Hotline #846

By Sean Jeans-Gail

Amtrak and the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CAHSRA) issued a joint request for proposals today for 43 high-speed trainsets, a critical step in meeting the booming demand on the Northeast Corridor and turning California’s statewide high speed rail system into reality.

The 28 high-speed Amtrak trainsets, with 400 to 450 seats each, will be a critical short-term solution for the overburdened corridor linking Washington, D.C., New York City, and Boston, MA. Even without major new infrastructure projects, the trainsets will improve upon the trip times offered by Acela Express equipment.

CAHSRA’s 15 trainsets will each have a minimum of 450 seats, and be capable of reaching speeds of 200 mph and higher.Amtrak will initially run the trains at 160 mph on the NEC, so a key part of the RFP will be determining how existing equipment designs can balance the two different set of expectations.

“Today’s announcement is one more step in our efforts to standardize domestic rail equipment and reinvigorate U.S. manufacturing,” said Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph C. Szabo. “Combining orders between Amtrak and the California High-Speed Rail Authority will generate economies of scale and make it more attractive for high-speed rail manufacturers to build factories here in the USA, bringing new high-quality jobs and creating ripple effects throughout our domestic supply chain. The end result means the riding public will have lighter, faster, more energy efficient passenger rail service.”

Earlier this month, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) marked the arrival of four 7000-series rail car prototypes, the first of 500 new rail cars that will help overhaul Metrorail’s aging fleet.

In addition to providing a more comfortable and reliable commute for the millions of passengers that use the Metrorail system, the 7000-series will allow WMATA to retire the remaining 1000-series cars in operation, improving operational safety. The National Transportation Safety Board made replacing the 1000-series cars a top priority following a deadly 2009 accident near the Fort Totten station; around 300 of them are still in operation.

“Safety is always our highest priority, and WMATA’s new fleet of rail cars are specifically designed to help keep hundreds of thousands of daily riders as safe as possible as they travel to work, school, a doctor’s appointment, and other destinations,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “It is critical that we continue to support a safe, efficient rail transit network that enables the region to continue growing while reducing congestion, improving air quality, and providing reliable access to jobs.”

Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin outlined a $5.6 billion budget proposal last week that included $19 million for upgrades to the western rail corridor that runs between Rutland and Burlington.

The governor spoke glowingly of the $9 million federal High Performance Passenger Rail grant, which the state is using as a foundation for continued investment in the state’s rail network.

“Our rail team is moving projects faster than ever to connect downtown Burlington to Rutland to Bennington to Albany, and on to New York City,” said Governor Shumlin (D). “My budget proposes $19 million to extend these improvements, bringing us closer to our goal of growing jobs and economic opportunity by delivering better freight and passenger rail service up and down the western side of Vermont.”

Sandpoint, Idaho’s historic rail depot has been given a second life, with Amtrak officials committing to restoring the train station in an announcement made on January 21.

There had been concern that Amtrak would be forced to abandon the station and relocate to a spot less convenient to the center of town. But an agreement struck between Amtrak, host railroad Burlington Northern Santa Fe, and the Idaho Department of Transportation has cleared the way for a restoration of the historical station.

The renovation will seek to balance restoration and preservation work with enhancements to accessibility for disabled passengers, and modernization to provide for the comfort of travelers. The foundation will be shored up, the roof replaced, the plumbing overhauled, new lighting installed, an oil furnace replaced with a modern HVAC system, along with dozens of other interior and exterior upgrades.

“There’s going to be some changes that have to be done, but it will all be within the historic realm,” said Rob Eaton, Director of Government Affairs for Amtrak’s Northwest Division.

Construction is projected to begin in April, with completion scheduled before the end of the year. Much of the restoration work will be paid for by a state-sponsored restoration fund. The work to bring the train platform into compliance with the American with Disabilities Act will be funded by Amtrak.

Oklahoma City has acquired the rights to the Santa Fe Depot, clearing the way for a $28.3 million renovation that will turn the train station into a modern intermodal hub for the city’s growing public transportation network.

The depot currently serves as the north terminal for Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer (Oklahoma City – Dallas/Fort Worth). The city will pay the current owner’s $4.5 million. Once renovated, the transit hub will serve as a stop for the new MAPS 3 streetcar, and a potential regional rail system.

The National Transportation Safety Board today released its 2014 Most Wanted List on January 16. This year’s list once again highlights the need for the introduction of Positive Train Control (PTC) intelligent communications systems. For the first time, the NTSB has made improving operational safety in rail mass transit a point of emphasis.

Like NARP, the NTSB has long called for PTC on the U.S. rail network. PTC uses GPS and trackside signaling systems to monitor the location and movement of trains, and is capable of automatically slowing or stopping a train when a locomotive engineer is traveling at excess speeds or misses a signal to stop. If implemented properly, PTC would also dramatically improve operational efficiency and expand system capacity.

“Since 2004, the NTSB has completed investigations of 25 train accidents that killed 65, injured over 1,100 and caused millions of dollars in damages—all of which could have been prevented or mitigated by PTC,” said the safety board in a statement.

The Board also spoke of the need to invest in commuter rail, subways and light rail, pointing to the millions of Americans that rely on these systems everyday to get to and from work. The NTSB identified improvements that could be made to the safety culture and operational practices in light, heavy and commuter rail systems.

Las Vegas Railway Express announced January 22 that the company’s first two rail cars started their journey to Las Vegas this week, a milestone for the tourist railroad.

Working under the brand “the Vegas X Train,” the company hopes to eventually secure twenty passenger rail cars, retrofitted for luxury service. The X Train plans to attach these cars to existing passenger trains on selected routes, and will attract passengers by offering catered food, beverages and concierge service.

Las Vegas Railway Express announced it would begin operations between Los Angeles and San Diego sometime in February. The company’s ultimate goal is to connect Los Angeles to Las Vegas.

Passenger Advisory

—Extreme cold gripped the Northeast U.S. again this week, affecting schedules on Amtrak’s Acela Express, Northeast Regional and Keystone Service (New York – Harrisburg). You can find a full rundown of service disruptions on Amtrak.com.

—The Metro-North railroad ground to a halt for two hours yesterday evening at 7:45, stranding thousands of commuters. A power failure disrupted computers in the operations center, halting service to points north of New York City. Amtrak service between New York City and New Haven, Connecticut was also affected.

The two-hour disruption was eventually traced to human error during an electrical repair project.