Article from Moving People, Nov., 1996. Index.

AN INDEPENDENT STUDY OF BRITISH RAIL PRIVATIZATION HAS FOUND THAT THE COST TO BRITISH TAXPAYERS FOR GIVING AWAY THE NATIONAL RAILROAD IS ALREADY $8 BILLION. NIGEL G. HARRIS, IN HIS NEW BOOK, THE PRIVATISATION OF BRITISH RAIL SAYS THE NEED FOR A DOZEN SEPARATE PRIVATE CARRIERS TO EACH BE PROFITABLE WILL CONDEMN THE SYSTEM TO NEEDLESSLY SUPPORT OVER $11 BILLION OF PROFIT MARGINS, LEGAL COSTS AND COMPLIANCE MONITORING OVER AND ABOVE THE COSTS OF SERVICE. WHILE OTHER EUROPEAN NATIONS PUT BILLIONS INTO INCREASED SERVICE AND NEW EQUIPMENT, BRITAIN IS POURING ITS FUNDS INTO ARTIFICIAL PROFITS...

HALF-CENT FUEL TAX FOR AMTRAK (S. 436, H.R.1437) HAS A CHANCE OF PASSAGE IN CONGRESS, BUT NEEDS YOUR HELP, ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF RAILROAD PASSENGERS. NARP SAYS THE PRICE OF FAILURE OF THIS LEGISLATION WILL BE PERMANENT LOSS OF AMTRAK SERVICE BY MID-1998. CALLS TO RADIO TALK SHOWS, AND LETTERS TO YOUR DAILY NEWSPAPER, SENATORS FEINSTEIN AND BOXER, AND MEMBER OF CONGRESS ARE ESSENTIAL. EMPHASIZE THE FINALITY OF THE DECISION THIS TIME; NO HALF CENT MEANS NO AMTRAK...

MTS MEMBER AND AARP ACTIVIST DORAS BRIGGS HAD A FANTASTIC IMPACT AT THE APRIL 23 SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE HEARING ON AMTRAK FUNDING. SENATOR WILLIAM V. ROTH (R-DEL), AUTHOR OF THE SENATE AMTRAK HALF-CENT BILL CALLED HER THE HEARING'S "STAR WITNESS" FOR HER COMMENTS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF AMTRAK TO SENIORS...

IN MID-MARCH UNION PACIFIC STARTED A NEW INTERMODAL TRAIN, THE OACHZ (OAKLAND-CHICAGO TRAILERS), HOTTEST TRAIN ON THE RAILROAD. THE TRAIN DEPARTS OAKLAND AT 4:00 A.M., WHICH PUTS IT THROUGH DAVIS JUST ABOUT WHEN THE 'COMMUTER' CAPITOL DEPARTS SACRAMENTO. ON AT LEAST ONE RECENT OCCASION, THE UP DISPATCHER HELD THE CAPITOL AT EAST CAUSEWAY FOR OVER 15 MINUTES WHILE THE FREIGHT KEPT A-ROLLIN'. GIVEN THE POST-MERGER ANTI-PASSENGER MOOD AT THE UP, ONE WONDERS ABOUT THE SINCERITY OF UP'S PROMISE TO DO ITS PART TO KEEP TIME-SENSITIVE CAPITOLS RUNNING ON-TIME WHEN THEIR OWN TIME-SENSITIVE TRAINS ARE COMPETING FOR THE ONE SEGMENT OF SINGLE TRACK ON THE CAPITOL ROUTE....

SACRAMENTO'S NEW STUDY OF LIGHT RAIL EQUIPMENT COMPARES COSTS AND BENEFITS OF LOW FLOOR CARS WITH RETROFITTING THE EXISTING SACRAMENTO CARS WITH MORE WHEELCHAIR SPACES. ONE OF THE ALTERNATES EXAMINED IS TO TURN THE SAC FLEET INTO SINGLE-DIRECTION CARS TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF CARS THAT REQUIRE RETROFITS ...

AMTRAK CAPITOL CORRIDOR TRAINS HAVE A NEW STOP IN HAYWARD WITH 35 SPACES, AT 22555 MEEKLAND AVE ADJACENT TO CANNERY PARK. ON THE PLUS SIDE, THE NEW STATION IS AN AVAILABLE ACCESS POINT. ON THE MINUS SIDE, IT PROBABLY SEALS THE FATE OF THE SOUTH END OF THE CAPITOL LINE AS A SLOW, LIGHTLY USED SERVICE. THE MORE DIRECT S.P. MULFORD LINE WAS THE ONLY ROUTE FAST ENOUGH TO ATTRACT SIGNIFICANT END-POINT TRAVEL...

SEATTLE'S TUNNEL FOR ELECTRIC BUSES HAS A GROWING NUMBER OF DIESEL BUSES USING IT, DUE TO PROGRESSIVE BREAKDOWNS OF THE BI-MODAL FLEET. RECENT RANDOM OBSERVATIONS SUGGEST THAT ABOUT 5 PERCENT OF VEHICLES ARE RUNNING WITH DIESELS...