SMART UnionWashington’s Top News reported on two firefighters’ recollections of the fatal collision between a commuter train and an Amtrak train in Silver Spring, Maryland 20 years ago. Eleven people lost their lives in the crash. Read the entire story here.
By John Previsich, president of SMART Transportation Division and Edward Wytkind, president of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (www.ttd.org).
Alabamians sure love their college football, but what we’ve just recently learned is that they also like their passenger trains — and they’re willing to pay for them. A recent state-wide poll by DFM Research shows that passenger trains don’t only thrive in the big cities on the corridor between Washington, D.C. and Boston – they are quite popular in the Heart of Dixie, too.
More than half of those polled in Alabama say they want to see an increase in the service provided by Amtrak, our national passenger railroad. When asked about expanding Amtrak’s once-daily passenger service through Alabama, nearly 85 percent support the idea of adding an additional route from Birmingham or Mobile to New Orleans or Atlanta. This poll shouldn’t surprise anyone given that others in Gulf Coast states are pushing aggressively to restart Amtrak service lost after the Hurricane Katrina disaster.
The people of Alabama aren’t alone in their views. All across the country, in red states and blue, in rural counties and major metropolitan cities, Americans are calling for more passenger rail service — and it’s easy to see why. With 31 million passengers last year alone, Amtrak’s popularity has soared, and over the last decade, Amtrak has broken its ridership record almost annually. Here’s the best part: during a time when pollsters are churning out the views of voters on a daily basis, our national passenger railroad actually polls better than anyone auditioning for president.
All jokes aside, this begs one very important question — if Amtrak is so highly valued by the American people, why do we still have politicians in Washington trying to kill it? Yes, there was actually an amendment on floor of the House late last year to eliminate Amtrak’s funding and quite a few who serve in Alabama’s congressional delegation voted for it. To be clear, such a plan would bankrupt the railroad, strand riders in Alabama and across the country, and put thousands of middle class employees out of work. And think about this: while other nations such as China are racing toward launching 400 mile-per-hour train service, America is still electing politicians who want to abandon passenger rail entirely.
If people in Alabama knew this, we’re sure they would be asking why their politicians are not listening. Most voters in the state think any attempt to eliminate federal funding for Amtrak is a terrible idea. When told that Amtrak receives over $1 billion per year in federal support, 75 percent say they reject attempts to eliminate it and want funding to continue at current levels.
It seems people in Alabama understand what some in Congress do not: that rail transportation is vitally important to our nation’s economy. Long-term economic growth cannot happen without a greatly enhanced transportation infrastructure, and that includes expanding passenger rail services.
Supporting a healthy economy also involves making sure rail transportation is safe, so it’s no surprise that people in this state emphatically favor policies that do just that.
Like a super-majority of Americans polled across a wide swatch of our country, the people of Alabama believe that running 19,000-ton freight trains — many containing hazardous materials — with only one crew member is a bad idea. That’s why nearly 90 percent of residents support legislation mandating a minimum of two crew members on all freight trains. Since Amtrak shares tracks with freight trains in most parts of the country, the crew sizes used in freight operations will also affect the safety of passenger trains.
America can’t compete in a global economy without fully-funded national passenger rail service and modernized infrastructure to boot. That takes long-term investment by the federal government, in partnership with states and the private sector. We also need to make sure that our freight rail system, which provides the track for much of Amtrak’s service, is safe and adequately staffed.
Alabamians agree with people from California to Florida and most stops in between: our country needs modern and reliable rail transportation with the resources to pay for it and the federal rules to ensure its safety.
This article originally appeared on AL.com.
Progressive Railroading reported that Amtrak and the Southern Rail Commission will consider the possibility of reintroducing passenger rail service on the Gulf Coast by operating, next month, an “inspection train” between New Orleans and Jacksonville, Fla.
Read the entire article here.
The Denver Post reported that, during 2015, revenues and ridership rose amidst successful attempts at preserving Amtrak’s embattled Southwest Chief route.
Read the complete article here.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Amtrak activated its Positive Train Control system (PTC) this past weekend from Philadelphia to Washington. SEPTA has reported they are not far behind and will have PTC online sometime in the new year.
Since the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) mandated in 2008 that all railroads operating in the U.S.install PTC by Dec. 31, 2015, Amtrak, SEPTA and a few other railroads have been working to install the system by the original deadline. However, Amtrak and SEPTA are in the minority. Most railroads have delayed the installation of this long-overdue safety technology.
When it became clear that most railroads would not meet the 2015 deadline, congress was forced to extend the deadline to Dec. 31, 2018, or face massive railroad shutdowns across the country.
PTC technology is designed to stop or slow-down a speeding train and is expected to bring an element of safety to the railroads previously unheard of. It is speculated that if the technology had been operational during the Amtrak crash near Philadelphia earlier this year, then the derailment possibly would not have happened.
Despite this accident and others, the railroads have drug their feet in having the technology installed, claiming they have not had enough time to install the system, make it operational and that the cost of the technology is too high. The Northeast Corridor is now one of the few areas where PTC is operational in the United States.
Read more from Philly.com.
Politico New York reported that a Congressional transportation bill that includes provisions to build a new cross-Hudson rail tunnel gained velocity with approval from both the U.S Senate and the House.
Read the entire article from Politico New York Dec. 4.
A new survey reaffirms support for expanding passenger rail service in Iowa.
More than half the participants — 56 percent — in a survey conducted by the SMART Transportation Division said passenger rail service in Iowa should increase. Another 77 percent said Amtrak should add service from Des Moines to Chicago, a concept that once had steam but has stagnated for several years due to lack of funding.
Read more from The Gazette.
A congressional conference committee yesterday completed work on a five-year surface transportation bill that would strengthen tank-car safety standards, increase funding for transit and create a rail title that authorizes funding for Amtrak and intercity passenger-rail grants.
The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act (H.R. 22) would fully fund a five-year $281 billion authorization for public transportation and highway programs.
Read more from Progressive Railroading.
WASHINGTON – Amtrak ridership and ticket revenue remained steady in its Fiscal Year ended Sept. 30, 2015, reflecting continued demand for passenger rail; however, significant and predictable investment is needed to ensure that intercity passenger rail will continue to deliver nationwide benefits including providing safe and reliable mobility and advancing America’s economy.
For Fiscal Year 2015, unaudited ticket revenues reached $2.185 billion, 0.1 percent below the prior year and ridership was more than 30.8 million, also 0.1 percent below the previous year, primarily due to service disruptions on the Northeast Corridor, significant weather events and lower gas prices.
Unaudited total revenue for the company was approximately $3.2 billion for Fiscal Year 2015, 1 percent below the previous year. Operating cost recovery remained strong; Amtrak covered 91.1 percent of operating costs with ticket sales and other revenues.
In addition, Amtrak’s unaudited adjusted operating loss was at $306.5 million which was higher than the previous year.
“We continue to make smart investments and advancements to critical infrastructure and significant improvements to the passenger experience so that the company can continue providing mobility to more passengers and make the best use of our limited resources,” said Amtrak Chairman of the Board Tony Coscia. “This year’s financial results show the resiliency of a company that faced a range of challenges and underscored the loyalty of our customers even during a period of low gas prices. Amtrak’s Board and management remain committed to moving the company forward and providing vital transportation for the country’s future.”
“This past year we continued to take America to where it needs to go, providing transportation to more than 30.8 million customers, which reflects continued strong demand and the value of our services,” said Amtrak President & CEO Joe Boardman. “We have now carried more than 30 million passengers for five straight years, which is a testament to the value we bring to intercity travelers. However, critical investment is needed to ensure future growth of intercity passenger rail.”
With ridership of 11.7 million, the Northeast Corridor (NEC) had its highest ridership year ever in Fiscal Year 2015, up 0.5 percent from the prior year, led by Northeast Regional service that saw a 1.5 percent increase and set a new ridership record with more than 8.2 million trips.
To ensure continued reliable transportation on the Northeast Corridor, Amtrak, in partnership with New York, New Jersey and the Port Authority is looking forward to forming the Gateway Development Corporation to start work on the critical Gateway Program.
In addition, Amtrak formed the Blue Ribbon Panel to address the Chicago rail gridlock that is causing major delays for passengers and for freight shipments.
Note: This is the second piece in a series that explores the connection between a robust transportation system and a stronger middle class. Read the first piece which sets the tone for a much needed national conversation.
Around the globe, the race is on to bring the world’s fastest trains — which top speeds nearing 400 miles per hour — to commuters, travelers and business professionals alike. China is devoting billions with hopes for leading the world in rail innovation. Japan is continually making improvements to its 50-year-old system. Countries throughout Europe are expanding upon thousands of miles of high-speed rail track, which run from the south of Spain to Berlin, Oslo and Edinburgh. Meanwhile, the U.S., once known for its transportation innovations, is struggling to catch up.
Instead of embracing the future of modern transportation, some elected officials in the U.S. fail to see the value of passenger rail as part of an integrated network. Many of those same officials are also more than willing to starve the rest of our badly aging transportation system. Our national passenger rail system is continually threatened with bankruptcy budgets by politicians who ignore their constituents and oppose federal support for Amtrak.
Read more in The Huffington Post.