RailPAC: Rail Passenger Association of CA & NV

eNewsletter for May 14, 2012

Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, a member of the Metrolink Board of Directors, issued the following statement on the announced resignation of Metrolink CEO John Fenton: “John Fenton’s resignation is a major loss for Metrolink’s riders, our taxpayers and the Board. He was the right leader to guide Metrolink through the most critical time in its history…

May 18, 2012
I Would Ride Trains More if they Went More Places

Opinion By Noel T. Braymer I would love to ride trains more often, but I literally can’t because I can’t get there by train. For example I can take Metrolink from Oceanside to San Bernardino once a day leaving Oceanside at 4:20 PM. I would have to leave San Bernardino at 4:48 AM the next…

May 13, 2012
eNewsletter for May 7, 2012

With tilting the Cascades were able to raise the average speed from 47 to 53 miles per hour. That is faster than any passenger trains in California and close to the fastest legal speeds by road. The plan for the Cascades is to reach speeds of110-125 miles per hour. Washington State DOT calculated that at…

May 12, 2012
The New Coast Daylight!

We support a new daily passenger train linking the Central Coast during the day. For more than twenty years, work on a new Coast Daylight train service has led to studies without results. The Coast Rail Coordinating Council, a voluntary coalition of regional transportation agencies is leading the service planning, and has prepared a realistic, immediately doable operating plan. …

May 12, 2012
Happy National Train Day!

We hope you’ll visit one of our booths today at Sacramento, San Jose, Salinas, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Van Nuys and Los Angeles!

May 12, 2012
PASSENGER RAIL ADVOCACY GROUPS COMBINE TO LAUNCH PETITION FOR “COAST DAYLIGHT” SERVICE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MAY 11, 2012 – The Rail Passenger Association of California (RailPAC), the Coast Starlight Communities Network and the Steel Wheels Coalition® are working together to step up the campaign for an additional passenger train along the California Coast. To be known as the Coast Daylight, this train will provide daily service between the…

May 11, 2012
Sunset Limited Early Morning Arrival in LA Information

NOTE: The info below is being distributed to passengers arriving on the Sunset Limited, train #1, at Los Angeles Union Station. The scheduled arrival time of this train there is 5:35 AM now with the new timetable effective May 7, 2012. Train #1, as well as #3 the Southwest Chief cannot be scheduled to arrive…

May 9, 2012
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…

May 9, 2012
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.…

May 9, 2012
Does California need Tilting Turbine Trains?

Opinion By Noel T. Braymer The heyday for Turbine powered passenger trains was back in the 1960’s and 70’s. The conventional wisdom is rising oil prices and high fuel consumption with Turbine Trains caused their days to be numbered. One reason for the decline was the leader in building Turbine Trains was France. The prototype…

May 5, 2012