RailPAC: Rail Passenger Association of CA & NV

Month: July 2012

  • Use Metrolink to get to the Airports

    Opinion By Noel T. Braymer  At the end of July LA Supervisor  Michael Antonovich as Chairman of LA Metro introduced a motion which passed unanimously calling for more rail and bus connections to the regional airports in the Los Angeles area. The following are some excepts from that motion. Los Angeles County, home to 10.2…

  • eNewsletter for July 23, 2012

    The money for construction of run-through tracks at LAUS is a BIG DEAL for RailPAC. It will cut at least 5 minutes out of the running time for trains coming and going from LAUS and greatly increase track capacity at the station which is now congested. Back in the late 1970’s there were plans to…

  • Amtrak’s Southwest Chief: Anything new?

    Report (with PHOTOS) and Comments by Russ Jackson How is Train #3 doing into Los Angeles Union Station this summer? The short answer is, not bad, but with a few exceptions. On May 24, 2012, the Southwest Chief departed Chicago Union Station on time, with three non-regular consist cars on the end and Amtrak CEO,…

  • What is a Boondoggle and is California High Speed Rail one?

    Opinions and Facts from Noel T. Braymer During the ongoing debate over High Speed Rail and improved rail passenger service in general such projects are generally dismissed as Boondoggles by its critics. The term Boondoggle implies something is wasteful, expensive and corrupt. The California High Speed Rail Project has gone through several evolutions and has…

  • eNewslettter for July 16, 2012

    Options dwindling to stop California’s high-speed rail project Boston Herald – Jul 11, 2012 As California secures the riches needed to start building a high-speed rail line, some longtime bitter foes of the bullet train are beginning to back off — yet from the courtroom to the boardroom, other opponents are preparing for one last shot at…

  • A New Model For American Passenger Rail

    By: Dick Spotswood. Originally published in the Steel Wheels newsletter, May/June 2012. THE DILEMMA: In the past decade it has become obvious that Amtrak, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, regards its principal responsibility as making the Northeast Corridor America’s first true high-speed rail route. That’s a worthy goal and no easy task. Running from Boston…

  • What is Amtrak’s Problem?

    Opinion by Noel T. Braymer  Amtrak’s problem is the same problem the railroads had for most of the 20th Century: too much overhead costs and not enough revenue. After the Civil War to just before World War I the railroads built many lines of questionable value. Local governments also often subsidized railroad construction to build…

  • eNewsletter for July 8, 2012

    The breakdown of the roughly $8 billion dollars pledged for rail construction from this legislation is $5.9 billion dollars for construction between Madera and Bakerfield for a new high speed railroad to be finished in 5 year. It will be use by the San Joaquin Trains by 2016. This comes with a $3.3 billion Federal…

  • Should Metrolink operate the Surfliners?

    Opinion by Noel T. Braymer A major reason for reorganizing LOSSAN from a Joint Powers Agency into a Joint Powers Authority is to make it possible for it to take over management of the Pacific Surfliners. Much of this is modeled after the arrangement  the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority has over the operation of…

  • RailPAC welcomes Bob Hope Airport Transit Center – calls for improved Metrolink service to make it work

    RailPAC welcomes Bob Hope Airport Transit Center – calls for improved Metrolink service to make it work The Rail Passenger Association of California, an early supporter of the project, congratulates the Bob Hope Airport Authority and supporting agencies on the groundbreaking for the Regional Intermodal Transportation Center. The Burbank Bob Hope Airport has the unusual…