Month: September 2008

  • Coachella Valley Train Meeting Report and PHOTOS

    September 20, 2008 Reported by Robert Manning, RailPAC Director, Palm Springs, with PHOTOS by Mrs. Bob Manning The Auditorium for the University Of California Riverside Graduate Center located in Palm Desert, turned out to be the perfect location for a train meeting. This public forum dealing with daily passenger train service from Los Angeles to…

  • The Coast Rail Coordinating Council September meeting

    Meeting Report September 19, 2008 Reported by Bruce Jenkins, RailPAC Director, Sunnyvale The Coast Rail Coordinating Council met September. 19, ’08 in Soledad, CA, at the Paraiso Winery. Track and Access for the future Coast Daylight train: A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for track access and project negotiation has bounced back and forth between Caltrans…

  • Capitol Corridor September board meeting

    By Bruce Jenkins, RailPAC Director The Meeting of the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Board (CCJPB) was held September 17, 2008 at Suisun City Hall. (The CCJPB is celebrating it’s 10th anniversary). Managing Director Eugene Skoropowski gave still another glowing report on the outstanding ridership and revenue increases and the On Time Performance (OTP) which in…

  • RailPAC STATEMENT REGARDING METROLINK/UNION PACIFIC TRAIN COLLISION

    RAIL PASSENGER ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA 1017 L Street PMB 217, Sacramento, CA 95814 www.railpac.org 17th September 2008 STATEMENT REGARDING METROLINK/UNION PACIFIC TRAIN COLLISION AT CHATSWORTH, CALIFORNIA FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 12, 2008 The Rail Passenger Association of California is greatly dismayed by the loss of life and injuries resulting from the collision between a Metrolink passenger train…

  • RailPAC-Public MEETING Scheduled in Palm Desert

    Bronte, Phelps to speak about “PASSENGER TRAIN SERVICE FROM LOS ANGELES TO THE COACHELLA VALLEY” University of California, Riverside PALM DESERT GRADUATE CENTER Auditorium 75080 FRANK SINATRA DRIVE PALM DESERT, CA 92211 Cook street (south bound) exit from Interstate 10 to Frank Sinatra Dr. The Auditorium is the lower building adjacent to the parking lot.…

  • RailPAC letter to CRCC re Coast train schedules

    By RailPAC President, Paul Dyson, wrote this letter to the Coast Rail Coordinating Council with a copy to Caltrans Division of Rail, before the accident on 9/12, about scheduling of trains on the Coast line. The CRCC meets 9/19 in Soledad. Mr. Dyson and RailPAC Treasurer, Bill Kerby, met with DofR acting Chief Lam Nguyen…

  • CA Rail Corridor records smashed again in August

    By Gene Skoropowski, Managing Director, Capitol Corridor JPB California Intercity Passenger Rail ridership and revenue records continue to be “smashed” by these August statistics. Major ridership growth continues all across California, with the Pacific Surfliners growing at +9.5%, the Capitol Corridor at +21.2% and the San Joaquins at +27.5%. These three California intercity rail services…

  • Want Cheaper Energy? Run More Trains!

    Editorial By Noel T. Braymer The current Administration is claiming that if only Oil Companies were given oil leases to every possible place including National Wildlife Reserves and off shore that the price of fuel would magically go down. This comes from an Administration that promised it would keep oil prices low because it knew…

  • THE BALKANIZATION OF LOSSAN: A Commentary

    By Paul Dyson, RailPAC President 3rd September, 2008 THE BALKANIZATION OF LOSSAN – WHAT HAPPENED TO A REGIONAL VISION? Imagine that Southwest Airlines is run by a public board, and members of that Board includes say the Mayor of Yuma AZ, and the Mayor of Rancho Mirage, CA. Because of their power on the Board,…

  • Where are Amtrak’s “Material Handling Cars?”

    Stored in the weeds and on the rusty rails of the Santa Maria Valley Railroad, east of Guadalupe. A PHOTO report by Russ Jackson including views of the Guadalupe Amtrak station. 9/1 UPDATE Steve Grande of Trainweb sent us the following information: “Don’t forget that there are a couple of Amtrak ex-MHCs out in La…