Alternative for Charlotte-Atlanta approved

The Greenfield Corridor being selected last month was a shocker. Just like with the station location at the southern terminus of the Texas Central project in early 2016, it was the FRA that made the final decision. This could potentially lead to all three alternatives being used--the Greenfield being used by a future operator while being the official SEHSR route south of Charlotte; the I-85 Corridor possibly being used by Brightline; and the Crescent Corridor being used by Amtrak. It goes without saying that the Crescent route should have already had a daytime New York-Atlanta alternative to #19 and #20 at a minimum.

Tackling the Headlines 78

XpressWest teams up with China

Take #1: Congratulations, I guess. No one on this side of the Pacific was willing to step up--Buy America rules, no funding for any type of HSR--so XpressWest had to do what it did.

Take #2: I'm pretty sure that once the line gets built that it'll only be an inevitability that CAHSR grants XpressWest trackage rights to Los Angeles.

NC pols hate light rail

Take: So much for letting local governments decide. If anybody is taking a step backwards, it's the General Assembly. Now that he's no longer Governor Pat McCrory's budget adviser, I seriously wonder if Art Pope is actually writing transportation policy for NC's legislative branch. After all, his John Locke Foundation has never had a kind word to say about any rail-related transit.

SEHSR: Slow and steady

Take: At this point, a scaled-back approach is the only way to go because the money for 110 mph service isn't coming anytime soon. Just getting two or four trains at 79 mph to use the S-Line would do wonders for anyone who's had to use the Carolinian or the Silver Star along the congested A-Line.

Eau Claire angling for its own Twin Cities route

Take #1: It's good to see that advocates in the area haven't given up on reviving service.

Take #2: Once again, it looks as though Minnesota will be doing the heavy lifting--until Scott Walker and his cronies leave office.

Take #3: Hopefully, implementation of this route will lead to a true rail system for the Badger State.

Take #4: Speaking of possible private operation: Somebody get Ed Ellis on Line 2...

Tackling the Headlines 71

Latest CAHSR happenings

Opponents decided to shift their focus south after the CA Supreme Court smacked them down.
Take #1: These NIMBYs just need to give up, and besides, the Tehachapi Route is the most important segment of not only the CAHSR route but passenger rail as well.

Meanwhile, the Chinese are getting serious about CAHSR.
Take #2: Where in the world are the Europeans? Where's DB? Where's Renfe? Where are the British operators?

NC & VA's new strategy: Roll SEHSR out slowly

Take: This is probably the only way to do this project because there are no signs of the federal government stepping in to give more money to any passenger rail projects outside of TIGER. The most important thing is restoring that missing link between Norlina and Petersburg.

Speaking of North Carolina and Virginia...

The light rail projects in the Triangle and Norfolk are advancing to the next stages.
Take: At least, there's some type of advancement going on. Now, all eyes are on the southeastern portion of the Triangle.

Englewood Flyover opens

Take: Now, if the the rest of the CREATE project would also take place, Chicago would be a less congested place.

Alternative History #3

Scenario

The Santa Fe and the Seaboard Coast Line join Southern, the Rio Grande, Rock Island and Georgia Railroad in holding out of Amtrak

Point of Departure

1971

Storyline

And Then There Were Two

Even as Southern and the Rio Grande join Amtrak, the ATSF and the renamed Seaboard System refuse to give in during the early 1980s. The two railroads continue to take pride in their passenger trains. CSX even names its subdivision for north-south routes after the Seaboard Air Line (later, east-west routes are part of the Chesapeake-Baltimore & Ohio Subdivision named after the C&O and B&O respectively).

The Seaboard Subdivision's effectiveness and BNSF's passenger expansion plans in the late 00's lead to some of the other Class I railroads to seriously ponder reentering the passenger business. 

Because neither BNSF nor CSX abandons routes where passenger service is prevalent, lower priority routes are handled differently. BNSF gives the Raton Pass and Mountain Range Routes to a coalition headed by Genesee & Wyoming (the move was first proposed by the acquired Rail America in 2010) and the Association of Independent Passenger Rail Operators, which outbid Iowa Pacific Holdings in late 2012 (the deal also includes a route that stretches between Denver and Albuquerque).

The Southeast Becomes a Rail Leader

The Southeast Rail Coalition is formed in the late 1980s to promote expanded passenger rail in the region. The pact is composed of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. The basis for the SERC stemmed from the S-Line not having enough daylight trains between Richmond and Jacksonville rather than CSX's coincidental plans on making the A-Line its primary north-south route. It's due to this arrangement that certain small towns along the S-Line continue to have train service today.

Amtrak's Role in the South

The Floridian is reinstated in the 1980s by Graham Claytor because he realizes that Midwestern travelers need a route to the Sunshine State. The route is different, though: Chicago-Cincinnati-Atlanta-Savannah-Jacksonville-Tampa/Miami (a second roundtrip was added in 1989 but was eliminated in 1997 as a victim of the Mercer Cuts, and a 2009 feasibility study to restore the second frequency goes nowhere). Amtrak's services in Virginia and the Auto Train exist as they do in our timeline except that the Cardinal is daily because enough equipment is available. Amtrak also has a daytime Chicago-Nashville route.

Another Path For the Carolinian

The Carolinian is launched in 1984 but connects with a re-timed Colonial in Richmond instead of the Palmetto. During the hiatus, a disagreement erupts over routing. When it restarts in 1990, the Carolinian is composed of two Raleigh-Asheville frequencies with one of them splitting in Salisbury to continue to Charlotte. Another restructuring in 1995 leads to the Charlotte leg being renamed the Piedmont and its own frequency.

Stations

Raleigh: The Carolinian (both incarnations--backup moves were done when the train went all the way to Boston) has served the Southern Railway depot on West Cabarrus Street from the outset while CSX trains continue to serve the Semart Street station. However, a unified station only began construction this year after years of disagreements among the rail operators, SERC's SEHSR leaders and the city over things like station location and size (CSX decided to move to another location because it cost much more to modernize the SAL location when it had already expanded it twice).

Richmond: Amtrak builds Staples Mill Road Station and only stops there. CSX trains stop at the Broad Street Station, which is a major hub. Main Street Station is home to various non-rail business uses and is also a historic landmark.

Atlanta: Amtrak left the Peachtree Station in the early 1990s for a new location on 17th Street that serves both the Crescent and the Floridian. For a while, a special stop for the Floridian was located north of town. Today, CSX, SERC and SEHSR trains stop at a downtown location near the old Terminal Station that is being expanded for multimodal use.

Jacksonville: Amtrak is the only occupant of the Clifford Lane station in Jacksonville as other operators serve the Union Terminal. 

Orlando: An Amshack is built on Sand Lake Road in the '70s. During Sunrail construction, passengers temporarily use the Sanford Auto Train terminal. The new Sand Lake Road Station is large enough to accompany Sunrail as well as Amtrak.

Tampa-St. Pete: The St. Petersburg ACL station's days are numbered as CSX and FL DOT are in the process of building a downtown multimodal center to provide expanded access. Meanwhile, Amtrak opted to terminate a portion of the Floridian at Tampa Union Station, which was the only station in the state that was jointly shared by it and the SCL/Seaboard System/CSX between 1974 and the recent rail revival.

Miami: The old SAL station was used by CSX and FL DOT until the Miami Intermodal Center opened in 2008 (Amtrak used its current station as in OTL). Due to frequent communication by the state and the host railroad, there were no platform or traffic issues with the trains entering or exiting the station (a bridge with NW 25th Street over the tracks was built). Today, all operators except All Aboard Florida stop at the station near the airport.

Other Florida cities: Amtrak stops at Sanford Sunrail, Alamonte Springs, Starke, Bushnell, Lake Worth, downtown Lakeland, and all Tri-Rail stations except Delray Beach. Okeechobee is only served by FL DOT trains.

Galesburg, IL: Amtrak serves the S. Seminary Street station for the California Zephyr and the Carl Sandburg/Illinois Zephyr routes while BNSF still stops at the N. Broad Street station because there is no rerouting for any trains following the merger between the Santa Fe and Burlington Northern.

Today’s Likely Outcome

Norfolk Southern is largely responsible for Section 214 of PRIIA being much tougher in favor of competition because its management team envied BNSF and CSX for running viable passenger trains during the mid-2000s.  

NCDOT won stimulus funding for Charlotte Gateway Station and SEHSR in 2009. Gateway Station recently celebrated its first year anniversary.

Competitive bidding leads to Amtrak operating fewer routes outside of the Northeast and even being challenged by CSX--which promotes Grand Central Terminal heavily--on the Empire Corridor.

After Amtrak couldn't give CSX a concrete answer on when it would resume service on the New Orleans-Orlando portion of the Sunset Limited, the host railroad took it upon itself to restore the missing link in 2007. Today, the route is daily and extends to Miami, leading to an A-Line frequency being rerouted to the S-Line by FL DOT (local Pensacola-Jacksonville runs were added in 2009 and this past January).

Tackling the Headlines 53

Feds redlight XpressWest loan

Take: It now looks as though the company will either have to raise the money on its own or look elsewhere for the remaining funds.

Bidders for Scottish sleeper service

Contrary to what I feared last year, there is still interest in the service. Current holder First Group is facing a challenge from DB-owned Arriva and Australian-based Serco.

Take: This is great, and it would be nice if all three operators could open up shop in this country because they might be able to provide expanded overnight service that is sorely lacking.

Eau Clare residents remember train service

Take: I had no idea that the CNW ended service along the route that soon. It's no wonder that the city's residents took the MNDOT's decision to skip Eau Clare as a part of the planned Chicago-St. Paul Regional HSR route so hard over 1 1/2 years ago while the WIDOT just stood by. But then, again, what to do when your own governor refuses to think beyond the Hiawathas?

Unions picketing Amtrak Board member

Take: Just about the only thing that I know is that Amtrak employees were without a contract from 1999 to 2008. Negotiating for three years? What kind of contract was signed in the first place? This conflict had better not lead to a strike. The idea that Amtrak wants to destroy its unions is just laughable.

Planning the next leg of SEHSR is (finally) underway

In late spring, hearings were held to determine the routing for the Charlotte Atlanta leg of the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor.

Take: I am very partial to the NS option merely because the existing Crescent route is a template that can be used to provide corridor service later on. Also, a daytime New York-Atlanta route as well as various other long distance branches serving Montgomery, Mobile, Dallas, and Los Angeles could give Upstate South Carolinans a plethora of options. Both the I-85 and the Greenfield options would be useful for future Express service. The CSX Augusta option is better off with conventional SC-GA and long distance services.

Peach State Ramblings: Abandoned S-Line

Parts of the S-Line between Savannah and Jacksonville have been abandoned. Shortline railroads use the area between Kingsland and Yulee, FL, and as a result, extra tracks would have to be built to accompany future passenger service (a commuter rail route is planned from Jacksonville's Union Terminal to Yulee). If the right of way is still available to be restored, the line could be used for SEHSR service between Raleigh and Jacksonville and Midwest-Florida service by an independent operator, bypassing potential conflicts with CSX and Amtrak. Now, on the other hand, if eminent domain is a major issue, then, a new route should be placed in the median of I-95 or parallel to the interstate.

Peach State Ramblings: Atlanta's Dilemma

Recently, there has been a lot of back and forth over whether Amtrak would do a back up move into the proposed Multi-Modal Passenger Terminal in downtown Atlanta (hint: the carrier is resistant to the idea). Within the last week, it has been revealed that Amtrak may move from its current location on Peachtree Street to a new site near Atlantic Station at the corner of 17th Street and Northside Drive--about a mile southwest of the current station. All parties--Amtrak, the state of Georgia, and Norfolk Southern--want a new station. 

There are many reasons why the three parties want Amtrak to leave Peachtree Station: 

• The carrier wants to cut off/add cars on the Crescent but NS won't let them do it there
• The current facility is overcrowded 
• Parking is off-limits (passengers have to use a nearby Masonic temple because the parking lot has been condemned)
• Peachtree Station was opened in 1918 by Southern Railway as a suburban station (it became the last station standing in 1972 when Terminal Station was demolished and Georgia Railroad moved its station to its freight yard)
• NS trains have to stop whenever Amtrak is at the station since there are only two mainline tracks and a third track to nowhere
• The costs of bringing the current facility up to ADA standards far outweigh the benefits
• The elevator is small and slow while the stairs are steep

Atlantic Station vs the MMPT

For once, Amtrak has shown the willingness to take the initiative outside of the Northeast Corridor. Development will be around the new station as Atlantic Station demonstrates. Greyhound and possible mass transit could complement Amtrak. However, there is just one problem: While passengers could transfer to downtown trains at a proposed suburban station in Doraville, Amtrak passengers would not be able to connect with other routes, assuming that they will be operated by someone else.

Meanwhile in downtown Atlanta, the MMPT (120 acres vs over 12 for the new Amtrak station) would host SEHSR to Charlotte and Jacksonville, Gulf Coast routes, a future revival of the Nancy Hanks route to Savannah, proposed commuter rail routes, streetcars, MARTA, and bus service.

Rail and the 2012 Election Part 1

Rail-related referenda

The good

This was a mixed bag. Here in NC, Orange County passed a transit sales tax. Among the things approved will be a new Amtrak station in Hillsborough and the county's commitment to light commuter rail projects. This means that two-thirds of the Triangle are committed to developing a mass transit system of buses and trains. Wake County is a holdout due to conservative, anti-transit commissioners maintaining a 4-3 majority.

Residents in Virginia Beach want the Tide to be extended from Norfolk to their city. It's now up to the Virginia Beach City Council to approve an extension of the light rail route.

Heavy rail survives after a candidate favoring the Honolulu project wins.

The not-so-good

Anything from California requiring a sales tax increase took a beating. Both items fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to become law.

High speed rail

The divergent results in Congress--Republicans adding seats in the House and Democrats adding seats in the Senate--means HSR will be in a holding pattern until 2015 or '17 which means absolutely no funding whatsoever. Outside of California and the Northeast Corridor, advocates will have to hope that more private companies like JR Central and XpressWest step up to the plate to provide European-style rail service.

The overall impact on rail

At the state level

Minnesota's legislature flips to the Democratic-Farmer Labor Party while the GOP adds seats in Wisconsin. The overall verdict? The Gopher State will be picking up the entire bill for the planned daytime Chicago-St. Paul route while the rest of the Midwest prays like crazy that Scott Walker is pink slipped in two years.

In New Hampshire, the GOP lost the House and nearly lost the Senate. This could lead to the state to  participate in funding an MBTA extension to Concord and the planned Boston-Montreal route. 

Funding for the rest of the SEHSR system could be in a tough spot after the GOP won a veto-proof majority in the state House (the NC Senate was already veto-proof after the '10 election). Last year, the legislature was able to prevent the NCDOT from receiving federal funds without its approval.

Nationally...

At the federal level, bargaining will be the name of the game. Either the status quo will be maintained and we get no meaningful passenger rail reform or Congress and the president are able to give a bit to end 41+ years of mediocre rail service that has led to America being a laggard. Personally, I want to see the Democrats drop their competition-averse stance and realize that maintaining a monopoly is a detriment to passenger rail. Competitors are chomping to operate routes  and they should not be riddled with ridiculous burdens nor should they be ridiculed for wanting to take on Amtrak (I will address regulations in my next post). On the other hand, I want the Republicans to realize that government has to play some role in regulating passenger rail and that some funding for rail service will have to come from D.C.

Tackling the Headlines 38

FEC study: Green light to operate trains

Take: That was done in no time. Now, that's how you do a feasibility study. Congratulations, FEC, and I hope to take one of your trains in three years' time. As for the Miami-Cocoa overlap in which FEC (initial segment to Orlando) and Amtrak (Miami-Jacksonville service via Silver Service split) trains will operate, the Class II is planning to develop separate stations in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Orlando. As a result, travelers will be need to be careful to identify the stations along the line.

Feds give a grant to Housatonic for final study
If all goes well, the Berkshires will see train service between 2017 and 2020. Grand Central needs as much quality train service as possible. I also liked how the article mentions that the station at the route's northern terminus could be upgraded to handle more trains.

Take: After all of the backlash, the Class III perseveres.

Yet another feasibility study--this one from Indiana

Take: Given past talk about how anti-rail Hoosier State politicians are, this one just came out of left field. The interesting thing is that there is zero mention of Amtrak in the study. Upon further review, this should be of no surprise since Amtrak left the city in 1990.

Amtrak to redo its own feasibility study on Treasure Coast service
Cities are in various planning stages, funding from Tallahassee is an apparent issue, and Amtrak needs to update its numbers. The earliest launch date has now been pushed back to 2015-16.

Take: I am willing to bet with anybody that FEC will extend its All Aboard Florida service to Jacksonville before Amtrak is able to get a single train on the East Coast line. Funding issues could come up at the state, federal level, or both and Amtrak could have a new president in the next 3-5 years who could change course.

Amtrak-Trinity Railway Express conflict could force Texas to return stimulus money

Take: The liability issue rears its ugly head again. Texas didn't really get that much stimulus money in 2009 because its governor rejected it. My guess is that Amtrak is waiting for the TIGER II money dedicated to relieve Tower 55 congestion so it can have use new tracks on the UP line between Dallas and Fort Worth. Another problem is that Amtrak has $200 million in liability insurance while TRE is limited to $250,000.

Referendum to repeal CAHSR withdrawn, lawsuits may be new strategy by foes

Take: It's great news-potentially bad news. Once construction on the first segment begins, the lawsuits may become moot.

Southern Oregonians want passenger service to be restored

Take: Someone needs to urge the CORP to realize the potential to provide local residents alternative transportation.

A new station in Petersburg, VA?
The state is clearly doing the one-for-all-all-for-one routine here: Either both stations will be in Ettrick or everything will be moved to downtown Petersburg.

Take: Sigh, I guess that's the nature of working with an operator that isn't willing to place more than one station in a metropolitan area on a consistent basis. I have no objections about the DRPT building a separate high speed rail station right next to the existing Amtrak station, but it's the mentality that is irking me.

Instead of quotes like these

[A]reas with populations comparable to the Tri-Cities region "typically have only one train station. Richmond is a rarity because it has Main Street and Staples Mill (stations), even though they don't offer the same level of service at both locations.

the state should be more creative and use a downtown Petersburg station as a facility for special passengers who value their time. Another use for a downtown station could provide passengers who will travel on east-west services in the future easy access.

Tackling the Headlines 29

Scotland-London high-speed rail link to get go-ahead
Take: Given that last year was horrible for fast trains, this is a fresh start--too bad it's on the other side of the Atlantic. How far this battle will go is anyone's guess since PM David Cameron's own Conservative Party is threatening to stage a mutiny over the approval.


New station for Raleigh approved by city council
Take: This is only the first of many steps but something needs to be done to ensure that residents along an emerging rail hub are provided a quality station in the decades to come.


HSR Canada provided two links on the topic of private operators as car marker Ferrari is entering the passenger train business later this year. The Reuters article is a rundown of what Italians should expect while the Environmental Blog raises the pros and cons of private high speed trains.


Take: The tribulations of 2011 demonstrate that in some instances, it's best that the companies with Express HSR expertise lead the way in providing 150+ mph service while state governments concentrate in building a consistent corridor network. Texas could be the testing ground as JR Central is planning 200+ mph service while the state could then shift its resources to building up the Texas Triangle, South Central (along the Texas Eagle route to Little Rock), and Gulf Coast (Houston-New Orleans) as productive routes.

Tackling the Headlines 13

Two former governors take a stand for future passenger rail service
In my home state, ex-governors Jim Martin and Jim Hunt finally spoke up for rail.

Take: Not only was it timely, but it is something that the General Assembly has to take into account before taking an anti-rail stance just for the sake of opposing the Obama Administration and backing oil-funded think tanks. North Carolina has one of the best--if not the best--rail programs in the country, so it makes no sense for the legislature to ruin a good thing.

Another Orlando commuter train route?
While everyone in central Florida waits for Governor Rick Scott to make a decision on SunRail, a long-forgotten commuter rail project called the Orange Blossom Express is apparently a go. This route will be two routes--the primary route will go northwest to Tavares and a spur route will branch off in northern Orlando and continue to Winter Park. U.S. Railcar will pick up where Colorado Railcar left off and supply the vehicles for this service. If all goes to plan, the new service will be in place by 2013.

Take: It's surprising that this project has been in the works since 2002. I guess this is what persistence looks like plus friends in high places (Rep. Mica is a big supporter, and the spur line would serve his hometown). I say, this is a very good idea because the OBE would complement SunRail and be a precursor to a statewide Florida intercity rail system that might have to rely more on the private sector.

Michigan Central Station restoration
In a case of better late than never, Detroit's Michigan Central Station is finally being fixed up by its owner. Old windows are being replaced and asbestos is being removed from the building.

Take: Saying that this is long overdue is an understatement. Rather, it is extremely inexcusable that Mr. Moroun let the 98-year-old building deteriorate to the point that the City Council wanted to use stimulus funds to demolish the station two years ago. Now that these little steps are taking place, perhaps, there is hope that MCS will regain much of its former luster and provide unconventional rail travel alongside SNCF's proposed Express HSR service.

Tackling the Headlines 9

The GOP just won't stop with its anti-rail stance
Just when I though it was safe came this news from here in NC and this one from MO. First, the NC House decided that since it couldn't block the federal stimulus funds to upgrade the Piedmont route and implement SEHSR service it wants to have veto power to stop the state from spending more than $5 million annually on operating and maintenance costs in the future.

Second, a committee in the Missouri legislature decided not to honor Governor Jay Nixon's vision to receive $1 billion in federal money to not only upgrade the existing St. Louis-Kansas City line but to build an entirely new line for Express service. The move would mean that the state wouldn't spend the money if the Obama Administration gave it part of Florida's grant.

The moves are sheer madness and really sets the Republicans to be the party of highways and oil. In NC's case, the GOP can now take its talking points from an anti-transit, pro-highway think tank called the John Locke Foundation. This now means that people who actually take trains will have to tell these unenlightened lawmakers the benefits of rail.

2011: A bad year for high speed rail
The year is not even half over and one can easily sum up 2011 to be a horrible year for high speed rail. Even before the year began, two governors-in-waiting had already declared their intent to return stimulus money to the feds in favor of roads. Then, Rick Scott used an anti-rail think tank's study to kill the high speed project in Florida two months ago. Now, we find out that in order to avoid a government shutdown, the Senate and President Obama allowed the House to eliminate HSR funding for the rest of this fiscal year, which ends on June 30.

Who's to say that future funding won't be next? If the White House is willing to sacrifice HSR instead of following up on its pledge that it's something essential for America's future, then the country as a whole must reexamine how relevant 150-200 mph trains are when there has been no expansion in "slow" overnight trains in decades even though people have been using Amtrak in the last few years. My opinion is that HSR should be frozen--that is, fast train service should be limited to five regions--while the long-distance network has to be rebuilt, with or without Amtrak.

Rick Scott's caught fibbing
Speaking of the Florida governor, Scott admitted last week that he misquoted the amount the state had spent on its now scuttled HSR project.

Of course, it's of no comfort now to people who had anticipated the fast train. Even though the governor blames the error on miscommunication with the state's DOT, one can only hope he is not as intellectually dishonest with SunRail as Ohio's John Kasich who repeated the 39 mph lie when in truth the 3C train was really going to travel at 79 mph.

Tackling the Headlines 5

The FRA's overbearing
The Federal Railroad Administration first attempted to demonstrate its manhood by threatening to impose excruciating penalties on host railroads in the future if passenger trains get delayed, following much needed upgrades. Now, it's getting into conflicts with states. Here in the Southeast and over in the Northwest, the sticking point is that the hosts will practically lose the right to use their own tracks once Amtrak service expands.

North Carolina's DOT has already reached agreements with Norfolk Southern and North Carolina Railroad to make sure that passenger service enhancements protect freight operations while Virginia has done the same thing with CSX. Instead of green-lighting the deals, the federal agency rejected both agreements by claiming that they weren't strict enough. The two Class Is don't want to be subject to punitive sanctions for delays due to expanded freight service that they'll likely see in the coming years.

On the other side of the country, Washington wants to add tracks, upgrade signals, and get a new trainset. That state and BNSF had already agreed on service standards like how long of a delay is acceptable, only to have the feds reject the agreement for--you guessed it--not being harsh enough on Warren Buffett's railroad. The FRA and Amtrak want delay reports filed by Amtrak conductors to be the file of record in the Evergreen State. WSDOT and BNSF want to use the Class I's delay reporting data. A billion dollars of HSR grants is on the line as the two sides continue to be deadlocked.

All three states have historically had good relationships with Amtrak, so, this has to feel like a punch in the gut at best and a stab in the back at worst. I am reminded of what went on in central Florida over a year ago with SunRail as the national carrier used liability concerns to hold up the 61-mile line for almost all of 2010. If the feds dig in their heels, it is not outside the realm of possibility to see NC, VA and WA reconsider their relationships with Amtrak and turn to other operators who may be more than happy to set a foothold in America.

No gray areas (part 2)

• Following a much-criticized Amtrak report on the Pioneer, Seattle-based Cascadia Center does its own analysis in September 2009. The reaction to the independent report? Mostly skepticism or silence from the bulk of the rail community
• Representatives John Mica and Bill Shuster point out the lack of competition and are met with derision from railfans
• URPA constantly brings up the matrix theory as a way of promoting rail travel and is virtually ignored
• At the end of 2009, a letter circulates among more than 30 state passenger rail associations. In it, the letter called for Amtrak to end its complacency in the wake of the Obama Administration's friendly tone toward passenger rail. At the time, less than six associations had signed the letter. I doubt that the number has increased significantly in the last 14 months

What these four stories have in common is that the bulk of the rail community have failed miserably to think outside of the box. NARP was skeptical because Cascadia tapped Union Pacific as the potential operator. What NARP failed to take into consideration was that a possible partnership with the host and Cascadia could actually lead to someone else operating the train in the same manner that the late Ski Train was (Cascadia doing a partnership with UP where a third company like Keolis operates the train but the host gets compensated). When it comes to equipment issues, it's a problem that could easily be corrected by the independent operator placing an order to U.S. Railcar when the time is right.

Seventy-six of the 78 grant winners listed Amtrak as the operator--in other words, every non-Express HSR route will be operated by Amtrak, not exactly promoting the spirit of competition. While the two congressmen were talking about the Northeast Corridor, other companies should have been given the right to bid openly on existing and new routes that are in the 79-110 MPH range. While there should be public involvement in the planning of rail routes, private operators should play a role in running passenger trains. Yet, talk to most railfans, and the reaction is mostly fear or outright opposition to the idea. If the de facto monopoly remains in place, then it and the lack of action on the letter will show that most of these advocacy groups have a blind allegiance to Amtrak.

In a time in which companies from France and Japan have already drafted proposals oh how they'd run trains around densely populated segments, the mindset to back Amtrak no matter what does nothing to advance the future of passenger rail travel. Bottom line: there is no reason why the FRA should have given 97.4% of the stimulus money to Amtrak when it ruled that the carrier's main line (the NEC) was ineligible for that $8.5 billion for HSR!

On URPA, I'll just say this: There have been times that I have disagreed with the tone and diction of some of their contributors, but the company is usually spot on and its businesslike approach to intercity rail is sorely needed in the overall discussion when most advocates are in a perpetual pledge drive mindset (ala PBS and NPR). Just like the Republicans on one side of the aisle, the rail community is in danger of drifting in a direction where it only contains ironclad ideas that leave no room for compromise.

Addendum: Daytime Alternative to Silver Star

In addition to the March 31, 2010 post, I have listed a potential schedule of a train route that would run opposite of the Silver Star, which is along SEHSR's proposed Raleigh-Jacksonville segment. For the northern endpoint, the assumed station in Raleigh is the planned Union Station. As for Jacksonville, I am using the current Amtrak station on Clifford Lane since Amtrak is the presumed operator of the daytime trains. Once train service is restored to the historic Union Terminal, just add 15 minutes to the Jacksonville time.

New Daytime Southbound	Silver Star 91	All times indicate departures unless otherwise noted	Silver Star 92	New Daytime Northbound
7:55	21:13	Raleigh	8:43 (arrives)	20:16 (arrives)
8:07	21:27	Cary	8:15	19:57
9:17	22:39	Southern Pines	7:06	19:08
9:59	23:21	Hamlet	6:29	18:31
11:34	0:50	Camden	4:49	16:51
12:27	1:44	Columbia	4:08	16:10
13:20	2:41	Denmark	2:53	14:55
15:05 (arrives)	4:29 (arrives)	Savannah	1:30 (departs)	12:32 (departs)
15:10 (departs)	4:34 (departs)		1:24 (arrives)	12:27 (arrives)
17:35 (arrives)	6:55 (arrives)	Jacksonville	22:57	10:00

Revamping Parts of HSR Corridors

There are currently 11 federally designated high speed rail corridors with some segments that are more ready than others (e.g., Washington-Charlotte starting before Raleigh-Jacksonville). For the segments that aren't as likely to start by the end of the Teens, conventional service is best--assuming that Amtrak runs trains along that corridor).

Last February, The Transport Politic pointed out seven segments that would be hit with low ridership and 10 others with some connections that the original FRA HSR map missed. In order to solve the former problem is to provide conventional train service. Do the Coast Daylight and daytime Raleigh-Columbia-Jacksonville routes ring bells? The planned Daylight is the result of a partial revision that removed the coastal San Francisco-Los Angeles route from HSR consideration. 

Once Amtrak loses some of its existing service to other companies, it should shift some of its equipment to other states for conventional Florida service to Orlando, Tampa, and Miami. Horizon Cars in the Sunshine State may be weird, but if Amtrak loses big time in the Midwest, it would need to add and expand service in the areas that it retains corridor and long-distance routes. Eventually, the state would order its own cars to expand service.

Any company that outbids and/or replaces Amtrak leaves an opening for the national carrier in which it could capitalize. Say that Spanish-based RENFE outbids Amtrak on the Milwaukee-Madison-Twin Cities extension while the latter company begins operating SEHSR service. No one can tell me that it's out of the question that Amtrak could provide a conventional daytime route between RGH and JAX. Such a route would serve three purposes: 1) it would relieve the Silver Star of overcrowding; 2) as a daytime balance, the times are more marketable with connections to and from local and express SEHSR routes in RGH; and 3) such a route would serve as a warmup for HSR service along the S-Line between the two endpoints.

Provided that Florida East Coast doesn't get tired of waiting for Amtrak and operates the route itself, Amtrak could get a California-like system going that could lead to a long-distance route using the JAX-MIA east coast segment that local, intrastate service would initially utilize.

Both of these examples would also put Amtrak in a better position to win other segments of a corridor when those routes finally meet HSR standards. Of course, that will also require a drastic change in Amtrak culture and for them to learn from any and all upcoming losses to foreign operators.

Official Reaction to Stimulus Funding

It's almost been two weeks since it was revealed which states would get the stimulus funds for high speed rail service. Now that I've had a chance to reflect on President Obama's allocation of the $8 billion of HSR money, the funding is a good start that must be continued on an at least yearly basis. Based on the allocation of funds, it looks like every funded incremental HSR route like the 3-C route will be operated by Amtrak.

For those people who thought that I was being too harsh on the Sunshine State, it was for good reason. Florida deserved stimulus money for restored East Coast service via Daytona Beach and the central Florida SunRail commuter project--but not high speed rail! Everyone in the rail community--ranging from the keep everything public camp to those who want passenger rail to be run like a business--has pointed out the HSR route's flaws.

There is little to no connectivity along the Tampa-Orlando leg. I've already pointed out the flaws between Tampa and Lakeland. When it comes to the Orlando situation, I don't know if anyone wants to do a lot of transferring. As for locals, the airport might as well be in another city when it comes to its proximity from the Amtrak station and also downtown Orlando.

The state doesn't have good conventional service. Two routes in the entire state (because at this point, we can easily dismiss any idea of Amtrak wanting to resume Sunset Limited service east of New Orleans)? How can anyone justify the nonsensical routing to and from Tampa? This brings me to rail advocates in the state. How on Earth did most of these advocates just sit on their hands and watch their once-proud train service dwindle to just two measly routes? Did most of these people just put their eggs in the HSR basket back in 2004 while ex-Amtrak president David Gunn was busy eliminating S-Line service? Why did so few people in Florida push for better Amtrak service in their state? Complementing frequent service would have alleviated any overcrowding on the Silver Service trains.

There's a right way to advance frequent rail service, and there's a wrong way. Ideally, the long distance network would be used to produce more frequencies between two major cities. The practice would continue until the route becomes saturated. At that time, regional service would be implemented with more stops being added along the line for the regional routes. Once the regionals become saturated, then high speed rail would be implemented. 

There has been a lot of bandwagon jumping by states that have little to no Amtrak service. Seriously, how can the Gulf Coast even be considered as a corridor when the Houston-New Orleans doesn't even have daily service? These states should have focused on more long-distance routes and starting up regional routes.

As a matter of fact, I would have cut off how many corridors were designated if I were in charge of the FRA. If a corridor walked away empty handed from the stimulus funds, it would have lost its designation. Based on this news, the Gulf Coast, South Central, and the Texas T-Bone routes would have gone back to the drawing boards.

HSR Announcement Coming Soon

Based on the Wall Street Journal article that the CAHSR blog picked up on, it looks like the feds have finally made up their minds on who will be receiving the high speed rail funds and will let it be know on Thursday. However, it won't stop me from weighing in before.

This is who I think is the most deserving of the stimulus funds:

1. Midwest/Ohio Hubs. Operators: Multiple. This is obvious since it's in the president's backyard, but it is a reflection of all the work the area has done throughout the years.

2. California. Operator: DB, SNCF, or Virgin Trains. They were the leaders until recently, when NIMBY backlash and the state's money woes slightly dented things for the Golden State.

3. Southeast. Operator: Amtrak for existing Piedmont and Newport News routes and for the planned D.C.-Charlotte route. Operators for other legs of the SEHSR system to be determined later. This area like the other two has done enormous work to be in a position to qualify for the money.

4. Cascades. Operator: Amtrak. This is another area that has used conventional rail to its advantage. It's a lesson for anyone jumping on Florida's bandwagon.

Everyone else not listed would have to wait for Round 2 because these four parts of the country are the only ones deserving of President Obama's stimulus money. If anyone thought Florida should be front and center, consider this latest bit of news from the Sunshine State. That's right, Amtrak is threatening to derail--no pun intended--the SunRail commuter project in central Florida. This is reason enough for the president to reconsider his plans and not give one penny to that state. If this is an effort by Amtrak president Joseph Boardman to bid for the HSR route in that state, it shows that Amtrak isn't as dedicated to rail system as it claimed in the stimulus application. If the move against SunRail ends up destroying the HSR project,  it will be a while before Florida even gets considered by the feds for a project this big. Either way, Boardman will end up destroying any good chance the state has to build a productive passenger rail system. 

With all that said, here's how I think where the funds will go based on who will get the most money:

1. Midwest                                                                                                                                                      

2. Florida                                                                                                                                                        

3. California                                                                                                                                                    

4. NEC (even though they were ineligible for stimulus funding, Amtrak still has enough buddies in Congress to back them up, and the vice president also plays a factor since he used to ride the train frequently)      

Round 2                                                                                                                                                          

5. Empire Corridor (because Boardman used to work in NY)                                                                 

6. SEHSR                                                                                                                                                        

7. Cascades                                                                                                                                                     

8. Keystone extension to Pittsburgh