-
Why Trains need Buses
Analysis by Noel T. Braymer Trains can’t go everywhere, but buses can go to many places or when trains can’t. Buses can economically carry passengers to trains when it isn’t possible to use trains. Combining trains and buses can make travel faster for passengers to more places while increasing ridership and revenue for trains. This…
-
What will California Rail service be like by 2020?
Analysis and Opinion by Noel T. Braymer The short answer is nobody knows for sure. The revised draft of this year’s California State Rail Plan (CSRP) was suppose to report on planning for a Blended High Speed Rail System using both conventional and high speed railroads. The current draft of the CSRP says by 2025…
-
Pro’s and Con’s of Replacing Amtrak
Analysis by Noel T. Braymer With changes coming this October to the billing for State supported trains run by Amtrak, California and the other States supporting Amtrak Trains are getting sticker shock. Congress which is forcing Amtrak to raise its prices is also considering allowing private companies to take over some of these Amtrak trains.…
-
Easy Ways for Amtrak to Make More Money
Report by Noel T. Braymer Cutting back on Long Distance Passenger Service has never saved money for Amtrak. It was tried in 1979 and again in 1997 with losses increasing not decreasing. Amtrak’s losses increased 150 million dollars from 1978 to 1981 after the October 1979 service cutbacks of 5 Long Distance Trains. Despite service…
-
Metro(Air)Link for Southern California?
Analysis by Noel T. Braymer with photos Recently Los Angeles City Council member Bill Rosendahl called for the creation of Metrolink service between downtown Los Angeles and Ontario Airport in a Motion at the City Council. Mr Rosendahl’s district surrounds LAX and his views reflect his constituents demand that regional air travel be spread out…
-
What the Southwest Chief Should Be
Report by Noel T. Braymer Imagine you are at the Albuquerque Train Station and you can catch a train there to Fresno or Denver, St Louis, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Washington D.C. as well as Chicago and Los Angeles. How many “trains” would be needed to do this? Well 5 but they would all arrive at Albuquerque…
-
What has Amtrak President Joseph Boardman accomplished ?
Opinion by Noel T. Braymer Amtrak President Joseph Boardman has the best of intentions. He gave priority to improving Long Distance Rail service with proposals to run daily service on the Sunset. He has supported studies to bring back the Pioneer, extend the Heartland Flyer to Kansas City, return service on the Gulf Coast between…
-
What will be in the California State Rail Plan?
Opinion by Noel T. Braymer On February 8th a draft for a revised State Rail Plan will be released and with it will begin during the month of February a period for public comment about the plan. What makes this edition of the State Rail Plan special is that it will cover the plans for…
-
RailPAC: Who and what are we?
By Russ Jackson, Marcus Jung and William Kerby Just what is RailPAC all about? We are frequently asked. Since the late 1970’s when the group was founded as “Citizens for Rail California, Inc.,” which is our legal corporate name, and in 1984 adopted the dba name Rail Passenger Association of California, here is what we are…
-
Planning for Rail Service up to 2030 in the San Joaquin Valley
Here are some excerpts from a report from October 26, 2012 by Stacey Mortensen and Dan Leavitt of the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission. This report makes very clear that the San Joaquin Trains will continue to run on the BNSF with possible additional stops after 2020 with express trains using the new HSR tracks.…