By RailPAC Director and Review Editor Noel T. Braymer — One of my favorite TV shows is “Mythbusters” on the Discovery Channel. A group of eccentric but technically qualified people put “urban legends” and “common wisdom” to the test to see if they can be true. An example of this is the “fact” that “if…
By RailPAC President Paul Dyson — It’s a great honor for me to take on the duties of President of RailPAC. Our organization has been very effective in the past in uniting rail passenger advocates and politicians behind a policy of affordable, incremental investments in improving mobility in the state of California. We identified surplus…
Sacramento City Hall — Reported by Russ Jackson CCJPB Officials Visit The UP HQ In Omaha Expansion To 32 Daily Trains In August RailPAC Urges Passage Of Legislation For More Rail Funds Good News For Oakland To San Jose Riders CCJPB’S Gene Skorpowski Writes To Riders About ‘On Time’ Eastbound Capitol train 724 has just…
Reported by Chris Flescher, Associate Director, RailPAC — The status of the service to the Monterey Peninsula is that there still might be 2 trains a day running in 2009. The project is under environmental review and TAMC is examining alternatives. TAMC will be applying for FTA new starts money soon. Earlier that day (Feb…
Reported by Chris Flescher, Associate Director, RailPAC — One very important thing is that the UP railroad has approved the proposed station track layouts for Pajaro, Castroville, and Salinas. There is a water company that people call Cal Am. I think the full name is something like California American Water. They are proposing a desalination…
By RailPAC Editor Noel T. Braymer — RailPAC’s annual meeting this January 28th highlighted the great progress we have had, and can look forward to in California. Along with this we have problems that never seem to go away which we must still fight. Since 1990 there have been no major sources of new funding…
Sacramento — Reported by Russ Jackson, Secretary — The 2006 RailPAC Annual Meeting was held in the California State Rail Museum auditorium on Saturday, January 28, 2006. Over 100 members attended, making it one of the most successful meetings in the spirited history of the organization. “KUDOS for the KIDO”, was Director Bruce Jenkins’ comment…
Reported by Bruce Jenkins, RailPAC Director — This writer was arm twisted, cajoled and dragged feet first by Art Lloyd to the CRCC Policy Luncheon mtg at Mission Bay Inn in Pebble Beach. The mtg room was oriented so that we were “forced” to observe the 7th green, with a backdrop of the white breakers…
Bakersfield — Reported by Russ Jackson — Some facts and figures picked up here and there on Thursday: The UP still has 22 minutes of slow orders between Sacramento and Stockton on a line the state has spent $36 million to improve, and the UP has NO plans to upgrade at this time. The BNSF,…
By RailPAC President Noel T. Braymer — The issue of profits and subsidy for rail service is confusing. Countries differ, but most rail service world wide make or lose money the same way. After World War II, most European and some Asian governments paid subsidies to maintain a high level of rail service in their…