Hotline #770

Unless some way is found to resurrect additional funding for Amtrak, the demise late on April 21 of the Clinton stimulus package means that Amtrak will furlough 341 more employees at Beech Grove and 136 in Delaware by July 1.

Transportation Secretary Federico Pena appeared before the Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee on April 21. He left the door open on a possible 1993 Amtrak operating supplemental, saying he would have to look at financial results early next month before deciding. Chairman Lautenberg encouraged Pena to include flexible funding for Amtrak in a bill DOT is working on that deals with ISTEA maglev language.

The Massachusetts DOT Rail Task Force, in a preliminary report, says the Central Artery rail link is feasible and would not disrupt highway construction. The Boston Globe (April 21) said a final version, to be delivered today, would recommend the state begin design and engineering by July 1 and that construction begin in 1995. An electrified link through Boston could be ready in 1999. The key will be getting Secretary Kerasiotes and Governor Weld to make that commitment. The Globe followed with an unenthusiastic editorial yesterday. Weld needs mail on this -- and he is more sensitive than most governors to letters from other states.

The Oklahoma Senate passed HB1078 on April 19, with a section on 403(b) service, which was passed by the House in February. It would allow 4%-5% of state gas tax money going to the State Transportation Fund to be used for passenger rail service connecting primary points on the Amtrak system with, at a minimum, Oklahoma City and Tulsa. It is not clear if both would have to be linked simultaneously, or if the long-proposed restoration of the Lone Star could proceed first.

The Supreme Court, in the Easterwood v. CSX case, unanimously ruled on April 21 that railroads are not protected from grade crossing accident lawsuits by federal regulations.

Last night at the NARP board's annual Washington reception, Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell (D.-Me.) accepted the George Falcon Golden Spike Award, for his efforts on behalf of Portland train service and the Boston Central Artery Rail Link.

Amtrak displays the X2000 on May 24 at Philadelphia and on May 25 at Newark, both days 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. On May 1 and 2, it will be at New Haven and Providence.

Amtrak is adding cars and trains this weekend on the Northeast Corridor for the Gay and Lesbian March, which may draw up to a million visitors to Washington -- 300,000 from the New York area alone. Nevertheless, Corridor trains are expected to be quite crowded. Washington Metro expects its heaviest day ever.

The Channel Tunnel now may not open until the first half of 1994. The French National Railways are not waiting, though. In March, TGV service over conventional lines began from Paris Nord Station to Lille and Dunkerque. In Mid-May, these trains will be shifted over to the new high-speed line between Paris and Lille. Eventually, some of these TGV trains will be routed to Brussels and to London via the new tunnel.

President Clinton soon may name as commuter agency representatives on the Amtrak board former Rep. Donald Pease (Ohio), who was a Swift bill co-sponsor last year, and Robert Kiley, former head of New York's MTA, a noted proponent of rail transit. They would replace Eugene Croisant and David Girard-diCarlo.

Greyhound and the Amalgamated Transit Union settled their three-year-old strike this week. Union members must still ratify the agreement.