Hotline #672

Through a technical procedure, the number of the Moynihan surface transportation bill is not S.965. It is now S.1204. It was discussed briefly on the Senate floor yesterday, but further action is postponed until the morning of June 11. The Moynihan bill is still upsetting Senators from the Highway Trust Fund "donor states." They would like to scrap the Moynihan bill and replace it with a bill of their own that resembles the Administration bill. That would be very bad. It is possible that a compromise will be worked out over the weekend, but your Senators need to hear again that they should support the balanced transportation measures in the Moynihan bill, S.1204.

After debate begins on June 11, Senator Simon (D.-Ill.) will introduce his passenger-rail corridor grade-crossing elimination bill, S.1065, as an amendment to the main bill. This amendment needs the support of every Senator as well. Also, Maine residents should ask Senator Mitchell (D.-Me.) to introduce a Central Artery rail link amendment.

The Senate Banking Committee marked up S.1194, the transit portion of the surface transportation bill, on June 6. It is generally good -- it would increase transit spending from $3.8 billion to $4.7 billion, through the five years, but that is still not as much as is needed. It retains operating assistance for large transit systems, which is opposed by the Administration. It changes Sections 3 and 9 so that part of each comes from both general revenues and the Highway Trust Fund. It keeps transit money from being spent on highway projects unless all transit alternatives and the Clean Air Act have been satisfied. S.1194 was sent to the Senate floor yesterday.

Representatives Boehlert (N.Y.) and Borski (Pa.) introduced H.R.2515, an equivalent to the Lautenberg-Chafee Senate bill freezing multi-trailer trucks. It is hoped that the Boehlert-Borski bill can be made part of the House surface transportation bill when it is introduced, as was done in the Senate.

Two important Congressionally mandated studies were released by Amtrak on June 3. One was Amtrak's official plan to reach operational self-sufficiency by 2000. There was very little in it that wasn't already known -- basically, Amtrak would continue the course of the 1980's -- increase revenues and contain costs. Increased revenues would come mostly from capital money needed from Congress to modernize Amtrak's fleet and increase capacity on existing trains. Cost containment would be by holding cost increases down to the level of inflation. It also means no major new routes, unless states can be convinced to provide for both capital costs and operating losses. NARP supports the idea of increasing revenues and modernizing the fleet and also the idea of operational self-sufficiency, inasmuch it would end the annual battle for operating funding. But nine years is a long time to have to wait for badly needed new services. Many places, such as Oklahoma City, Des Moines, Columbus, Madison, Nashville, and so on, should have train service and already have been waiting 10 or 20 years, or more.

The other study was on service to Portland, Me. Three daily round trips, at 79 mph, would cost $49 million in capital and operate at a $3.4-million annual loss. Ridership would be 223,000 a year. Based on the self-sufficiency study, this is not the type of loss Amtrak would want to absorb. The study also says ridership would be much higher and operating losses much lower if Portland trains could serve South Station and make direct connections with the Northeast Corridor, all of which would be possible if there were a rail link included in the Central Artery project.

A three-year-old child was killed on June 2 when he wandered away from his family through a hole in a fence and into the path of Amtrak's southbound Niagara Rainbow on the new Empire Connection at Fort Washington Park. Neighborhood groups had been complaining to Amtrak about holes or missing fence sections since the line opened in April. Amtrak had said that funding for the fencing had been eliminated but that repairs would be desirable on certain sections.

Freight railroads serving northwest Indiana will expect big money to relocate trackage if a third Chicago-area airport is built there, according to the Journal of Commerce. Both the Gary and Calumet sites straddle important rail facilities, including some lines used by Amtrak. It would be highly ironic if the third airport site resulted in slower Amtrak service because of mainline detours. Even if that happens, certainly Amtrak and the South Shore should run through the airport.

Amtrak will alter some schedules on June 23. The Silver Meteor will arrive at Miami 20 minutes later than now and leave Miami 35 minutes earlier, all time added south of Jacksonville. The Gulf Breeze will have 20 minutes cut from its schedule south of Birmingham.

Public ceremonies will be held at the following Wyoming-route Amtrak station sites for the inaugural of Pioneer service. On June 13, Ogden 8:00 am, Evanston 10:25 am, Green River 12:35 pm, Rock Springs 1:20 pm, Rawlins 3:50 pm. On June 14, Laramie 8:45 am, Cheyenne downtown station 10:40 am, Greeley 12:45 pm. Regular service begins June 15, when schedules for all three central Rockies trains change.

A public rededication ceremony will be held at Philadelphia 30th Street Station on June 14 at 11:30 am, followed by a self-guided tour of the station and an Amtrak equipment display until 3:00 pm. On June 15 and 16, from 12:00 noon to 6:00 pm, there will be equipment displays, entertainment, railroadiana booths, and a drawing for a first-class trip to Los Angeles.