Month: October 2008

  • RailPAC Meeting in Los Angeles November 1st

    Location: Los Angeles Union Station in the North Patio behind Traxx Restaurant. When: From Noon until 2 P.M. Topics: The November 4th Election, Prop 1A ( HIgh Speed Rail) Prop R ( Los Angeles County Sales Tax for Rail Transit. )

  • YES ON PROPOSITION 1A – NOW MORE THAN EVER!

    A few years ago I was concerned about the timing of building a High Speed Rail system in California.  Business worldwide was booming.  Prices for steel, cement and other basic construction materials were skyrocketing, even supposing you could find a supplier.  It seemed to me that cost estimates would soon be out of date as…

  • Why Vote for Proposition 1A? Because of the Stupid Economy!

    Editorial by Noel T. Braymer There are three good reasons for voting for Prop 1A. They are jobs, jobs and jobs. Expanded high speed, intercity and commuter rail passenger services will create jobs from construction, in the operation of rail service and from the economic development that improved transportation creates. At the heart of the…

  • September 2008 – Capitol Corridor and California Ridership & Revenue

    The growth continues! California and the entire country continues “getting on board the train!”While it is a bit surprising that none of our national candidates for office seem to focus on passenger rail investments, and the mobility, jobs and economic stimulus such investments bring, as more and more Americans step on-board trains, maybe the message…

  • RAILPAC CAMPAIGN TO IMPROVE SURFLINER WEEKEND SCHEDULE SUCCEEDS

    October 4, 2008 After more than two years of nudging and cajoling by RailPAC, Amtrak has finally rescheduled the weekend 798 Surfliner train and reduced the running time by over 30 minutes.  Currently the 798 waits at Moorpark for Metrolink trains over the single track from Simi Valley.  No Metrolink trains run on Saturdays and…

  • TAMC Rail Policy Committee meeting of Sep 8, 2008

    Report by Chris Flescher The first part of the meeting was news of passenger rail south of here.  The local transit agency in San Luis Obispo County offers free transfers from the Pacific Surfliner trains.  At this time, in Grover Beach, the passenger train platform is on one side of the tracks, but the stop…

  • A look at Automatic Train Stop (ATS)

    By Noel T. Braymer Since the disastrous collision at Chatsworth on September 12th, Metrolink has been in a panic to improve its public image and find quick ways to improve the safety of its trains. One step will be the rapid installation of Automatic Train Stop or ATS signaling on most or all of its train…

  • The Lesson of Chatsworth: Better Signaling Needed

    Editorial By Noel T. Braymer We know that on September 12th the engineer of Metrolink Train 111 failed to acknowledge or apply brakes for both a yellow and red signal. He even failed to apply brakes before running into a local UP Freight on a single track segment just outside of Tunnel 26. What we…