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This Week at Amtrak, 2008-10-12

Volume 5, Number 28

  1. For Amtrak True Believers (to liberally borrow a famous phrase), it’s the best of times, and it’s the worst of times. True Believers believe it’s the best of times because of what’s in the official summary, below, from the House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Realistic people who believe in the business of passenger rail (as opposed to the welfare state concept of passenger rail as a public right) know it’s business as usual. Continue reading ›

2008 10 13 This Week Permalink

This Week at Amtrak, 2008-09-25

Volume 5 Number 27

  1. ONBOARD AMTRAK TRAIN NUMBER 97, THE SILVER METEOR, Southbound, between Jacksonville and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Thursday, September 25, 2008 - The Silver Meteor is running about a half hour late south of Orlando, but that’s okay. Just before noon, we came to a sudden stop somewhere 20 minutes past the middle of nowhere in the fern growing area of Volusia County (west of Daytona Beach for those unfamiliar with Florida geography). Our locomotive engineer had spotted a stalled truck at a roadway grade crossing, and was able to bring the Meteor to a stop before slamming into the truck. After waiting 25 minutes for a tow truck to arrive and clear the tracks, we were on our way without harm or injury to anyone. It’s a good day for the train and engine crew; an often unavoidable accident scenario failed to materialize. Continue reading ›

2008 09 25 This Week Permalink

This Week at Amtrak, 2008-09-22

Volume 5 Number 26

  1. It’s been a lousy month for passenger rail. The horror of the Metrolink crash in Southern California with over two dozen deaths and dozens more passengers injured will remain with us for a long, long time. Continue reading ›

2008 09 22 This Week Permalink

This Week at Amtrak, 2008-09-03

Volume 5 Number 25

  1. Thanks for the overwhelming response to the last issue of TWA’s presentation of the updated Concepts of the Successful Long Distance Passenger Train of the Future. In addition to the basic distribution through TWA, there have been over 600 additional downloads of the white paper from URPA’s web site, and there have been visits to the web site from over 60 countries around the world, including mainland China and Russia. It’s tough to know how that white paper translates into the two languages of China and Russia, but it’s nice to have a diverse readership base. Continue reading ›

2008 09 04 This Week Permalink

Special Distribution: The Successful Long Distance Passenger Train of the Future

  1. Amtrak is smiling approvingly at one of its bankers, Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, who has filed a bill in the United States Senate to provide Amtrak with $2.8 billion to overhaul existing equipment and build new rolling stock.If this bill becomes law (and, it is only in very early stages), Amtrak must take this opportunity to properly equip itself for the future – both financially and to meet passenger demand – with the correct selection of equipment, not just replacements for existing rolling stock.
  2. URPA has updated its 2005 white paper, Concepts of the Successful Long Distance Passenger Train of the Future (PDF).
2008 08 24 Vision Permalink

This Week at Amtrak, 2008-08-04

Volume 5 Number 23

  1. You just never know when an issue of TWA goes racing out over the Internet what’s going to come back in return. Continue reading ›

2008 08 04 This Week Permalink

This Week at Amtrak, 2008-07-31

Volume 5 Number 22

  1. Ah, summertime! Those lazy, hazy days when America hits the rails and roads. Here’s an enroute firsthand report from a dedicated railfan who had just a bit too much of Amtrak’s hospitality. Continue reading ›

2008 07 31 This Week Permalink

This Week at Amtrak, 2008-07-21

Volume 5 Number 21

PLEASE NOTE: URPA is experiencing some cosmic hiccups in our computer system’s subscription and distribution program. Therefore, if you have recently cancelled your subscription, or recently added a subscription, you’re not being ignored by the humans on this end, but the computer program is being cranky. We’re working as fast as we can to debug this program. Thanks for your understanding.

Continue reading ›

2008 07 20 This Week Permalink

This Week at Amtrak, 2008-07-14

Volume 5 Number 20

  1. We need to have a very serious conversation - right now. Let’s plunge in. Continue reading ›

2008 07 14 This Week Permalink

This Week at Amtrak 2008-06-19

Volume 5 Number 19

  1. “There’s trouble my friend, right here in River City,” sang Tony Award winner Robert Preston first on Broadway in 1957 and on the silver screen in 1962’s The Music Man. Preston was playing Professor Harold Hill, who had just arrived in fictional River City, Iowa on the Rock Island Railroad. The setting was pre-World War I, and the trouble was River City’s children were trying out near-beer, known by the brand name of Bevo, and reading a salacious monthly magazine called “Captain Billy’s Whiz-Bang.” The alleged real fear Professor Hill was promoting was the satanic influence of a new pool table just arrived in town in a pool hall, which was unfortunately owned by River City’s mayor. Continue reading ›

2008 07 10 This Week Permalink