3. Sunset will not be restored without state funding, but this could change
depending on C. Brown's stance on the subject once the requested report
on restoration comes out in July. It was intimated that this report will state
that restoration requires state money.
AT, Even tho' this section is an integritive link in the national railroad system and Mr. Boardman has stated that his key concern is connectivity?
With reference to #3, remember that the report was requested as part of the Amtrak
Reauthorization. Although it seems silly that C. Brown requested such a report, the objective was to get around those would have shot down anything to do with the Sunset (mainly J. Mica) had the request contained a direct statement that "this train shall be----". Boardman came on board after that, and we have no clue as what his position on this route is, or will be, however without, there is a gaping hole in the National System. My new NRHS Pres. (who replaced me) said his wife wanted to take the train to NewOrleans and when he priced out the required method, i.e. via DC (or I suppose it could have been via Rocky Mount and Charlotte), the price came to nearly $2500 and would have
required two days and nights on the train. They will fly.
4. The NARP VP stated that there was absolutely no interest on the part of
Florida to restore the train. He stated that Florida would soon rank 3rd in
population among the states but was somewhere around 30th in progressing
to better transportation. In other words, asphalt, more asphalt ----.
AT, Even tho' most House members in the Florida Panhandle and Mississippi are in support of the return of the Sunset as part the national passenger rail system? And the Northwestern Florida Leauge of Cities are passing resolutions left and right in support of the return of the Sunset?
With reference to #4, the comment was about State Senators etc. and especially governor Crist.
5. The same VP stated that there was interest from LA, MS, and AL for a
Daily Gulf Coast train as far as Mobile, but no money was available.
AT Doesn't that sound like the bridge to nowhere?
With reference to #5, definitely, and no state should ever fund an INTERstate train.
6. The Amtrak rep. stated that even though most stations were either just
concrete pads, or minimal stations, that these items were also state owned
and the states had made no effort to restore them either and no train could
return until at least minimal restoration was done.
AT, The only damage is minimal indeed as you'll see in the photos i'm collecting. Mobile seems to be the mayor problem
With reference to #6, he just mentioned stations in passing. Actually most of them are locally owned, not state owned.
7. No crews remain qualified for any part of the line east of NewOrleans.
AT Rumour has it that CSX offered to quailfy Amtrak crews on CSX equipment. Any idea why Amtrak would refuse this offer of help?
With reference to #7, there were some remarks earlier and in a more general way, that probably explain the reason. Amtrak employees are quickly "greying", and it is increasingly difficult to hire new employees that have a sufficient work ethic to last much beyond the learning period. I believe that most of the 1.5 years mentioned, in lead time, is because new personnel will need to be hired and trained. Simply put, there are no extra board crews any more. One of the engineers on the Sunset prior to 2005, that I know, has retired. The 60/30 rule is taking a huge toll on railroad employees of all kinds, and Amtrak is no exception. Then he also mentioned that it is hard to motivate people in an evironment like Amtrak where as he put it, "it is like a sail boat race - you go whichever way the current [political] wind is blowing". Specific mention was made of Bush' trying very hard to shut down the
whole system, and coming perilously close to doing it.
8. No equipment is available for a new train, east of NewOrleans, and unless a tighter more reliable schedule was possible, there is not sufficient SuperLiner equipment either.
AT,Even tho the "City" frequently borrows Sunset equipment a minimal trainset should be available.
9. And lastly, if some required restoration today, it would be 18-24 months before crews could be hired and trained
10. He was aware of SMART, but said that a grassroots effort was futile unless it had political backing of one level or another.
AT,That remains to be seen, I think we do.
IMHO, the jury is still out on #8 & #10.
As you may recall, for two years after the storm, Amtrak continued to say the tracks were destroyed by the storm and not repaired. It took the President of CSX issuing a statement, at our request, that the tracks had been repaired since March '06, and available for passenger rail traffic, for Amtrak to change it's story.
Then the next explanation was that the stations weren't repaired.
Amtrak doesn't really use the stations at most stops, just the platforms.
The excuses continue.
Amtrak spokesman Cliff Black told The Associated Press in November, "the company considers demands like the one regarding the Sunset Limited to be 'legitimate input' and would comply fully with the legislation."
(U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Jacksonville, who chairs the rail subcommittee of the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, co-sponsored with U.S. Rep. Gene Taylor, D-Bay Saint Louis, Amtrak legislation which was signed into law last year. It includes a requirement that the railroad come up with a plan to bring back the Sunset Limited's eastern route.)
"Sunset Limited, particularly the eastern portion, has long ranked as one of Amtrak's most problematic trains.
In fiscal 2004, the last full year before Hurricane Katrina, the Sunset carried just 96,000 riders, including 37,000 east of New Orleans. The remaining, western portion carried 72,000 passengers in fiscal 2008, making it Amtrak's least popular long-distance train.
The most popular long-distance route, the Empire Builder which links Chicago with the Pacific Northwest, had 554,000 riders".
Mr. Black is being less than forthcoming, if not just plain misleading,
when he compares the Empire Builder, which runs seven days a week, to the Sunset Limited that runs just three days a week.
Nor did Mr.Black bother to say that in fiscal 2004, from February through May, the train only went east of New Orleans twice a week because of CSX track maintenance. The same was true from February through April in 2005.
If the Sunset was so unpopular, why was it necessary to make reservations months in advance for sleeper space, and weeks in advance for coach space?
The simple reason being, Amtrak in the three years before Katrina, robbed equipment to use on other trains.
In the beginning, the Sunset ran with twice the capacity it had by 2005, so yes, the numbers of riders were diminishing, but not diminishing as fast as the capacity to accommodate passengers.
In fiscal-year 2007, Sunset Limited ridership was up 22 percent and continued to rise in 2008. Just think what that increase could have been if the train had been running east of New Orleans.
As far as being the "most problematic train", well it was, for a period of time.
Poor dispatching along the entire route-- based on corporate policies of two of the three host railroads was the reason for poor on-time performance, not Amtrak. Additionally, when the Union Pacific purchased the Southern Pacific west of Texas it began five years of intensive track overhauls.
Recently, however, it has one of the best on-time performance rates in the system.
January 11th, '09, in the Lake City (Florida) Reporter, Amtrak spokesperson Marc Magliari is quoted as saying,
"Services for all Amtrak stations between Bay St. Louis, Missouri, and Lake City were suspended due to damage to tracks from Hurricane Katrina".
Hurricane Katrina formed over the Bahamas on Aug. 23, 2005, and crossed southern Florida as a Category 1 hurricane. It strengthened in the Gulf of Mexico. The storm made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane on Aug. 29 in Louisiana, according to records.
"The damage caused the passenger train service to stop", Magliari said.
The Sunset Limited, which formerly ran from Orlando to Los Angeles, has only come as far east as New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina struck.
"Passenger train service may return through Lake City and farther east as a result of a potential state and federal government partnership.
As part of the Rail Safety Act, which passed in October of 2008, there was a recommendation to conduct a
study to potentially re-establish the Sunset Limited route", Magliari said.
"There will be meetings and discussions in Florida, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi, and this may lead to the restart of the Sunset Limited", he said.
Mr. Magliari is actually referring to Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi not Missouri and to the Amtrak reauthorization bill not the Rail Safety Act.
Amtrak Reauthorization Bill HR6003 / S294 which would make grants directly to States for intercity rail passenger improvements under section 301. Section 301 would require that States submit State rail plans meeting the criteria set forth under section 302 in order to be eligible for capital grants. These funds would be administered by the Department of Transportation. Decisions on where intercity passenger rail service should be operated, and the schedules and attributes of this service will flow from this State planning and informed decision-making and not the corporate offices of Amtrak.
And that is why Amtrak has been delaying the reinstatement of the Sunset Limited to get more money from the states of Mississippi, Alabama and Florida when this provision takes effect.
"The new legislation gives Amtrak about $1 million to come up with a plan [by July'09]. It does not require Amtrak to re-establish the route."
Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said it wasn't feasible financially to bring back the Sunset Limited Route until now. "But with Amtrak given money to look into the issue, the hope is to find a way to bring the service back, he said."
Magliari said the study will work through the departments of transportation in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana to try to come up with a rail plan. "Public meetings designed to get feedback from potential riders would be coordinated thought the state agencies, he said."
Have you heard any news about meetings or studies?
We haven't either. When we do, we want the Citizens of the Coast and Florida to be prepared to voice our opinions regarding passenger rail service to our communities.
Allan Thomas
