Commentary by Paul Dyson $2.25 Billion for California High Speed Rail. Too little to make even the smallest impact, and relies on California matching funds. Did anyone tell USDOT that California is broke and can’t even issue passenger rolling stock bonds approved three years ago?Beneficiaries: Consultants and engineering firms. Blue collar jobs created this year…
Commentary by Paul Dyson As we contemplate construction of High Speed Rail and electrification of existing routes we need to ask if catenary height an issue. This may seem arcane, almost academic, but it has real implications for the type of railroad network that we want to see here in California. Indeed it raises issues…
Reported by Russ Jackson, railpac.org editor, with photos by the author. The 60 people who attended the January 16 meeting at the Rail Museum were not disappointed, even on a foggy Saturday in Sacramento. The survival and expansion of rail passenger service was on everyone’s mind, and the speakers were very qualified to discuss the…
Senator Barbara Boxer Washington DC Via Fax 22nd January, 2010 CALIFORNIA REPRESENTATION ON AMTRAK BOARD Dear Senator Boxer: California needs and deserves a representative on the Amtrak Board of Directors. At present there is no Amtrak Board member domiciled west of Illinois. Consider that: The State of California pays Amtrak almost $100 million per year…
Reported by DAVID B. KUTROSKY, Managing Director, Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority NOTE: This article contains important future state financial information that Mr. Kutrosky discussed at the RailPAC-NARP Sacramento meeting, which will have impact on the state operated trains. The Capitol Corridor December 2009 results are mixed with a continued ridership decline compared to December…
Report by Noel T. Braymer A Full House in Sacramento The underlying theme of most of the speakers at the RailPAC/NARP meeting was on the challenges ahead for the State’s Rail Passenger services with future ridership growth in the mist of the current economic problems.
Caltrans Photo On January 11, 2010 Eleanor Lloyd died. She was the wife of RailPAC’s Vice-President (North) Art Lloyd for 64 years. Services were held on January 16th 2010.
“SACRAMENTO RAILS” In the California State Rail Museum meeting room where the 2008 annual meeting was held, 111 I Street, just west of the CSRM main building. Minimum Donation: $15, payable in advance: YOU MUST RESERVE BY JANUARY 13! SPACE IS LIMITED to 50, so E-mail [email protected], or call 916-833-4218 to reserve your space NOW.…
December 17, 2009 Mr. Paul Dyson, President Rail Passenger Association of California 1017 L Street PMB 217 Sacramento, CA 95814 Dear Paul: Thank you for your letter of December 5,2009, regarding unacceptable service failures on the Pacific Surfliners. We are equally disappointed with the recent service failures on the Surfliner service. You know, as well…
Reported by Chris Flescher, RailPAC Associate Director, Salinas November 2, 2009 Commuter Rail to Monterey County There are some advantages to serving Salinas with a Capitol Corridor extension instead of the proposed Caltrain extension. The Capitol Corridor trains would serve both the commute market and the long distance travel market. The Capitol Corridor Joint Powers…