What’s new at the Sacramento train station. A January 31, 2007, PHOTO report by Russ Jackson When did you last see two P-32 locomotives together? The State of California owns two like the one on the left, and borrows one from Amtrak when power is needed due to maintenance of the other fleet locomotives. Here…
RailPAC Alert: Ridership Report for Amtrak California Trains FROM Capitol Corridor Manager Eugene K. Skoropowski We just received the January 2007 ridership and revenue numbers from Amtrak. I am still in shock. On January 22, Union Pacific started a major track project. On January 17, to accommodate this trackwork, we temporarily suspended 8 of our…
Commentary and Report by Hal Wanaselja I attended the CAHSR Authority meeting in Sacramento on January 29, and as they say “there is good news and bad news.” First, let me say that the choice of Quentin Kopp as chair is a godsend. He is very astute and knowlegeable. He really belives we shoud have…
In mid January 2007 I rode the Southwest Chief from Lamy to Chicago and the California Zephyr from Chicago to Sacramento in an economy sleeper. Overall it was an excellent trip, due primarily to an attentive, congenial staff, excellent weather, interesting people, and with some exceptions, a timely schedule. Food ranged from very good to…
Chairman Brown and Members of the Board LOSSAN RAIL CORRIDOR AGENCY JOINT POWERS BOARD January 10, 2007 I’d like to comment on item 6B and 6C, on time performance Ad-Hoc committee and Amtrak’s customer service and performance report. I spent a good part of the first few years of my career with British Railways investigating…
January 30th marked the 10th anniversary of the passing of Byron Nordberg. Called the “heart and soul of RailPAC”, our “founding President” was known for his tireless efforts at promoting passenger rail. Read Noel Braymer’s photo report at http://www.unitedrail.org/2007/01/30/byron-nordberg-remembered/
Editorial Growth is Amtrak’s only option By Noel T. Braymer Last month we republished excerpts from an article from the NEW YORK TIMES with the headline Surprising Forecast for Amtrak: Growth. This is a sad commentary on the current state of Amtrak that the media would consider a marketing plan for Amtrak surprising. But in…
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY RAIL COMMITTEE Meeting Report January 11, 2007, Bakersfield Reported by Bruce Jenkins, RailPAC Director The meeting had to be accelerated due to the hour and a half delay just south of Modesto of San Joaquin train #702 (southbound) which carried numerous committee members from the north. Cause of the delay was the…
There’s a new twist in the quest to electrify Caltrain, as ANG Newspapers (which includes the San Mateo County Times and Oakland Tribune) reports. With Caltrain eying non-FRA-compliant Electric Multiple Units to increase capacity and reduce trip times — and Positive Train Control as added safety, there is new pressure on the Federal Railroad Administration…
15 years of clean comfortable trips leave most passengers satisfied as commuter line marks anniversary. — San Francisco Chronicle, 13 December 2006. Fifteen years ago, Amtrak and Caltrans began a new passenger train service connecting the Bay Area and Sacramento with three round-trip trains a day. The Capitol Corridor trains quickly drew standing-room crowds on…