in our desire and insurance, financing and repair parts. need for intercity travel, rail effectively Removing one car from each owner with Jim Souby is President and Gary Sprung is a competes financially. So a $5-billion Front two or more cars returns a great deal member of ColoRail. RAIL USERS’ NETWORK NEWSLETTER Page 15 of 20 Passenger Rail Advocacy in the Pine Tree State

(Continued from page 14) 95, enabling drivers from surrounding tourist industry officials, college and communities to take advantage of the university officials and other interested it is a worthy project, given the economic extended passenger rail service. citizens who would utilize the service. development potential in the downtown area of the city, as well at the city-owned MRG board members recognize restoring The MRG is planning to hold a visioning Statler Paper mill site in east Augusta and in rail passenger service to Augusta and session in March to elicit ideas about the downtown Waterville. Waterville is not a high priority of type of service needed or wanted and to the present state administration. With build additional support for the project. The Maine Rail Group’s vision includes information and public support, however, Ultimately, members from these different extending passenger rail service to it believes attitudes can be changed. It constituencies should meet regularly to an East Augusta terminal with stops plans to build a coalition of supporters develop promotional materials and to for all passenger trains in downtown who will persuade decision makers at begin reaching out to other organizations Augusta and on to Waterville, which is the state and local level. The coalition and constituencies to build support for the 20 miles north of the state capital. An should be representative of the various project. Representatives from this group existing downtown parking garage in constituencies that exist not only in should also meet with state representatives Augusta would need to be expanded to Augusta and Waterville, but also in other and with members of the State Legislature’s accommodate cars that are currently communities that would benefit from Joint Transportation Committee to build parked on the graveled over right-of-way. the restoration of passenger service. support and to obtain funds to pay for a rail A regional transportation center should This could include downtown business feasibility study for the proposed service to be built in East Augusta on the former associations, chambers of commerce, Augusta and beyond. Statler Paper mill property that the city local business owners, the Kennebec owns. This site is an excellent location for Valley Council of Governments, In all of the cases noted, the challenges are a rail station for this facility, as it would real estate developers, civic leaders, great but the intended results will benefit the provide easy access from Rt. 3 & Rt. I- government officials, state legislators, citizens of Maine for years to come. RUN Reaches Out to Riders and Advocates in Cleveland (Continued from page 9) Cuyahoga River and the Ohio & Erie doubt that the rail transit now running in Canal, which ran parallel to it. From its the city has contributed to the downtown One attendee, who had worked as a opening in 1880 until the last scheduled revitalization that is happening today. trainmaster, suggested a plan for restoring passenger train ran on it in 1963, the Only a decade ago, almost nobody could service to the old Union Terminal, which railroad connected the cities of Cleveland, be found in downtown Cleveland at night. he believes is feasible. Akron and Canton,. There were excursions Today, downtown Cleveland is a lively, beyond Akron to Canton for a few years, busy place with plenty of restaurants and A number of advocates in Cleveland joined but those ended in 2012. Everybody who clubs. Rail advocates in Cleveland and RUN that day, and everybody at RUN took the ride enjoyed it. Today, the line elsewhere in Ohio hope that there will be considered the meeting a success. operates in partnership with the National more trains and more cities in their state Park Service. with rail transit someday. In the meantime, On Sunday, a group of RUN members though, if you want to ride some rail rode the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad Everyone concerned with the RUN transit in the State of Ohio, you need to (CVSRR) to Akron and back, although the meeting said it was successful, and RUN RUN to Cleveland! line is not transit-accessible on weekends. members who came from the East or It is now a tourist railroad, and it provides from Chicago said it was worth the trip. David Peter Alan is a RUN Board Member and service to Akron, along with a shuttle bus Cleveland has some well-preserved historic Chair of the Lackawanna Coaliton in Millburn, to take riders to attractions in that city. buildings downtown, and some interesting NJ. The railroad operates along the scenic and lively neighborhoods. There is no RAIL USERS’ NETWORK NEWSLETTER Page 16 of 20

Riding the Rails in Germany, Austria and Hungary: Some Lessons for North America: Part I

By F.K. Plous O’Hare to Budapest, the closest we could onto what I quickly realized was a main-line get was a United non-stop to Munich. electrified railroad. Only later did I learn that Sometime back in early July, my 32-year- But that was fine, because it meant that we were not on the Munich subway, but on old daughter, Eliza, got an idea. once on the ground we could work our the Stadtschnellbahn, or S-bahn, a network of way across south-central Europe by a series high-speed commuter trains dating from the “Hey, Dad, I’ve got 175,000 United of trains, sampling the railroads in three big infrastructure expansion Munich carried Airlines miles. Why don’t we all go to countries and using a variety of train types. out for the 1972 Olympics. Europe?” • We would ride the Munich S-Bahn, or The train screamed across the cornfields— Eliza works as a foreign-student recruiter suburban service, from Munich airport to yes, the farmers were raising American-style for a local community college, a job that has our Air BnB apartment near the city center. corn—at what seemed to be about 85 miles taken her multiple times to China, Japan, • On our third day in the Bavarian capital, per hour, stopping at several suburbs before Vietnam and Korea, and once to Turkey. we would take a mainline train 70 miles to entering Munich proper. Suddenly, three The miles keep piling up, and now she was Salzburg just across the border in Austria. huge men ranging in age from about 25 to 50 offering to share her bounty with the family. • After an overnight stay in the birthplace entered the car and began inspecting tickets. In return for Eliza’s free airline tickets, I of Mozart, we would continue east on the The S-bahn uses the honor system, and these volunteered to pay for hotels and train tickets. same route 200 miles to Vienna. plainclothes ticket inspectors looked serious. • At Vienna we would transfer to an Fortunately, we had the necessary paper. For a family that lacks the money for Austrian Federal Railways regional After pausing at the Ostbahnhof on the east foreign travel, Eliza’s offer was irresistible. train for the 60-km. trip just across the side of downtown, the train plunged into a Nevertheless, my wife, April, did resist; she’s Hungarian border to Sopron (pr. SHO- tunnel and stopped beneath the city’s central been busy settling her late mother’s estate pron—the Hungarians use the “s” for our square, the Marienplatz, where we left and and clearing out her mom’s house in the “sh” sound). went to our accommodations. suburbs to ready it for sale. And Eliza’s 27- • At Sopron, we would switch to a year-old sister, Julia, turned the trip down Hungarian train for another 60-km leg Although we had no train riding planned as well. She’s afraid to fly and is generally to the regional seat of Szombately, where for our second day in Munich, I insisted uncurious about foreign countries. Eliza’s friends would meet us with a car we walk over to the Hauptbahnhof, the and take us the last 20 km. to Koszeg. city’s main station, to check the place out That narrowed the cast down to me, Eliza • After three days in Koszeg, we would return and buy our tickets for Salzburg. I had and her fiance, Bob Magala, who had never to Szombately and catch a train for the 250- already checked the timetables and found traveled abroad before. Eliza laid down km (155-mile) trip to the storied Hungarian 24 daily trains in each direction between the basic itinerary. We were heading for capital. Munich and Salzburg (and onward Hungary, where Eliza had done her junior to Vienna), so reservations were not year of overseas study in Budapest in 2004. The Munich airport station is underground necessary. What I saw seriously affected Three years later she returned to Hungary and feels like a regular subway station, me. The stub station featured 16 tracks to spend a year teaching English at the but the train we stepped into was a step coming in from the west, nearly every public high school in Koszeg, a town of up from rapid transit: big, wide cars with track had a train on it, some tracks had 7,000 at the far western end of the country huge windows and pantographs on the two trains poised to leave in succession, within miles of the Austrian border. roof instead of a third rail on the tracks. and the platforms were at least twice as The permanently coupled 4-car train had wide—perhaps 30 or 35 feet, a virtual Eliza’s plan was to spend three days no bulkheads at the end of each car, just a promenade—as any platform I’ve ever reconnecting with her old friends in full-width diaphragm that turned the whole seen in North America. A train shed Koszeg, then move on to Budapest and car into one continuous chamber. We bought covered the entire expanse, and in a sight spend another three days there—where our tickets from a machine on the platform calculated to reduce the Amtrak police other friends awaited—before flying home. and—this was new to us—pushed a button department to hand-wringing, there was We briefly considered adding Prague to on the outside of the door to open it and no platform control whatsoever: Anybody our itinerary but dropped the idea when it admit us to the car. A few minutes later the could stroll right off the concourse and became clear we just wouldn’t have time. train slid out of the station, ran for a minute onto any platform at any time—and I did, Because there are no direct flights from or so in a tunnel, then burst into sunlight (Continued on page 17) RAIL USERS’ NETWORK NEWSLETTER Page 17 of 20

Riding the Rails in Germany, Austria and Hungary

(Continued from page 16) The reason for these omissions became wood, plastic or aluminum, and in addition to clear shortly after our on-time departure. blocking rail passengers’ views of the passing inspecting an InterCity Express high- The Railjet is so fast that most passengers communities it contributes a shabbiness all speed train just in from Essen, a couple of reach their destination before they need a its own that is not mentioned in the travel Austrian Railjet trains from Vienna and nap, and the ride is so quiet that installing brochures. Salzburg and both single- and double- a carpet would be like putting sugar in deck commuter trains, most of them honey. With a firm but gentle tug on the And the train noise must be substantial, electrified. I believe I saw one idling diesel consist, the big Taurus got hold of its train because so is the number of train movements. locomotive that must have come in off a so decisively that our car seemed to be About every seven or eight minutes, another non-electrified branch line. going 35 miles per hour by the time the train flashed past on the other track. Some end of the platform slid past. were Railjets, some were commuter and To make this train-watchers paradise regional trains and, to the surprise of this even more paradisaical, a mezzanine And we just kept accelerating. Unlike observer, a fair number were freights. Most of speckled with every imaginable sort of American stations, where interlockings, them seemed to be moving at a clip not much food concession is suspended just above turnouts and yard traffic restrict speed slower than the passenger trains. Certainly they the concourse. Climb up one flight and for the first three or four miles, our were moving faster than a typical American you can get yourself a beer and sausage Railjet was off like a shot right from the freight train. And why not? They all were or a coffee and pastry and feast your eyes highball on dedicated passenger track. powered by electric engines, their cars were and your inner man at the same time. A mile out of the station we seemed to much lighter than the 286,000-lb. behemoths Here, at last, I said to myself, I have be doing close to 100 mph. The train now standard in North America—and they found civilization. We bought our tickets climbed a flyover and leaned to the left were short, usually no more than 25 cars. and prepared for the next day’s trip to for a long, continuous high-speed curve. Salzburg. Because the Munich Hauptbahnhof is a Still, the freights were substantially slower stub station entered only from the west, than the Railjets. How, I wondered, could the Our train was the standard equipment our eastbound train had to do a complete dispatchers mingle so many different kinds of used on the Munich-Salzburg-Vienna 180 to get itself pointed toward Salzburg. trains, without letting fast trains get backed main line, a Railjet operated by the It did so with no diminution in speed on up behind slow ones? Passenger-train slots are Austrian Federal Railways. The red- superbly designed and maintained track. longer than freight-train slots, and commuter and-gray Railjets are not true high- Factories, apartment blocks, houses and trains fit somewhere in between, but the fast speed trains. A big Taurus-type electric boulevards flew past as the train followed trains did not seem to be intruding on the locomotive pulls a seven-car fixed the circumferential route taking it over to slow ones. What made it all work? consist with a tail car tipped with a the Ostbahnhof for a final pickup on the east streamlined cab to permit push-pull side of downtown. We were doing more The mystery began to clear up when we operation. The cab car also has a first- than 100 mph without even leaving the made our first stop at a pretty little country class section and a small bistro with a city limits. town up in the hills—I think it may have curving standup refreshment bar and been the lake resort of Chiemsee. As we booth seating for 14. The red-and-gray But then we did leave the city limits, very approached the station the double-track color scheme is replicated inside the aggressively, with a big, smooth surge of main line fanned out to become four trains, especially in the bistro car, which acceleration from the Taurus on the point. tracks—two passenger tracks accessing has red booths. Coach interiors are The digital readout on the ceiling over the the station platforms and two more tracks mostly gray. aisle read 200 kmh—about 125 miles per without a platform—obviously for freight hour—and we were climbing and curving, for trains. Since German freight trains are We got aboard our coach with a few Bavaria is sub-alpine country. Pretty country short, not a lot of real estate was needed minutes to spare, and I immediately towns flew by, but alas, we didn’t see much to create this bigger footprint. As we noticed a couple of departures from of them because the Germans treat their progressed eastward I saw this same standard North American interior- railroad much the same as Americans treat configuration at every rural station: two design practices. The seats, while very their Interstates. Airport-style “blast fences” passing tracks into which the dispatcher roomy and comfortable, did not recline, are erected along the right of way to protect could route a freight train in advance of a and there was no carpeting on the floor residents along the tracks against the noise of passenger train meeting or overtaking it. or on the sidewalls below the windows. passing trains. The fencing material can be (Continued on page 19) RAIL USERS’ NETWORK NEWSLETTER Page 18 of 20 All Aboard the St. Kitts Scenic Railway

By Bill Engel My wife Sandy and I first became aware of one after our train had passed, evidently a this railway during a November 2002 visit crude manual block signal system! On the island of St. Kitts in the eastern to St. Kitts. While on a general bus tour of Caribbean, there is an interesting railroad the island, I noticed the rail right of way In addition to the car host offering both operation called the St. Kitts Scenic and some of the special cars used to haul alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, Railway. How many places in the world sugar cane. Since it was not sugar cane entertainment was provided. A trio of are you going to find double-decked harvest season, the rails were not active. singers would visit each car in turn, narrow gauge passenger cars? The unique offering mostly gospel-style music. In cars and island hospitality make riding this Then in July 2003, during a conversation between songs, the narrator kept us aware line a most enjoyable experience. with a White Pass & Yukon employee in of the sights we were seeing. A common Skagway, AK, he stated he had been sent sight was the cone-shaped base of one Growing sugar cane and producing raw to St. Kitts in January that year to train the of the windmills that had powered the sugar was long an important part of the island enginemen on using air brakes so they machinery used to squeeze the juice out of economy in the Caribbean islands and the could operate the new passenger train. The the sugar cane in the past. island of St. Kitts was no exception. Early sugar cane cars did not have air brakes. sugar production involved relatively small St. Kitts is a volcanic island, so the railway On a late winter cruise to the Caribbean plantations using wind powered machinery is squeezed in between the shoreline in 2004, our ship was scheduled to visit St. to squeeze juice from the harvested sugar and the somewhat steep slopes of Mt. Kitts. We could not turn down the offered cane. The juice was then boiled to make Liamuiga. Over the centuries rainwater shore tour to ride the St. Kitts Scenic raw sugar. But by the early twentieth runoff has eroded ravines in the sides of the century more efficiency was need to stay Railway! We signed up and had a most hills known locally as “ghuts.” The railway competitive. On St. Kitts, a central sugar enjoyable experience. builders were obliged to cross several of processing factory was established in 1912 these on high steel trestles, definitely a and 30 miles of 2’6” gauge railway was Although the railway circles the island, the scenic highlight of the ride. At the northern constructed. circling the island to transport scenic train only uses 18 of the 30 miles of end of St. Kitts, views of a neighboring the harvested sugar cane to the factory. track. Turning loops have been constructed at the terminals of the passenger train for island become visible, and the shoreline below becomes that of the Caribbean Sea But even this more efficient system could ease of operation. Our trip started at the instead of the Atlantic Ocean. not keep St. Kitts sugar competitive in world main terminal, not far from the port at the markets forever. By the early 2000s, the capital city of Basseterre. government made the decision to close the sugar After 18 scenic miles, the train pulls into factory in 2005. But what to do with the railway? Most of the passengers chose the upper the turning loop and passengers board A private operator was found to make an level open air seating, which really mini-buses for the 12 mile road journey investment to operate it as a tourist attraction! does offer better viewing. Our car host back to the port. The train boards other introduced herself, and began using the passengers for their train ride in the New passenger cars were purpose built large “industrial strength” blender at her reverse direction. with large windows on an enclosed lower service station to mix the drinks. level. The lower level is air conditioned and For the passenger rail advocate, the St. has the restroom. Open-air seating was Traveling from this terminal, the train first Kitts Scenic Railway is a positive example provided on the upper level which has a runs along the Atlantic Ocean side of St. of recycling a former freight railway to canvas cover to shade passengers from the Kitts. Stunning views of the Atlantic are passenger use. It is also an example of sun and protect against any rain showers. visible, unspoiled by the high rise buildings a public/private partnership. It provides At one end of the upper level is a station found on our Atlantic shores. Since the different activity than water sports, golf, for the car host to provide complimentary railway is 2’6” gauge, some of the curves or shopping to visitors to the island. The beverages to the passengers. Second hand are rather sharp. Tropical vegetation grows cruise lines do most of the marketing European built diesel hydraulic locomotives close to the right of way, another reason to through their shore tour desks. If you take were acquired to provide the motive power. choose the upper level seating. Since it was a Caribbean cruise that calls at St. Kitts, Since the passenger cars are equipped with sugar cane harvest season, we would pass this tour is a must do! For more info, visit Westinghouse air brakes, the locomotives small yards where workers were loading www.stkittsscenicrailway.com. had to be retrofitted with them as well. A cane cars from trucks. At these yards, a power car provides electricity for the PA signalman would emerge from a small Bill Engel is a RUN Board Member based system and other needs. building and change a green flag to a red in Clinton, OH. RAIL USERS’ NETWORK NEWSLETTER Page 19 of 20

Riding the Rails in Germany, Austria and Hungary (Continued from page 17) contact area on an American train. I once read that it recently replaced its old railroad read that the wheel/rail contact area under station with one of more modern and Obviously, this extra infrastructure costs extra a typical North American heavy freight functional design. I love stations and always money—especially since it involves not just locomotive is about the size of a quarter try to keep up with changes in station design track but electrification—but it keeps the (for each wheel), while the contact area and technology. Still, how exciting could the railroad extraordinarily fluid and enables it to under a 286,000-lb. freight car is about the station be in a city of only 154,000 people— handle far more movements than would be size of a nickel and the contact area under about the size of Peoria? possible on a double-track North American a passenger car is about the size of a dime. railroad. The electric engines don’t hurt Imagine my surprise when our Railjet slid either. Their whiplike acceleration far exceeds The contact area under our Railjet coach to a stop in an 11-track elevated station that of the most powerful diesel locomotives, seemed to be about the size of pea. How covered by a stunning, barrel-shaped giving the freight trains a nimbleness we just could that possibly be achieved? Probably aluminum-and-glass train shed that don’t see on this side of the pond. by using a rounder railhead—and maybe seamlessly melded classic 19th-century by rounding the wheel surface as well. station architecture with the best practices As we accelerated out of Chiemsee toward in crowd control, rail-traffic flow and the Austrian border, I began to notice I immediately e-mailed my European passenger comforts and service perfected something else about our Railjet: The ride railroad authority, Andrew Sharp, retired in the 20th and 21st. Although I had been was not just fast but extraordinarily smooth director-general of the International Air in Europe for three days now, it was not and silent. The Railjets are conventional Rail Organisation in London. Andrew until Salzburg that I began to realize just single-deck trains, and Eliza, Bob and I were shot back, “Right you are, Fritz. European how different Europe is in the way it thinks seated directly over the truck, yet the noise rail does have a rounder profile than about and uses passenger trains—and how level in this uncarpeted coach interior was American rail. That’s what makes the ride much we have to learn before we can have substantially lower at 125 mph than on the so quiet. The new California high-speed a passenger-train system of our own. upper deck of one of Amtrak’s Superliners rail system is designed to use a rounded, doing 70. It seemed we were hardly on rails at Euro-style rail profile. But that’s causing a It took me a couple of beers, a dinner of all. What was going on? bit of trouble, because the federal funding wiener schnitzel and another Railjet ride for California HSR says that all materials to Vienna before it started to become clear. I had a hunch. We certainly were on rails, used on the railway must be made in the but we didn’t seem to be on them very U.S., and not one American steel mill To be continued: Onward to Vienna...and east. much. I suspected that the wheel/rail knows how to roll that type of rail.” contact area—the actual dimensions of F.K. Plous is vice president, communications at the wheel surface in contact with the rail A few minutes later we slowed for Salzburg, Corridor Capital LLC. surface—was considerably smaller than the a stop I was eager to check out because I had New Rail Extensions Opening in SoCal (Continued from page 2) will have arrived for Metro to be able (the Crenshaw and Regional Connector to operate both extensions. Since the light rail lines and Purple Line heavy The situation became a stalemate but Gold Line has already had an opening rail Wilshire extension) currently under eventually it looked like the option would date announced, the new cars will construction. If the aforementioned be exercised. Then inexplicably at the first be used for it and only after it is ballot measure passes next November, eleventh hour, AnsaldoBreda declined to functioning can any of the new cars be its avowed purpose is to accelerate the sign a contract to build the cars. Metro allocated to the Expo Line. The intrigue construction of rail projects region wide at that point had no choice but began and machinations that cloud railcar such that what was thought would take 30 the lengthy process of procuring the cars procurement can boggle the mind. years to build could be done in as little as with the contract eventually awarded to 10. If nothing else, the year ahead for rail Kinkisharyo for the needed light rail cars Of course, once both extensions are in Southern California promises much (dubbed P3010). up and running by next summer, all excitement and drama. the political shenanigans and nonsense The new cars are currently being will be forgotten as the region exalts in Dana Gabbard is a RUN Board member and delivered, but it will not be until at the continued growth of a burgeoning executive secretary of Southern California Transit least six months from now that enough urban rail network with further additions Advocates. Please become a member of RUN… From the run We invite you to become a member of the Rail Users’ Network, which represents rail passengers’ board of interests in North America. RUN is based on the successful British model, which has been serving passengers since 1948. RUN networks passengers, their advocacy organizations, and their advisory directors councils. RUN is working to help secure an interconnected system of rail services that passengers will use with pride. RUN forms a strong, unified voice for intercity, regional/commuter, and transit rail passenger interests. By joining together, sharing information, best practices, and resources through Rail Users’ Network networking, passengers will have a better chance of a vocal and meaningful seat at the decision making Newsletter is table. published quarterly RUN members enjoy newsletters, international conferences, regional rail forums, and other meetings to by the Rail Users’ share information while working to improve and expand rail passenger service. Network, a 501 (c) (3), Membership is open to passengers, official advisory councils, advocacy groups, public agencies, tourist nonprofit corporation. and convention bureaus, carriers and other profit-making organizations. We hope you will join — vital decisions and legislation affecting the North American rail transportation We welcome your system are being made daily. Don’t be left behind at the station! thoughts and comments about our newsletter. Please write to us: RUN, P.O. Box 8015, Portland, ME 04104

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