Hotline #758

Senate Transportation Appropriations Chairman Frank Lautenberg (D.-N.J.) this week unveiled his $6.7-billion supplemental transportation funding bill for 1993. He said it would create 300,000 jobs this year. He has $2.9 billion for highways, $1.9 billion for airports, $1.4 billion for transit, and a healthy $320 million for Amtrak capital and $220 million for the Northeast Corridor -- beyond existing fiscal 1993 appropriations. Lautenberg plans to introduce the bill soon.

House Public Works Chairman Norman Mineta (D.-Cal.) said the Clinton Administration will release its economic stimulus package in about a month. He said the transportation element of the package would be modeled on ISTEA, which raises the possibility of Amtrak being left out. There is also more talk in the Administration about an energy tax. Please write to President Clinton in support of it, urging about $1 billion a year to be earmarked for Amtrak.

Caltrans has completed its study on rail alignments in the San Joaquin Valley and has chosen the current Santa Fe route between Fresno and Stockton over the Southern Pacific route. Since the Santa Fe tracks are in much better shape, more service could be added more quickly.

Caltrans signed a $21-million contract with GM on January 27 for nine diesel locomotives for use on Amtrak trains, for delivery in 1994.

Riding the X2000 this week were people from Congress, the Administration, and the travel industry, plus financial executives, off-Corridor state officials, Amtrak employees, and Washington representatives of railroads, rail labor, and environmental groups. On January 26, ex-DOT Secretary Andrew Card and new Secretary Federico Pena rode it together. Revenue service starts February 1 on Metroliner trains 112 and 223. It will tilt through curves faster than a Metroliner, but, for now, it will be held to 125 mph. FRA may allow 135 mph in a few weeks.

The Amtrak board met January 27. They approved $2.6 million as Amtrak's share of building a track connection at New Castle, Pa., between CSX and Conrail to permit the Broadway Limited to pass through Pittsburgh without backing up. CSX plans to abandon the current route north of Pittsburgh forced Amtrak to act. The connection, to be ready in the fall of 1994, could also be used to an extended Pennsylvanian if the Ravenna connection and other work is ever done. The board also approved expanding the china and linen dining car service to the Sunset Limited, Crescent, and Lake Shore Limited. That would be phased-in the week of February 8, apparently without additional on-board staff.

The groundbreaking for the Kearny Connection near Newark, N.J., was January 27. When completed in 1995, it will allow New Jersey Transit trains from Dover -- and maybe even someday Scranton and Binghamton -- to run directly into New York Penn Station.

The New Jersey Transit board approved on January 26 a plan to extend Atlantic City commuter trains to Philadelphia, perhaps in early April. The New Jersey Association of Railroad Passengers long has worked on both of these projects.

Construction also has started on a new Amtrak station at Jack London Square in Oakland. Amtrak is likely to move out of the old 16th Street Station by year's end.

The Coast Starlight was annulled much of last week south of Oakland due to extensive 40-mph slow orders related to the wet weather and fear of landslides.

Reverse and off-peak trains will be added to the Los Angeles Metrolink commuter system on February 22. The subway opens February 1.

An event recorder tape from the fatal South Shore wreck on January 18 revealed that the eastbound train did run a red signal, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The engineer had told the NTSB his signal was green and turned to red only when it was too late to stop.

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Houston is in the process of buying 158 miles of trackage rights and rights-of-way from Southern Pacific, including the Amtrak station.