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   Trains 21, 22, 58, 59, 421 and 422 now have a different menu than the rest of the long-distance trains. These trains use preplated meals prepared off the train and the prices appear substantially higher than rail travelers are accustomed to paying. This change is no doubt part of the DOT effort to increase Amtrak income, but could have the effect of reducing train patronage.

   On one of the two rotating menus, breakfast items consist of three choices with meat, each priced at $10, and one cereal choice at $6.75.

   At lunch, a cheeseburger is $7, a sandwich (type varies) is $7.25, barbecue chicken with potato wedges, corn and salad is $12, and soup (minestrone or chicken noodle) is $4.

   At dinner, a beef entree (braised or tenderloin) is $18; a chicken entree is $17.50; cod fillets are $16.50; cheese tortellini is $11; and an "evening special" is $12.50.

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   The VIA Rail Canada CANADIAN train has returned to CP tracks for about 200 miles of its eastbound route out of Vancouver, stopping at Matsqui, Agassiz, Katz and North Bend, then switching over to CN 10-20 miles east of North Bend, probably where CP makes its one change of the river side , location of a switchover track by bridges on both railroads.

   By the next stop, the train is on CN at Ashcroft. The CANADIAN leaves Vancouver at 5:30pm, so passengers would see the canyon from domes throughout the CP route, by daylight during Daylight Saving Time, especially in midsummer when daylight lingers until 11pm.

   The westbound train uses CN throughout, via Boston Bar (opposite North Bend), Hope, Mission and Chilliwack to Vancouver. West of North Bend the railroad is so near old Trans-Canada Route 1 that the area is called "the CP curves". One can only imagine the shock of motorists seeing a roaring freight or VIA train coming at their faces, day or night. 
(The same is true on both sides of the Columbia River Gorge, as UP, BNSF and Amtrak rails are up against road pavement for at least 100 miles east from Portland OR.)

   Since CP correctly guessed that Vancouver would be Canada's Western port, they got first choice of right-of-way west of Kamloops, needing to switch sides of the canyon only once. CN thought Prince Rupert would be the port and built to there before Vancouver, so when CN did need to go to Vancouver they had to take leftovers of ledges in the canyon, forcing switching sides maybe 16 times.
--Marvin Doudna.

  Amtrak funding action in the Senate
 .
    On March 15 two Senate amendments to a funding bill relating to Amtrak were defeated. One was offered by Republicans, one by Democrats, and both failed along party-line votes. Both were to raise the Amtrak funding level above the White House-proposed $900 million, which would be a shut-down level for Amtrak. 

   This was the first step in the usually drawn-out legislative funding process for Amtrak. NARP summed up its significance as follows:

It is very important to note that this is not the final step in the Amtrak funding battle--rather it is just the first.  Thus, the baseline in the Senate will be the administration request of $900 million.  Last year, the Senate rejected a similar budget resolution amendment and left
the Administration zero funding level in place, yet in the end proposed adequate funding.  There will be ways to raise Amtrak's funding
level as the process goes forward, although defeat of these amendments makes finding the money more difficult.

 UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD WILL BE CARRYING OUT MAJOR AND
 04 EXTENSIVE TRACKWORK AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS BETWEEN ST. LOUIS  AND KANSAS CITY FROM APRIL 1 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 1.  THIS WILL REQUIRE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO AMTRAK SERVICE ON THIS ROUTE THAT INCLUDE LENGTHENED SCHEDULES AND BUS SUBSTITUTIONS.

   Amtrak's computer will be updated soon.
Source: Amtrak

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