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We can stop importing Oil without becoming a third world country
By RailPAC President Noel T. Braymer — The key to major reductions in our Oil use is transportation, since 65% of our Oil consumption is used for transportation. New York City on a per capita basis uses about half as much gasoline as the national average; the reason is rather obvious, as New Yorkers drive…
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Should we bring back Streetcars?
By RailPAC President Noel T. Braymer — One of my earliest memories as a child was going to Los Angeles from our home in Orange County to watch the Dodgers play baseball at the Los Angeles Coliseum. This was back in the late 1950’s. What I remember most about that night, my first in the…
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Skepticism is the Mother of Security
By RailPAC President Noel T. Braymer — The July 7th bombings of London transit has set off a wave of panic, which is just what the bombers wanted. There are calls to spend massive amounts of money to increase security on all forms of public transportation, comparing the situation to security at the airports. Yet…
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Amtrak Food Fight
By RailPAC President Noel T. Braymer — In the wake of Amtrak’s increasing financial problems, there has been increasing pressure on Amtrak to cut costs. The Government Accountability Office (GAO), Congress’s investigative arm, thinks it has found an area ripe for cost savings in Amtrak’s Food Services. Food service has long been a target of…
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Buses and Trains: No Competition
by Noel T. Braymer, RailPAC President — For well over sixty years, Greyhound has had a near monopoly over intercity bus service in the United States. In the last twenty or so years Greyhound has been losing business and cutting back service. Greyhound has often been a critic of rail passenger service, claiming it was…
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Trains and Gasoline
by Noel T. Braymer, RailPAC President — When Amtrak was created in 1971 it was supposed to be a two year “experiment.” So uncertain was Amtrak’s future that one of the few capital expenditures at that time was for some new freight locomotives modified for passenger service. They could be sold easily to the railroads…
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Amtrak 1999 and Acela R.I.P. ?
by Noel T. Braymer, RailPAC President — “We know we have a product here that will absolutely knock the socks off the competition,” said Amtrak President George Warrington. “Only Amtrak’s Acela will provide a very special journey for customers who will travel downtown to downtown. Fares will be about 20% higher than the current Metroliners…
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Letter on the Prohibition of Photography
Letter to Mr. David Solow Chief Executive Officer Southern California Regional Rail Authority Dear Mr. Solow, For over twenty-five years, I have photographed rail passenger stations and equipment to help educate the public and promote rail passenger service as an efficient and convenient alternative to the auto. On Saturday, February 26, I was told by…
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Don’t Panic, but do Write!
by Noel T. Braymer, RailPAC President — In politics everyday is the silly season. Along with Amtrak, almost every government program is getting hit with major proposed budget cuts from the Bush Administration. Haven’t we seen this movie before? I think it is a good bet that Amtrak will get more money than the Bush…
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Bad start to the New Year
by Noel T. Braymer, RailPAC President — Well, to be frank, January stank. The first half of January it rained constantly. The result was washouts and mudslides that disrupted rail service throughout California. Canceled and late trains due to heavy snows in the Midwest and East didn’t help project the image of passenger rail service…