I ^•fr ^>^^-% ^- :^\ <^ 'o • » * ,0 4 o _j»-, :i If AMTRAK'S SERVICE REDUCTIONS HEARINGS (/'• ;,^ BEFORE THE vT-V.- /,••; _ j, iW. <J,^ SUBCOMMITTEE ON " TRANSPORTATION AND COMMERCE OP THE COMMITTEE ON INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIYE8 NINETY-FIFTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ON AMTRAK'S 5-TEAB CORPORATE PLAN OCTOBER 12 AND 13, 1977 Serial No. 95-87 •• r Printed for the iise of the I. Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce » U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE at-tl4 O WASHINGTON : 1978 n COMMITTEE ON INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE HARLEY ©. STAGGERS, West Virginia, Chairman JOHN E. MOSS, California SAMUEL L. DEVINB, Ohio JOHN D. DINGELL. Michigan JAMES T. BROYHILL, North Carolina PAUL Q. ROGERS. Florida TIM LEE CARTER, Kentucky LIONEL VAN DEERLIN, California CLARENCE J. BROWN, Ohio FRED B. ROONBY, Pennsylvania JOE SKUBITZ. Kansas JOHN M. MURPHY, New York JAMES M. COLLINS, Texas DAVID B. SATTERPIELD III, Virginia LOUIS FRBY, Ja., Florida BOB ECKHARDT, Texas NORMAN F. LENT, New York RICHARDSON PREYBOR, North Carolina EDWARD R. MADIGAN, Illinois CHARLES J. CARNEY, Ohio CARLOS R. MOORHEAD, California RALPH H. METCALPE, Illinois MATTHEW J. RINALDO, New Jersey JAMES H. SCHEUER, New York W. HENSON MOORE, Louisiana RICHARD L. OTTINGBR, New York DAVE STOCKMAN, Michigan HENRY A. WAXMAN, California MARC L. MARKS, Pennsylvania ROBERT (BOB) KRUEGER, Texas TIMOTHY E. WIRTH, Colorado PHILIP R. SHARP, Indiana JAMBS J. FLORIO, New Jersey ANTHONY TOBY MOFFETT, Connecticut JIM 8ANTINI, Neveda ANDREW MAGUIRE, New Jersey MARTY RUSSO, Illinois EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts THOMAS A. LUKEN, Ohio DOUG WALGREN, Pennsylvania BOB GAMMAGE, Texas ALBERT GORE, JR., Tennessee BARBARA A. MIKULSKI, Maryland W. E. WILLIAMSON, CMef Clerk and Staff Director KSNNETU J. PAINTER, Ji'irgt Assistant Clerk ELEANOR A. DINKINS, Astittant Clerk PRANK W. MAHON, Printing Editor Projettional Staff ELIZABETH HARRISON CHRISTOPHER B. DUNNE JEFFREY H. SCHWARTZ WILLIAM M. KITZUILLIB BRIAN R. MOIB MARK J. RAABB KAREN NELSON THOUAS M. RTAN Ross DAVID AIN RICHARD D. LINDSAY, M.D. J. PAUL MOLLOT, Associate Minority Counsel SUBCOMMITTEE ON TKANBPOBTATION AND COMMEBCE FRED B. ROONBY, Pennsylvania, Chairman RALPH H. METCALPE, Illinois JOB SKUBITZ, Kansas BARBARA A. MIKULSKI, Maryland EDWARD R. MADIGAN, Illinois JAMBS J. FLORIO, New Jersey NORMAN P. LENT. New York JIM SANTINI, Nevada SAMUEL L. DEVINB. Ohio (Ex Offlclo) MARTY RUSSO. Illinois BOB GAMMAGE, Texas JOHN M. MURPHY, New York HARLEY O. STAGGERS, West Virginia (Ex OfBclo) WILLIAM T. DROHAN, Staff Director (H) •^2-(oOZllo1 e*PI CONTENTS Hearings held on— ^'** October 12, 1977 1 October 13, 1977 81 Statement of— Alston, Sherri Y., assistant commissioner, public transportation divi- sion, Minnesota Department of Transportation 295 Anderson, Hon. Glenn M., a Representative in Congress from the State of California 37, 87 Anderson, Richard J., director. New Jersey Commuter Services Division, New Jersey Department of Tiansportation 269 Barwis, William L., manager, rail passenger operations, Michigan Department of State Highways and Transportation 287 Baucus, Hon. Max, a Representative in Congress from the State of Montana 83 Braizer, Don, vice president, finance, National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) 87, 123,154 Capon, Ross, executive director. National Association of Railroad Passengers 260 Dodd, Hon. Christopher J., a Representative in Congress from the State of Connecticut 82 Elkins, Clifford, director, National Conference of State Railway Officials 285 Gallamore, Hon. Robert E., Deputy Administratoi, Federal Railroad Administration, Department of Transportation 45 Gore, Hon. Albert, Jr., a Representative in Congress from the State of Tennessee 120 Gray, G. E., acting chief, division of mass transportation, California Department of Transportation 301 Hennessy, Hon. William C, commissioner. New York State Depart- ment of Transportation 2 Jenrette, Hon. John W., Jr., a Representative in Congress from the State of South Carolina 42 Lewis, Arthur D., president, American Bus A.ssociation 273 Lombard!, John, director, State and local affairs. National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) 87, 123, 154 Murphv, Hon. John M., a Representative in Congress from the State of New York 2 O'Neal, Hon. A. Daniel, Chairman, Interstate Commerce Commission. 53 Pickle, Hon. J. J., a Representative in Congress from the State of Texas 140 Purcell, Arthur H., Ph. D., director, Technical Information Project, Inc 282 Reistrup, Paul H., president. National Railroad Passenger Corpora- tion (Amtrak) 87, 123, 154 Ring, Douglas, deputy supervisor, board of supervisors, county of Los Angeles 38, 44 Robins, Martin, executive assistant to Commissioner Peter E. Stangl, New Jersey Department of Transpoi tation 269 Rossi, Louis, director of rail operations, New York Department of Transportation 2 Swinburn, Charles, Associate Administrator, Federal Assistance, Department of Transportation 45 Van Deerlin, Hon. Lionel, a Representative in Congress from the State of California 86 (m) ^ pp IV Stat^nent of—ConOnned Walsh, John P., Chief, Passenger Service Branch, Bureau of Oper- r*** attons. Interstate Commerce Commission 53 Wilson, Hon. Charles H., a Representative in Congress from the State of California 87 Additional material submitted for the record by— American Bus Association: Table 1.—Amtrak's revenues, expenses, deficits, and passengers carried, fiscal years 1971-77 and projected by Amtrak for fiscal years 1978-82 275 Table 2.—Amtrak's revenues, expenses, and deficits as averages per passenger carried, fiscal years 1971-77 and as projected by Amtrak for fiscal years 1978-82 276 Gore, Hon Albert, Jr., a Representative in Congress from the State of Tennessee: Supplemental statement 120 Comments of the Amtrak contracting railroad on section 3(b) of S. 1793, the Railroad Improvement Act of 1977 121 Michigan Department of State Highways and Transportation, eval- uation of Michigan Amtrak ser%'ice 288 National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak): Excerpt from "The Criteria and Procedures for Making Route and Service Decisions" 91 Letter dated November 9, 1977, from Bruce Pike, vice president, government affairs 94 Attachment No. 4—Financial contribution and contribution per passenger mile 97 Board of directors—National Railroad Passenger Corporation.. 103 Major cost programs initiated in the past 2 years that might have saved Amtrak money 124 Frequency reductions 127 Attachment A—Reinstatement of frequency reductions 129 Attachment B—Detail of Northeast Corridor frequency re- ductions 132 Analysis of avoidable costs 137 Chicago-St. Louis corridor route profit (loss) summary 157 Allocation of public liability insurance costs 159 Letter dated October 21, 1977, from Chairman Rooney to Mr. Reistrup re que.stions requested to be answered 165 Letter dated November 8, 1977, from Mr. Reistrup to Chairman Rooney re Amtrak's responses to the questions 166 Letter dated September 9, 1977, with attachments from Mr. Lombardi, director, State and local services, to Mr. Hennessy, commissioner, New York State Department of Transportation. 199 Letter dated February 9, 1978, from Mr. Reistrup to Chairman Staggers' response to letter of January 11, which contained 17 questions 205 New York State Department of Transportation, attachments to Mr. Hennessy's prepared statement: Letter dated October 21, 1977, from Mr Hennessy to Chairman Rooney re question about ConRail service quality in New Yrrk. 6 Summary of issues 8 Letter dated April 18, 1977, from Mr. Reistrup of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation to Commissioner Schuler re letter of Intent 34 Letter dated May 18, 1977, from Commissioner Schuler to Mr. Reistrup re receipt of April 18 correspondence 34 Letter of intent between the Department of Transportation, State of New York, and the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) 35 Pickle, Hon. J. J. a Representative in Congress from the State of Texas, attachments to prepared statement: Restructuring of Chicago-Mexico service trains 15/16 and 21/22 143 Letter dated September 6, 1977, from Mr. Grey, manager, traffic and transportation department, to Congressman Pickle. 151 Letter submitted for the record by— ^^t" Texas Association of Railroad Passengers, Houston Chapter, James W. Hofmeister, president 339 Statements submitted for the record by— Carroll, Hon. Julian M., Governor, Commonwealth of Kentucky 308 Dallas City-County Amtrak Committee of region IX attachments to Mr. Marvin D. Monaghan's prepared statement 310 Lamm, Hon. Richard D., Governor, State of Colorado 309 Fieri, Gerald L., director of rail operations, on behalf of the Common- wealth of Massachusetts 336 Texas Association of Railroad Passenger? of region IX attachments to Mr. Marvin D. Monaghan's prepared statement 310 National Association of Railroad Passengers of region IX attachments to Mr. Marvin D. Monaghan's prepared statement 310 Wylie, Hon. Chalmers P., a Representative in Congress from the State of Ohio, on behalf of the Ohio Rail Transportation Authority. 307 ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENTED AT THE HEARINGS American Bus Association, Arthur D. Lewis, president. California Department of Transportation, G. E. Gray, acting chief, division of mass transportation. Interstate Commerce Commission: O'Neal, Hon. A. Daniel, Chairman. Walsh, John P., Chief, Passenger Service Branch, Bureau of Operations. Michigan Department of State Highways and Transportation, William L. Barwis, manager, rail passenger operations. Minnesota Department of Transportation, Sherri Y. Alston,