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Rail Travel News is a twice-monthly print publication, published since Dec 10, 1970.
Publisher: Message Media Company,
PO Box 9007,
Berkeley CA 94709.
Website copyright © 1997-2005 by Message Media Co.

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     According to a report posted at the website of the National Corridors Initiative, the Administraton has been so stung by reaction to the Amtrak zero budget plan that legislators are agreeing to put in Amtrak funding in the range of $1.2 billion to $2 billion. The report said that the funds might be attached to a different bill to make it veto-proof. The information was said to have come from an unnamed insider on Capitol Hill. 

EFFECTIVE WITH THE TIMETABLE CHANGE ON APRIL 25, 2005,
AN UNACCOMPANIED MINOR WILL BE DEFINED AS A CHILD BETWEEN
8 AND 14 YEARS OF AGE, NOT ACCOMPANIED BY A PASSENGER WHO IS
15 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER. THE PERSON BRINGING THE MINOR TO
THE STATION, AND THE PERSON PICKING UP THE MINOR, MUST STILL
BE 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER, SINCE FORMS HAVE TO BE SIGNED.

THE CHANGES FROM THE EXISTING POLICY ARE:
- CHILDREN 12, 13 AND 14 YEARS OLD ARE NO LONGER ALLOWED
TO TRAVEL BY THEMSELVES WITHOUT RESTRICTION; ALONG WITH
CHILDREN 8-11, THEY MUST NOW TRAVEL UNDER THE UNACCOMPANIED
MINOR CONDITIONS.
- THE ACCOMPANYING PASSENGER MAY NOW BE 15, 16 OR 17 YEARS
OLD; FORMERLY, THAT PASSENGER HAD TO BE 18 OR OVER.

THE NUMBER OF UNACCOMPANIED MINORS WILL INCREASE DUE TO THE
HIGHER AGE LIMIT, BUT THERE WILL BE SOME DECREASE SINCE THE
ACCOMPANYING PASSENGER MAY NOW BE YOUNGER.

- THE NEW AGE RANGE IS COMMON IN THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY.
- THE NEW AGE RANGE BETTER FITS AMTRAK'S ID POLICIES BY
ENDING THE ILLOGICAL CONDITION WHERE CHILDREN UNDER 15
COULD TRAVEL ALONE BUT COULD NOT BUY THEIR OWN TICKETS.
- IF A TRAIN IS LATE, MISSES A CONNECTION, AND AN OVERNIGHT
IS REQUIRED, NO HOTEL WILL TAKE A YOUNG CHILD WHO IS ALONE.
- GREYHOUND WILL NOT ALLOW AN UNACCOMPANIED PASSENGER ON
THEIR BUSES WHO IS UNDER 15. UNDER THE CURRENT POLICY THIS
CAN CAUSE PROBLEMS WITH JOINT TRAIN/THRUWAY BUS TRAVEL.

MANY UNACCOMPANIED MINORS ARE REGULAR TRAVELERS, AND WE WANT
TO GIVE PLENTY OF TIME FOR AGENTS TO INFORM THEM AND THEIR
PARENTS OF THIS CHANGE. BEGINNING APRIL 25, CHILDREN 12-14
WILL HAVE TO TRAVEL AS UNACCOMPANIED MINORS, WHICH THEY DON'T
16 DO NOW. SO IF YOU KNOW OF CHILDREN 12-14 WHO NOW TRAVEL
17 ALONE, PLEASE TELL THEM AND THEIR PARENTS (WHO OFTEN BRING
THEM TO THE STATION ANYWAY) OF THIS NEW POLICY SO THERE AREN'T
ANY UNPLEASANT SURPRISES IN LATE APRIL.

   Oil industry analysts are seriously expecting a massive gasoline price increase soon, as early as the latter part of March. The increase would be approximately 25 cents.

   Greyhound continues to eliminate cities from its route system.
   The government is concerned about possible hand-held missile attacks upon airliners.
   The White House wants to kill off Amtrak by forcing it into bankruptcy.
   Can any other threats to American mobility be foreseen?

     The Associated Press has reported that US government officials are concerned about thousands of unaccounted-for hand-launch missiles that are not in government hands. For this reason, the US and Russia have just signed an agreement to try to reduce their numbers. Officials are concerned that even a single successful missile attack on a commercial airliner could "paralyze" the airline industry.

     The situation would then become like that after 9/11, when airline travel was disrupted and citizens were wary of flying. In such a situation rail travel would become a much-needed transportation alternative, as it did following 9/11.  However, the federal government is currently attempting to kill off the Amtrak national network of trains by forcing it into bankruptcy. Passenger train advocates are noticing this example of the government's failure to coordinate its efforts on behalf of its citizens' safety and mobility.

AMTRAK FUNDING: AN ANALYSIS
By Carl Fowler
New Sunset Limited Schedule for Mar 8

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