ColoRail Newsletter September, 1996 Issue #20 r — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —> Don't forget! Best of times.... ColoRail meet in Boulder Saturday, September 21st and the worst of times L _ _____________ _. Inside these pages you'll find between Front Range cities and the members and members of allied news that shows that we are Southwest Chief to ease the impact of groups to study the issues, attend the indeed living in interesting loss of the Desert Wind; the Colorado meetings where decisions are Department of Transportation moves developed, and to speak up in an times: Amtrak service cuts turn back ahead with planning for regional rail informed manner. Now, turn the page the clock to the bad old days of the service and gets ski bus runs set up for a new era.... - rwr- 1970's for Denver; Amtrak shows off for this winter; and the most important the Danish-designed IC-3; ColoRail news in the long run - - the Photo of IC-3 in Denver by Jon Esty. pushes for a Thruway bus connection demonstrated willingness of ColoRail "A Voice for Colorado's Rail Passengers Page 2 Colorado loses SoCal links Wyoming - Northern Colo, cut! at destinations to improve equipment by Jon Esty utilization, and operating the South• Why these cuts now? west Chief/Capitol Limited and Em• Thomas Downs, President of Am• pire Builder/City of New Orleans This round of cuts is the result of trak, announced on August 8 that through Chicago. (A plan to run the complex interaction between rival some 3,000 miles of passenger CZ through to Boston was dropped Congressional budget cutters, Ad• routes serving the West will be elimi• because of Superliner clearance ministration budget officials, and nated on November 10. Citing con• problems at South Station in Amtrak decision makers. tinuing budget shortfalls and a con• Boston.) gressional appropriation that is $50 Included in the budget shortfall is Amtrak's own 1994/95 miscalcula• million short of the amount re• Though the CZ will now offer daily tion of the effects of more "less- quested for this fiscal year, Downs service beyond Salt Lake City to San than-daily" services. Revenue did said the restructuring, which will re• Francisco, train travel options for not meet projections, just as rail sult in the loss of an estimated 400 Coloradans have become much advocates warned, -rwr- jobs, was necessary in order to more limited. Trips to San Diego, strengthen routes which Amtrak be• Los Angeles, Portland, and Seattle lieves are more profitable. will take longer and require a change of trains. From most of Colorado, the YOU have kept The cutbacks include the Pioneer, California destinations could require studies headed Desert Wind, and Texas Eagle south an overnight stay in the San Fran• of St. Louis as well as elimination of cisco Bay Area or a wee-hours bus in the rail direction the Boston-Albany section of the ride via Bakersfield. Lake Shore Limited which will be re• As the Major Investment Studies on placed by a Thruway bus. Dallas- In response to these changes, Col• transportation corridors in the Denver Fort Worth, Boise, and Las Vegas as oRail has stepped up its efforts to ob• metro area have progressed, the partici• well as the states of Arkansas and tain an Amtrak Thruway bus type pation of ColoRail members has made a big difference (when compared with pre• Wyoming will be left without train service to connect Denver and other vious studies). Latest sign of this is Col• service. Front Range cities with the South• orado DOT's indication that rail transit west Chief at La Junta. Such a con• could be more effective in the Southeast The positive news about the restruc• nection would provide much faster Corridor than a massive expansion in turing is that the Empire Builder, Cal• service to Southern California as well freeway capacity could offer. If you have ifornia Zephyr (CZ), City of New Or• as improved service to points east not yet checked on these studies, do so! leans, and Crescent all return to such as Kansas City. ColoRail also daily service. The Broadway Limited issued a press release detailing the To be placed on the mailing lists, please has been restored and a new New effects of these changes on Col• call: York to Florida train has been added. orado rail passengers and will be ini• Andrea Garcia, RTD, 299-2404 for the Amtrak apparently has learned that tiating leaflet distribution at Denver West Corridor. a network of trains that is less than Union Terminal (DUT) to provide fur• ther information to the traveling pub• daily causes confusion in the travel Dave Stevenson, CDOT, 757-9931 for market. Daily train operation is more lic. All ColoRail members and the Southeast Corridor. economical because it employs fuller friends are encouraged to write their use of existing facilities such as sta• senators and congressperson to Steve Rudy, DRCOG, 480-6747 for the tions. Amtrak also hopes to win support Amtrak funding. East Corridor. back mail contracts lost when some of its trains went to less than daily service. It was a mistake for us to leave Wyoming, this Other economies include: establish• time we're here to stay!" - ment of standard train consists so -James Larson, Amtrak v.p.,! that no one train set is dedicated to on the Pioneer's Wyoming one specific train, rescheduling inauguaral trains to allow for faster turnarounds Page 3 ... and Danish train will come back IC-3 > a step into the future once more! by Jon Esty car. In its proposal, UP, Burlington North• The train, which is handsomely IC-3 Demonstration: ern/Santa Fe (BNSF), and Amtrak, painted in Amtrak colors of red, blue, The planned IC-3 trainset demon• as well as equipment manufacturers and silver, is made up of two, three stration scheduled for mid-August to Bombardier and Rader Railcar will car sets that are permanently cou• mid-September had to be canceled provide operating and static displays pled and has seating for over 400 due to unresolvable differences be• of a variety of commuter and intercity hundred people. The operator con• tween the operating railroads and rail equipment including the IC-3. trols such as speedometer and Amtrak who was to coordinate the The estimated cost will be $100,000 brake pressure gauges have been project for C-DOT. Happily, how• less than the earlier proposal. reconfigured for American operation ever, a new proposal is in the offing and signs in the cars described the which is being developed by Union C-DOT is still in need of contributions station stops on the route of the San Pacific (UP) and may be presented for the project. As of this writing, Diegans or the San Joaquins. to C-DOT officials as early as seven ColoRail members have con• September. tributed a total of $82, which when Controls for train operation are combined with ColoRail's donation of housed in either end of each three Peril to cooperation: $100 plus the dollar for dollar match car sets and may be quickly and from our anonymous donor, adds up compactly folded away when the Hometown upgrade to a total contribution of $364. trainsets are combined to allow for efforts are trashed passengers to walk through. Each by Federal cutback If you have not already done so, train system is duplicated and the please consider making a donation mechanical and electrical operation to this worthwhile project which will of the train is tracked by a computer. by Robert Rynerson put modern trains in the public eye in This technology allows the operator to identify problems en route and From Seattle to Denver, almost ev• Colorado. If you have contributed provides a print out of problems re• ery station on the Pioneer route has and your name is not listed here, quiring repair once the train reaches received improvements from state or don't worry. Additional donations its destination. local funding. Recently made rail- have continued to come in during related items include such important newsletter production. facilities as an intermodal terminal in Though the slow trip behind the The Dalles, Oregon and major sta• ColoRail wishes to thank the follow• Desert Wind up to the Moffat Tunnel tion upgrades in Ogden and Denver. ing individuals for their contributions: did not fully test the IC-3 rapid accel• Only one city on the line, Greeley, Margaret Nees (Boulder), Maurice eration and I00+ mph capability, a number of pleasant characteristics has reneged on its commitment of lo• Wreed (Loveland), Alvon Thoman for the train rider were noted. The cal dollars. (Highlands Ranch), John Radtke (Denver), Robert Noyes (Aurora), IC-3 is quiet and rides well. Seating is comfortable and the cars are spa• Efforts are underway in the Pacific Parker Fowler (Longmont), and cious with wide picture windows un• Northwest to get Trains 27/28, the Robert Fay (Douglas, WY). like Amtrak's Amfleet equipment. Portland/California connection of the The train is well insulated. There Empire Builder, rerouted from Pasco Riding the IC-3: was no hint of diesel oil smell while to Portland via The Dalles. passing through the Moffat Tunnel ColoRail Board of Directors mem• even while passengers walked be• Though much of the investment can bers Brant Leibmann, Reg Holmes, tween the cars. be used by other trains, the merit of and Jon Esty were among C-DOT of• cooperating with Fede: al programs is ficials and rail advocates who rode called into question as funds are the Danish made IC-3 Flexiliner train Amenities include onboard telephones, at your seat food service from carts, and capriciously shifted from program to as it passed through Denver on July electronic signs at the ends of each car program by Democrat-appointed ad• 9 on its way to a month long demon• to provide passengers with station stop stration in California.