-
Central Coast Railroad Festival: October 7-11
Second Annual Festival to Focus on Modeling, History and Rail Excursions Festival Organizers Seek Volunteers and Sponsors The Second Annual Central Coast Railroad Festival will focus on rail excursions, modeling of all types and historical programs. The Festival is set for October 7-11, 2010, in the heart of the California Central Coast. Activities will take…
-
California High Speed Rail Gets Real
Editorial by Noel T. Braymer The California High Speed Rail Authority (CAHSRA) has been often criticized over the high costs and intrusive aspects of some of the alternative routings for the HSR project. In response to problems poised by alternatives for the route between Los Angeles and Anaheim the CEO of LAMETRO Art Leahy and…
-
The Biggest Obstacle to High Speed Rail in California
Opinion by Noel T. Braymer In terms of routing there is general agreement about the HSR project from Southern California as far north as Fresno. Combinations of publicly owned rail and road rights of way and cooperation with the BNSF has the route largely laid out up to Calwa Yard in Fresno. The City of…
-
Tracking Rail News: August 2010
Photos and Commentary by Russ Jackson . . . There’s great news for San Joaquin riders. On July 26 Amtrak announced that on six of the twelve daily trains that now operate with four cars, a fifth car will be added to the trains through Labor Day, increasing capacity by 25% and allowing an additional…
-
San Joaquin Valley Rail Committee Meeting Report
July 29, 2010 Meeting in Atwater Reported by Michael Barnbaum, Associate Director A moment of scilence was held in the memory of George Gaekle. George spent many years on the San Joaquin alley Rail Committee and was also a Director of RailPAC. He also served for many years as a County Administrator for Stanislaus County. A…
-
June California Intercity Passenger Rail Performance
Reported by David B. Kutrosky, Managing Director, CCJPA The Capitol Corridor ridership results for June 2010 were the best month yet for the fiscal year reporting period. Ridership for June was 7.0% above June 2009 and exceeded business plan projection by 13%. Revenue continued its positive trend with +11.5% growth over June 2009 (and +4.5% over business plan projection).…
-
What about a new Transportation Policy President Obama?
Editorial by Noel T. Braymer In the aftermath of the BP Oil gusher in the Gulf of Mexico, now in its 3rd month the President is talking about a new Energy Policy. President Obama is calling for less dependence on oil. But every President since 1974 starting with President Nixon has called for energy independence…
-
Tracking Rail News: July 2010
Commentary and Photos by Russ Jackson . . . On Time Performance. Strange month, what with the mid-west heavy rains causing detours for several trains. On June 24 heavy rain washed out the BNSF tracks just south of Las Vegas, New Mexico, with repairs expected to take a week and causing Southwest Chief passengers to…
-
April was the Cruelest Month for the Fossil Fuel Industry
Editorial by Noel T. Braymer First there was the explosion on April 5th in Montcoal, West Virginia at the Upper Big Branch Coal Mine which killed 29 miners. The cause of the deadly explosion was a build up of coal dust and methane gas which is very explosive if there is an ignition source. It…
-
TAMC Rail Policy Committee Meeting Report
June 7, 2010 Meeting Reported by Chris Flescher, Associate Director The commuter rail extension (Gilroy to Salinas) is now in the right of way acquisition phase. The committee has issued a request for proposals in 3 categories: acquisition agent, legal services, and on-call appraisal. For the on-call group, the committee received 8 proposals. They recommend…