News & Commentary
William Graham Claytor, Jr. Destroys the Media’s View on Rail in 1985 and today
November 7, 2013
Written By Logan McLeod “Mr. Claytor, if President Reagan gets his way, all federal subsidies to Amtrak will end September 30. How many passenger trains will you be able to run then?” William Graham Claytor, Jr.’s answer was, as always, direct and non-negotiable, “NONE.” Mr. Claytor was Amtrak’s president from 1982 until 1993. He came out of retirement after serving as deputy secretary of defense, Secretary of the Navy, president of the Southern Railway and a Washington, D.C. attor
New Apps turn transit options into transit system
November 6, 2013
Written By Abe Zumwalt Redundancy in transportation infrastructures is an attractive and efficient thing, as long as you’re aware of the alternative option’s existence. I realized this for the umpteenth time aboard a New Jersey Transit commuter train bound for Philadelphia 30th Street Station. We were stopped at Pennsauken, NJ when a bridge over the Delaware River directly in front of us opened for a ship… and did not close. Forty minutes passed waiting on word from the bridge operator. F
Did "petty politics" kill Florida HSR?
November 5, 2013
Written By Ross Capon The Atlantic Cities has an interesting discussion of how and why Florida Gov. Rick Scott killed the state’s high speed rail project. It is based on a Tampa Tribune report about communications between Scott and Republican State Senator Paula Dockery. There is evidence that the decision was driven by “petty politics” rather than “fiscal prudence.” Here is a key sentence: “What’s most upsetting about the Tribune report – though in a way also a little encourag
A national transportation network for the price of one highway bridge
November 5, 2013
Written By Malcolm Kenton Images: Left--Wikimedia Commons. Right--Amtrak. In response to a letter from a constituent urging him not to cut Amtrak funding, Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH), who represents areas north and west of Cincinnati, said he would rather see Amtrak’s entire annual federal grant used to replace the Brent Spence Bridge, which carries Interstates 71 and 75 over the Ohio River between Cincinnati and Covington, KY. This is a classic case of the nearsighted thinking that plagues m
Train on unusual route should spur desire for expanded service
November 4, 2013
Written By Colin Leach EDIT: I apologize for having incorrectly stated that Pennsylvania Railroad's Broadway Limited stopped at 30th Street Station during its run; I've corrected the text accordingly. Thanks to Bill Magee for pointing out the error. -Colin Leach As many of our readers will remember, we reported to you back in September about Amtrak’s first special excursion in over 20 years, theAutumn Express. Several of NARP’s Washington staff, including Ross Capon, Malcolm Kenton, Abe Z
CrossRail Chicago: Game Changer
November 1, 2013
Written By Ross Capon Taking a page from London, the Midwest High Speed Rail Association has applied the moniker “CrossRail Chicago” to their “game-changing plan for transforming transit in our area.” The plan is strategically incremental, designed to become exponentially more effective with each step completed. The heart of the plan is a trunk line carrying electrified express trains between McCormick Place, Union Station and O’Hare Airport. The link would facilitate new, cross-tow
Vincent Price: A Mad Man About Trains
October 31, 2013
Written By Logan McLeod “Darkness falls across the land, the midnight hour is close at hand” NARP wishes its members and passenger train advocates everywhere a Happy Halloween! Here’s an interesting fact for you: did you know that Vincent Price was one of NARP’s original members? He was as passionate about trains as he was about scaring people. He sat on NARP’s first Council Advisory Board, back when Tony Haswell established the National Association of Railroad Passengers in 1967.
'Swank, Whole New' sleeping accomodation isn't new (but still quite nice)
October 30, 2013
Written By Abe Zumwalt QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA-- A new tilt train in Australia is making headlines for its speed, but also for its ‘unique’ accommodations: “The Spirit of Queensland departed Roma Street Monday afternoon and will reach Cairns six hours sooner than its counterpart has done since 1953.The new tilt train will cover the 1861km in 25 hours, at speeds of up to 160km/hr. Passengers can choose standard seating, or more swanky recliner "railbeds". Executive General Manager of Cus
Megabus Expanding; But Most Towns Left Out
October 30, 2013
Written By Sean Jeans Gail With ticket sales on Megabus and its intercity passenger bus lines booming, the company is setting its sights on expansion. But if you live outside a major city or college campus, don’t expect to see any benefits Yesterday’s Financial Times describes how the company is looking to take advantage of trends drawing young people away from cars—the same trends that have led to unprecedented growth on passengers trains. Stagecoach, the bus line’s parent corporati
The future is multi-modal: Miami edition
October 29, 2013
Written By Malcolm Kenton A major project, 20 years in the making, to bring all of the ground transportation modes serving America’s 7th-largest city together within easy reach of Miami International Airport, the world’s 28th busiest and the nation’s 12th-busiest airport, and a major international gateway to the Americas, is finally coming together. The $1.7 billion Miami Intermodal Center (MIC, commonly pronounced “mick”) will bring together the second-biggest car rental facility in