RailPAC: Rail Passenger Association of CA & NV

eNewsletter for September 19, 2011

Suit in fatal NV Amtrak crash says door locked San Jose Mercury News – Sept 15, 2011 Another lawsuit filed against Amtrak in the fatal crash with a truck in Nevada this summer blames a locked door on the train for making the disaster worse … September 19, 2011 The above copy of this enewletter…

September 21, 2011
eNewsletter for September 12, 2011

There are now just 6 more grade crossings left between Los Angeles and Fullerton. Last week the final funding was approved to finish triple tracking between Los Angeles and Fullerton. These project don’t just help passenger rail service. They insure that freight service isn’t effected by passenger trains, they eliminate traffic back up at crossings,…

September 14, 2011
Infrastructure: Pay for it Now, or You Will Later!

Opinion by Noel T. Braymer Most people heard about the power outage on Thursday September 8th in the San Diego area. I was caught in the middle of it. Nothing forces you to realize how much “civilized” life depends or how much we take infrastructure for granted until it fails. People couldn’t work because because…

September 10, 2011
Amtrak advisory, and a comment

See the special commentary at the end. Special employee advisory September 8, 2011 Message from Joe Boardman Dear Co-workers, The House Transportation Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee has released a proposal for FY ’12 that would significantly reduce Amtrak’s federal funding, specifically the operating support. The proposal also prohibits the use of federal operating…

September 9, 2011
Train Travel; It’s the people you meet that make a difference

Report by Chuck Robuck, CCRiders With all the BAD news we are being bombarded with these days, I thought I’d share a GOOD story with you for a change. I have long been a believer in the “Karma” and “you reap what you sow” philosophies. This week, something happened that strengthens my belief in these…

September 9, 2011
eNewsletter for September 6, 2011

Prop 1A which approved up to almost 10 billion dollars in state bonds for High Speed Rail also had a provision for a Peer Review Group to oversee the project to see that it was well managed and money not wasted… This group, none of whom are paid for their services is under the leadership…

September 8, 2011
eNewsletter for August 29, 2011

…What is the history of rail during major earthquakes? During the Loma Prieta Earthquake of 1989 many buildings and several roads suffered damage. The Bay Bridge had to be shut down and a large section of viaduct for the Nimitz Freeway in Oakland was destroyed. Caltrain ran on the night of the earthquake. BART was…

September 5, 2011
Some Amtrak California Zephyr Service to Resume

Trains 5 & 6 to operate between California and Colorado this weekend Reported by Amtrak and Gene Poon CHICAGO – Daily service by the Amtrak California Zephyr between San Francisco Bay Area and Denver will resume this weekend, effective with the departure of eastbound Train 6 from Emeryville, Calif., on Sept. 3, and the westbound…

September 2, 2011
Building Credibility at the High Speed Rail Authority Board Meeting

August 25 Meeting Report by Bill Kerby, RailPAC Treasurer Public comments, invited by the High Speed Rail Authority (HSRA) Board at the opening of the meeting August 25, 2011, lasted about a half hour with two minute presentations: hiring opportunities for small businesses; environmental justice; support for HSRA recommended route alignments; and one instance where…

August 30, 2011
Followup: A trucker looks at the Nevada Amtrak-truck crash

Recently the RailPAC website published four “theories” of how the July accident between a truck and Amtrak’s California Zephyr in the Nevada desert east of Reno might have happened (posted July 15, 2011). We asked Jason Brown, a commercial trucker, for his opinion on the events surrounding that crash. Commentary by Jason Brown for RailPAC.org…

August 27, 2011