TrainBlog by Marcel Marchon

This week’s ACE bulletin:

Tomorrow (July 26) will be the first “Spare the Air Day” of this summer, where you can ride transit (train/bus) for free from 4am to 9am in the morning. See 511.org for details and participating transit providers (among others, Caltrain, BART, Muni, SamTrans, VTA all participate).

While this is certainly an interesting incentive and a great idea, one has to question the practical use of this if transit is only free in the morning. How should one get home in the evening then? Guess people will just have to buy a ticket. Which effectively means that this is a “use transit for half price” thing - and the “it’s free” is just a marketing ploy to get people to do it …

Still, if I can get myself out of bed early enough tomorrow, I might take advantage of this to take Caltrain over to Santa Clara to take a picture of an ACE train … We’ll see.

Technorati Tags: bayarea | commute | caltrain | bart | muni | vta

This week’s ACE bulletin:

This week’s ACE bulletin:

This week’s ACE bulletin:

00ace: Reporting In, July 8, 2005
———————————————————————————————–
Welcome to our weekly “00ace” report! Find out what’s new, what’s changed, and everything about the Altamont Commuter Express service from your inside source!
———————————————————————————————–

ACE SECURITY PRECAUTIONS
ACE has no reason to believe our rail system is a target in any way. As always, ACE encourages passengers to act as the “eyes and ears” of our train system by reporting unattended packages or suspicious behavior. We provide the following tips for passengers who might be making a report:
* Be prepared to give a detailed description of the suspicious item or behavior as possible.
* Describe the exact location as best as you can. Each ACE train car has an individual number located above the doors at either end of the car. Report the station by the station name and town it’s located in.
* If you are able to, and it is safe, stay in the area so you can answer questions from the responding officers.

ACE AT THE STOCKTON PORTS JULY 4th!
Everyone at ACE wishes to thank all of our wonderful passengers that participated in our Fourth of July event with the Stockton Ports at their beautiful new Banner Island ballpark. We had a great time, and the fireworks were spectacular! Next week we will have a full report about our passengers who participated.

ACE SPECIAL TRAIN EVENTS
San Jose Grand Prix and San Jose Jazz Trains – Coming Soon! Mark your calendar now for the first annual San Jose Grand Prix taking place on July 29, 30 and 31. In addition to ACE’s normal Friday service, we will be running two special trains to the race on Sunday. The course is only blocks from the Diridon Station making ACE your best transportation choice. And ACE will again be running two trains to the world famous San Jose Jazz Festival on August 13th. This festival features multiple stages, world-class performers, great food and admittance free! Put a group together and travel in style onboard ACE. Ticket prices for both of these events will be: $15 per person (regardless of age), a New Family Fare pack of 4 for just $50, a Special Group pricing of $12 for 20 or more tickets as well as a Corporate/Club Promotion consisting of your own private train car with room for 135 for only $1,195.

ACE TRAINS 05 & 06 EXTENDED TO STOCKTON
Effective July 5, 2005 ACE train’s 05 and 06 have been extended to Stockton. ACE Train 05 will depart Stockton at 6:35 AM and continue with the current schedule from Lathrop to San Jose. ACE train 06 will depart Lathrop at 7:25 PM and arrive in Stockton at 7:48 PM. The Stockton to Lathrop shuttle will be discontinued.

Until next time,
“Double Oh ACE!”

Technorati Tags: trains | california | ace | altamontcommuterexpress

Today’s Capitol Corridor newsletter just arrived:

CC Rail Mail E-Newsletter — July 8, 2005

In this issue:

1. On Board Safety and Security Measures
2. Customer Advisory for travel on July 9, 2005
3. Take Capitol Corridor to the San Jose Grand Prix

===================================================

1. On Board Safety and Security Measures
Dear Riders,
I want to let you know that there are additional safety and security measures being taken by Amtrak and Union Pacific to assure that you are transported safely and securely to your destination on Capitol Corridor trains. Amtrak and the CCJPA are working with local law enforcement agencies to increase police presence at our stations and parking lots, and on board trains. I want to confirm that no specific threat has been received targeting any transport service in this country and that our increased safety and security measures are precautionary.
We know that you will continue your vigilance in being observant of parcels left unattended, or suspicious behavior by persons in, around, or on board our trains. Anything suspicious should be reported immediately to the Amtrak station agents or to train crew members. At stations without agents, when you suspect something is not right, calling 911 is the best course of action. If each of us is observant and vigilant in being aware of our surroundings, we will have done our part to make our nation and its systems of transport as safe as we can make them.
Thank you for doing your part.
Sincerely,
Gene Skloropowski
Managing Director, Capitol Corridor

2. Customer Advisory for travel on July 9, 2005
Due to construction activity on the Niles Subdivision to upgrade track conditions, trains 727, 733, 734, 737, 738, 741, 744, and 748 will be routed on the Mulford Line and will not provide service to Hayward Station or the Fremont-Centerville Station. Alternate service to these stations will be provided by Amtrak motorcoach. All other Capitol Corridor trains will operate as scheduled.
We apologize for service delays and any inconvenience associated with this construction improvement project. Thank you.

3. Take Capitol Corridor to the San Jose Grand Prix
World-class open-wheel racing is coming to San Jose with one of California’s most anticipated sporting events in recent history. On July 29, 30 and 31st, the San José Grand Prix will roar through town featuring some of the profession’s most talented drivers racing at nearly 200 miles per hour. The event offers activities for race fans of all ages. The festivities will feature activities including: the Digital Life Expo, the Checkered Flag Family Fun and Festival Area featuring live music, driver autograph sessions, interactive games and beach volleyball.
Capitol Corridor can easily get you to the San Jose Grand Prix. Just take Capitol Corridor to the San Jose Diridon station. Santa Clara VTA is providing free light rail service from San Jose Diridon Station to the Children’s Discovery Museum, where you’ll be dropped off right in front of the San Jose Grand Prix entrance gates. Learn More!

Technorati Tags: california | amtrak | capitolcorridor

TRAC E-Bulletin [#05-29]:

TRAC Members & Associates–

Your efforts paid off. That is to the extent that Amtrak funding proposed by the House was increased from a ’shut down’ level of $550 million back to a familiar ’slow starvation’ level of $1.2 Billion. Thank you all for the grand effort in contacting your representatives, and in some cases other people’s representatives.

We now need to take this momentum and push the U.S. Senate to recognize that the Bush-appointed Amtrak board is quite serious in requesting $1.8 billion so that we are INVESTING in rail in this country, not slowly waiting for the infrastructure to fall apart by funding just enough to keep the skeleton standing one more year. While Feinstein and Boxer are supportive, letters to your Senators reaffirming the need for the full $1.8 billion are most helpful.

Here are the details of the House actions:

An amendment was offered by Rep. Steve LaTourette (R-OH) and James Oberstar (D-MN) to raise Amtrak funding to $1.17 billion. While $1.17 billion is less than Amtrak needs to operate in fiscal 2006, the symbolism of a significant funding increase by the House of Representatives sends a critical signal to the Senate, who will take up Amtrak funding after the July 4th recess (expected the week of July 11).

The bill as passed from the House Appropriations committee included language forbidding Amtrak from spending federal funds on any route losing more than $30.00 per passengers. This was an attack on all long distance routes. Reps. Corrine Brown (D-FL), Nick Rahall (D-WV), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), and Gerald Nadler (D-NY) offered an amendment to strike this language. The amendment passed on a vote of 269-152, with over 70 Republicans voting for the amendment.

Finally, Rep. Mark Kennedy (R-MN) offered an amendment to strip $100 million of Amtrak funding and transfer it to funding for the homeless. This was‹as Representative Steve LaTourette (R-OH) said‹a ³wolf in sheep¹s clothing amendment² intended to hurt Amtrak. Kennedy’s amendment failed by a wide margin: 51-362.

Soon after, Norm Mineta expressed sour grapes over the House action:

“The House of Representatives has chosen to retreat from the work of its Appropriations Committee which took on the difficult task of making tough decisions about how best to save Amtrak. Adoption of this type of amendment enables and encourages the wasteful spending and inefficient operations that have come to define Amtrak. Handing over more than a billion dollars with no reforms attached only gives Amtrak a blank check to continue misspending taxpayer money. The President and I will continue to work with the Congress to ensure passage of reforms designed to save Amtrak and develop financially sound intercity passenger rail in this country.”

(TRAC wishes to thank NARP and TRAC member Marcia Johnston for their contributions to this bulletin.)

–

Alan C. Miller
Executive Director
Train Riders Association of California

Official TRAC Website: http://www.calrailnews.com/

Technorati Tags: trac | amtrak | trains

Once again, the decision about the order for FLIRT railcars has been reversed. Bombardier may now revise the price structure of their offer, according to a decision by the Hungarian commission. (german)

Technorati Tags: stadler | budapest | trains | flirt

Today was the first day of operation of the new VTA Rapid Bus line (Route 522) along El Camino Real.

Technorati Tags: vta | bus

Just in from TRAC:

TRAC E-Bulletin [#05-30]

Northern California TRAC Members & Associates–

The PENINSULA CORRIDOR JOINT POWERS BOARD will hold a Board of Directors Meeting:

Thursday, July 7, 2005 at 10:00 a.m.

Item #13 is ENDORSEMENT OF THE PRINCIPLES OF THE SILICON VALLEY HIGH SPEED RAIL COALITION (primary principal is the adoption of a Pacheco Pass high-speed rail alignment.)

We urge any members who are available to attend and testify.

TRAC supports the Altamont Pass Alignment in its High-Speed Rail Policy, and supports the commencement of the MTC regional transportation study that includes ‘objective’ consideration of alignments for high-speed rail from the Bay Area to the Central Valley. TRAC believes the Caltrain Board Adopting a position on this alignment prior to the completion of this extensive study is poor policy.

–

Alan C. Miller
Executive Director
Train Riders Association of California

Official TRAC Website: http://www.calrailnews.com/

Technorati Tags: california | highspeedrail | trac