THE VIDEO MAGAZINE OF RAILROADING


JOIN NOW


HAND-PICKED


VIDEOS POSTED DAILY


dard. In our [expert] opinions, the STB is not likely to approve CP’s proposed voting trust or the CP+NS merger.” At press time, NS had rejected three separate offers from CP. Meaning here of “transcontinental”:


Unlike in the 19th century, the term “trans- continental” in the early 21st century does not necessarily conjure up visions of a deluxe passenger train offering pin-cushion ame- nities for those with a cruise complex. If NS and/or CP had something like that in mind, they would not be making the moves current- ly discussed in the public square. One of the main purposes of the idea of a cross-border transcontinental operation in to- day’s North America would be to slim down railroading to a more efficient (read “mon- ey-saving”) freight rail service. A passenger train, necessarily requiring public subsidies, would not fit that bill. No fantasy train: There does exist a train


known as The Canadian (Toronto-Vancouver) operating mostly on the tracks of Canadian National, the main competitor to Canadian Pacific. That train, which caters largely to the tourist trade, is the closest thing to a rail “cruise” in North America (I’ve been a passen- ger). But its subsidies under the aegis of VIA Rail (the Canadian version of Amtrak) are sharply criticized, even as the train itself is popular. The issue at hand (NS-CP) is a dif- ferent animal.


A Step Up For Passenger Rail


Congress has passed a five-year surface transportation bill that that, for the first time ever, includes inter-city passenger rail. As we reminded you recently, passenger trains in previous years were excluded from this multi- year legislative package, while local rail tran- sit and highway transport were accorded gen- erous treatment. This year’s bill — dubbed the Fixing Amer-


ttx1007companystore_ttx1007companystore.qxd 5/5/2014 1:46 PM Page 1 WWW.THERAILCHANNEL.COM


Broadband Internet Connection Required


The Rail Channel and Watch It are trademarks of TRC Media Group 1726 Route 44, Windsor VT 05089 ©TRC Media Group, All Rights Reserved


ica’s Surface Transportation Act (or FAST) —provides $10.355 billion for inter-city trains. Declared Jim Mathews, President of the National Association of Railroad Passen- gers, “We’ve gone from the House voting on whether to eliminate Amtrak in the spring to the full Congress thinking seriously and thoughtfully….” Another wrinkle: That very same legis-


little company pride or add to your collection of cool rail-related gear, this is the place to be for exclusive and authentic TTX-branded merchandise.


COMPANY STOREWhether you want to show a www.ttx.com 22 FEBRUARY 2016 • RAILFAN.COM


lation, now signed by the president, would start up a pilot program whereby as many as three of the 15 overnight long-distance trains could be parceled out to private rail operators under limited trial conditions. Those 15 are the Amtrak trains that attempt to make Am- trak “truly national.” There are some gaps in that scenario, and the interested parties are getting in line hoping to fill them with this new legislation. Some of the obvious exam- ples: a chunk of the money needed for a part of the super-vital Gateway tunnel between New York and New Jersey, frequently cited in this column; a boost to the immensely con- tentious California high-speed rail project; and a new proposed train between Cincinnati and Chicago. Gressroots success story: Just recent-


ly, small town America actually saved one of those long-distance trains, the Southwest Chief. For months — in recent years — this column has reported on efforts to keep that Chicago-L.A. train alive despite host railroad BNSF’s plan to downgrade the line over Ra- ton Pass in New Mexico; slower speeds were


okay for the railroad’s freight business on that line. In response, the combined efforts of “grass-


roots” towns in Colorado, Kansas, and New Mexico put in an almost unprecented first class effort to upgrade the tracks and save the train. Some multilevel state/local efforts were in play. Part of the citizen effort was a will- ingness to apply what more or less resembles (a more organized) “pass the hat” or “tin cup” strategy, plus a little phone calling to valued but almost-forgotten contacts, along with vol- unteerism in hopes of keeping the tracks pas- senger-friendly for the Amtrak’s Chief. How this translates into a general effort to


save the trains that “connect America,” who can say? Not everyone: That act of desperation, however laudable, is not assured of success. Other small towns and mid-to-large cities along other routes were not so lucky. The 1997 cancellations of the Pioneer (Salt Lake City-Boise-Seattle), and the Desert Wind (Salt Lake City-Las Vegas-L.A.) taught us a lesson: Once a long-distance train is gone, it may be gone on a permanent basis. Sub- sequent attempts to revive such operations have failed, having in the meantime been replaced by freight traffic, according to the host railroads. The “privatization” route: This is part of


a larger publicly misunderstood dilemma fac- ing passenger trains in the U.S. All forms of transportation are subsidized one way or the other — i.e. highways, the capital underpin- ning for trucks and automobiles, and airports, where public funding typically covers air traf- fic control and terminal operating costs. Railroads are expected to pay for both capi-


tal and operating costs. U.S. freight railroads pride themselves with being the (perhaps one and only) mainline transportation mode in the world that pays for both channels. Pas- senger rail worldwide more frequently re- quires subsidies for capital. Hence, referring to passenger rail as “money-losing” is, at best, a half truth. But, that’s the way it has been and likely always will be. So. . . Scarce money spread thin: Amtrak does


make an operating “profit” with its very pop- ular Acela Express trains on the Northeast Corridor, the closest thing in the U.S. to high speed rail. Amtrak has been using surplus monies from the Acela to pay for the operation of some of the long-distance runs. Here is where “push comes to shove.” Law-


makers have been told by Amtrak that infra- structure improvements will be required for the NEC or else the Acela trains will need to slow down. If that happens, the Acela loses its selling points to the public. Hence the Hob- son’s choice — it’s bad enough to be accused of being “money-losing” when it’s only half true; worse if it turns out to be fully true because of a falloff in ridership. So that is the dilemma Amtrak faces. Over


the years, rural lawmakers have said, “No na- tional system, no Northeast Corridor.”


Quick Takes NARP protests the lack of traditional or


“real” dining car on the Silver Star... Latest experiment: lower sleeper fares in return for no traditional diner...Wall Street Journal in- cludes a futuristic magazine stating a tube- type train whisking riders at 760 m.p.h. “may be closer than we thought.”


WES VERNON IS A WASHINGTON WRITER and veteran broadcast journalist. You can reach him with questions or comments at capitollines@railfan.com.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74