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The sun is setting earlier now, but what about the fate of Amtrak’s Sunset Limited?
Commentary by Russ Jackson, RailPAC Opinions expressed are those of the author, not necessarily those of the RailPAC Board The summer of 2014 is thankfully almost over. As this is written there is a week to go until Labor Day, and then the Congress will return to Washington DC for two weeks of yelling at…
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RailPAC rail PHOTOS of the month (July, 2014)
Here are this month’s photos by RailPAC photographers. Click on each photo to see it full size! Contributions to this page are welcome. Send your jpg rail photos to Russ Jackson, RailPAC Photo Editor, at [email protected]. 1. This is a segment of the new elevated path from the Bob Hope Burbank Airport train station and…
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Welcome!
Our Mission is to promote the development of a modern, sustainable, environmentally friendly passenger rail system through education of the public and government officials. Our Vision is a comprehensive rail network of long distance, intercity, and regional trains, supported by and integrated with local transit, bicycle access, and pedestrian friendly stations. We accomplish these…
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Amtrak, the states, and the future of the short distance trains
MinnARP President’s Column; Commentary by Andrew Selden NOTE: Mr. Selden has been a frequent speaker at RailPAC Conferences The long, suffocating death-grip that Amtrak has had over America’s intercity passenger rail service for the last 40 years may be starting to come undone. The agent of change driving this potential revolution is frustration among the…
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The Southwest Chief: a “Rose-y” mid-summer update
Report and Commentary by Russ Jackson, RailPAC Opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the RailPAC Board Here it is mid-summer, 2014, and no final decisions have been made about the future of Amtrak’s Southwest Chief; whether it will continue to run on its historic route west of Newton, Kansas…
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Sunset Limited in jeopardy is serious business: Part 1, Comments by RailPAC member Steve Roberts
I wanted to emphasize that the comments made by Russ Jackson and Paul Dyson on the seriousness of the Sunset Ltd. amendment are not overstated. (Note: See their commentaries also on railpac.org) The whole long-distance network is at risk. Also this is a battle unlike any we have seen in the past for the following…
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Sunset Limited in jeopardy is serious business: Part 2, Comments from the Texas Rail Advocates
NOTE: Reprinted with permission of Peter LeCody and the TRA, from their website: www.Texasrailadvocates.org (Washington) In a last minute voice vote on the House appropriations bill for transportation, Texas Representative Pete Sessions (R-District 33-Dallas) succeeded in his efforts to kill an Amtrak route that has been a financial target of the long distance trains. This…
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A quick look at the Future of the San Joaquin’s
Complied by Noel T. Braymer Recently the board of the new San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority approved their first Business Plan for the San Joaquin Trains. There is a great deal of information in the 156 page packet which includes comments of the draft and the revised final draft of the Business Plan showing changes…
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The Fallout from PRIIA 2008 – Unhappy States may look for alternatives to Amtrak
Commentary by Paul Dyson You know, sometimes the old light bulb above my head doesn’t go on as quickly as it once did. You know what I mean, it used to be that I’d read or hear something and in a flash I’d figure out the agenda behind the innocuous statement. Well it took me…
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The Sunset Limited and Food & Beverage service are threatened by House amendments
Commentary by Paul Dyson President, Rail Passenger Association of California and Nevada House amendments to kill the Sunset and remove food service will accelerate the demise of the Superliner network. This is not a drill!