contribute. Rail labor, through the AFL-CIO’s Transportation Trades Department, praised the move by the governors, with TTD adding “we will want to review the details.”
That PTC Deadline Members of the Senate Commerce Com-
mittee expressed concern at a hearing over the possibility that freight and passenger railroads might shut down or modify some of their operations if, as recently indicated, they fail to meet the December 31 deadline for in- stallment the PTC safety infrastructure. Sarah Feinberg, whose nomination as FRA administrator was the subject of the hearing, told the senators action the FRA takes with railroads that don’t comply may include high fines, speed restrictions, and/or additional crew members. She rejected extending the deadline “on a case-by-case basis” with 40 railroads.
L.A.-Las Vegas: Try Again?
The efforts to bring about luxury and/or high-speed rail to the L.A.-Vegas corridor has been a running soap opera for years, as fol- lowed by this column. Now the Chinese are the latest players in the drama. China Rail- way International USA plans a joint venture with Xpress West for HSR operations be- tween the two cities. Backed by initial capi- tal of $100 million, the targeted construction start date is September 2016, and with that the establishment of “a high-speed rail indus- try in the United States, along with the cre- ation of “new technology.”
Another HSR “Dark Cloud?” Early next year is set for the next round
of litigation against California’s planned San Francisco-Los Angeles HSR. February 11 is the date scheduled for a court hearing in Sacramento, wherein the plaintiffs argue the train can’t possibly operate without illegal taxpayer subsidies and that the mandated two-hour-40 minute trip is not remotely pos- sible, and that the project does not honor re- quirements of the 2008 voter-approved Prop- osition 1-A that authorized $9.95 billion seed money for the venture. A San Diego Tribune editorial on the case
is headlined “High-speed rail project: Dead train walking?”
Overseas “Warning.” NARP warns its members that an attempt-
ed attack by an armed man aboard an Am- sterdam-Paris has raised questions (again) as to whether current security efforts here in the U.S. are sufficient. It has been noted, for ex- ample, that unlike airports, with their layers of security, most railroad stations have secu- rity that is comparatively minimal. While this column does not intend to ex-
cuse any transport seen as missing something on security, a plane, being by its definition airborne, has far different logistical security issues than does any ground transportation, and therefore defies almost all but the most basic comparisons. NARP does call for bal- ancing security consciousness with passenger mobility. We’ll see if the current balance be- tween convenience and security holds up.
WES VERNON IS A WASHINGTON WRITER and veteran broadcast journalist. You can reach him with questions or comments at
capitollines@railfan.com.
Railroads of Milwaukee By John Kelly
· Hardcover, 9 x 11¾", 264 pages · 135 color and 362 b/w photos · Eight absorbing chapters · Helpful Index · Price: $61.95
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