Hotline
Your weekly source of fresh takes on news affecting America's passengers. See also the RPA Blog.
Hotline #723
May 29, 1992
House Budget Chairman Leon Panetta (D.-Cal.) has released a staff study showing three ways to balance the budget in five years. Options One and Two have big transit cuts and eliminate Amtrak funding. Unfortunately, Panetta favors Option Two -- but his whole effort may help Amtrak by reducing support for any balanced-budget constitutional amendment. Panetta opposes letting legislators "cast the easy, politically popular vote" for the amendment now and dumping the tough votes it would force on "so
Hotline #722
May 22, 1992
Governor Clinton, campaigning at a shipyard in San Diego on May 18, mentioned our favorite issue in public, apparently for the first time. He said defense program cuts should be dedicated to public works investments, including high-speed rail. His campaign staff told the Wall Street Journal that Clinton favors spending up to $1.5 billion in the next five years on five high-speed corridors. The House and Senate yesterday approved the final 1993 budget resolution, the House by a narrow 209-207. N
Hotline #721
May 15, 1992
A milestone in NARP's history is approaching. Twenty-five years ago, on May 18, 1967, in Chicago, NARP was founded and incorporated by Anthony Haswell. To consider what good NARP may have done in that quarter-century, perhaps one ought to consider what passenger transportation in this country would look like had NARP not been founded. How many trains would be left? Would people be as aware of the damage a car-and-plane-only transportation system has caused? NARP looks forward to another 25 years
Hotline #720
May 8, 1992
As mentioned last week, Amtrak will make service cuts on the Northeast Corridor beginning May 18. On Saturdays, seven afternoon and evening round trips will be cut and on Sundays, train 155 will not operate. New York-Albany loses five round-trips per week; the eastbound Lake Shore Limited will handle all local travel, including a new Rhinecliff stop; the westbound Mohawk runs unreserved through October 25 all the way to Syracuse. Because the changes are too complicated to list here, it is surpri
Hotline #719
May 1, 1992
Train 94, the northbound Colonial, struck a loaded dump truck at a grade crossing and derailed the morning of April 29 shortly after departing Newport News, Va., killing the truck's driver. Of the 92 passengers on board, 53 were injured and six were kept in the hospital overnight. The locomotive slid down a steep embankment on its side. The first two coaches, which were empty, jackknifed but remained upright. The rear three coaches were on their sides. The line was reopened today. The President
Hotline #718
April 24, 1992
The Senate version of the Amtrak reauthorization bill, S.2608, was introduced April 8 and has the following co-sponsors -- Exon (Neb.), Hollings (S.C.), Kasten (Wis.), Burns (Mont.), Lott (Miss.), Adams (Wash.), Simon (Ill.), and Bradley (N.J.). One novel feature of the bill is its call for a consumer representative on the Amtrak board, who would have to be a NARP member and travel at least 5,000 miles a year on regular trains. Congress returns from Easter break on April 27. One of the first ta
Hotline #717
April 17, 1992
Amtrak's Chicago Reservations and Sales Office was shut down April 13 when their power was shut off during the flooding in the Loop area. Using emergency generators, they were able to operate a little bit on April 14 and permanently on April 15. However, the other centers didn't have the capacity to handle all the Chicago calls, causing Amtrak to lose lots of sales on a holiday week. Also on April 13, the subways were closed, but remaining buses and trains took stranded commuters home for free.
Hotline #716
April 10, 1992
Wisconsin voters passed an important constitutional amendment on April 7, on a 58-42% margin. For the first time, the state may spend capital money on passenger and freight service. Because of this vote, and because of Governor Thompson's pro-rail outlook, it is expected that improvements will be made in the next few years, including improved Chicago-Milwaukee service and service to Green Bay and Madison. The U.S. Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee had a hearing yesterday on Amtr
Hotline #715
April 3, 1992
President Bush appointed a Presidential Emergency Board on March 31 to prevent an Amtrak strike tonight. The board has 30 days to recommend settlement terms and then management and labor have 30 more days to accept or reject the terms, meaning no strike can happen legally before June 3. If there is a strike, Congress may step in and legislate a settlement, as they did last year with the freight strike. Amtrak has new contracts with 54% of its unionized workforce. The Montrealer's present route
Hotline #714-A
April 1, 1992
President Bush appointed a Presidential Emergency Board yesterday to prevent an Amtrak strike this weekend. The National Mediation Board had announced it could not settle outstanding contract disputes in early March, which started a 30-day clock ticking through April 3. The board has 30 days to recommend settlement terms and then management and labor have 30 more days to accept or reject the terms. Therefore, no strike can happen legally before May 31. If there is a strike, Congress may elect to