Report by Mike Barnbaum, Associate Director of the Rail Passenger Association of California & Nevada, on Sunday 24 March 2013 The New San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority, created by legislation from Cathleen Galgiani (AB 1779) and signed into law by Governor Edmund G. Jerry Brown on September 29, 2012, held its first meeting on March…
Analysis by Noel T. Braymer The most expensive part of running any railroad is not above the rails but below the rails on the right of way. With any capital intensive investment the way to recoup the cost is to use it as much and generate the most income as possible. This is particularly true…
Report by Noel T. Braymer To often we hear in this county about how passenger trains lose money. The fact is many passengers trains cover their costs for trains crews, fuel and direct operations of the trains. It is the passenger railroads that are losing money. To draw an analogy compare a passenger railroad to…
Report by Noel T. Braymer In 1913 the airplane had only been invented ten years earlier. Few planes in 1913 could fly faster than 100 miles per hour. Race cars and trains attempting to set speed records in 1913 could travel just over 100 miles per hour as well. The Ford Model T car by…
Report by Bruce Jenkins I attended the SJVRC Meeting on Thursday, 2/28 in Fresno. Some of the more important items are as follows: Caltrans Division of Rail Chief, Bill Bronte reported : a) The San Joaquin trains are sporting a 64.5% Fare Box Recovery, the highest in the country. b) On Time Performance for February,…
Opinion by Noel T. Braymer With a Congressionally mandated fee increase for millions of dollars of coming this October to the Surfliners; now would be a good time to explore other options for intercity rail passenger service between Los Angeles and San Diego. The State is already paying a high price for Amtrak operations for…