Hotline #773

Since the Administration now seems committed to some additional 1993 funding for Amtrak, the Appropriations committees have allowed a temporary reprogramming of $10 million to permit heavy overhauls to continue for two months. That kept Amtrak from giving out one-week notice of furloughs today to over 450 workers at Beech Grove and in Delaware. Actual supplemental funding depends on the Administration offsetting cost reductions in other programs.

The House Ways and Means Committee, on a party-line 24-14 vote, approved President Clinton's tax package yesterday. The proposed Revenue Reconciliation Act, H.R.1960, still includes the energy tax, changed to exempt farm fuel consumption and coal used for generating electricity. The transportation-related essentials NARP favors were retained, although the tax increase for inland waterways was cut in half. Methanol and ethanol lost the exemptions Clinton had proposed.

We had heard that Rep. Mel Reynolds (Ill.) had planned an amendment that would take the 2.5 cents in diesel fuel tax the railroads now pay and place that into a passenger-rail trust fund, worth about $80 million a year. That would have been a very welcome development, but it did not come out in the final package.

The Senate bill identical to H.R.1919, the Administration's high-speed rail bill, was introduced by Commerce Chairman Hollings (S.C.) and co-sponsored by Senators Exon (Neb.) and Lautenberg (N.J.). The bill is S.839 and -- like H.R.1919 -- was introduced on April 28. Exon will hold a hearing on May 20.

California will get a visit from the X2000 after all. It will be there last, sometime in July. But this week, it was in New York State. It will be on display at Albany from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on May 15, then go to Washington on May 16 as part of a Congressional special, and spend the rest of the week at Ivy City.

The Washington legislature passed on May 7 $40.2 million for passenger rail, even while cutting other transportation programs. Of that, $31 million is for track improvements and 403(b) payments for service between Vancouver and Portland; the rest is for stations.

Amtrak, Siemens, and AEG signed a formal agreement on May 6 to bring the German ICE train to the U.S. for testing.

The chairman of the New York State Power Authority, Richard Flynn, told a conference on May 10 that his region must take the lead on electrified, high-speed rail. Flynn, whose agency regulates power utilities, said the New York-Boston corridor -- once it is electrified -- could be the heart of an electrified, upgraded rail network out to Albany, Buffalo, Toronto, Portland, Montreal, and Ottawa.

Amtrak is investigating an incident on the Coast Starlight on May 10, when 93 Portland middle school music students had to ride all night from San Jose in the smoking car. Their teacher alleges that an adult party featuring alcohol, bad language, and strip poker went on all night and the Amtrak conductor failed to break it up, despite repeated requests.

Financially ailing Southern Pacific, which is the largest privately held railroad in the U.S., plans to sell 31 million shares of common stock in order to raise about $800 million.

The 52/Allentown streetcar line in Pittsburgh will reopen May 17, after an extended closure. Dedication ceremonies are May 16.

Los Angeles Metrolink is extending commuter trains to San Bernardino on May 17, with ceremonies along the way tomorrow.