Archive
Archive for 2005
Vol. 2, No. 20 – August 11, 2005
- Its official title, beyond Senate Bill 1516, is the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2005. Some are calling it PRIIA 2005, and others are simply calling it what it really is, which is the Amtrak reauthorization bill. (Link to S.1516 on Thomas at the Library of Congress) Read more…
Vol. 2, No. 19 – August 04, 2005
- A number of comments and thoughts came in this week regarding United States Department of Transportation Inspector General Kenneth Mead’s proposal to end all onboard amenities on Amtrak long distance trains (without any mention from Mr. Mead of the various levels of service and amenities on transit-oriented NEC and other corridor trains). Here is a sampling of the comments. Read more…
Vol. 2, No. 18 – July 29, 2005
- It’s hard to know where to begin. When you’re dealing with such monstrous ideas, the possibilities are endless for reasonable people to respond. Read more…
Vol. 2, No. 17 – July 21, 2005
- Without any gnashing of teeth, unnecessary wailing, grave pronouncements of the end of the Republic from Amtrak apologists and cultists, nor junior high school theatrics from acolytes of the David Gunn school of drama and tragedy, a subcommittee of the appropriations committee of the United States Senate this week voted to give Amtrak $1.4 billion in free federal money for next fiscal year, starting in October. This is a $200 million increase over this year’s appropriation, and a little over $200 million more than the House voted to give Amtrak for next year. Read more…
Vol. 2, No. 16 – July 15, 2005
- A correction is in order this week, right up front. Last week, I referred to the people who visited murder and total mayhem on London’s transit system as various types of cowards and terrorists. A TWA reader and respected law enforcement professional from Tampa, Florida sent the following message. I stand corrected. Read more…
Vol. 2, No. 15 – July 10, 2005
- We collectively grieve with our British cousins over the senseless deaths, maiming, and wounding of hundreds of citizens of London who were innocently going about their daily routines on London’s renowned transit system this week. The cowardly acts of barbarian terrorists will not be forgotten or forgiven. These terrorist thugs have grossly miscalculated that they can intimidate the country of Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, and Tony Blair. England stood alone and brave and survived the Nazi onslaught at the beginning of World War II. These misguided terrorists have chosen the wrong targets; none of the civilized world will rest until these terrorists are either dead or utterly neutralized. None of us will risk the future of our children and grandchildren to the capriciousness of fundamental radicals that do not value human life.
- United States Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta has been getting very bad information from his staff. The secretary, who will go down in history as one of our country’s most important officials for the work he has done readying our country’s transportation network to guard against terrorism, has been spewing incorrect information about Amtrak, especially the national network. Read more…
Vol. 2, No. 14 – July 01, 2005
- One area where Amtrak constantly shines is the public system timetables, and the current Spring/Summer 2005 issue continues that tradition. The design is good, the information presentation is good, and the company promotional aspects are good. It’s too bad that these timetables were obsolete before they went into use because of the Wondertrain Acela problems that forced cancellation of the Acela service on the Northeast Corridor. Read more…
Vol. 2, No. 13 – June 23, 2005
- Amtrak’s best chef in the east, who works on the Crescent, wants the world to know that on his train (as opposed to the Sunset as discussed in last week’s TWA), that his crew keeps the Crescent dining car open for 11 hours a day. Here is what he had to say: Read more…
Vol. 2, No. 12 – June 16, 2005
- Just a scant 16 years ago, VIA Rail Canada was twice the passenger railroad it is today. There were two magnificent trains between Toronto and Vancouver, including the original CP route of the Canadian. Both the Atlantic and the Ocean operated between Montreal and Halifax. VIA still had the Rocky Mountaineer, and lots more. Today, VIA’s mere skeleton of a system hardly represents the proud Canadian national heritage of a country that was built on rails. Read more…
Vol. 2, No. 11 – June 05, 2005
- “Well, Stanley,” Ollie said famously many times, “this is another fine mess you’ve gotten us into.” Today it’s not that famous comedy duo of Laurel and Hardy, but rather that soon-to-be-infamous duo of Norman and David that is providing some early summer hijinks. Read more…
