Washington Rail News June/July 2015 www.AllAboardWashington.org Publication of All Aboard Washington A Not-for-profit Consumer Organization “Moving forward...On Rail." Central Washington legislators speak at Derailment should spur concerted bipartisan effort to AAWA Ellensburg meeting make train travel safer, better All Aboard Washington’s May 9 member) Ralph Munro. About 25 leg- By Malcolm Kenton meeting was in Ellensburg. We had islators regularly attend LRC meetings The hearts of everyone in the rail- over 30 people present. Our speakers while about 45 members have attended road industry and who cares about were two central Washington legisla- at least one event. passenger trains are heavy with the tors: Rep. Matt Manweller (R-Ellens- Railroads play an important role in losses suffered in the May 12 tragedy burg) and Sen. Judy Warnick (R-Moses building our state’s economy. The LRC in Philadelphia. I started writing this Lake). In introducing our guests, Lloyd has three broad goals to help facilitate from aboard an Acela Express traveling noted that the Legislative Rail Caucus rail issues in Washington. from is the best thing for state rail issues in Educate themselves: The legisla- Boston at least a decade. The two legislators tors tour transportation infrastructure to New serve as LRC co-chairs in their respec- such as ports, intermodal facilities and York on tive chambers. grain terminals. They meet with private Friday Manweller started his presentation groups such as AAWA and BNSF, and May 15. by flatly stating he does not fly “ever.” with local and state government I was Even long distance trips across our agencies. headed country are by train. The LRC got to Phila- Educate others: They meet with started as a result of a conversation he delphia key decision makes in the Legislature and fellow House co-chair Luis Mos- for my that aren’t specifically versed in trans- coso (D-Mountlake Terrace) had with cousin’s portation issues, and with key WSDOT The curve at Frankford retired Secretary of State (and AAWA law employees. One major step in educat- Junction in North Philadel- school ing others was the phia where Amtrak North- gradua- east Regional train 188 de- expansion of the tion, railed on May 12, seen in LRC from being using March 2010. just a House group Photo by Generic Brand Productions / the New to also including Flickr.com. Jersey state senators. Transit Northeast Corridor Line to Advocate: The SEPTA West Trenton Line bridge state owns several that had been set up to bypass the site rail lines and has of the derailment. I had been sched- created rail dis- uled to travel from my home in Wash- tricts, but they ington, DC to Boston on the over- have little authority. night Northeast Regional train 66 on At the April NARP council meeting our own Charlie Hamilton There needs to be the 12th, but it was the first northbound was recognized for his service in helping select NARP’s new a review of how the departure to be canceled after the de- database/web vendor. Presenting the award are President state finances and railment, about which other waiting Jim Mathews, left, and Chairman Bob Stewart. Here is the promotes these text of his award: passengers and I found out from our state-owned lines. National Association of Railroad Passengers smartphones in the boarding area. I am An upcoming very thankful that neither I nor any of Jack Martin Award meeting in July will Named for the National Association of Railroad Passengers' my family or friends were aboard train volunteer president of over two decades, this award is given address these is- 188, and my thoughts are with the fam- only to individuals who have given significant and valiant sues. Manweller ilies of those who were and did not efforts to the cause of America's rail travelers. noted that the LRC make it, and with those who suffered This honor is hereby bestowed upon Charles Hamilton for advocates for all injuries. his efforts in bringing the Association's advocacy efforts into types of rail: pas- It is worth noting that the number of the Twenty-First Century. Though his contributions travel senger or freight, railroad passenger and crew casual- through the ether, they have and will continue to have substantive impact for those traveling aboard High Iron. (See Ellensburg, ties, while there is no good excuse for Presented in April of 2015 Washington, D.C. page 5) (See Derailment, page 4) Photo by Ken Briers page 2 particularly praised the bill’s emphasis on The oil train issue has now been su- From the desk of the removal of the volatile gases found in perseded in the news by the tragedy on the Executive the Bakken crude before shipping, and Amtrak NE Regional 188 in Philadelphia, Director on full disclosure to public officials of the with eight fatalities and scores injured. what, when, to where and how much Speed was obviously the cause, but why by crude oil the trains are carrying. such excessive speed is unknown at this Lloyd H. Flem We have also endorsed the Governor- writing. Our thoughts should remain with Inslee-signed oil train safety bill that was the loved ones of the deceased, those Oil Trains, Philadelphia, and a passed near-unanimously by the Wash- injured, and our thanks to those so Half-Full Cup; ington Legislature (Senate 46-0; House quickly responding to the terrible event. 95-1). The bill. while not as strong as that To Amtrak’s credit, the vitally-important Thanks and Get involved of the US senators, was seen as “pretty Northeast Corridor service has been fully You, my fellow AAWA members, plus good” by even usually-critical observers. restored and passenger have not ceased other rail professionals and rail advo- Other regulations posted by the Federal using the trains. The very costly positive cates are different from most North Rail Administration will add another train control (PTC) technology or other Americans in that we have always measure of oil train safety. less-expensive means of slowing “run- thought about, have known about away trains” is being debated by in- and have had opinions on the rail- formed people. No debate that better roads that haul a large and growing I had feared that between oil controls of some kind are being or volume of freight and a small but trains incidents and the train should be installed. growing volume of passengers. It As I said above, I had feared that seems the average American or Ca- 188 tragedy, there would be a between oil trains incidents and the nadian had been aware of freight public outcry wholly negative train 188 tragedy, there would be a trains mainly as they delay private public outcry wholly negative to idea motor vehicles at grade crossings, to idea of railroads. But as a of railroads. But as a long-time al- and were often oblivious to (or at long-time always thoughtful ways thoughtful AAWA member re- best “forgot about”) passenger trains AAWA member reminded me, minded me, there are now consider- as a clean, comfortable, economical able media coverage touting the rel- and safe alternatives to driving or there are now considerable ative safety and value of the rail flying. media coverage touting the mode. For example, in past public But two issues have recently statements I have claimed that when brought the rail mode into a broad relative safety and value of traveling in our intercity passengers public consciousness. Unfortunately trains a person is ten to twenty times the rail mode. the issues of oil trains and the safer than when in a private motor vehicle. Amtrak NE Regional 188 tragedy in Assuming oil trains continue and are Now, an article in the Washington Philadelphia have pushed the rail mode even safer than those currently running (DC) Post quotes an economist from into the general public’s mind as rarely in through our state, the other concern as Northwestern University who found, per the past. I feared oil train spills and fires passenger train advocates is that oil (and million passenger miles using 2000-2009 and the Philadelphia Amtrak disaster coal) trains become so numerous they data, the automobile fatality rate was would bring about totally negative re- make increased passenger rail service seventeen times higher than for train sponses to the idea of steel wheels on difficult and even render existing service passengers. That more accurate number steel rails. But I’m seeing maybe a silver less reliable. The fulfillment of agree- is better than my “ten to twenty times.” lining, a half-full cup, as a result of oil ments with the freight railroads resulting Other media stories have pushed the train problems and train 188. from the investments of multimillions of economic and environmental advantages Concerning the oil trains issues: Federal dollars into freight rail infrastruc- of the rail mode and disputed the fiction AAWA’s position on oil trains was made ture (for improvement of passenger train that air and road facilities are totally paid manifest by my letters of support to US service) needs to be carefully monitored. for by “user fees.” Also cited is the double Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Edmonds) And we have de facto allies. Those de- standard of applying “the market” to pas- and Patty Murray (D-Bothell), hand car- pendent on freight railroads for agricul- senger rail, but not to other passenger ried to their offices by Jim Hamre, Harvey tural, industrial and general merchandise transportation modes. Bowen and Claire Bowen at the recent goods are also concerned that an abun- AAWA members and other rail advo- NARP spring meeting in DC, for their dance of fossil-fuel trains might disrupt cates, while not diminishing the problems Crude By Rail Safety Act of 2015 (S.