SENATOR BARBARA BOXER
Fax to 202 224 0454
22 February, 2010

PASSENGER RAIL SAFETY

Dear Senator Boxer:

First of all may I commend you for your concern about passenger rail safety following the Chatsworth collision last year, and also for spending so much time at the Los Angeles USDOT conference last Friday.  We appreciate your interest in passenger rail.

We exchanged views on the subject of two engineers in the cab of mainline passenger trains.  You asked me to provide information about railroad accidents in which there were two engineers in the cab.  Freight train operators have a two person crew, a trained and qualified engineer and conductor, who are responsible for the safe operation of the train.  Here follows a brief list of some of the accidents that have happened in recent years, taken from NTSB records, in which both members of the train crew failed to take action to prevent an accident. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Commentary, Issues

The High Speed Rail Dilemma   February 17th, 2010

Response to High-Speed rail system:  Leaders mull benefits, fears,  first published in the Burbank Leader on 2/13/10.

Commentary by Paul Dyson

It was great to see the Leader take a close look at the High Speed Rail project on Saturday 13th February.  This huge undertaking is described as the largest public works project in our history and the impacts will be far reaching and long lasting.  But while the Leader discussed some of the issues arising from the project I would respectfully suggest that we need to review why these issues exist, and whether indeed some of the impacts need to be as great as they are. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Commentary, Issues

More on the Coast Starlight China   February 12th, 2010

Reported by Jarrod DellaChiesa, Website Editor and CSCN Project Coordinator

As reported a few days ago, the Coast Starlight is finally doing away with plastic dinnerware and synthetic tablecloths and is re-introducing full china service and linen.  This is exciting because passengers will once again receive a quality Dining Car experience.

Here are some additional details … Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Commentary, Issues, Reports

Official Amtrak Press Release
Elegant dinner service aims to improve customer satisfaction

OAKLAND – Beginning today, real china, table linens and glassware are returning to Amtrak’s popular Coast Starlight long-distance train to provide an elegant dining experience for passengers and is the latest service change aimed at further improving customer satisfaction on the west coast route between Los Angeles and Seattle.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Issues, Reports

Commentary by Paul Dyson

Our RailPAC/NARP meeting in Las Vegas last December revealed one important nugget.  Guest speaker, Desert Xpress (“DX”) CEO Tom Stone announced that the project team is planning to extend the Las Vegas – Victorville core route across the high desert to Palmdale where it will connect with the California High Speed Rail system.  This is excellent news for those that believe in the matrix theory of connectivity and passenger train productivity. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Commentary, Issues, Pictures

Amtrak’s Fleet Strategy Plan   February 4th, 2010

Today Amtrak released the Fleet Strategy Plan they promised was coming.

You can download the report here: Amtrak Fleet Strategy – Feb 2010

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Issues

2nd February, 2010

Hon. Curt Pringle and Board Members

CALIFORNIA HIGH SPEED RAIL AUTHORITY

925 L Street Suite 1425
Sacramento, CA 95814
Via fax: 916 322 0827

PROVIDING VALUE FROM THE FIRST INVESTMENTS

Dear Chairman Pringle and Board members:

The Rail Passenger Association of California (RailPAC) has been campaigning for over thirty years for improved passenger rail service in California.  Progress has been slow but at least today we have the basic framework of commuter and inter city rail in most of the important corridors.  We supported Proposition 1A and welcome the recently announced small down payment for High Speed Rail (“HSR”) from the federal government.  We are, however, greatly concerned by the growing clamor of criticism from some key politicians as well as the public and even some rail advocacy groups.  Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Issues

Senator Barbara Boxer
Washington DC
Via Fax
22nd January, 2010
CALIFORNIA REPRESENTATION ON AMTRAK BOARD
Dear Senator Boxer:
California needs and deserves a representative on the Amtrak Board of Directors. At present there is no Amtrak Board member domiciled west of Illinois.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Issues

Report by Noel T. Braymer
Full House in Sacramento A Full House in Sacramento
The underlying theme of most of the speakers at the RailPAC/NARP meeting was on the challenges ahead for the State’s Rail Passenger services with future ridership growth in the mist of the current economic problems.

Compounding this will be the need to expand service to handle ridership growth feeding riders to the future High Speed Rail service. As RailPAC President Paul Dyson reflected attendees at the meeting on January 16th got the level of information that professionals regularly pay up to $500 to learn at industry symposiums. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Commentary, Issues

December 17, 2009
Mr. Paul Dyson, President
Rail Passenger Association of California
1017 L Street PMB 217
Sacramento, CA 95814
Dear Paul:
Thank you for your letter of December 5,2009, regarding unacceptable service failures on the Pacific Surfliners. We are equally disappointed with the recent service failures on the Surfliner service.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Issues