Month: November 2007

  • Pacific Surfliner – A failing service

    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. As I have mentioned before to the LOSSAN TAC and to the LOSSAN Board, there is no…

  • Amtrak Long Distance November On Time Performance

    The Western trains with PHOTOS! (Don’t all Amtrak trains look alike?) Reported by Russ Jackson Here’s our follow-up to the articles we’ve written for the Review and posted on RailPAC.ORG the past few months regarding Amtrak On Time Performance for the western long distance trains. As usual we check the performance at intermediate stations, as…

  • Two California rail officials receive Amtrak honors!

    Amtrak Honored Caltrans Rail Chief William Bronte and the Capitol Corridor’s Eugene Skoropowski with its prestigious President’s Service and Safety Award. Also honored was Patricia Quinn of the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA). Recipients in the State Partner category “must demonstrate extraordinary and creative efforts in developing resources to preserve and expand rail…

  • Rail PHOTOS for November

    The Sprinter; The Sacramento RT; and A Metrolink locomotive in need. Oceanside and Folsom in these photos. A Sprinter trainset is at the Amtrak/Sprinter station in Oceanside. Testing of the line is in progress toward a December 28 dedication and opening of service. (Noel Braymer photo) A Sprinter at the new Oceanside Transit Center Sprinter…

  • CAPITOL CORRIDOR JPB MEETING REPORT

    CAPITOL CORRIDOR JPB MEETING REPORT November 14, 2007 Suisun City, California Report and PHOTOS by Russ Jackson Two rebuilt Superliner cars in California Car colors are operating now, and the other five on order will start arriving at about one a month starting in the Spring, providing capacity improvement for the Capitols and the San…

  • Another close call and Metrolink comes through again

    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…

  • Well we made it!!! A trip report on the Coast Starlight, the Cascades, and the Empire Builder

    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 Our Coast Starlight ended up arriving in Portland…

  • Senate passes Amtrak Reauthorization bill: the vote

    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. If they had voted they would probably have voted…