Empire Commuter: Let's hope this isn't our future

For about twenty years there have been studies and plans for a "high-speed" train for the Empire Line. So far they have come to little more than a way to fund politically connected engineering consultants. But as the saying goes, "be careful of what you wish for." An article from the UK Globe and Mail describes a high-speed rail system in China that wasn't quite what it seemed:

Fake building material imperils new Chinese railway

July 7, 2007 at 1:25 AM EDT

BEIJING: Fake construction material is jeopardizing the safety of China's newest high-speed railway, a Chinese newspaper says.

An investigation by the newspaper found that large quantities of bogus material had been used in several hundred kilometres of a $12-billion (U.S.) high-speed railway between the cities of Wuhan and Guangzhou.

The newspaper, China Economic Times, said the scam by unscrupulous suppliers could lead to cracking in the railway's concrete supports, creating a "great danger" to the railway.

The newspaper report, published this week, has triggered an investigation by the Chinese Railways Ministry.

The report is the latest revelation in the widening scandal over shoddy and hazardous goods in China. The issue has emerged as a global concern, with many countries, including Canada, increasingly worried by the dangers of food and other products from China.

Empire Commuter: Just when it seemed safe to get back on the train

As I was getting off the 7:10 train in Albany last night I was talking to another regular commuter about how the delays of the last week seemed to be over. Little did I know that my train was the first one that was on-time that evening. The Kingston Freeman reports:

Train kills 44-year-old man on tracks in Staatsburg

STAATSBURG  An Amtrak passenger train struck and killed a 44-year-old man on the tracks in Staatsburg on Tuesday, police said.

The Dutchess County Sheriff's Office said the man walked onto the tracks at 4:25 p.m -- about a quarter-mile north of Lee Street in Staatsburg -- stopped and was struck by a northbound train carrying roughly 140 passengers.

The victim's name was not released. Amtrak spokesman Cliff Cole, in New York City, referred to the man as a "trespasser" on the tracks, according to The Associated Press.

The train, comprising an engine and four cars, was northbound from New York City to Albany, police said.

No one on the train was injured, but the tracks had to be shut down for about 2-1/2 hours while the incident was investigated, and several trains were delayed as a result. The tracks reopened about 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Police did not know why the man walked onto the tracks and said their investigation was continuing.

Staatsburg is a hamlet in the Dutchess County town of Hyde Park, near the Rhinebeck line.

Inadequate fencing around tracks has been the cause of many Amtrak fatalities.

Empire Commuter: Delay due to lax inspection?

Yesterday I was an hour and five minutes late getting home to Albany on train 241 which is supposed to leave Penn Station at 7:10 pm. The first thing that I noticed when I got on the train was that it was filthy -- old newspapers, soda bottles and stale popcorn on the seats, the seat checks from the previous trip still over the seats. Fifteen minutes after the scheduled departure time the conductor announced that minor engine problems were being fixed and that we we'd be on our way in a few more minutes.

After waiting forty minutes in the train at the platform the conductor asked us to board another train across the platform and then we finally departed.

Obviously the train I originally boarded had not been cleaned or inspected. What if the brakes or signals had failed instead, a few minutes after departing? What regulations are there regarding this? Drop me a line if you know.

Empire Commuter: Is there a mechanic in the hoouse?

Last night my train was an hour and forty minutes late due to mechanic problems. Not mechanical -- the problem was that the one mechanic on duty was working on another train and couldn't get to mine for a half hour after the engineer discovered the engine wouldn't start. You'd think there would be more than one mechanic on duty during rush hour at Penn Station but failing that they could just ask "is there a mechanic in the house?" over the P.A. system. It would a welcome respite from those idiotic "if you see something, say something" announcements.

I called Amtrak, asked for Customer Relations, described the incident and they graciously agreed to send to send me a $22.00 voucher which can be applied to my monthly pass. It's not much but those vouchers can add up when Amtrak has one of their periodic bouts of breakdowns and delays. Besides Amtrak is a political bureaucracy rather than a business so it hurts most when someone complains and forces them to do extra paperwork.

Call early and often!

Empire Commuter: Ride that dinosaur!

Associated Press reports that "Amtrak president says old equipment could slow expansion plans:"

WASHINGTON - Amtrak is still using some equipment that dates back half a century, and obstacles to getting new equipment could stand in the way of the railroad's expansion plans, the company's president told Congress on Tuesday.

Alex Kummant said one major difficulty is the lack of existing U.S. manufacturers of rail cars.

"While we have enough equipment to serve today's needs, we lack the equipment it takes to foster corridor development," Kummant said in remarks prepared for the railroads subcommittee of the House transportation and infrastructure committee.
"It will be a challenge to obtain the necessary equipment to fully exploit our intercity corridor development opportunities, as well as to modernize and replace much of the existing fleet, some of which dates to the early 1950s," Kummant said.

---

The word from Amtrak staff on the Empire Line is that some crucial switching and signaling equipment is so old that no one is alive who knows how to repair it or fabricate replacements. How soon before something breaks down that can't be replaced?

Empire Commuter: Amtrak loses free speech suit

Amtrak's thin-skinned attitude leads to this type of sordid and slightly ridiculous scenario in which a Green Party activist is roughed up and arrested for the crime of being an embarrassment at a publicity event:

DEBBY HANRAHAN WINS SETTLEMENT IN FIRST AMENDMENT-FALSE ARREST LAWSUIT AGAINST AMTRAK

"I was attending a public rally in about as public a place as you can imagine, to which members of the public were invited through radio and newspaper announcements, and which featured on the stage Mayor Williams and several members of the D.C. Council and Sports and Entertainment Commission. My 'crime' was being out of sync with the message of the rally, and for that I was given no warning and was grabbed in a painful shoulder hold by an Amtrak policeman, pulled out of the rally, arrested, charged with trespassing, incarcerated for 28 hours, and required to give a urine sample in the presence of both male and female court and U.S. Marshal personnel. "

Green Party press release with full details:
http://www.gp.org/press/states/dc/dc_2007_06_05.shtml

Empire Commuter: Delays? You get to be pampered for that much longer!

This article from the SF Chronicle on a new "luxury" service is typical of the Amtrak philosophy:

Amtrak passengers this fall will be able to ride in high style aboard vintage Pullman cars, evoking the luxurious rail journeys of the past.

Under a new partnership with GrandLuxe Rail Journeys, formerly known as the American Orient Express, the lavishly equipped cars will be attached to the back of some regular Amtrak trains

Luxury sleeping compartments, a lounge with a live pianist and a dining car offering five-course meals are among the amenities.

During a test period from this October to January 2008, the Pullmans will be attached to the California Zephyr between San Francisco and Chicago; the Silver Meteor, which travels from Washington to Miami; and the Southwest Chief from Los Angeles to Chicago

The luxury cars will be attached to the back of each Amtrak train, which will continue to make regular stops. While conductors will walk between the two segments of the train, passengers will not.

These Amtrak routes are notorious for long delays, but Christina Messa, vice president of marketing for GrandLuxe, said she is not worried about complaints. "If there's a delay, that just means you get to be pampered for that much longer."

How not to complain about delays

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (AP) - Police closed down a section of Interstate-890 in Schenectady last night after a man at an Amtrak station claimed to have a bomb.

The man also stopped Amtrak train traffic in Schenectady Saturday evening around 8 PM.

Police says the suspect, reported to be an 84-year-old man from Philadelphia, was upset about the train being late and said he had a bomb.

The device actually turned out to be a transistor radio with other wires and not a bomb.

The highway was closed temporarily and bomb-sniffing dogs were brought in to inspect the train.

The man's name was not immediately available.

Back in the Saddle Again

After a long hiatus I'm going to start posting on the blog again -- I had been emailing to a small list of people, mostly fellow commuters, but I think it makes more sense to reach out to everyone who has a stake in intercity rail service.

There are two other good blogs covering Amtrak antics now, Joseph Vranich's Replacing Amtrak and Amtrak Tracking for My Commute Between New York City and Philadelphia


The latest info on Amtrak ridership, on-time performance, etc. is now available in the
Transportation Statistics Annual Report December 2006


While I think that the Empire State Passengers Association is more part of the problem than the solution, but they have revamped their website and it contains some useful info and links.


Please email me with comments, salacious rumors, sordid speculation or anything else of interest.

Joe Bruno Touts New High-speed Rail

The Albany Times Union reports the latest plans for improved NYC to Albany rail service, inevitably climaxing with yet another plan for a bullet train:

"You didn't get here by train," Bruno wise-cracked to a crowd gathered at the Rensselaer Rail Station. "If you had taken the train, we would be guessing what time you'd get here."

* * *
"We in New York state were literally left at the station when it comes to moving people by rail," Bruno said. "We have got to come into the 21st century here."

Bruno repeatedly dismissed suggestions that this plan will go the way of some 22 previous studies on New York passenger rail now gathering dust.

Wagers, anyone?

Government Accountability Office (GAO) slams Amtrak

The claim that Amtrak's problems are due to underfunding is blown out of the water by this report which reveals no-bid contracts, missing records and huge bonuses to high-level management.

Highlights

Full report

NY Times: Amtrak Breakup Advances

What do you think this really means? Will it really happen? When? How do you think the (ever-changing and mysterious) announcements of fare increases play into this? -- David

Full article

October 13, 2005

Amtrak Breakup Advances

By MATTHEW L. WALD

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 - The Amtrak board has approved an essential step in the Bush administration plan to break up the railroad, voting to carve out the Northeast Corridor, the tracks between Boston and Washington, as a separate division.

The board, made up entirely of Mr. Bush's appointees, voted in a meeting on Sept. 22 to create a new subsidiary to own and manage the corridor, which includes nearly all the track that Amtrak owns.

The vote was not announced. It was reported on Wednesday in the newsletter of the United Rail Passenger Alliance of Jacksonville, Fla., an organization that has been highly critical of Amtrak management.

The plan, which would require action by Congress, is to transfer the corridor to a consortium including the federal government and the governments of the states in the region that would share the costs to maintain it.

That would relieve Amtrak from spending billions of dollars to build and rebuild bridges, rails and electrical systems, but still let the company run its trains.

The plan would also remove Amtrak from control of that sector, a condition that the railroad's senior executives say would doom high-speed long-distance service. Managers say they have to be able to give their trains priority over local traffic if they have any hope of keeping their schedules.

A large majority of trains in the corridor are shorter-distance commuter trains operated by state agencies in metropolitan regions, although Amtrak trains accrue a majority of the miles traveled.

The four-member board has shown ambivalence to some aspects of the administration's proposal.

On April 21, the chairman, David M. Laney, testified before a Senate committee, "We have concluded for now that the complexities and risks associated with such a split outweigh any benefits."

In a telephone interview on Wednesday, Mr. Laney denied that the vote to make the corridor a separate operating division was a precursor to separating it from Amtrak entirely.

No one actually knows how much the increase will be...

I bought a monthly commuter pass for November this morning and was charged the old rate. I asked when and how much the fare increase would be and was told that the increase would begin on October 16th -- but that the people working at the ticket counter still don't know what it will be!

It's still very unclear what the Amtrak management is planning to do.

Philly commuters are mad about the increase too...

Philly.com has a good article on how the fare increase will affect commuters to NYC:

Nearly 700 Philadelphia-area residents take on the commute, according to Amtrak, and these days they're a pretty angry bunch.

Amtrak intends to boost the cost of monthly Philadelphia-to-New York passes from $633 to $1,008 - beyond the break-even point for many commuters, who say the increase threatens not just their income but their jobs. As riders consider switching to cheaper-but-longer commutes aboard buses or NJ Transit trains, the rate increase jeopardizes something else too, something subtle and intangible: The culture of the train.

The people who ride to New York in the morning and back to Philadelphia at night make up a kind of community within a community, spending three to four hours a day encased within the same speeding steel tube. Some spend more time with each other than they do with their kids.

Like other commuters, she's furious about the fare increase. Some people worry they'll have to quit their jobs. Who can afford $12,000 a year to get to work?

All in a days work: Amtrak announces fare raise; kills two people

The NY Times reports that:

"Amtrak said its ticket prices would rise 5 percent to 7 percent on Tuesday for an average increase of about $4 to cover rising costs. But a round-trip ticket from New York to Washington on a high-speed Acela train, which now costs $314, will go up about $22.

"In a more controversial move, Amtrak plans to sharply reduce the discount it offers to the thousands of Northeastern commuters who buy monthly passes and 10-trip tickets. Under that plan, the monthly tariff for some will rise $150 to $200 on Oct. 16 and an equal amount in February.

The same day, Wednesday, September 27, the Times reported that, "A high-speed Amtrak Acela train plowed into a car at a crossing Wednesday, killing a woman and her 8-year-old grandson and causing major delays along the Boston-to-Washington corridor."

Amtrak doesn't deserve any fare increase until they can provide safe, clean punctual service. Keep writing and complaining!

After Backlash, Amtrak Delays Fare Increase - New York Times

It's good to see that the "backlash" did the trick. According to the Times:

...the potential gain from squeezing the small but vocal band of regulars is relatively small. Only about 2,000 people buy multiple-ride tickets each month, with most of them paying from $500 to $750. Even if all of them continued buying the higher-priced passes, the additional revenue to Amtrak would not amount to much more than $5 million a year. That's a rounding error to an operation that takes in about $2 billion and spends about $3 billion each year.

But this is no time to be complacent:

Representative Fitzpatrick, who met with Mr. Gunn yesterday morning to protest the fare increase and Amtrak's plan to cease service to a station in Cornwells Heights, Pa., north of Philadelphia, was pleased to hear that Mr. Gunn had decided to shelve both ideas, at least temporarily. But he said that Mr. Gunn did not commit to revising the fare increase, only to taking more time to explain it.

"I think there's a reason that Amtrak postponed its proposed fare increase," Mr. Fitzpatrick said. "I hope it's because there's another way."

Full article:http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/16/nyregion/16amtrak.html?pagewanted=print

Amtrak Caves to Pressure, Postpones Fare Increase Indefinitely

National Railroad Passenger Corporation
60 Massachusetts Avenue NE
Washington, DC 20002
www.amtrak.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Media Relations (202) 906-3860
ATK-05-076

September 15, 2005
Amtrak To Postpone September 20 Fare Increase

WASHINGTON – Amtrak announced today that it has postponed its planned fare increases, originally scheduled to become effective on September 20. No new date for the fare action has been set. Amtrak postponed the action to conclude additional briefings with public officials and other interested groups.

On September 9, Amtrak announced a fare increase in part to recover escalating fuel costs. As part of the overall fare increase, Amtrak intends to standardize and reduce its discounts on monthly Smart Passes, which are currently as much as 70%.

An average of 1,989 monthly NEC Regional train Smart Passes and 178 monthly Empire Service Smart Passes are purchased each month.

About Amtrak

Amtrak provides intercity passenger rail services to more than 500 destinations in 46 states on a 22,000-mile route system. For schedules, fares and information, passengers may call 800-USA-RAIL or visit Amtrak.com.null"

Update on fare increase

I was told by another commuter this morning that the monthly passes will go up 33%, but that an October pass can be still purchased at the old price until September 19th.

Fight the Amtrak fare increase for commuters!

Amtrak is planning a 50% fare increase for for regular commuters throughout the Northeast corridor. Such a plan would:

• Result in reduced revenues for Amtrak - most commuters will choose another method of transportation fares are raised to this level. Some, like myself, would consider leaving my current jobfor one closer to home - even if it required a substantial decrease in salary.
• Endanger the still fragile economic recovery by reducing disposable income and causing hardship to
  working people who commute long distances to support families.
  
• Increase air pollution and related health risks in congested urban areas by forcing more people to
  drive to work.
  
• Increase our energy dependence on countries that harbor terrorists.
  

As a commuter, a voter and an environmentally concerned citizen I strongly urge everyone to fight the increase by contacting your elected representatives, regulatory agencies and Amtrak management. Tell them you oppose any plan for an Amtrak fare increase. A list of contacts appears below.

Senators Lott and Lautenberg are now pushing to get Amtrak's funding approved. Drop them a line and let them know that Amtrak doesn't deserve a taxpayer subsidy if fares are so exorbitant that no one can afford them.

Email me with any related news you may hear or other people or agencies to contact at empirecommuter@yahoo.com

Thanks!

David Solomonoff

Contacts and Links

Mr. David L. Gunn, President
Amtrak Customer Relations
60 Massachusetts Avenue
Washington DC 20002
fax: 202-906-2211

Note: It is best to call 1 800-USA-RAIL, then press "0" and ask for customer relations, explain why you are
calling and ask for a reference number. Include the number in your letter to Mr. Gunn.

Kate Warr, Administrator
Amtrak Customer Advisory Committee
900 E. Second Street, NE, Suite 308
Washington, DC 20002

Secretary of Transportation
Norman Y. Mineta
Norman.Mineta@ost.dot.gov
Telephone: 202-366-1111
FAX: 202-366-7202

AMTRAK REFORM COUNCIL
Gilbert E. Carmichael - Chairman
Thomas A. Till - Executive Director
tom.till@oig.dot.gov
Telephone: 202-366-0591

Amtrak Office of the Inspector General, http://www.amtrakoig.com/

NARP - National Association of Railroad Passengers, http://www.narprail.org

American Public Transportation Association (APTA), http://www.apta.com/

Friends of Amtrak, http://trainweb.com/crocon/amtrak.html

Save Amtrak, http://www.saveamtrak.org/

Amtrak Reform Council, http://www.amtrakreformcouncil.gov/

Federal Railroad Administration, http://www.fra.dot.gov/site/index.htm


U.S. Department of Transportation, http://www.dot.gov/

The Empire State Passengers Association, http://www.trainweb.com/espa/


Tri-State Transportation Campaign, http://www.tstc.org/


New York Governor George E. Pataki
State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224
http://www.state.ny.us/governor/


Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
City Hall
New York, NY 10007
(212) 788-9600
FAX (212) 788-2460
E-MAIL: http://nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mayor.html



President Mr.George W.Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
SWITCHBOARD: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
e-mail: president@whitehouse.gov
Web Site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/

NY Senators

Schumer, Charles (D - NY)
313 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-6542
Web page to send email:
http://schumer.senate.gov/webform.html

Clinton, Hillary (D - NY)
476 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4451
Web page to send email:

http://clinton.senate.gov/email_form.html


To find your Congressperson, go to this website:


http://www.house.gov/writerep/
and enter your full nine-digit zipcode.

NY Times: Amtrak Is Said to Be Planning a Big Fare Rise

The NY Times reports:

Amtrak is preparing to announce a significant increase in fares that will push up the monthly cost of commuting for thousands of train riders in the Northeast by as much as 50 percent, according to railroad industry officials, commuter advocates and Congressional staff members.

Some commuters who travel regularly on Amtrak trains between Washington and Boston said ticket agents had warned them of a pending increase that could add hundreds of dollars to the cost of their monthly passes. By yesterday afternoon, people who work on Capitol Hill said Amtrak employees had told them an announcement about a big rise in fares was imminent, probably coming next week.

Representative Robert E. Andrews, a Democrat from Haddon Heights, N.J., said he had heard about the coming increase, which was characterized as a reduction of the discount on multitrip tickets. In other words, he said, "It would be a fare increase on monthly passes."

Mr. Andrews said he had not been told how big the increase would be.

But another person who said he had been briefed on the plan said the cost of monthly travel between some cities in the Northeast would rise more than 50 percent, though the increase would be much smaller for other tickets. This person, who had not been cleared by Amtrak to talk, said commuters would bear the brunt of the increase because they had been spared in previous price increases.