Will segmented train routes work?

   An issue that is bound to be heavily debated in coming months is the idea of breaking up long distance Amtrak routes into segments
that involve a series of day trains covering the same routes. 

   The idea originated with anti-Amtrak sources in the Administration, but actually dates back further, having been proposed by various think tanks with anti-rail orientations. 

   The apparent money- saving idea is that there would no longer be a need for sleeping cars and the crews to man them. The day trains would cover the same route, but there would be no overnight operation, so that travelers whose routes included an overnight portion would have to occupy hotel rooms between train segments. 

   The National Association of Railroad Passengers has been performing comparison analyses of existing long distance routes and the segmented routes that would most likely substitute for them. The results are so weighted in favor of the long distance routes that no logical justification could be made for the segments.

   Rather than creating cost saving for Amtrak, the segmenting would actually either yield no savings or raise costs, while reducing patronage to such an extent that the segmented route would fail altogether. 

   Of course, creating a route failure might be the ultimate aim of the anti-rail originators of this scheme. 

   Amtrak President Kummant and other company officials continue to mention this plan while being fairly noncommital and saying it would be evaluated carefully. If the evaluation is indeed done carefully and rationally, it would seem that no possible case could be made for segmenting. 
 
 

   Various reliable sources have reported that the use of petroleum has been falling slightly because the public is buying less gas due to high pump prices. Some reason that this trend, along with the incremental introduction of green sources of energy, will cause petroleum use to continue its fall off until use is minimal or nearly non-existent.

   This prediction is not surprisingly disputed by oil industry sources, who are anxious to control the thinking and actions of potential competitors. However, judging from historical trends, changes of this nature are usually incremental and often are initiated by sources out of the mainstream of affected industries.

   Public transit and passenger rail patronage are evidently up nearly everywhere. In California, for example, all three state-supported Amtrak services have ridership up in double digits this year compared to 2007. Commuter rail such as BART is also up, and ironically this increase in patronage puts financial strain on the transit provider, since pressure for more service strains its budget, which is offset partially from the farebox but in government support the funding drops due to the economic recession and lower tax collections. 

   While these economic stresses will work themselves out in the long run, the really favorable news for the energy outlook is the gradual drop in petroleum use combined with the gradual substitution of green energy sources for oil. 

   Columnist Wes Vernon reported on Jan 28 that likely GOP presidential candidate John McCain would kill off Amtrak if he were elected president.

   Vernon was discussing influential conservative rail advocate Paul Weyrich's reaction to McCain's candidacy. Weyrich said he would leave the GOP if McCain were the candidate.

   Vernon wrote: "Weyrich knows that Senator McCain, throughout his career, has been very anti-rail, and in that respect 'would be [even] worse than the present [Bush] administration,' whose Transportation Secretary Mary Peters (a big highway booster) has fought tooth and nail (as commission chairman) to block the pro-rail efforts of Weyrich and others allied with his 9-to-3 [National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study] commission majority."

   Vernon also reported "The Arizonan has said shutting down Amtrak —  if he's elected — would be 'a non-negotiable issue' for him. Short-sighted, indeed."

   French President Sarkozy on Feb 2 unveiled the new AGV train (Automotrice à Grande Vitesse) to be built by Alstom and brought online probably in 2014.

   The AGV is to replace the TGV and will run at 224mph compared to the TGV's 186. 

   Italy, however, should see the trains sooner, in 2011. 

   The new trains will lack power cars on the front and rear, as power will be supplied from all the coaches. This will results in more passenger space, bringing capacity up from 485 to 650 per trainset. 

   The trains will use 15% less energy than the current TGVs.

   Bombardier and Siemens are promoting their competing high-speed trains, the Zefiro and Velaro respectively.

   Rail advocates were quick to note that while such bountiful high-speed rail development is taking place in Europe, the U.S. lags far behind in this area, one that is essential for the coming era of fuel and global warming challenges.
Photo courtesy of Alstom.

FREDERICKSBURG, Va., Feb. 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA), an international roadway safety organization founded in 1969, released to its members its 2009 surface transportation reauthorization policy titled, "Toward Zero Deaths," during ATSSA's 38th Annual Convention and Traffic Expo, held Feb. 8-12 in New Orleans.

The 31-page document outlines 11 specific roadway safety initiatives that the association's 1,700 members will propose to Congress and the Administration for inclusion in the next surface transportation law. The current law -- The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) -- was signed into law by President Bush on Aug. 10, 2005 for a five-year period - 2005-2009.

ATSSA's "zero deaths" concept was first adopted in Sweden in 1997 as "Vision Zero," and has evolved to several state DOTs who have identified zero deaths as a core objective in their Strategic Highway Safety Plans.
These states are Minnesota, Utah, Washington, Oregon and West Virginia.

ATSSA's 11 unique roadway safety initiatives include a Highway Safety Improvement Program, Strategic Highway Safety Plans, Work Zone Safety, High Risk Rural Roads, Roadway Hardware, Brightness and Visibility of Signage and Markings, Older Drivers, Congestion Mitigation, Funding Roadway Safety, Funding the Highway Trust Fund and Additional Recommendations.

Congressman James L. Oberstar (D-Minn.), chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, addressed ATSSA members in New Orleans on Feb. 10, and spoke about ATSSA's Toward Zero Deaths policy,
as well as the 39-year-old association's role as roadway safety leaders.

"As we move into (this) next year and the reauthorization of the surface transportation legislation, you (ATSSA) are going to be -- during my Chairmanship -- you're going to be centerpiece of that reauthorization. We're going to have an unprecedented emphasis on safety, and you are going to be a part of it," Oberstar said.

He continued, "ATSSA's (Toward Zero) vision ecommendations follow very much along the broad outlines of the national commission's report, and I assure you your recommendations -- those 11 points that you revealed
today that I have had a chance to review in detail -- will be a foundational building block in our review and restructuring of surface transportation and we need your partnership, and we need your participation in the hearings and in the in the crafting of the legislation."

ATSSA's full document, "Toward Zero Deaths, A Vision for Safer Roads in America," is located on the main page of ATSSA.com as a downloadable PDF.
 

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