HOUSE CUTS TO RAIL HIT THE ROCKS, WHILE BIPARTISAN SENATE BILL ADVANCING SMOOTHLY

Update from Railroad Passengers Association (RPA)'s E-Newsletter

Internal divisions within the House Republican Caucus stymied progress on appropriations bills this week, as House leadership was forced to pull its Fiscal Year 2024 Defense bill due to lack of Republican support. The Senate, meanwhile, moved ahead with a three-bill funding package that includes the FY24 Transportation appropriations. That’s good news for passengers, the Senate has rejected the radical cuts to Amtrak and passenger rail seen in the House version of the bill.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) told reporters that he’s “frustrated with some people in the [Republican] conference,” saying some of his members are holding the Defense bill hostage over unrelated issues. “I couldn’t put it on the floor (even though) I don’t have one complaint by any member of what’s wrong with this bill.”

Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA), the Ranking Member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, hosted an event on the steps of the U.S. Capitol to warn that the drastic cuts to transportation funding in the FY24 House Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (T-HUD) would lead to “project delays, cost increases, and more bureaucracy.”

The fact that the Senate is having a much easier time in advancing its bipartisan T-HUD bill is a good sign for Amtrak and passenger rail programs, since it increases its negotiating leverage in any future reconciliation conference between the Senate and the House. That means avoiding drastic cuts to service and advancing work on corridor upgrades and new trainsets.

Please join our campaign to keep the Passenger Rail Revolution moving forward! Just use the Rail Passengers advocacy resource tool to contact your elected officials in Congress to let them know you support America’s rail network. With just a few minutes of your time, you can help to build a better rail network for the next generation of passengers!

The Senate is scheduled to consider amendments to the bill next week. Congress has until September 30th to pass all 12 funding bills to avoid a government shutdown.

Your Stories: The Harry Potter Train

We ask our members and readers to do this when they speak with the decision-makers who can help expand passenger rail service in Ohio and our nation. But sometimes "your story" can be the train trip you've taken. In this case two former TV journalists visited Scotland and took the train called "The Jacobite". You may also know it as the "Harry Potter Train". Here's their story....

By Belinda Prinz and Kristy Steeves

Close your eyes and just imagine: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermoine Granger sitting in a train compartment right next to you. We’re aboard the Jacobite Steam Train, also known to fans as the Hogwarts Express, used in the Harry Potter movies to transport young wizards and witches to their beloved school of magic. And there is something magical about this train. Its steam driven locomotive travels 84 miles round trip through the Western Highlands. It is described as one of the greatest railway journeys in the world.

We, the authors of this article, were on a two week trip to Great Britain. We set aside one day in our jam-packed itinerary to check out the Jacobite Steam Train. A choice had to be made: either board and go for a ride or photograph it as it crossed over the magnificent, 21-arched Glenfinnan viaduct, which was prominently featured in the Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets film. As photographers we were drawn into the impressive allure of the 1,000 foot-long stone structure. We were tempted to capture the 100-foot high cinematic icon from below with our cameras. The viaduct, a renowned feat of Victorian engineering, is the longest concrete railway bridge in Scotland. After much discussion we opted for the scenic ride instead and did not regret it one bit. The journey started in Fort William, the largest town in the Highlands, with a view of Mount Nevis, Britain’s tallest mountain. From there, the train rolled and clickety-clacked its way down the rails to the port of Mallaig, an historic fishing port.

Along the way, we passed visually stunning landscapes of pastoral countryside filled with blooming gorse and grazing sheep (Scotland has more sheep than people). We saw rolling green hills, sparkling lochs and lakes that seemed as old or timeless as our conveyance. As we approached Glenfinnan – a Highland gem with its historic viaduct bridge – there were people scattered on the hills waving, watching and taking pictures as the train chugged by. We passed Loch Shiel where in 1745, Prince Charles Edward Stuart stood on its shores, raised his standard and began the Jacobite Rebellion. The loch also, for a time, became the Great Lake at Hogwarts Castle.The steam train and parts of its route were shown in all 8 Harry Potter films. Scenes included exteriors, interiors, and scenery along the way.

The end of the line: Mallaig. After a breathtaking journey through the Western Highlands the Jacobite stops at this seaside port before its return journey back to Fort William. Passengers get an hour-and-a-half to explore the town and take in the atmosphere: there are shops, bars, restaurants and plenty of fish and chips to enjoy during the stopover. The village was founded in the 1840’s when the owner of the North Morar Estate, Lord Love, divided up his farm into parcels of land and encouraged his tenants who lived around the area to resettle in what became Mallaig. Today it is a thriving fishing port with ferry service to Skye and the Small Isles.

Passengers boarding the train have three ticket options. The Standard Class carriages feature refurbished vintage coaches. The Compartment Class Carriage seats up to six passengers in individual compartments separated by a sliding door to the corridor. First Class Carriages are open carriages with private tables decked out with traditional table lamps and old-fashioned upholstered seats. Unlike in the other coaches where travelers must go to the buffet coach for snacks and beverages, first class offers complementary tea, coffee and scones, giving you the option to comfortably stay in your seats. Yep, we opted for first class and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Inside all of the train’s compartments are large windows, which slide open to let in the countryside air, but they can be a mixed blessing. We were quickly treated to grit and smoke that went up our noses and in our ears while bits of coal particles settled in our hair. It was an authentic experience of a bygone era all right! Actually, all the coaches are Mark 1s from the 1960s that were retired from the British Railways but later refurbished for tourism.

If you are interested in this experience, especially the Harry Potter style compartments which are very popular, we recommend booking tickets well in advance. Tickets usually sell out months in advance. Or you can do what we did: take our chances at the last minute hoping for a bit of luck. The day of departure we arrived an hour early and were rewarded with a last minute cancellation. We not only got on the Jacobite train but had first class seating!

The steam locomotives currently hauling the tourist train are usually one of three Black 5’s (44871, 45407, or 45212). They were built by the North British Locomotive Company in Glasgow. The now famous train has been operating since 1984 under different names and operators as a way to boost tourism and to keep the scenic train route open. The Jacobite goes about 50 miles per hour and runs twice a day from April to October. The company running the Jacobite provided Warner Brothers the steam engine and carriages. It also allowed them use of the route for filming. The locomotive used to pull the Hogwarts Express in the films, the GWR 4900 Class 5972 Olton Hall, is presently on display at Warner Bros. Studio Tour in London.

A notice on the company website states that the operators reserve the right to use diesel in the event of mechanical failure or environmental risks with no refund in those circumstances. With climate change and fire risk in dry conditions, who knows what the future holds? Scotland tends to be cloudy, damp and misty much of the time, so we don’t know how likely that is to happen.

The Jacobite is operated by West Coast Railways and their website can give you more particulars on the locomotives and any other information you might want for these rail tours. Our trip to Great Britain also included a high speed train from London to Edinburgh which was comfortable. But that was about getting from Point A to Point B expeditiously. The Jacobite Rail Tour was one of the highlights of our trip. The past and present merge into a magical journey. It’s like stepping back in time to the golden age of travel.

It’s an adventure you won’t soon forget. There’s the breathtaking scenery to enjoy or, if you have an active imagination, you can just close your eyes and daydream. Imagine watching Ron and Harry in their flying car as the train you are in chases them across the viaduct. Perhaps a soul sucking dementor is clawing at your window and you are the one who saves everyone onboard. Or, you may opt for a more pleasant thought: tasting the mouth watering magical candy that arrives on a cart at your compartment. You may have to settle for a British scone, however, once your server arrives and snaps you out of your fantasies; but hey, scones can be quite tasty too!

AAO Attends Midwest Rail Conference

AAO Executive Director Stu Nicholson attended the conference and shares his thoughts and observations here.

The annual Midwest Rail Conference brings together freight and passenger rail professionals, consultants, advocates, transportation engineering reps, and government-level transportation officials to discuss both passenger and freight rail issues and projects.

I think largely due to the impacts of the federal Infrastructure and Jobs Act, this session at the Univ. of Toledo drew an especially large crowd of well over 150 attendees. There were several breakout sessions during the day, one each for passenger and freight.

• There was virtually no bickering over passenger vs. freight rail. I believe this shows a realization that the benefits of the bi-partisan Infrastructure Act outweigh the negatives of what is a huge, long-term investment through the federal grant process.

• The best evidence of the above was a disclosure by both Amtrak and the FRA during the discussion of the much sought-after “South of the Lake (Michigan) Bypass” to alleviate rail congestion in and out of Chicago. It was revealed the Norfolk Southern Railroad has asked for a discussion with Amtrak and the FRA about what can be done to improve capacity in their existing Corridor across Ohio, Indiana, and into Chicago.

• The South of the Lake Bypass study is progressing and everyone involved understands this must become a full-fledged project. It is being done in tandem with two projects in Northern Indiana and Chicago known as the Chicago Hub Improvement Project (CHIP) which will also help redirect both commuter and intercity passenger rail traffic in and out of Chicago Union Station. This will have a positive impact on Michigan: helping to enable faster, more frequent service from its three state-supported passenger rail lines.

During a panel of Midwest passenger rail projects the state DOT rail reps from Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Ohio (ORDC) discussed the following :

• Illinois’ Chicago-Springfield-St. Louis passenger rail route is now fully operational at 110-MPH and additions / extensions of its state-supported routes are moving forward.

• Indiana is working with the predominant commuter railroad in Northern Indiana to add double track, eliminate grade crossings and general increase the capacity for more service between Chicago and South Bend.

• Michigan, as stated above, now has 110-MPH from Detroit to Porter, Indiana and is making upgrades on all of its state-supported routes.

• Ohio: ORDC’s Matt Dietrich spoke about CRISI grant freight rail projects with little or nothing said about any of the passenger rail projects being pursued in Ohio.

• Matt also stated that the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission (MIPRC) is “an agency that can bring Midwest DOT’s together on passenger rail. NOTE: Ohio gave up its official membership in the MIPRC in 2010. AAO is trying to push the State to rejoin.

Federal Railroad Administrator Amit Bose’s keynote speech:

• Bose said decisions on Ohio’s Corridor ID grant requests should announced “within the next month”.

• He said “collaboration with the freight railroads is critical” on what he described as a “pipeline of projects under the Corridor ID program.

• He spoke at length about the Long Distance Passenger Rail Corridor program and the Midwest Interstate Rail Compact, which he called a “blueprint” for the much-needed expansion of passenger rail.

• It should also be noted that both FRA and Amtrak officials frequently mentioned the existing and planned corridors in Ohio (both long distance and Corridor ID applicants) during the large conference sessions and breakout groups.

• Bose got applause when he declared “Now is our time.”

Other Breakout sessions:

• Passenger Rail Equipment Fleet for the Midwest: Amtrak is in contract for 88 new “venture” cars for Midwest service along with new “Charger” locomotives. As of the conference, 62 Venture cars are in service and 33 new locomotives.

• There is a 7-year timeline by Amtrak to add even more new equipment, according to Joe Schacter of Amtrak.

MIPRC Director Laura Kliewer disclosed some overall economic impacts of improved Midwest Amtrak service:

• Overall economic benefit is over $23-billion

• Permanent new jobs: 57,450

• Construction: estimated 15,000 jobs

• Spoke about Invest Midwest: a program to focus over $5 million FRA grant to refine corridor priorities in the region

• Important: Kliewer emphasized that Midwest states need to ID funds and funding sources to support operating costs and provide matches for future FRA environmental/engineering and service development grants.

• This is a clear message to us that we need to identify and push for a long-term, sustainable source of funding in Ohio for passenger rail & transit projects.