Article from Moving People, Nov., 1996. Index.
BARNSTORMING SIEMENS DUEWAG
DIESEL LIGHT RAIL CAR WAS RUN IN DEMONSTRATION SERVICE ON THE
SAC-FOLSOM LINE, NAPA VALLEY WINE TRAIN LINE, NORTHWESTERN PACIFIC,
SAN JOSE AREA BRANCH LINES, AND ON NEW YEARS EVE IS SCHEDULED FOR A
SANTA CRUZ RUN THAT SOUNDS LIKE A SEANCE . OTHER HOT PROSPECTS ARE IN
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA INCLUDING VENTURA-SAUGUS, SAN
BERNARDINO-REDLANDS, AND ESCONDIDO-OCEANSIDE. A MONTH-LONG TEST
SERVICE IS POSSIBLE ON THE SAN DIEGO NORTH COUNTY ROUTE...
SACRAMENTO REGIONAL TRANSIT HAS JOINED BAY AREA COUNTIES IN A JOINT POWERS BOARD FOR THE CAPITOL TRAINS. THE COUNTIES SEEM TO HAVE THE WRONG IDEA ABOUT WHAT SB 457 SAYS ABOUT FUNDING. THEY WANT ALL COSTS TO BE COVERED BY THE STATE, AND HAVE CONCLUDED AGREEMENTS THAT PRECLUDE ANY COSTS BEING ASSESSED TO COUNTIES. THAT MAY MAKE FOR A HARD TIME TAKING OVER THE TRAINS...
HIGH SPEED RAIL PROPOSALS PRESENTED BY THE STATE HIGH SPEED RAIL COMMISSION POSE COSTS THAT ARE ROUGHLY DOUBLE WHAT REAL WORLD CONSTRUCTION IS FACING. THE AMAZING THING IS THAT CALIFORNIANS STILL SEEM TO BE GAME, GIVEN THE INFLATED PRICES QUOTED. ACTUALLY, $20 BILLION FOR BULLET TRAINS DOESN'T SEEM SO HIGH WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT THE RECENT EXPANSION PLANS PRESENTED FOR LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ALONE ARE $12 BILLION.
AMTRAK SAN DIEGAN TRAINS WILL REPORTEDLY ADD SOME SERVICE BACK AT CHATSWORTH STATION (WHERE METROLINK PREVIOUSLY DEMANDED AMTRAK CUT SERVICE) AT THE NEXT SCHEDULE CHANGE (MAY 11, 1997). IF METROLINK WAS TRYING TO BOLSTER THE LIMPING PERFORMANCE OF ITS VENTURA COUNTY TRAINS, THEY DIDN'T SUCCEED BY MAKING AMTRAK SAN DIEGAN CHATSWORTH SCHEDULES SPARSER AND LESS CONVENIENT.
AMTRAK IS GOING THE WRONG WAY ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF RAILROAD PASSENGERS, RECENT CUTBACKS PROPOSED FOR AMTRAK'S ALREADY SKELETAL NATIONAL NETWORK COULD LEAD TO EVENTUAL ELIMINATION OF THE SYSTEM. INTERCITY SERVICE WOULD SURVIVE ONLY IN THE NORTHEAST AND A HANDFUL OF OTHER SHORT-DISTANCE CORRIDORS. AMTRAKS REDUCTION OF SERVICES DURING 1995 SEEMS TO HAVE AGGRAVATED, RATHER THAN HELPED ITS FINANCIAL SITUATION. THE CUTS LAST YEAR IN PART GENERATED THE CURRENT CRISIS.
TRAINS UP FOR DISCONTINUANCE MAY 10 INCLUDE THE ST. LOUIS-DALLAS-SAN ANTONIO PORTION OF THE TEXAS EAGLE, THE SALT LAKE-LOS ANGELES DESERT WIND, THE DENVER-PORTLAND PIONEER AND THE ALBANY-BOSTON PORTION OF THE LAKE SHORE LTD....
IT'S THE TRAIN, STUPID! THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION, WHICH ONCE CAMPAIGNED IN FAVOR OF HIGH SPEED RAIL, IS STILL CLEARLY NOT UP TO SPEED ON TRAINS. ACCORDING TO THE WASHINGTON POST, A DALLAS, TX COUPLE WHO WROTE VICE-PRESIDENT GORE LAST AUGUST ACCUSED THE ADMINISTRATION OF "KILLING THE TEXAS EAGLE." GORE REPLIED WITH A LETTER THANKING THEM FOR THEIR INTEREST IN "PROTECTION OF THE TEXAS EAGLE" AND PRESERVATION OF ENDANGERED SPECIES AND ECOSYSTEMS.