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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMTWYarp - April 2002 MTWYarp April 2002 WHERE ARE WE NOW? No matter what you hear we are still on track as soon as Congress decides what they are going to do, and how. First of all if they decide to set up another Amtrak type of organization, but split into three different divisions who are accountable for their own division. If this happens, one of the divisions will be responsible for Long Distance trains. At our last look at probable new routes on Long Distance trains we are ranking third in priority of new routes. This is up on the priority list a long way, since we started. Of course we must save the Empire Builder in the process. I know it does not have the potential as our southern route "The Route of the Rockies", but there are other factors to be taken into consideration. One item is that according to Amtrak figures, the Builder has the most passengers of any of the Long Distance trains. Now, that is the first option and the other option, that is being considered, is to privatize Long Distance trains. If this comes to pass we are on top of this possibility. There is a group who is looking into running a passenger train between Spokane and Denver as we have suggested. I have talked with them and we understand each other. The most important issue for us all to remember is not to give up. WHAT CAN WE DO!! We need to keep on our politicians, both Federal and State, that we need this service. At this time there are two items before congress. The first is to run Amtrak more or less like it has been for fiscal year 2003, which starts in October 2002. Both Montana Senators claim to be behind this effort which is a 1.175 billion dollar appropriation. None of the Wyoming's delegation is leaning in favor of it. Montana's House member has not signed on either as of this writing, but said he would. E JUN 5 2002 CITY OF LAUREL The second item which probably will not make it through both houses this year is Senate bill 1991 by Hollings. This would provide, starting in fiscal year 2004, monies for operations, monies for infrastructures, monies for High Speed Rail and monies to create more routes. And this is where we come in. As far as I can determine we might then, have a route by 2006. All this takes constant attention to what is happening, which is why I am happy to announce my election to the National Association of Rail Passengers Board of Directors. REGION 8-2003 MEETING I need your opinion as to where this meeting should take place. We are thinking of a date of April 26, the last Saturday of April. We have talked about going to Shelby so those in Oregon and Washington _ could get to it with ease and it would not be too bad for the people in Wyoming. In Shelby we would need help from people living there or close to there to get a lot of the items done. It was suggested it should be in Billings, so more people from Wyoming could attend and listen to the speaker. It would make the people from Oregon and Washington have to drive or take a plane. Even though we like to travel by train to these affairs, it would show just how hard it is to get to some places we want to go, like Billings, plus it would show just how the airlines have us in Montana and Wyoming just where they want us, "Under their thumb". We have to decide soon so we can get some good speakers. I was thinking of one of our Senators, someone from either BNSF or Montana Rail Link or both, someone from Amtrak like the Manager of the Empire Builder Route. Also WHO want to host our neat annual meeting on September 28, 2002? Drop me a card, and let me know your thoughts, so we can start to move ahead as we would have to arrange for a place and a substantial meal at noon, for both meetings. F MOOSE LODGE 0558 MT/WY ASSOCIATION OF RAILROAD PASSENGERS 2110 WINGATE LANE BILLINGS, MONTANA 59102 406-652-1339 jimabiMi earthlink.net NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 471 BILLINGS, MONTANA n c E U E r Mayor, City of Laurel C Laurel, Mt 59044 ?ll JUN 5 2002 CITY 01: LAUREL THIS EDITION OF THE OFFICIAL NEWS FOR "MT/WY ARP " IS WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE FOLLOWING BUSINESS WE ASK YOU TO SUPPORT THEM!! WE NEED MORE LIKE THEM. THIS SPACE FOR MORE SUPPORTERS - DO YOU KNOW OF SOMEONE THAT WOULD HELP US? WE NEED MORE TO PAY DUES, OR BE A SPONSOR, OR FIND THEM FOR US. WE WANT TO CONTINUE THE NEWSLETTER. PLEASE HELP!!!!!! CHICO HOT SPRING RESORT PRAY, MT 406-333-4933 LEWIS TREE SERVICE 225 SHERMAN ROCK SPRINGS, WY 307-382-8675 ACKLEY PAINTING 2009 So 9h St W. MISSOULA, MT 406-728-2178 THE BEANERY BAR & GRILL BILLINGS NP DEPOT COMPLEX 2314 MONTANA AVE BILLINGS, MT 896-9200 RAY HUNKINS of Wyoming SUPPORTS OUR PROJECT structure this year but probably will not be able to avoid substantive action next year. Meanwhile, congressional appropriators are struggling to locate enough money this year to keep Amtrak from collapsing before then. Gunn turned down the Amtrak job once before. According to friends, he was wooed heavily by Amtrak after he left the Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority, but he steadfastly refused. Gunn had a stormy passage at WMATA. He came to Metro saying "I don't do politics," and he proceeded to prove it. He acknowledged at the time, "If I have a weakness, I'm probably more goal-oriented than a consensus builder." After less than two years, he accused the Metro board of breaking its promises to let him hire and fire his staff. He effectively announced his plans to leave when his contract expired in a Washington Post interview, rather than telling the board first. "He's as smart as anybody I know," a friend of Gunn's said. "He's as savvy as anybody I know. This doesn't make sense. Someone must have promised him something." Amtrak Board Chairman John Robert Smith, mayor of Meridian, Miss., issued a statement saying that Gunn brings an "exceptional experience and leadership skills" to Amtrak. Organized rail labor offered limited congratulations to Gunn. Byron A. Boyd Jr., president of the United Transportation Union, said Gun'! has a reputation of poor relationships with labor unions, but, "We will start with a clean slate and not permit our thinking to be prejudiced by his reputation." Jim-- Thanks for the copy of your message to the CSM This explains why, for example, the Train Earnings Report (which shows only passenger revenue, and does not show costs) gives FY01 Empire Builder revenue as $40.8 million, and Amtrak's profit/loss statement (an edited version appears on page 96 of the ARC'S final report) shows $53.3 million. M&E is the difference. --Ross - ?Fzc o r Y © -F A14 9 P Amtrak Picks New President By Don Phillips Was' Poss. David L. Gunn, who headed Washington's Metro system until 1994 when his combative style ran afoul of regional politics, was named president of Amtrak yesterday. Gunn, whose appointment becomes effective May 15, will replace George Warrington, who left Amtrak after several years of political and financial turmoil to head rail operations at New Jersey Transit. Gunn comes to Amtrak in the darkest hour of its nearly 31-year history. The passenger train system, which was established as a private corporation but receives public funds, is losing money heavily even though ridership is growing. It has laid off hundreds of workers. Amtrak is so tight on cash that it cannot repair more than four dozen wreck-damaged rail passenger and mail cars stored in Indianapolis. Although Amtrak was envisioned as a rail passenger system that would span the country, many railroad experts have questioned whether the corporation can continue to run its long-distance routes, which generally lose the most money per train. Gunn issued a statement saying, "I have always been a proponent of a strong national passenger -tail network." A -source close-to-Gurn-pointed out that "national`-network has become a code - - - word for long-distance trains. He said Gunn had chosen that phrase deliberately to send a clear message that he is not coming to Amtrak to kill long-distance passenger trains in favor of short-corridor operations. Gunn, 65, has headed several major transit operations. He was president of the New York City Transit Agency and general manager of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority before coming to Washington in 1991, and he was chief general manager of the Toronto Transit Commission until 1999, when he became a transportation consultant. Gunn also has freight railroad experience. He worked for the New York Central and for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe, later becoming an assistant vice president at the Illinois Central Gulf. He then went to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority as director of commuter rail and later director of operations. Gunn, who lives in rural Nova Scotia, said that he took the job because he considered it a challenge and that Amtrak is in a critical time and needs help. "Railroading has been my life," Gunn said in a short interview. "If I can do something to turn the momentum around, then I should. There's not much time." He is taking over the job at a time when the Bush administration is struggling to come up with a policy for Amtrak's future. Congress is unlikely to make any substantive changes to Amtrak's