Version XXXII - This Was The Week That Was - An Amtrak Saga

Things are quickly becoming quiet as we all move towards the Christmas holiday. Just a couple of things to talk about this week.

1. The Senate and House of Representatives gave Amtrak a nice Christmas gift this week. It's not all that Amtrak asked for, but it's still better than a lump of coal.

   As part of the Defense Appropriation bill, Amtrak was given another $100 million in free federal money that doesn't count towards the annual Amtrak appropriation.

   Amtrak requested the money to be used for tunnel security and other costs which have allegedly zoomed upward as a result of the September 11th terrorists attacks.

   Here's the wording of the legislation:

   CAPITAL GRANTS TO THE NATIONAL RAILROAD PASSENGER CORPORATION

   For emergency expenses to respond to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, for necessary expenses of capital improvements of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation as authorized by 49 U.S.C. 24104 (a), $100,000,000 to remain available until expended, and to be obligated from amounts made available in Public Law 107-38.

   Unless your humble correspondent is reading this wrong, the treasury door just opened pretty widely for this money to be spent on almost anything that Amtrak may want to spend the money on. Very few strings seem to be attached to this new, free money.

   Not a bad Christmas gift. How do the rest of us line up for some of these goodies?

2. The Amtrak Reform Council met Friday morning (today) to begin paring down options for recommendations for its final report to Congress due after the first of the year.

   The ARC began with nine scenarios recommended by its 11 members.

   Some made sense, some seemed just plain silly at first glance.

   But, the most important and overriding factor is that someone, somewhere is addressing all of the issues. The great national debate that everyone has agitated for has commenced.

   And, it is happening with an open mind. So even ideas that make little sense are at least being mined for nuggets of inspiration that may be incorporated elsewhere.

   The ARC is the only body of government that has fulfilled its lawful mandate regarding a national passenger rail system. Neither Congress, nor the executive branch (mostly during the Clinton administration), nor Amtrak can say that. The ARC is making a positive difference.

3. A brief reminder: The only good system for passenger rail is a truly national system that is a workable hybrid of long distance trains and corridors. Anything less will not solve the problems of the past three decades.

   If we're going to go to all of the trouble of a true national debate, the final outcome should be nothing less than the right solution.

4. Christmas is the season for giving. It's also the season for extra board employees to get in lots of time on the road for Amtrak onboard services crews and train and engine crews.

   Most people like to take vacation time during the holiday season; Amtrak employees are included in that group, too.

   We are all fortunate there are active extra boards that keep the trains running every day of the year, including holidays.

That's it for another week of Amtrak passenger trains rolling down the track towards a new year. Sometimes the best news is no news.

Bruce Richardson
President, URPA
Jacksonville, Florida

www.trainweb.com/urpa