Disruption on the Sunset

January 9, 2019

by Jim Mathews There’s a truism in official Washington: always release bad news late on Friday. And that’s just what happened last Friday, when Trains News Wire reported that Union Pacific track work would suddenly disrupt Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle schedules -- including eliminating one weekly Sunset round trip. Rail Passengers members and ticketed passengers alike were pretty steamed over the weekend, as well they should be. Work will get started on the tracks between San Antonio and

The Stories That Make a Difference

Grassroots Rail Advocacy

January 9, 2019

By Carolyn Cokley Advocacy is defined as an activity by an individual or group which aims to influence decisions within political, economic and social systems and institutions. Advocacy can include many activities that a person or organization undertakes including media campaigns, public speaking, publishing research, conducting exit polls or the filing of an amicus brief. But, what happens when, you withdraw from and are not a part of that public voice, or you feel that you are not equipped t

North Carolina Sees a Future Built on Rail

January 7, 2019

by Sean Jeans-Gail While it is commonly asserted that passenger rail only makes sense in the Northeast, there are dozens of thriving and soon-to-be rail systems around the U.S. that prove otherwise. Durham, North Carolina is just one such example, boasting what will be a heavily utilized GoTriangle light rail service for thousands of local residents. In 2020, Durham and Orange County will be starting construction on an 18-mile electric rail line. It will serve three of the ten largest employer

Amtrak Orders National Network Locomotives

75 new Siemens diesel locomotives to replace its aging long distance locomotive fleet.

December 21, 2018

In response to record ridership levels, Amtrak announced December 21, 2018 that it will acquire 75 new diesel locomotives from Siemens Mobility to replace its aging National Network locomotive fleet. The initial order of locomotives will be used principally to replace the P40 and P42 locomotives on Amtrak’s Long Distance train service. The contract includes the option to purchase more for use on State Supported routes and for future growth. “These new locomotives will offer increased reliab

The Little Train That Did

A Record Breaking Year for the Downeaster

December 20, 2018

by Joe Aiello | Northeast Field Coordinator “Well I'm on the Downeaster Alexa” - Billy Joel Wrong type of transportation, Piano Man. Okay. I promise this won’t be the pop culture romp that last week’s blog was. Last Friday, council member Wayne Davis and TrainRiders/Northeast held their 30th Annual Meeting in Portland, Maine to celebrate the 17th Birthday of the famed Downeaster service. I joined Bruce Becker, Vice Chair Tom Girsch, council members Steve Musen, Andy Cabal &

Synergy

December 19, 2018

by Carolyn Cokley, Director Customer Programs Synergy is defined as the benefit that results when two or more agents work together to achieve something neither one could have achieved on its own. It's the concept of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. In the spirit of the year end, RPA staff took some well-deserved time this week to share a meal together and enjoy each other’s company outside of the office. The conversation started with the events of the day and general Washin

Contemporary Dining

Does Amtrak Deliver What It Advertises?

December 18, 2018

By Bruce Becker, Rail Passengers Association The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines ‘contemporary’ as: ‘marked by characteristics of the present period’. So how does Amtrak’s use of the words ‘contemporary’ and ‘dining’ stand up to this definition? This past weekend I rode the Lake Shore Limited from Boston to Buffalo in a roomette and had the opportunity to see for myself. Lunch was served to the sleeping car passengers about 45 minutes after leaving Boston, with the availa

Why Rural America Needs Passenger Trains

What the Brookings Institute's recent report "Why Rural America Needs Cities" means for passenger trains

December 18, 2018

Abe Zumwalt, Rail Passengers Riding the train clear across the American countryside is very distinct from driving across on the interstates. On the highways, the same national chains hinging off of massive cloverleafs all over the country make for town centers, strip mining money away from local economies. “Town centers,” that have in turn effectively replaced the hundreds of now derelict local main streets one sees if you were to choose the state routes instead. In contrast, taking the tr

What's 58 Years of Amtrak Funding Worth?

December 17, 2018

by Sean Jeans-Gail In a disappointingly predictable move, the Congressional Budget Office has released a report on options for reducing the budget over the next ten years that identifies the elimination of Amtrak and the Federal Transit Administration. Clearly, this document was drafted as a mental exercise in deficit-trimming and will have no real impact on Congressional decision-making. Still, it’s an impressively tone-deaf recommendation, coming as it does when the average American’s com

“If You Build It, They Will Come”

"Shoeless" Joe Takes The Train

December 13, 2018

by Joe Aiello | Northeast Field Coordinator “Hey… Dad? Wanna have a catch?” Who doesn’t love Field of Dreams? That scene gets me every time. I can just THINK of that scene and I get misty eyed. …….. Sorry. We are here to talk about trains and not emotional Kevin Costner movies from the 1990s (we can save that for a later blog). Back in October, Abe & I had the opportunity to head to New Haven, CT and take a tour of the new Hartford Line and to see some of the development