RailPAC is a statewide membership organization working for the expansion and improvement of rail passenger service within the states of California and Nevada.
{ Monthly Archives }
Commentary by Paul Dyson, RailPAC President
24 November, 2007
LOSSAN OTP, AND SCHEDULE ISSUES AND STRATEGIES
COMMENTS ON DRAFT MEMO AND ON MEMO FROM JONATHAN HUTCHISON, AMTRAK
The omissions from these documents are as significant as the content.
The Western trains with PHOTOS! (Don’t all Amtrak trains look alike?)
Reported by Russ Jackson
Amtrak Honored Caltrans Rail Chief William Bronte and the Capitol Corridor’s Eugene Skoropowski with its prestigious President’s Service and Safety Award.
The Sprinter; The Sacramento RT; and A Metrolink locomotive in need.
CAPITOL CORRIDOR JPB MEETING REPORT
November 14, 2007
Suisun City, California
Report and PHOTOS by Russ Jackson
Editorial by Noel T. Braymer
On a wet Friday October 12th night we relearned how vulnerable California’s transportation system is. In a truck by-pass tunnel underneath the I-5 freeway one truck hit another truck which created a chain reaction causing several trucks to catch fire. The good news was “only” three people were killed. Working feverishly Caltrans crews were able to clean out the tunnel and shore it up so the main freeway overhead could be reopended for the Monday rush hour. The fire damaged tunnel could take months to repair. It could have been worse and the entire freeway would have been closed for months. Even so, the already often jammed freeway has lost capacity which means more trucks will have to share the freeway with cars on the steep downhill slope of the southbound lanes.
Travel was from Los Angeles to Portland on October 15-16, then Portland to Seattle on October 17, and Seattle to Spokane October 18, 2007. Here are some notes about our “little” journey, with a few comments about the California Zephyr, too!
By John Dornoff, RailPAC/InterMountainRail Associate Director
Report from Russ Jackson
Here is the voting on S 294 this week (the Lautenberg/Lott Amtrak reauthorization bill), taken from the US Senate website. Note who didn’t vote: Four of the six Dems were in Philadelphia for that night’s debate. At least their votes weren’t needed.
