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Subject: Empire Builder delayed by Oil Train, LA Metrorail turns 25! More Amtrak Cars for Del Mar

From: Rail Passenger Association of California (noelnoelt@cox.net)

To: ntbraymer@yahoo.com;

Date: Monday, July 20, 2015 9:31 AM

RailPAC Weekly E­Newsletter for July 20, 2015 Edited by Noel T. BraymerFeel free to forward copies of this E­Newsletter to your friends or someone who canuse this information. If you would like to subscribe to the E­Newsletter just send me your name and emailaddress to nbraymer@railpac.orgIf you'd like to see expanded and improved Rail Passenger Service­Join Us!Membership increases our strength in presenting the case for rail to policymakers at alllevels!

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The Coast Starlight preparing to leave Los Angeles in December 2013. Photo by Noel T. Braymer

Montana freight train derailment disrupts St. Paul Amtrak service ...Minneapolis Star Tribune­Jul 15, 2015CULBERTSON, Mont. — Nine cars near the end of a 116­car freight train derailed in northeasternMontana, delaying freight traffic and disrupting Amtrak service between Seattle and St. Paul, Minnesota.

Montana derailment cleared; Amtrak operations to resumeTwinCities.com­Pioneer Press­Jul 16, 2015CULBERTSON, Mont. ­­ A train carrying oil derailed in northeastern Montana on Thursday evening,just hours after the tracks reopened from another train derailment that occurred Tuesday in the samecounty.The westbound train derailed about 6 p.m. MDT east of Culbertson, Mont, said BNSF Railwayspokesman Matt Jones.

35000 gallons of oil spills after Montana train derailmentNewsWest9.com ­ Jul 17, 2015BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) ­ Four tank cars leaked an estimated 35,000 gallons of oil after a train haulingfuel from North Dakota derailed in rural northeastern Montana, authorities said.The spill marked the latest in a series of wrecks across the U.S. and Canada that have highlighted thesafety risks of moving crude by rail.

Amtrak is operating in local areaMinot Daily News­Jul 17, 2015Amtrak will be operating eastbound through to Chicago today. But chartered buses will be availablebetween Havre or Wolf Point, Mont., to Minot. The westbound Amtrak will also be going through,according to Marc Magliari, an Amtrak spokesman.

Eastbound Amtrak trains operate with minor delaysNBC Montana­Jul 17, 2015

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Company officials told NBC Montana there will be no delays on westbound trains Friday evening. Theysaid travelers should expect delays of no more than four hours on eastbound trains.Friday morning, Amtrak ticket­holders said they had been faced with extensive delays.

Fewer passenger, freight rail delays due to drilling declineseattlepi.com­Jul 14, 2015BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Delays in Amtrak service and agricultural product shipping have eased acrossthe Upper Midwest in part because weak oil prices have prompted a drilling slowdown in North Dakota,officials say.

Union Pacific Train Fire Contained, Stalls Rail LinePatch.com­Jul 12, 2015A Union Pacific locomotive caught fire north of Moreno Valley on Sunday, prompting a stop totranscontinental rail traffic...The next Amtrak train schedule to pass there, the Sunset Limited, was scheduled to depart Los Angeles at2:30 p.m. today and it was not clear how the track problem would affect the train to New Orleans.

Amtrak on the Wrong Track: Travelling the U.S. Railroads on the Looney FrontHuffington Post­Jul 16, 2015Why does Amtrak insist on not giving a numbered seat to passengers who reserve? I recently travelled onAmtrak Train 68, the Adirondack, from Montreal to New York and it was one of the most unpleasantboarding experiences I can remember.This author writes a travel column called the Looney Front. NB

Woman killed when Amtrak hits car in north FloridaSarasota Herald­Tribune ­ Jul 14, 2015ORANGE PARK, Fla. (AP) — Authorities say a 34­year­old woman died after ignoring a railroad trackcrossing signal and getting hit by an oncoming Amtrak train.The crash happened in Orange Park near Jacksonville on Monday evening.

Voice of the Reader: Use partnerships to boost Amtrak serviceThe Southern­Jul 14, 2015Mr. Tom Carper wrote a very good column on Wednesday about Amtrak, I do have a suggestion for allto consider. The city of Memphis has been for the last few years looking into a second train daily toChicago.Why can't the 8:30 a.m. train that arrives in Carbondale around 1:30 p.m. continue on to Memphis,making a stop in Newbern, arriving around 6:30 p.m.? Then it could turn around overnight and depart at11:30 a.m. to make the stop here at 3:30 or 4 p.m. and still arrive in Chicago at the normal time.

Congressional deadlock over Amtrak funding could impact BaltimoreABC2 News­Jul 16. 2015If you've ever taken the Marc or Amtrak between Penn Station in Baltimore and DC, you've passedthrough one of the oldest structures in the entire northeast corridor. The Baltimore and Potomac tunnel is142 years old, and is considered to be "structurally deficient."...Though considered "structurally deficient," it's said to be safe for transportation, but its design isoutdated. Amtrak also says it creates a bottleneck and slows travel.

Obama announces two Amtrak board nomineesProgressive Rail Roading­Jul 14, 2015President Barack Obama yesterday announced his intent to nominate Derek Kan and Anthony Coscia to

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serve on Amtrak's board.Kan is director of strategy at Genapsys. Previously, he served as a management consultant at Bain & Co.and as an adviser at Elliott Management. Kan also has served as a policy adviser to Senate RepublicanLeader Mitch McConnell from Kentucky, the chief economist for the Senate Republican PolicyCommittee and presidential management fellow at the White House Office of Management and Budget.

Obama renominates N.J. man to Amtrak boardNorthJersey.com­Jul 13, 2015Anthony Coscia, the chairman of Amtrak and an attorney from New Jersey, was renominated byPresident Obama on Monday for another term on the railroad’s board of directors.Coscia was chairman of New Jersey’s Economic Development Authority for more than a decade and waschairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey when Obama first named him to theAmtrak board in 2009. A North Caldwell resident, he is also a partner with Windels Marx Lane &Mittendorf.

Amtrak Chairman Anthony Coscia sees the lightCrain's New York Business­Jul 18, 2015Anthony Coscia has spent $300 million of Amtrak's precious cash on a $15 billion project that mightnever happen: a new Hudson River tunnel and other improvements to rail service to and from Manhattan.The Amtrak chairman has done this after the government blew $600 million on a similar projectultimately killed by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

A Personal Perspective on Philadelphia's Amtrak DerailmentInstitutional Investor (blog)­May 20, 2015If a safe and reliable passenger rail system is a characteristic of an advanced and civilized economy, thenthe U.S. does not measure up. According to the American Enterprise Institute , the ratio of passengermiles traveled to each injury suffered exceeds 4 million in France and Germany.The U.S. figure is84,300, about on par with Lithuania.The author Jeffery Kutler survived the crash of Amtrak Trains 188 in Philadelphia. NB

Is Amtrak Management Incompetent?By Noel T. BraymerIf you asked Amtrak passengers if Amtrak management was competent after they spent a day on a trainwith a car that had a serious problem, what do you think their answer would be? Or passengers strandedfor hours on a train first because of mechanical problems, but then because Amtrak didn’t havereplacement crews ready after the first crew went over their 12 work day limit? Or passengers who misstheir connections because no one held the train even though the connecting buses were only a few minuteslate. Adding insult to injuries the station agents sat in their warm station, while passengers looked in thecold for the train they were told was waiting for them? Or how about being a passenger told to wait at thewrong track and platform for their train? Then having their train leave the terminal empty withoutanyone at Amtrak noticing until the passengers started to complain? We need to spend more money on the infrastructure of rail passenger service. But we can't get fullvalue of our capital investment unless it is well managed too.NB

Meeting today for volunteer Amtrak docents Herald and News­Jul 14, 2015Klamath County Museum is seeking volunteers to serve as docents on the Amtrak train route betweenKlamath Falls and Eugene.According to a news release, an informational program will be presented at 2 p.m. today in the museumat Main and Spring streets.

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Docents provide an interpretive program for passengers as the train passes through the Upper KlamathBasin and over the Cascade Mountain Range.

State plan aims to broaden Vt. rail service Barre Montpelier Times Argus ­ Jul 15, 2015The Agency of Transportation has issued its first statewide rail plan in nearly a decade. The proposalenvisions new passenger routes to Burlington, Montreal, Manchester and Bennington, but there’s no clearplan to pay for the massive track upgrades needed to make it all a reality.

This is the view at London's King Cross Rail Station in 1980 of 2 trainsets of the fairly new InterCity125 trains. These were the fastest diesel­electric trains then in passenger service with a top operatingspeed of 125 miles per hour. Photo by Noel T. Braymer

More properties eyed in Valley counties for high­speed railFresno Bee­Jul 13, 2015More than a dozen pieces of land in the Valley have been targeted by the state for possible eminentdomain for the first stretches of California’s high­speed train project.The state Public Works Board, meeting Monday in Sacramento, adopted 13 resolutions declaring a publicneed for properties adding up to more than 72 acres in Fresno, Kings and Tulare counties. The boardauthorized the use of eminent domain, or condemnation, if necessary to get the land needed for therailroad right of way. The parcels range in size from about 2,200 square feet — about five­hundredths ofan acre — to more than 21 acres.

Fresno motel's beds, furniture given away to make way for high speed trainsFresno Bee­Jul 17, 2015Beds and furniture from a central Fresno motel that will soon be razed to make way for high­speed rail

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are being donated to nonprofit organizations that expect to put the furnishings in foster homes, grouphomes and shelters.It’s a nice gesture by the California High­Speed Rail Authority, but there’s a hiccup to the agency’s goodintentions: The former owner of the Flamingo Inn is still using the beds, dressers and other furniturebecause, as of Friday, the motel is still open for business renting rooms to people.

Grand jury takes county to task on HSRHanford Sentinel­Jul 16, 2015The report accuses county supervisors of the following:Failing to hold study sessions to gain public input before filing lawsuits against the authority.Refusing to apply for funds available through the authority to help affected businesses relocate.Filing lawsuits against the authority “involving privately owned lands.” The grand jury stated that “it does not appear that the county owns any affected land … with theexception of roadways that would be crossed.”

High Speed Rail expects to compete with Caltrain between San Francisco and SanJoseGreen Caltrain Jul 13, 2015The report was quite clear about the intent to compete in the market for commute trips between SanFrancisco and San Jose. “In this instance HSR will compete with the Caltrain express service, as notedpreviously.” The panelists sought to model the service attributes that would enable High Speed Rail tocompete most effectively with Caltrain.

La Mirada city officials seek funding for noise wall next to railroadThe Whittier Daily News­Jul 19, 2015Officials say that kind of funding isn’t available in the city’s general fund.One possibility could come from the California High­Speed Rail Authority that might use the same track,said City Manager Jeff Boynton.“Sometimes funds are provided to cities in advance to mitigate impacts,” Boynton said.Residents, who live near the railroad, say they’re ecstatic by just the fact city officials have begun lookingfor money to build a sound wall.

First look inside high speed train that will replace InterCity 125 (Video)BBC News­Jul 15, 2015With a high speed service, sleek lines and modern technology, the InterCity 125 train was introduced torevamp the British rail network.But that was more than four decades ago, and now its days are numbered.

Balanced coin on high­speed train stuns global audienceecns­Jul 17, 2015A nearly 10­minute video titled "High speed train comfort quality balance coin" has been widelycirculated on Chinese video portals and social media. By now the open statistics show that it has beenbroadcast more than 17,262 times on Youtube and more than 240,000 times on Youku, one of the leadingvideo portal websites in China.A Swedish man named Ola Von Koskull claimed he shot the video during his Chinese business trip andthen uploaded it onto Youtube on 14 March this year.

All Aboard Florida rail team on trackMiami Today­Jul 14, 2015“Siemens shares All Aboard Florida’s commitment to meeting the highest standards of trainset safety and

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reliability in the industry,” said Mike Reininger, president of All Aboard Florida. “We are pleased that, inworking closely with Siemens on state­of­the­art train design and engineering, our partnership with thecompany has grown even stronger.”The news comes just weeks after All Aboard Florida announced that it had reached an agreement withArcher Western to improve rail infrastructure on the corridor for its new passenger rail service.More than 100 construction workers will soon begin upgrading the 66­mile rail corridor between Miamiand West Palm Beach.

Commuter rail linking New Orleans to Baton Rouge has broad support,bigobstaclesNOLA.com­Jul 14, 2015Times have changed. Ten years after the greatest disaster southeast Louisiana has ever seen, the region isgrowing. People are moving into urban centers. New businesses are gauging opportunities along theMississippi River. Demand for skilled labor is rising. And Gov. Bobby Jindal, who blocked the lastattempt at an intercity commuter line, is leaving office. "Sitting here today, I'd be willing to place a serious bet that within three to five years, we will be able toboard a train between Baton Rouge and New Orleans and work, read, sleep in convenience and safety aswe traverse the southeast super region," said Michael Hecht, president and CEO of the regional economicdevelopment group Greater New Orleans Inc. 

Metrolink celebrates 25 years, expanding to 512 milesThe Desert Sun­Jul 15, 2015For those of us in the Coachella Valley, Metrolink trains can be boarded in downtown Riverside or in SanBernardino near Interstate 215. They are spacious, comfortable and you can take your bike on board.When you factor in the stops, the trains travel about 40 mph, which, depending on the time of day, couldget you into Los Angeles in less time than it takes to drive the 60 miles into the city.Metrolink operations will be 23 years old in October. The author was confusing Metrolink with the25th anniversary of Los Angeles Metrorail. But it's still a good article on Metrolink service. NB

Beaumont Pass Transit Announces Service EnhancementsPatch.com­ ­Jul 16, 2015Saturday Service ­ Beginning Aug. 1, Commuter Link 120 with service to the Loma Linda VA Hospitaland the San Bernardino Metrolink will now operate on Saturdays.In addition to extended service days, the route has also added a stop near Calimesa Boulevard and CountyLine Road in the city of Calimesa

Paul Dyson – Metrolink – Where to from here?The interview of Art Leahy, Metrolink CEO, by Dan Weikel was revealing. (LA Times, June 30th) Therevelation is that there is no long term movement to make Metrolink a vibrant, relevant mobility optionfor large numbers of citizens. Nothing that Leahy said indicated a desire to do anything more thanbusiness as usual, except with better execution, and no doubt that is the direction he has been given by hisBoard. One would like to think that there is a desire among decision makers in Southern California tohave something better than sporadically scheduled diesel powered trains carrying a miniscule number ofcommuters on weekdays and little else, but there is precious little sign of it.

Palo Alto prepares to boost fencing, add sensors on rail tracks ...Palo Alto Online­Jul 16, 2015The project, which is being jointly undertaken by the city and Caltrain, aims to limit access to theCaltrain corridor in response to a recent cluster of teen deaths by suicide on the tracks. In his June 29update to the City Council, City Manager James Keene said he is proceeding on an accelerated schedule

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with the hope of getting most of the fencing work done before the middle of summer.

Palo Alto Officials Propose Caltrain Suicide Prevention CamerasCBS Local­Jul 17, 2015The thermal camera system at the Meadow Avenue crossing can detect the difference between a person,animal or vehicle along the tracks and send a signal to 911. The three­camera system would scan thetracks for a mile in either direction, Keith said.Caltrain spokesman Will Reisman said this would be the first time cameras would be set up in theCaltrain right­of­way.

7 reasons Caltrain riders want bathrooms on electric trains.Green Caltrain Jul 14,2015The board wanted to consider opening or adding bathrooms at stations. Unfortunately,most of thestations that have bathrooms have closed the bathrooms over the years, because they were difficult andcostly to clean, maintain, and keep secure during Caltrain service hours. It is not clear who would staffthe bathrooms to keep them clean, secure, and open, and who would pay for maintenance, security, andstaffing. BART closed most of its bathrooms after September 11, 2001, due to concerns about terrorism,and still has not reopened them.Caltrain currently provides at least one bathroom on every train. We believe Caltrain should adopt theproposal which provides one bathroom on every train set.

Jerry Hill seeks more cap and trade funds for transitSan Mateo Daily Journal­Jul 17, 2015Caltrain’s efforts to accommodate growing ridership could receive a much needed boost in funding asstate Sen. Jerry Hill proposed legislation Thursday calling for a redistribution of cap and trade funds.Hill, D­San Mateo, is seeking to increase funding from the state’s greenhouse gas reduction laws byallocating an additional $300 million a year to transit­related projects.

Millbrae station project heads to public.San Mateo Daily Journal­Jul 16, 2015Those concerned with how an enormous development proposed to be built next to the Millbrae trainstation might influence traffic and parking, along with a variety of other impacts, will have a chance toexpress their opinion during an upcoming community meeting.Developers interested in constructing mixed­use projects near the city’s Caltrain and Bay Area RapidTransit station will present plans before residents and city officials during a study session Thursday, July16.

Caltrain trains will run at night to test new train­control systemThe Almanac Online­Jul 13, 2015Caltrain is upgrading its signaling and train­control systems this week. Beginning Monday, July 13, andextending through Friday, July 17, workers will be installing new technology, and "test" trains will bebegin traversing the rail corridor, including through Menlo Park and Atherton, between 9 p.m. and 6a.m., according to a Caltrain statement.

Special session on road repairs takes on $59 billion problemKPCC Jul 10, 2015At the heart of the problem is two fold: rising construction costs and the diminishing revenue from thegas tax as cars have become more fuel efficient or gas­free. The rate hasn't been raised from 48.6 centsper gallon since the early 1990s.To pay for the needed repairs, Democrats are presenting several bills that would increase revenue by

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raising gas taxes and registration fees and charging an additional flat fee for electric vehicles ­ orcharging a flat road use fee to all drivers."It's a kind of spread the pain kind of approach," said Senator Jim Beall, who introduced one of the bills.Republicans oppose any fees or tax increases.It would make sense to charge vehicles by weight since the heavier vehicles use more fuel and domore damage to roads. No doubt the trucking industry would fight that idea. NB

House passes short­term highway funding billWashington Post Jul 15, 2015The House on Wednesday passed a short­term extension of federal highway spending, putting pressure onSenate Republicans to commit to a plan to continue funding for the transportation program before itexpires at the end of the month...But Senate Republicans are not on board with the plan.

BNSF adds to wind energy portfolioFreightweek­Jul 16, 2015FLOWER MOUND, TX: BNSF Logistics, part of Berkshire Hathaway's Burlington Northern Santa Ferailway, has purchased Transportation Technology Services, a provider of outsized cargo movements byrail.The acquisition price was not disclosed.TTS began as a rail engineering company in 2001 and has since evolved to provide specialty serviceswith a particular focus on the wind turbine industry.

The Clearest Explanation Yet for Why Millennials Are Driving LessCitylab Jul 13, 2015The ongoing discussion about Millennial driving trends is not about whether they’re declining, but why.It’s clear to all that young people are driving less today than they did in the past. But the reasons for theseshifts in car use are what remain locked in seemingly endless debate.

Gas prices keep climbing in Los Angeles County, up 73.5 cents since ThursdayLos Angeles Daily News Jul 15, 2015LOS ANGELES — The average price of a gallon of self­serve regular gasoline in Los Angeles Countyrose today to its highest amount since May 7, 2014, increasing 7.6 cents to $4.28.The average price has risen 73.5 cents since Thursday, including 15.1 cents on Tuesday, according tofigures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. It is 61.9 cents more than a month ago and15.9 cents higher than one year ago.The oil industry claims that the price increase is caused by a shortage of imported oil. ButCalifornia's refineries also produce fuel for most of the Western States which are not having thesame problems with supplies or increased prices. NB

Oil Heads for Longest Weekly Losing Streak Since January on GlutBloomberg ­ Jul 16, 2015 Oil’s recovery from a six­year low has faltered amid speculation the surplus will be prolonged as U.S.drillers return rigs to fields and Iran seeks to regain market share. The full impact of higherIranian exports won’t be felt until 2016 as the nuclear deal is implemented, banks including GoldmanSachs Group Inc. predict.“There is a genuine focus back on the glut,” Jonathan Barratt, the chief investment officer at AyersAlliance Securities in Sydney, said by phone. “In the absence of solid economic data, it’s very hard to seeprices going higher.”

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Gov. Brown Talks To KCAL9 About Bill That Would Mandate Reduction in GasUsageCBS Local­Jul 16, 2015Brown fully supports SB­350, which would mandate a 50­percent cutback in California’s gas usage in thenext 15 years, arguing that it’s a prime factor in global warming.“We’ve got a serious problem here,” he told KCAL9 Political Reporter Dave Bryan via satellite.“Burning oil and gas and coal and diesel is a big part of the problem. We’ve got to find new bio­fuels.We have to be more efficient. We’ve got a lot to do. And by the way, if we do nothing, the cost isunimaginable.”

UCSD poised to enter $30 million deal with MTSAM 760 KFMB­Jul 16, 2015SAN DIEGO (CNS) ­ UC San Diego Health and the Metropolitan Transit System Thursday announced a30­year naming rights deal for the planned 11­mile extension of the trolley system's Blue Line...Under the deal, the Old Town Transit Center will be renamed "Old Town UC San Diego Health South." Future stations at the UC San Diego campus and its medical facilities will also be named for the healthsystem.

And They're Off! Horse Racing Begins at Del Mar .Patch.com­Jul 16, 2015For patrons who want to take public transportation, the North County Transit District’s Coaster train willstop at the Solana Beach station. Passengers can then board shuttle buses for the ride to the racetrack.Because of the large crowds that are expected, passengers are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance,either online or on smartphones.The NCTD’s promotional “Pony Express” tickets are not valid on Opening Day.Amtrak will also stop at Solana Beach during the racing season.

Wednesday, July 15th, 2015 Amtrak releaseAmtrak to Add Extra Cars to Del Mar "Racetrack Trains"

Amtrak will be hooking up additional cars to its popular “racetrack trains” that run between LosAngeles and San Diego with a key stop at the Solana Beach station just north of Del Mar whenracing is off and running this Thursday (July 16).The trains, which offer a scenic ride along the coast between Southern California’s two majorcities, are popular with racetrackers who like to avoid the freeway traffic and the need to payparking fees. Del Mar’s fleet of English double­decker busses meet all trains at Solana Beach, thoseboth inbound and outgoing.Amtrak plans on adding as many as four extra cars to some trains, including an extra BusinessClass car and an additional Cross Country Café car, as well as either one or two coach cars. TheBusiness Class cars feature exclusive seating areas, while the Cross Country Café cars will serve as asecond café car with booth seating and all the food and drink amenities that riders have come toexpect.Del Mar’s 40­day season is conducted on a mostly Wednesday through Sunday format. The finalday of the session is Monday, September 7, which is Labor Day.

Group Pushes For Angels Flight RelaunchNBC Southern California­Jul 14, 2015Their petition calls for Mayor Eric Garcetti to step in to "help cut the red tape in Sacramento and SanFrancisco" so that something could be done to allow the railway, known as a funicular, to begin operatingagain.

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The funicular, at 351 S. Hill St. between Third and Fourth streets, has sat dormant for nearly two years,despite "licensed professional engineers" and the Los Angeles Fire Department saying the "safety issueshave been addressed," contends the petitioners.

Metro Rail celebrates silver anniversary with dramatic re­creation of 1990 BlueLine openingThe Source Jul 13, 2015Metro today marked 25 years of modern Metro Rail – and an astonishing 87 miles of rail built — by re­creating the opening of the Metro Blue Line at the same spot where it occurred 25 years earlier.;;Modern Metro Rail is an amazing accomplishment. From zero miles of rail in 1990 to 87 miles today andwith five major rail lines under construction, including two more set to open next year that will add 17.6more miles, modern Metro Rail is a direct reflection of the will of Southern California voters.

Q&A: 25 years and counting of Metro Rail, part oneThe Source Jul 13, 2015What’s the significance of July 14, 1990?Same as above except 22 miles of the Blue Line opened between Los Angeles and Long Beach, the twolarges cities in Los Angeles County.And, thus, Metro Rail was born and the Los Angeles area joined many other cities around the world thatuse both buses and trains get people from Point A to Point B.

Part 2 Of Metro’s Tell­All 25 Years Of Rail Q&A The Source Jul 14, 2015Will Metro Rail ever connect to LAX in some sort of humane fashion?Yes.We all know that the Green Line infamously missed getting to the airport for both political and financialreasons. To put it lightly, there are people around our region who believe that was the most incrediblyshortsighted epic fail of a blunder in the entire history of the known universe.But things have changed. For the better.

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This is an early picture from around 1991 of the new Blue Line at the Los Angeles Terminal at 7th Stand Flower in downtown Los Angeles. Photo by Noel T. Braymer

We Get EmailsRe: Coast Daylight Deal.Get UP to add a new Coast Daylight as a trade off for the planned oil trainMichael SnyderParadise CAI think a major reason the UP has fought more passenger trains on the Coast Line was theanticipation of heavy oil train traffic in the future. The reality is Saudi Arabia is taking a lessonfrom John D. Rockefeller and killing the shale oil/oil trains market by undercutting it on price. Ifthe Governor and Legislature have their way, production at oil refineries in the State will bedeclining very soon. What the UP wants is money. Money for track improvements and for trainsrunning on their tracks. When the State has money up front to improve the Coast Line and to runmore trains, that might get the UP's attention. NB

Re: Pacific Surfliner train 768Surfliner train 768 is scheduled to leave S Barb 649am for San Diego. On Mon 6/29/15 I rode it, and itmade stops at Northridge and Downtown Burbank, quite a surprise since they were not listed in theAmtrak timetable (dated 4/2015) but served by Metrolink, LA's suburban commuter service. I thoughtmaybe the timetable had been updated without being reprinted, but the later (7/13/15) timetable doesn'tshow those 2 stations either. Yorkman Lowe,

Re: Observations on Empire Builder Turns Seattle/Portland June 27­28, 2015In response to your recent auditor's report showing some very questionable time card practices by Amtrakemployees (and corresponding very questionable lack of oversight by their supervisors) I made the

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following observations while in Washington State on June 27 & 28, 2015. On June 27 I observed the w/b Builder over 8 1/2 hours late as it approached Stevens Pass and ultimatelySeattle. Knowing that there is only about six hours of turn time available for the trainsets in Seattle andPortland I was curious as to how the turns would play out later in the day. When I checked on 8 and 28the next day I was amazed that Train 8 left Seattle only 1 hour and 25 minutes late, barely possible intheory allowing for recovery time and almost no servicing time. However, by the time the Edmondsdeparture was recorded only 32 schedule minutes down the line, the delay had ballooned to 5 hours and40 minutes! Even more amazing was the fact that Train 28 out of Portland experienced a very similarresult with phenomenal Initial Station departure and a huge delay to the second station at Vancouver. Itis obvious to me that proper cleaning and servicing was not done prior to the recorded initial departure. Iaccidentally wiped out the record in my phone for the actual numbers of the Portland section, but thenumbers for the Seattle section were still intact and reported above. Why would such strange numbers be generated for BOTH sections on the same day? Although I have noproof, the odds of such numbers being legitimate are essentially zero. It is much more likely that thereare well­intentioned incentives in place from upper management to turn a late trainset as quickly aspossible. It is also possible that such incentives are based only on the reported Initial Terminal Delay, noton the real delay that occurs to actual passengers on board. If such is indeed the case, it makes perfectsense that the involved employees and their approving local supervisors would be motivated to cook thebooks for the best appearance possible, regardless of the additional frustration caused to passengers whoare stuck on a stopped train for hours, or those down line who rush to their station based on departuretime reported and then wait for hours for their train to show up. In private industry such mistreatment of paying customers would not be tolerated. In government suchmisplaced incentives and lack of accountability are, unfortunately, all too common, and not just atAmtrak. It falls right in place with the examples of 40+ timecard hours in a single day and the otherabuses of overtime that were reported in your initial article. I intend to check periodically to see if thissituation occurs again.Ralph James

Opinions expressed in this enewsletter are those of the authors and not necessarilythose of the Rail Passenger Association of California.

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