ISSN 2325-629X IN THIS ISSUE: 2017 - Make or Break for the Sunset Limited? Amtrak’s Line Manager’s Report on the Sunset and Starlight Selden on Competition Arizona Meeting Jackson Hits the Rails President’s Commentary Photo by Georg Trub STEEL WHEELS / 4TH QUARTER 2016 1 RailPAC is a 501c3 Organization therefore all donations are tax deductible. 2 STEEL WHEELS / 4TH QUARTER 2016 anyway since with an optimum wheel-rail interface you achieve the best ride, the lowest fuel consumption, and the least rail and wheel wear. As for Positive Train Control, installing it on a 43 mile system, effectively President’s closed to other traffic, with a captive fleet of 14 dmus Commentary should not be that hard. The sad thing is that cost overruns and delays lend High Speed Rail ammunition to passenger rail’s many detractors. News came in October This is supposed to be a low cost “starter” system. that the HSR engineers Unfortunately regulations such as mandatory PTC had decided that small is and ADA requirements mean that there is no longer a beautiful. The word is that shorter trains need smaller cheap way to get into the passenger rail business. We stations which fit more easily into built urban areas. A are fortunate to have relatively recent additions such as lot of people could have told them that five or six years Metrolink and ACE. Would they be built under today’s ago before millions were spent on designing half mile regulatory regime? I seriously doubt it. long stations and even longer approach tracks. As far as my home town (Burbank) is concerned trying to Capitol Corridor squeeze a 16 car train into the confines of the available Remembering that Monterey CA was the capitol of right of way was never going to be easy. In any event Alta California I am minded to think that the Capitol shorter trains are more convenient for passengers (less Corridor service still has a long way to go. Not only walking, especially with luggage), and will make it far has it not reached Monterey but another former Capitol, easier to extend the system to San Diego, the East Bay San Jose, the third largest city in the State with about and Sacramento. a million people, has awful train service. San Jose and Oakland, our number 8 city, are about 42 miles apart. SMART Oakland’s population is about 420,000, about the same What the heck is happening at SMART? Opening a as that other fine port city Liverpool. 27 miles from new passenger rail service is not for the faint hearted, Liverpool is Manchester, with a similar population, just but SMART has the right of way, minimal interference over 400,000. The difference in rail service is striking. from existing rail traffic, and other similar systems such Off peak there are 4 trains an hour between Liverpool as the NCTD “Sprinter” from which to draw lessons and Manchester. Between Oakland and San Jose there and experience. As far as I can see they do not plan are 7 trains a day. to do anything that has not been done before. So why I have in a previous issue of SW drawn a similar another 6 months delay? The latest issue appears comparison between Los Angeles - San Diego and to be the engine crankshafts. But typically these London - Birmingham. The differences in all these underfloor engines are in modules and can be changed cases are striking, but at least the Capitol Corridor out quickly. Shortage of crankshafts? This seems agency is tackling the issue, and has a vision to unlikely. Cummins have been supplying engines of improve the situation. David Kutrosky, Managing this general type to rail operators around the world for Director of the agency, gave a presentation to the many years. We also hear that SMART has had trouble Steel Wheels Conference in Sacramento in September recruiting operating staff. This is not surprising given outlining some ambitious steps to radically improve the housing costs in the area and the lack of other railroad route. (See the Power Point at www.railpac.org) As he employment nearby. points out, CapCor is the only unified service linking the I think that the elephant in the room is the signaling entire region from the Sierra Foothills to Silicon Valley. system, both crossing gate actuation, and Positive There should be 100 mph passenger trains at least Train Control. SMART engineering staff are blaming hourly. He also pointed out that they have reached the scale on the head of the rail causing a failure to activate limit of track sharing as far as capacity and speed are crossing gates. If so that is a one-time problem solved concerned. From this point on serious infrastructure by grinding and profiling. That is a good thing to do investment will be needed. This is not a job for BART! STEEL WHEELS / 4TH QUARTER 2016 3 Steel Wheels in Sacramento, September 2016 Thank goodness the frequency and service hours make up for these deficiencies. On the subject of the Steel Wheels Conference, I have to thank the Board, and former board member Chuck Sunset Robuck, for filling in for me during my indisposition. At the Denver meeting we formed (or perhaps re-formed) The conference went well and the attendees enjoyed a “Sunset Limited” action group to take up the fight once some great presentations from Capitol Corridor, the again for service preservation and daily departures. San Joaquins, Amtrak and California High Speed Rail. These two requirements are complementary. The train Andy Selden came from Minnesota and talked about will not survive without a major improvement in the competition, while NARP Chair Peter LeCody and economics and this can only come about with a daily President Jim Mathews were welcomed and thanked for train. More on the Sunset later in this issue. making the trip out west. Coast Starlight Denver A highlight of the Steel Wheels conference was the I managed to make the trip to Denver in October for the presentation by Amtrak’s Eric Smith covering his work as NARP fall Council meeting. This was one of the best product manager for the Coast Starlight and Southwest NARP events I have ever been to, with lots of group Chief. Both Eric and his colleague Jay Fountain (Sunset, participation and sensible discussion about the issues. Texas Chief and Heartland Flyer) have a little over a year under their belts in their respective positions, and both are widely respected inside and outside Amtrak. Eric was Amtrak’s Metrolink operations manager, while Jay was previously the manager and liaison for the LOSSAN Surfliner service. In their old and new positions both report to Mike Chandler, Deputy General Manager, Southwest Region, Long Distance Business Line. Mike usually keeps a low profile but he should be acknowledged. He has just received the Presidential Service and Safety Award for Excellence in Leadership. He is supporting Jay, Eric and their teams in delivering the programs you’ll read about in this issue, and has been a great manager through some very tough times. Thank you Mike, for all you do. Hyundai emu Denver A line train heads for Denver Airport, “Wick” Moorman - new Amtrak CEO May 30, 2016. - Chase Gunnoe RailPAC welcomes former NS CEO Wick Moorman to the Andy Selden wrote about the Denver A line to the airport hot seat at Amtrak. We already hear that Mr. Moorman in the last issue of SW. Nothing has changed. Other is out and about on the trains and depots talking to than small type signs for “Transit Center” there is no passengers and employees. This is certainly better than indication, and certainly no advertizing of this convenient riding 10001, and we hope this is the precursor to a new service from the time you land all the way to the land management culture at the railroad. Good morale starts side, and that’s a long way from B93! It’s hard to believe at the top, and is essential for a successful organization, that Denver RTD can’t find a small budget for some but I think especially for a railroad which perforce relies so strategically placed announcements. What about on the much on personal initiative rather than direct supervision. “train” that connects the terminals? I for one am hoping that Moorman will be firm with the Otherwise the trip was slow, the track switches out of the Congress and cause them to let him get on with the job, airport and on and off the single line were good enough and at the same time motivating his people to give of their for boxcars but not for passenger comfort, (yes, single best so that he can justify further investment in a quality line, where we stopped and watched the cars go by), and product. the vehicles looked like hand me downs from the 1950s. 4 STEEL WHEELS / 4TH QUARTER 2016 LINK US, SCRIP - Or Run Through Tracks. Metrolink and Burbank Airport The essential project with no champion and few friends. You may be surprised to hear that the Burbank So whatever happened to the 2021 delivery date for what Transportation Commission opposed the Antelope Valley I have called the most important passenger rail project in line Metrolink station that had been approved by Metro. Southern California? The short version is that CHSRA The reasons were clear and I’ll summarize: decided they want their trains through Los Angeles on the Metrolink service is inadequate for the needs of airport surface and in a shared facility with Amtrak and Metrolink, workers and air travelers alike.