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Obama Builds Rail Cred With Biden Pick
Barack Obama's standing as an advocate for investment in US commuter rail looks to have gotten a boost with his selection of Joe Biden as his running mate. Whereas John McCain is the Senate's sworn enemy of Amtrak, his colleague from Delaware is known as a "Champion of the Rails." Notes Daily Kos diarist MissLaura (via George Washington University):
Biden commutes to work each day on Amtrak and has been a strong supporter of the beleaguered rail service. He is an original co-sponsor of the Amtrak Reauthorization Bill (National Defense Rail Act), S.104, introduced on January 7, 2003. Introducing an earlier version of the bill with Sen. Fritz Hollings (D-SC) on March 6, 2002, Biden stated, "For 30 years, I have witnessed Congress dangling a carrot in front of Amtrak's eyes, funding it just enough for it to limp along. And I'll tell you, this has to stop. Now is the time to commit politically and financially to a strong, safe, and efficient passenger rail system." Biden has been particularly concerned with rail passenger security, and has, in the words of communications director Norm Kurz "worked furiously" to secure funding for Amtrak to upgrade its tunnels, hire more cops and bomb-sniffing dogs, build more fences, and add lighting to terminals.
Amtrak president George Warrington presented Biden with a "Champion of the Rails" award in June 2001 and the American Passenger Rail Coalition (APRC), a national association of railroad equipment suppliers and rail businesses, presented him its "Rail Leadership Award" in March 2002. Barack Obama's standing as an advocate for investment in US commuter rail looks to have gotten a boost with his selection of Joe ... more -
Train To Coachella!
This year's Coachella festival was the first of its kind with its own train and train station. To help reduce the carbon footprint of a 3-day music festival held in the desert, organizers found a way to make one giant carpool – that came in the form of the Coachella Express. After a year of planning between Coachella, Global Inheritance, Golden Voice and Amtrak, this train idea got, well, rolling. This year's Coachella festival was the first of its kind with its own train and train station. To help reduce the carbon footprin... more
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Bullet Trains could be coming to California
If voters in November back a $9.95 billion bond to launch the $40 billion system, bullet trains will be built connecting San Francisco to Los Angeles.
Cities that would be along the train ride include San Jose, Merced, Fresno, Bakersfield and others along the Central Valley.
In the future, extensions can be built to connect Los Angeles to San Diego, and Merced to Sacramento.
California's current outdated train system is relatively slow. Trips by car tend to be significantly faster than riding the Amtrak.
To Californians: Would you utilize a bullet train system like this one? If yes, is it because of the high price of gas, accessibility, or comfort of riding a train? If voters in November back a $9.95 billion bond to launch the $40 billion system, bullet trains will be built connecting San Francisco... more -
Train in Vain
Ben Jervey, in his contribution to this month's issue of Good Magazine's travel issue, writes about his coast-to-coast passenger rail journey from New York to Oakland aboard Amtrak. Jervey describes how Amtrak struggles to survive in a nation lacking confidence and esteem towards rail travel. His journey begins on the East Coast aboard the Lake Shore Limited connecting New York to Chicago, and continues his westward travels aboard the famous California Zephyr connecting Chicago to Oakland. Read Jervey's essay to learn about the ups and downs of Amtrak's rail service. Check out video, maps and images by Amy Stein accompanying the article. Ben Jervey, in his contribution to this month's issue of Good Magazine's travel issue, writes about his coast-to-coast passe... more
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Californians are 'all aboard' rail service as gas prices rise
Ridership is booming on the three Amtrak California passenger rail lines. Caltrans, which operates the service in partnership with Amtrak, has added more daily runs to all lines over the past 18 months, but still can't keep up with the standing-room-only crowds.
This budget year, according to the SF Chronicle, ridership is up 13.6 percent on the San Jose to Sacramento "Capitol Corridor", 11.1 percent on the Oakland to Bakersfield "San Joaquin" and 4.7 percent on the "Pacific Surfliner" - which offers stellar views of the coastline for much of is route from San Diego to San Luis Obispo.
The Surfliner, the state's busiest train, carried 2.7 million passengers in the 2007 budget year, while the Capitol Corridor hauled 1.45 million and the San Joaquin carried 805,000 Ridership is booming on the three Amtrak California passenger rail lines. Caltrans, which operates the service in partnership with Amt... more -
Rock and Roll and Rails
Coachella festival founder Paul Tollett had tried for years to get train service from L.A. to Indio for his festival, but it wasn't until this year, with festivals reaching a new zenith, that he found Amtrak eager to talk. This year, concert-goers were offered free rides to and from Los Angeles' Union Station, as well as VIP passes to the festival.
Here's hoping that this introduced some people to the potential benefits of increased train service in California! Coachella festival founder Paul Tollett had tried for years to get train service from L.A. to Indio for his festival, but it wasn'... more -
Coachella Express - free ride to the festival
Yahoo news announced yesterday that "The Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival has partnered with Amtrak to provide a limited number of festival campers with a free train ride to and from this year's event, which is set for April 25-27 at Empire Polo Field in Indio, Calif."
The "Coachella Express" will take 500 kids with 3 day passes (first come/first serve) from Union Station to a temporary platform in Indio on April 24 and head back to LA on the 28th.
Go to www.coachella.com to find out how to get on board! Yahoo news announced yesterday that "The Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival has partnered with Amtrak to provide a limite... more -
Crashed Amtrak train was going 25 m.p.h. too fast, officials say
The Amtrak train that crashed into a freight train on Chicago's South Side, injuring 60 people Friday, was traveling 25 m.p.h. faster than a warning signal allowed, federal investigators said Sunday.
"That will be part of our investigation, to try and understand why that signal was not obeyed," said Robert Sumwalt, vice chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board.
Although the speed limit on the track where the crash happened is normally 79 m.p.h., a "restricting signal" warned of another train on the track ahead, Sumwalt said. That meant the Amtrak operating engineer should have slowed to either 15 m.p.h. or whatever lower speed would have allowed the train to stop within half the distance the operator could see.
But Friday morning the Amtrak train was traveling 40 miles per hour, Sumwalt said, and emergency braking had slowed it to just 35 m.p.h. when it hit the Norfolk Southern freight train about 1.7 miles from the signal. The crash happened about 11:30 a.m. near 51st Street and Shields Avenue. The Amtrak train that crashed into a freight train on Chicago's South Side, injuring 60 people Friday, was traveling 25 m.p.h. fa... more
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