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San Joaquin Valley Rail Committee Report for the Meeting of April 26, 2012
Meeting date: April 26, 2012 in Fresno, California; Reported by Mike Barnbaum, RailPAC Associate Director, Sacramento Late April was a busy time for the San Joaquin Valley Rail Committee. The Fresno meeting kept members busy with legislation pending in Sacramento that would allow for the possible formation of a Joint Powers Authority for the Amtrak…
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Upcoming Rail Meeting Event Calendar
Prepared by Mike Barnbaum, RailPAC Associate Director The legislation discussed at the April San Joaquin Valley Rail Committee and associated infrastructure changes forthcoming at the Sacramento Valley (Amtrak) Station set the slate for a busy calendar ahead for California and the West Coast. Here is the latest of what we do know through September 30th.…
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RailPAC Will Participate at National Train Day, May 12. Steel Wheels Conference set for September 15
For information about Train Day activities near you, go to http://www.nationaltrainday.com/events/other/and click on your state for a list of events! Now read about some of the activities in California: RailPAC salutes one of the Train Day events to be held in California: at the Dunsmuir Amtrak station from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This historic…
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How LA went from “don’t need rail” to “can’t live without it.”
Opinion and History by Noel T. Braymer. Photos by the author. Arriving at Los Angeles Union Station today what first strikes you are the crowds. It wasn’t like that when I was a college student in Los Angeles in the early 1970’s. I knew fellow students who would go to Union Station to study because…
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Why California needs a single statewide rail coordinator
Statement by William Kerby, Rail Passenger Association of California and Nevada on AB 1779 NOTE: Mr. Kerby presented this statement to the California Assembly Transportation Committee meeting in April, 2012. An independent joint powers authority propelled successful growth of Capitol Corridor service and now leaders of the San Joaquin corridor seek similar success with the…
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Huge controversy surrounds Sacramento railyards/Downtown arena plans
Commentary by Chuck Robuck, RailPAC member, and former head of the CC Riders group. Edited by Russ Jackson Subject: Latest Design Concept for Downtown Arena & Intermodal Transportation Facility NOTE: The comments, map, and links below are provided by Mr. Robuck. I attended a Public Workshop at (Sacramento) City Hall on Thursday, April 12th, at…
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RailPAC Board Endorses High Speed Rail Business Plan
For release April 6, 2012. Board calls for highest priority for “Bridging the Gap” between Bakersfield and Los Angeles. Interim service offerings and the blended approach will only be successful if passengers are offered a single seat ride between the maximum number of origins and destinations. While endorsing Caltrain electrification RailPAC Board calls for a…
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The Sunset Route: What’s happening there? A photo report.
Report and Comments by Russ Jackson, RailPAC, Dallas. PHOTOS by Richard Strandberg, Mike Palmer, Russ Jackson. Maps from the Amtrak timetable. This article is not only about Amtrak’s Sunset Limited and the recent developments regarding this train. We will be pointing out the highlights of the improvements that are taking place along that line through…
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Amtrak changes the Sunset Limited schedule: Positives, Negatives, and they agreed to WHAT?
Analysis and Commentary by Russ Jackson, RailPAC From out of the blue, so to speak, on March 13 came an Amtrak News Release from New Orleans, not Washington DC, saying a new schedule for the Sunset Limited would take effect on May 7, 2012. This new schedule will have major impacts all along its route,…
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Traveling by Amtrak from Sacramento to Tucson before and after the May 7 Schedule Change
Commentary by Ralph James, RailPAC My wife left on the morning of March 15 for a flight out of Sacramento to Tucson AZ for several days to visit our daughter. The Sunset Limited schedule was something we had discussed in passing during the planning since she prefers rail travel to flying as long as it…