NARP News June 2012 www.narprail.org Trains: A Travel Choice Americans Want 2013 Appropriations: “Train to Maine”: 10 Years and Growing Capitol Hill Update Brunswick, Freeport Development Blossoms Ahead of Route Extension A House subcommittee has approved Amtrak’s Downeaster in a decade To build $1.8 billion for Amtrak in Fiscal 2013 of operation has become a poster child support for which compares with $1.45 billion re- for rail passenger success. Annual rid- that exten- ported from the Senate Appropriations ership jumped 108% from 250,000 in sion, TRN Committee April 19. 2004 to 519,668 last year. did two pub- The intercity passenger rail totals, The train has been named “one of lic events—a including what is now the “High Per- America’s friendliest trains.” luncheon for formance Passenger Rail Service” (HP- As well, TrainRiders/Northeast Brunswick PRS) program, are: (TRN) and its chairman and founder, and Freeport • White House: $2.5 billion (March -Image: Northern New England Pas- NARP Council Member Wayne Davis, business NARP News, p. 2); senger Rail Authority have set a gold standard for effective leaders, and • House: $1.8 billion; citizen action. a breakfast for business leaders and the • Senate: $1.55 billion (includes $100 leadership of the state legislature. million for HPPRS, restricted to up- Founded in 1989, TRN engaged in The latter event gave business lead- grading existing services). 12 years of hard grassroots campaign- ers the opportunity to tell legislators • Fiscal 2012 actual: $1.42 billion ing and work with elected offi cials and how important the Brunswick exten- The House Subcommittee on Trans- the host railroad. The result is a much- sion was. portation and Housing & Urban De- loved Maine institution—and on-time velopment (THUD) action on June 7 performance among Amtrak’s best. Extension Spurs Development included no funds for HPPRS or Trans- NARP honored Davis with our John As the service enters its 11th year of portation Investments Generating Eco- R. Martin Passenger Train Advocacy operation, it prepares for the 28.5-mile nomic Recovery (TIGER) grants, for Award (June 2009 News, p. 4). In May, extension to Freeport and Brunswick. the second straight year. 2011, NARP presented Golden Spike The Recovery Act has funded track, The THUD Amtrak level has just Awards to Senators Olympia Snowe signal and grade crossing improve- $350 million for operations—$100 mil- and Susan Collins (R-ME) for their ments, as well as new high-level plat- lion below Amtrak’s request and $116 work in support of the Downeaster and forms for both new stations. million below this year’s level. How- passenger rail in general. Starting this November, two daily ever, the bill lets the DOT secretary ap- December 14, 2011 marked the 10th round-trips will continue as far as prove a transfer of up to $80 million in anniversary of the service’s return af- Brunswick, where connection can be capital funds to operations. ter a 36-year hiatus. Downeaster now made to the Maine Eastern Railroad’s Also, $500 million of the House’s offers fi ve daily round-trips between excursion service east to Rockland. Amtrak capital money is earmarked for Boston (North Station) and Portland. New shops, restaurants, and other (continued on p. 5) The service is operated by Amtrak amenities already are blossoming and managed by the Northern New around the stations in anticipation of ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: England Passenger Rail Authority the extended service. Federal Railroad • HSR poll misleads California public 2 (NNEPRA), a State of Maine agency. Administrator Joseph Szabo appeared • California High-Speed Rail updates 2 A Popular Train in Freeport and Brunswick May 14 to • New NARP Council members 3 celebrate the new platforms and ac- Strong grassroots support for the • New Amtrak maintenance bases 3 knowledge the economic development • Battle Creek, MI station rebuilt service led to the 1995 passage of a 4 the train’s prospect is already stimu- • NARP’s summer interns 4 ballot initiative to create NNEPRA and lating. He was joined by Maine DOT • Downeaster’s “Track Star” 5 fund the trains. • NARP addresses Midwest Interstate 6 Commissioner David Bernhardt and lo- Passenger Rail Commission TRN’s work continued after the start- cal business leaders. • NARP serves on Rail Cooperative 6 up of service. The extension to Bruns- Research Prgm. oversight committee “The Downeaster expansion is cre- wick was one of TRN’s original goals. (continued on p. 5) - 1 - HSR Poll Misleads California Public NARP News A poorly-worded poll released June ©2012 National Association of Railroad 1 has helped fuel new attacks on Cali- MAJOR ADVOCACY GROUP Passengers. All rights reserved. BOOSTS HIGH-SPEED RAIL 505 Capitol Court, NE, Suite 300 fornia’s high-speed rail project. Washington, DC 20002-7706 The USC Dornsife/Los Angeles A major boost to the high-speed (202) 408-8362; fax: (202) 408-8287 Times supposedly shows that 55% of rail project came on June 13 from [email protected] www.narprail.org respondents would vote against the TransForm, California’s larg- project if it reappeared on the statewide est transportation nonprofi t. The Robert J. Stewart Chairman ballot. group’s analysis (www.bit.ly/tns- John Delora Vice Chair Poll wording obscures the fact that fmhsr) emphasized the 100,000 Albert L. Papp, Jr. Vice Chair the initial Merced-Bakersfi eld segment new jobs the project would cre- Arthur Poole Vice Chair is being funded by bond money vot- ate, and that it would be necessary David Randall Vice Chair ers approved specifi cally for that pur- to the longer-term maintenance of Stephen J. Salatti Secretary pose, with the rest coming from federal functioning, livable metropolitan Kenneth T. Clifford Treasurer funds that Congress appropriated for areas in the face of population Ross B. Capon President & CEO High-Speed and Intercity Passenger growth. NARP praised the report Sean Jeans-Gail Vice President Rail. Money was not taken from other (www.bit.ly/calrprt) in a June 14 Malcolm M. Kenton Director of programs or accounts. release. Outreach & Engagement Also, pollsters discussed high- Luis Olmo-Rivera Coordinator of speed rail’s costs but not its benefi ts. Resource Development Lawrence E. Scott Special Assistant The media has not done a good job of to the Chairman conveying that it would cost the state rail’s construction. This has news through June 18. much more than HSR’s $68 billion pri- Vol. 46, No. 5 was mailed May 25. cetag over the coming decades to meet If you live in California, please con- the mobility needs of the state’s grow- tact your state Senator and Assembly tion. Call the Capitol Switchboard at ing population in the absence of HSR. Member at their Sacramento offi ces. (916) 322-9900 and ask for your Sen- And the longer the state waits to build Remind them that building high-speed ator’s offi ce, then call back and ask for high-speed rail, the more its pricetag rail saves the state money over the next your Representative’s offi ce. You can will escalate. few decades and continues California’s also use our easy online email-writing • One question infl ated the amount by forward-thinking leadership of the na- tool: www.bit.ly/hsremail which the total project cost increased from the original estimate. The amount CALIFORNIA HIGH-SPEED RAIL UPDATES was derived from a comparison that is not apples-to-apples. • US Transportation Secretary Ray proof opponents would have to meet • Another question presented a dis- LaHood, visiting Sacramento, called to successfully challenge HSR in agreement between “some people” and on state lawmakers May 11 not to court under the California Environ- “other people” without identifying the wait until fall to approve the project’s mental Quality Act (CEQA). They people or their qualifi cations or wheth- budget. would have to convince a judge that er the statements are factual. • Federal Railroad Administrator the project would cause “major envi- Building HSR should cost the state Joe Szabo announced June 5 that ronmental problems” and not simply less in the long run purely to move the Obama Administration remains reveal minor fl aws in the environ- people from A to B, and improve travel committed to the project. “Ameri- mental review process. Absent this for those who don’t ride it by reducing cans want—and they deserve—more change, which some environmen- highway and air congestion. transportation choices,” Szabo told tal organizations support, necessary Also, it will create good paying jobs the American Public Transportation work could not be completed by that can’t be outsourced, and spur sta- Assoc. 2012 Rail Conference in Dal- 2017 and the federal funding would tion-area economic development in las. “They’re tired of being stuck in be lost. ways that roads and airports do not. traffi c, delayed in airports, and fac- • Jeff Morales was named CEO of the The tax revenue generated by this ing pain at the pump.” California High-Speed Rail Author- development and the additional travel • Gov. Brown called on the legisla- ity on May 30. He had been working Californians will undertake without ture June 1 to pass, as part of the HSR on the project as a Parsons Brincker- having to worry about congested high- funding package in the 2013 budget, hoff project manager. He succeeds ways and airports should eventually a provision increasing the burden of Roelof van Ark, who left in January. more than pay the cost of high-speed - 2 - New Florida, California Maintenance Bases WELCOME, NEW Off er Vastly Better Work Environment COUNCIL MEMBERS! Amtrak Mechanical crews who per- spections and routine maintenance on NARP welcomes these newly-elected form safety inspections, servicing and Silver Meteor and Silver Star equip- members of the Council of Representa- maintenance in Hialeah, FL (near Mi- ment.