I thought about not posting this here... not sure if it is appropriate. But it is related to rail transit and the threat is real. Hopefully no one gets upset but this. The below is a message I received from NARP (National association of Railroad Passengers), of which I am a member of, regarding attempts by the current adminstration to kill off passenger train service in the US. Included is a toll-free number you can use to make a call to express your displeasure (I assume everyone in a rail fan forum would be displeased by this prospect) of the prospect of losing train service.

---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: S. 1516 to be considered next week, Contact your Senators!
From: "Ross B. Capon" <[email protected]>
Date: Fri, September 8, 2006 5:48 pm
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To narprail.org users, September 8, 2006--

S. 1516, the bipartisan rail passenger reauthorization, apparently has a good chance of reaching the Senate floor next Friday, September 15. Votes on amendments and passage could come Monday, Sept. 18, or everything could slip a few days.

Two bad amendments are likely: one by John Sununu (R-NH) would aim to kill the long-distance network by requiring Amtrak to discontinue trains that lose more than a certain amount of money per passenger, the other by Jeff Sessions (R-AL) would strike language aimed at facilitating reduction of Amtrak's debt.

Call your Senators and urge them to 1) support S.1516, but 2) oppose the Sununu anti-long distance and Sessions debt amendments.

You may use our toll-free Congressional Action hotline at 1-800-679-1581. When prompted, enter our access code: 1189. Please make this call during normal Senate business hours which are generally 9am to 5pm, Eastern Daylight Time. After responding to the voice prompt to enter your zipcode, please press "1", then after completing the first call, press "2" to connect to your Senators' offices (do not contact your House member at this time)

We will update the Action Alert section of our web site
<http://www.narprail.org> as more information because available.

--Ross B. Capon
NARP Executive Director

I have enough knowedge of the politics with Amtrak to know, it will get funding in the end like every year. Yes, I have that much faith.

Posted by Agent Skelly I have enough knowedge of the politics with Amtrak to know, it will get funding in the end like every year. Yes, I have that much faith.

Only because people throw a fit everytime they try to get rid of it. I'm sure if they thought they could get rid of it without anyone griping that they would.

Posted by minusonebit Only because people throw a fit everytime they try to get rid of it. I'm sure if they thought they could get rid of it without anyone griping that they would.

Thats true and ontop of that, my state senators both support Amtrak.

Posted by Agent Skelly I have enough knowedge of the politics with Amtrak to know, it will get funding in the end like every year. Yes, I have that much faith.

I hope so, because I love Amtrak. I mean, it's true that many of their lines do suck in terms of being useful or less than 8 hours late on average, but it's a heck of a lot of fun to ride. And you do still get there eventually (usually).

-DrDeke

Posted by DrDeke I hope so, because I love Amtrak. I mean, it's true that many of their lines do suck in terms of being useful or less than 8 hours late on average, but it's a heck of a lot of fun to ride. And you do still get there eventually (usually). -DrDeke

Most of those lateness is not caused by Amtrak but...by two major railroads...UP and CSX.

Posted by DrDeke I hope so, because I love Amtrak. I mean, it's true that many of their lines do suck in terms of being useful or less than 8 hours late on average, but it's a heck of a lot of fun to ride. And you do still get there eventually (usually). -DrDeke

And you dont have to measure your legroom in 10ths of an inch, either. I love Amtrak, use it whenever I can. I wish they had service to Alaska, even once a week. I dont know much about VIA Canada, but it might have some sort of connection. Would be a great way to get up there for a getaway.

But what is really disgraceful is how there is no longer any rail service to Columbus, Ohio. It used to be you could get the thru ticketing rate on Greyhound and go to Cleaveland and leave out of there on the train, then they killed that too. A capital city with no rail service. What a disgrace. It was one of the deciding factors in my decision to leave Columbus and Ohio in general.

Posted by Agent Skelly Most of those lateness is not caused by Amtrak but...by two major railroads...UP and CSX.

This is true... and Bush's constant attempts to cut the budget prevent expansion and needed improvements.

we have one distance train servicing Union Station. one.



i think that's a disgrace. i'd like to be able to travel more by train.

Posted by minusonebit And you dont have to measure your legroom in 10ths of an inch, either. I love Amtrak, use it whenever I can. I wish they had service to Alaska, even once a week. I dont know much about VIA Canada, but it might have some sort of connection. Would be a great way to get up there for a getaway. But what is really disgraceful is how there is no longer any rail service to Columbus, Ohio. It used to be you could get the thru ticketing rate on Greyhound and go to Cleaveland and leave out of there on the train, then they killed that too. A capital city with no rail service. What a disgrace. It was one of the deciding factors in my decision to leave Columbus and Ohio in general.

Service to Alaska if I remember right is not possible because no track operated by CN or CP goes up that way, but I could be wrong.

Ohio is in a good position though may I add for adding 403b train service.

Posted by Agent Skelly Service to Alaska if I remember right is not possible because no track operated by CN or CP goes up that way, but I could be wrong. Ohio is in a good position though may I add for adding 403b train service.

403b train service? I'm not familar with that term.

With regard to Ohio, there is currently an effort to restore train service in Ohio. They are floating an "Ohio Hub" plan, which would be a sort of regional rail road, which would tie into the existing Amtrak system at several points. If they ever make it happen, it would be a very good thing. It would definitely make it easy to get on Amtrak from any major city in OH.

I got something in the mail from this group before I moved, too bad it came too late or I would have joined them. Might still do so anyway just because Ohio needs to wake up and join the rest of the industrialized nation.

> http://www.allaboardohio.org

Posted by minusonebit 403b train service? I'm not familar with that term. With regard to Ohio, there is currently an effort to restore train service in Ohio. They are floating an "Ohio Hub" plan, which would be a sort of regional rail road, which would tie into the existing Amtrak system at several points. If they ever make it happen, it would be a very good thing. It would definitely make it easy to get on Amtrak from any major city in OH. I got something in the mail from this group before I moved, too bad it came too late or I would have joined them. Might still do so anyway just because Ohio needs to wake up and join the rest of the industrialized nation. > http://www.allaboardohio.org

403b of the Rail Passenger Service Act. It says any state may fund any passenger train service directly.

Amtrak Cascades, Amtrak California, Adirondack, Vermonter, Ethan Allen, Downeaster, Hiawatha, Pere Marquette, Blue Water, Wolverine, Carolinan, Piedmont, Heartland Flyer, Illni, State House, and the Illinois Zephyr are all 403b trains.

How Amtrak is still around continues to baffle me. They really need to get their act together did like VIA Rail. Although I will state this, I love the fact that if I work on a track with an Amtrak train on it, I will not have piss and crap sprayed at me like the VIA's.

Posted by Curious_George How Amtrak is still around continues to baffle me. They really need to get their act together did like VIA Rail. Although I will state this, I love the fact that if I work on a track with an Amtrak train on it, I will not have piss and crap sprayed at me like the VIA's.

Amtrak does a couple of things that make you go "Hmmmm."

Like allowing people to make guranteed reservations via telephone without a credit card and letting them cancel them up until departure and even if they dont cancel not even charging them a no call fee. The result is a "full" train leaves with more than a couple empty, unpaid, non-revenue generating seats every time.

They also need to do a better job of marketing vacation packages to families to popular destinations, i.e. disney world. It also wouldnt hurt for them to do a better job of filling seats through discounts durning non-peak dates and times.

Posted by Curious_George How Amtrak is still around continues to baffle me. They really need to get their act together did like VIA Rail. Although I will state this, I love the fact that if I work on a track with an Amtrak train on it, I will not have piss and crap sprayed at me like the VIA's.

Most of the problem is the fact that Amtrak is not true US goverment agency (such as the National Park Service) nor a full independant state-owned corporation (such as USPS). David Gunn realized this when he wasn running Amtrak.

VIA however is a full crown corporation which for the most part, is free of the yearly yelling match over funding.

I think Amtrak should become a full federal agency. The Reason why? If you go any US National Park, you will notice that the gift shops, restaraunts, lodging, gas stations, etc are all contracted out. Hell, go into the CIA's Langley HQ and there's a Starbucks and a Burger King in there! Why? its easier, saves money, and in most cases is better for everyone.

Right now Amtrak can't exactly utilize a concessionaire because its not a full federal agency. If Amtrak right now wanted to have Delaware North Corporation to run Amtrak's dining cars, it well it would have to literally take an act of Congress to do so! But if Amtrak was a full gov't agency, it can utilize OMB Circular A-76 and just do it without a problem.

Posted by minusonebit Like allowing people to make guranteed reservations via telephone without a credit card and letting them cancel them up until departure and even if they dont cancel not even charging them a no call fee. The result is a "full" train leaves with more than a couple empty, unpaid, non-revenue generating seats every time.

PeoplExpress had a simular system by the time they acquired a computer reservations system and they ended up with many flights that were 600% overbooked.

Posted by Agent Skelly PeoplExpress had a simular system by the time they acquired a computer reservations system and they ended up with many flights that were 600% overbooked.

Was that back when the airlines would give you large sums of money and put you up for the night and give you massive vouchers when they had to bump you? If so, I'm not sure I would have minded that so much. hehe.

Posted by minusonebit Was that back when the airlines would give you large sums of money and put you up for the night and give you massive vouchers when they had to bump you? If so, I'm not sure I would have minded that so much. hehe.

They still do that BTW. Though I suggest you read up PeoplExpress