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Steel Wheels: July – September 2016
Dear members: By now you will have received your latest Steel Wheels magazine. In the rush to meet the deadline for mailing the conference registration a few errors crept in, for which I apologize. Andy Selden’s excellent account was spoiled somewhat by missing captions. Andy took the photos which are in order of appearance Denver…
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Important message from the RailPAC Board
Dear Passenger Rail Supporter: RailPAC has endeavored over the past thirty eight years to advocate investment in and the greater use of passenger in California, Nevada and the west. The campaign continues with publications, online news briefings, visits to Sacramento and DC, and with local officials. We believe that we have made a difference, and…
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Bullet Train will Start in the Bay Area
The Rail Passenger Association of California welcomes the decision of the CHSRA to construct north from Bakersfield to link with an electrified Caltrain at San Jose. At the same time money will be spent on the long overdue modernization of Los Angeles Union Station, especially permitting through services between the north and south of the…
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Pacific Parlour Car Temporary Withdrawal
A well-informed source has told RailPAC that Pacific Parlour Car service will be missing from the Coast Starlight in the coming weeks because the FRA has some concerns about the glazing. Apparently one car has already been fixed and Amtrak is awaiting delivery of material for the rest of the fleet. Unfortunately we cannot offer…
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Metrolink in a Tail Spin: Is there a way out?
Napoleon used to say that he liked his generals to be lucky. Presumably he would not have employed the first CEOs of Metrolink, who suffered considerably from ill fortune, particularly the Glendale accident. But bad luck is only one small part of the picture that has brought about the near collapse of Metrolink. After 23…
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HSR at Burbank City Council meeting – 10/27/15 6 PM
Tuesday, October 26 at 6.00 pm there will be a joint meeting of Burbank City Council and the City Transportation Commission. High Speed Rail is the first topic and the meeting is sure to attract opponents from neighboring communities. RailPAC members are encouraged to attend to show support for the project. As Chair of the…
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Comet Car Access problem? A RailPAC solution.
First Published June 2013 As Noel Braymer has previously reported there is some discontent on the part of the San Joaquin rail board at being allocated two consists of the refurbished “Comet” cars. The two bones of contention? The age of the cars, as which date back to the 70s, and the access via steps…
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Metrolink to Withdraw Cab Cars from Service
Yesterday evening the Board of SCRRA (Metrolink) held a closed session meeting described as pursuant to public safety threat (or words to that effect. The notice is no longer on their website). The real purpose of the meeting was to inform the Board that the NTSB had requested that the Rotem cab cars be withdrawn…
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Metrolink – Where to from here?
The interview of Art Leahy, Metrolink CEO, by Dan Weikel was revealing. (LA Times, June 30th) The revelation is that there is no long term movement to make Metrolink a vibrant, relevant mobility option for large numbers of citizens. Nothing that Leahy said indicated a desire to do anything more than business as usual, except with…
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Ken Ruben
It is with great sadness that I report the death of longtime RailPAC member and Associate Director Ken Ruben. Ken suffered a serious stroke on New Year’s Day from which he never recovered. He died yesterday morning, Thursday 12th March, 2015, aged 72.