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Take Trains Via The Coast. It can pay for itself.
Commentary by Robert F. Mac Donald, RailPAC Member, Oakland The media have been playing up the rise in the price gasoline to the summer time high of about $ 5.00 per gallon. For the past several months, the media, and the rail advocate editors, have stressed the potential death of the California High Speed Rail…
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An engine died in Kansas. So what else is new?
Comments by Russ Jackson, RailPAC Southwest Chief train #3 that departed Chicago on February 20, 2012, arrived in Fullerton 8 hours 10 minutes late, and because of the end-of-run padding it arrived at Los Angeles Union Station 6 hours 58 minutes late. The reason? A locomotive engine died in Kansas, and when all was done…
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Amtrak California gets to the Coachella Valley
RailPAC Report by Russ Jackson, Robert Manning, and from the Amtrak.com timetable. Photo by Robert Manning. In its revised schedule dated December 5, 2011, Amtrak California quietly added a new train-bus service finally recognizing the importance of travel from Palm Springs, Indio, and the Coachella Valley to/from Los Angeles. Until then the only Amtrak service…
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Comparing The Benefits Of The First $7 Billion Investment In California High Speed Rail—Bakersfield North vs. Bakersfield South
Commentary by Ralph James, RailPAC Member, Blue Canyon CA This commentary is a follow-up to this writer’s original commentary entitled “Is California High Speed Rail on Track for Successful Implementation?”, published in spring 2010 illustrating the futility of spending early HSR dollars in the Central Valley as compared to other sections of the ultimate HSR…
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San Joaquin Valley Rail Committee takes stand on Closing the HSR Gap
January 26 Meeting Report by Mike Barnbaum, RailPAC Associate Director Part 1 of 2 reports from that day. Headlines: SJVRC Passes Resolution Supporting Closure of the Southern Gap Caltrans’ Bill Bronte drops a bombshell SJVRC is urged to revive the idea of a JPA for the Corridor Rail was all over the Northern California Map…
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Capitol Corridor considers Draft Business/Operating Plan
Report and a Commentary by Mike Barnbaum, RailPAC Associate Director Part 2 from January 26, 2011 day of two meetings. Headlines: Implement additional service to Placer County Reduce number of trains from 16 roundtrips to 15 After riding Train #521 from Sacramento to Oakland at 4:30am and Train #712 from Oakland to “Atwater”/Merced for the…
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RailPAC tells LOSSAN: Position on Governance
Comments to the LOSSAN Board, January 25, 2012 by Paul J. Dyson, RailPAC President. Back in the 80s an ad hoc coalition of elected representatives and advocates including RailPAC were successful in bringing about an increase in frequency of the San Diegan trains as they were called then, and their extension to Santa Barbara. What…
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Amtrak to the West: Forget the future
Commentary by Russ Jackson, and a few photos The future of Amtrak’s western long-distance trains became clearer after Amtrak CEO Joseph Boardman issued his “Aggressive Agenda for 2012” on January 11, 2012. The future is bleak. Isn’t there an old adage that it’s not what you say it’s what you don’t say? Or is it…
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President’s commentary: Amtrak CEO Gives Up On AMTRAK
By Paul J. Dyson, RailPAC President, January 13, 2012 Joe Boardman condemns the long distance trains to a lingering death. Sunset Limited in “immediate danger”. Someone needs to tell Mr. Boardman that he is CEO of the NATIONAL Railroad Passenger Corporation. It seems that since he took the CEO position a couple of years ago…
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RailPAC writes Brown, Feinstein, and Boxer: Peer Review Committee Is Right On High Speed Rail
NOTE: Identical letters were also faxed to Senators Feinstein and Boxer 11th January, 2012 Governor Jerry Brown State Capitol Suite 1173 Sacramento CA 95814 PEER REVIEW COMMITTEE IS RIGHT ON HIGH SPEED RAIL Dear Governor Brown: Our organization has consistently advocated the creation of a network of modern passenger trains for the State of California…