eNewsletter for September 26, 2011 September 28th, 2011
More rail service could spring from new agency
SignOnSanDiego.com – Sep 23, 2011
The San Diego-LA-San Luis Obisbo rail corridor — known as LOSSAN to officials … no farther than Northern California for a role model: the Capitol Corridor …
eNewsletter for September 19, 2011 September 21st, 2011
Suit in fatal NV Amtrak crash says door locked
San Jose Mercury News – Sept 15, 2011
Another lawsuit filed against Amtrak in the fatal crash with a truck in Nevada this summer blames a locked door on the train for making the disaster worse …
eNewsletter for September 12, 2011 September 14th, 2011
There are now just 6 more grade crossings left between Los Angeles and Fullerton. Last week the final funding was approved to finish triple tracking between Los Angeles and Fullerton. These project don’t just help passenger rail service. They insure that freight service isn’t effected by passenger trains, they eliminate traffic back up at crossings, and both freight and passenger rail service relieve highway traffic and give alternatives when there are problems on the freeway. There are many more needed project like this one and they need funding.
Infrastructure: Pay for it Now, or You Will Later! September 10th, 2011
Opinion by Noel T. Braymer
Most people heard about the power outage on Thursday September 8th in the San Diego area. I was caught in the middle of it. Nothing forces you to realize how much “civilized” life depends or how much we take infrastructure for granted until it fails. People couldn’t work because because they were in the dark, the computers were down as was the air conditioning. Traffic was a mess with people trying to get home and with the traffic lights out. Most stores had to close for the same reason most people couldn’t work. If you were driving the gas stations were closed because they couldn’t pump gasoline. If you were away from home you couldn’t eat because most restaurants and stores were closed. And if you had to go the bathroom where would you go? Away from home most people use gas stations and stores bathrooms. Also with pumps not running sewage in some cases was dumped in the Ocean. At the time it seemed the outage might last for days, fortunately it was only for hours.
Amtrak advisory, and a comment September 9th, 2011
See the special commentary at the end.
Special employee advisory
September 8, 2011
Train Travel; It’s the people you meet that make a difference September 9th, 2011
Report by Chuck Robuck, CCRiders
With all the BAD news we are being bombarded with these days, I thought I’d share a GOOD story with you for a change. I have long been a believer in the “Karma” and “you reap what you sow” philosophies. This week, something happened that strengthens my belief in these principles even further.
eNewsletter for September 6, 2011 September 8th, 2011
Prop 1A which approved up to almost 10 billion dollars in state bonds for High Speed Rail also had a provision for a Peer Review Group to oversee the project to see that it was well managed and money not wasted… This group, none of whom are paid for their services is under the leadership of former Caltrans Director and current CEO of the Orange County Transportation Authority William Kempton. In a Letter dated August 22, Mr. Kempton speaking for the Peer Review Group wrote to State Senator Simitan (D-Palo Alto) and Assemblyman Gordon (D-Menlo Park) in reply to their’s and Representative Eschoo questions about the possibility of Caltrain and HSR sharing tracks in the Bay Area Peninsula. …“For those reasons, the Group has previously recommended a “shared use” or “phased implementation” approach that is consistent with your proposal. With that said, however, the concept will have no point unless the HSRA acts to shift an appropriate amount of investment into the two end segments…”
eNewsletter for August 29, 2011 September 5th, 2011
…What is the history of rail during major earthquakes? During the Loma Prieta Earthquake of 1989 many buildings and several roads suffered damage. The Bay Bridge had to be shut down and a large section of viaduct for the Nimitz Freeway in Oakland was destroyed. Caltrain ran on the night of the earthquake. BART was mostly undamaged but because of electrical outages from the earthquake it wasn’t able to restart service until the next day. In the wake of the Northridge Earthquake of 1994 Highway 14 was shut down for months when the interchange with I-5 was destroyed. Other roads also suffered damage such as I-10 and Highway 118. Rail service was unaffected. In fact Metrolink was greatly expanded to help out during the emergency…
Some Amtrak California Zephyr Service to Resume September 2nd, 2011
Trains 5 & 6 to operate between California and Colorado this weekend
Reported by Amtrak and Gene Poon
