Amtrak

The Christie administration, which killed a trans-Hudson rail tunnel because of fears of cost overruns, will pay its "fair share" of a proposed Amtrak tunnel project linking New Jersey and New York City, Christie's transportation chief said Friday. The payment would probably be a user fee to share the tunnels that Amtrak proposes as part of its $14.5 billion Gateway project, state transportation commissioner James Simpson said. Simpson, in Voorhees to address the Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey, declined to predict how much of the cost New Jersey would be willing to shoulder.

Amtrak said Saturday afternoon that it had resumed service in the Northeast Corridor -- and on its Keystone Service, across Pennsylvania -- after a temporary suspension because of earlier power outages. "Passengers should expect residual delays along these routes," Amtrak said. SEPTA reported at 11:45 a.m. Saturday that delays on its regional rail lines were gradually coming to an end. It said it was resuming regular train service after earlier disruptions caused by Amtrak power problems.

The Amtrak police force abides by local procedures for handling cases in which an individual appears to be a threat to himself or others. At 30th Street Station, we would abide by the Philadelphia police force's procedures. Rick Remington Amtrak spokesperson

Here we go again. Just a few months ago, the Congress rejected President Reagan's proposal to eliminate Amtrak, and he is back with the same idea. For whatever reason, the President seems obsessed with the desire to abolish Amtrak. The Inquirer's Dec. 16 editorial calling the selling of Amtrak a "fiscal fantasy" is right. Amtrak provides a vital service to our country, and by all means it should be continued in its present form. Amtrak and its employees have, since its inception, continuously improved service and productivity.

Amtrak wants a federal judge to invalidate the 39-m.p.h. speed limit set by Pennsauken on trains passing through the township. The National Railroad Passenger Corp., which operates Amtrak, sued the township Friday, arguing that federal regulations regarding train speeds supersede any state or local laws. Concerned about public safety in the wake of plans to build the so-called Gamblers' Express train line between Philadelphia and Atlantic City, Pennsauken passed an ordinance on Oct. 27, 1986, imposing the 39-m.

With highways clogged and gas prices soaring, U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy (D., Pa.) sees Amtrak as a commuting option for his Bucks County constituents who work in New York. Amtrak, however, does not share Murphy's view. The financially strapped national railroad sees its limited Northeast Corridor seats as best utilized by full-fare spot travelers, not daily commuters paying discounted monthly rates. Yesterday, those philosophies were set on a possible collision course when Murphy amended a funding bill to force Amtrak to consider increasing stops and lowering fares for riders using Bucks County's only Amtrak station.

SEPTA has put on hold the emergency alternative service plan it had developed in anticipation of a strike Wednesday against Amtrak by the Brotherhood of Maintenance & Way Employes. "With Amtrak and the BMWE agreeing yesterday to a one-week extension of the Wednesday 12:01 a.m. strike deadline, we have suspended for the time being implementation of the plan," said Stephan Rosenfeld, SEPTA assistant general manager of public affairs. Plans to begin passing out pamphlets this morning at SEPTA regional rail stations to commuters on the R1 Airport, R2 Newark/ Wilmington, R5 Downingtown/Paoli, R6 Cynwyd, R7 Trenton and R8 Chestnut Hill lines have been suspended as well.

SOMETIMES in government, it takes more than words to bring about change. Earlier this month, President Bush, frustrated that Congress had not moved on his proposed reforms to the passenger rail system, said that subsidies for Amtrak should be eliminated starting Oct. 1. Since then, something interesting has happened: lawmakers, journalists and citizens are starting to talk seriously about the future of passenger trains in America. Many have been critical of the changes the president and I have proposed.

The Bush administration has now put bankruptcy of America's national railroad near the top of its to-do list. The White House plan to dismantle Amtrak and replace it with a system of poorly funded state railroad systems represents a desperate, dangerous policy that ignores the need for more - not less - rail travel as motorists face skyrocketing gas prices. America does need to consider whether rail service can be made more viable in rural and other areas where motoring or flying is preferred.

Boosting security on mass transit has been an urgent concern ever since the terrorist train bombings in Madrid that killed 191 people in March 2004. So it's troubling that it took years for Amtrak to launch a new strategy to combat attacks. The good news is that, starting this week, travelers on Amtrak's busy Northeast corridor trains running through Philadelphia should be better protected - probably without missing their trains due to security delays. Amtrak's move toward mobile, 15-member teams of armed police conducting random checks looks like a smart approach.

A person was struck and killed today by northbound Amtrak train in Claymont, Del. Danelle Hunter, an Amtrak spokeswoman, said the person was hit about noon by a train en route to Boston from Richmond, Va., with 429 passengers on board. Due to the fatality, Amtrak was operating on only one track through the area, causing delays of 30 to 45 minutes. Trains on SEPTA's Wilmington/Newark line also were experiencing delays of about 20 minutes.

The Christie administration, which killed a trans-Hudson rail tunnel because of fears of cost overruns, will pay its "fair share" of a proposed Amtrak tunnel project linking New Jersey and New York City, Christie's transportation chief said Friday. The payment would probably be a user fee to share the tunnels that Amtrak proposes as part of its $14.5 billion Gateway project, state transportation commissioner James Simpson said. Simpson, in Voorhees to address the Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey, declined to predict how much of the cost New Jersey would be willing to shoulder.

All aboard as Amtrak celebrates the 5th annual National Train Day on Saturday at 30th Street Station. The Philadelphia Boys Choir and Chorale will perform at 11 a.m. During the celebration, kids can rock out at the celebration's Ernie and Neal concert and also visit the AmtraKids Depot, where there will be giveaways and prizes. Visitors can take tours of private trains and Amtrak equipment. Amtrak ambassadors will discuss their experiences working with the trains. French chef Michael Richard will give cooking demonstrations.

As Amtrak continues to set ridership records, chief executive Joseph Boardman said Wednesday that new rail tunnels to New York are "critical" to meeting growing passenger demand. Amtrak is seeking $35 million this year to advance plans for its $13.5 billion Gateway proposal to increase rail service on the Northeast corridor by adding two tunnels under the Hudson, replacing the century-old Portal Bridge near Newark, and expanding Pennsylvania Station in New York. The Gateway project, which Amtrak hopes to complete by 2025, is a key part of Amtrak's effort to increase capacity on the overloaded Northeast corridor.

A Birdsboro man was jailed Friday after being charged with cutting signal lines and attempting to steal copper wire from an Amtrak rail line in West Whiteland Township, Chester County. James F. Martin, 40, was jailed after he was unable to post $75,000 bail following a preliminary arraignment in Phoenixville District Court. He was charged with theft by unlawful taking, risking catastrophe, criminal trespass, and related counts, according to court records. He was spotted by an Amtrak repair technician about 1 p.m. at the Whitford Rail Station in Exton.

Question: We recently traveled on Amtrak's California Zephyr from Chicago to Sacramento. It was not a good experience. When we entered the sleeper bedroom, it was readily apparent that the visual depiction on the Amtrak website was a gross exaggeration. The condition of the car was very poor. We soon realized that the latch on the bathroom door had a problem. When my wife tried to operate the latch from inside the bathroom, she found that she was trapped. The door could be opened only from the outside.

In the Region Fed notes signs of economic growth An informal business survey by the Federal Reserve shows the final weeks of 2011 were the U.S. economy's strongest since it appeared to be slipping toward recession in late spring. For the Philadelphia region, according to the Fed's so-called Beige Book, manufacturing grew modestly, holiday retail sales generally increased, and car dealers reported strong sales growth. But, banks, real estate, and service-sector firms planned for slow growth in 2012, and many voiced concerns over the lack of a housing recovery, Europe's economic woes, and indecision on federal budget issues.

Amtrak may lay off nonunion workers to cut costs and increase funding to such projects as an upgraded reservations system, a spokesman said. Amtrak last month offered voluntary buyouts to management employees and is still reviewing the results. If the railroad decides it needs additional savings, it will begin "involuntary separations" for some management employees, spokesman Steve Kulm said. The railroad has about 3,000 nonunion workers in its 20,500-person workforce. Although Amtrak ridership has set records for eight of the past nine years, federal funding for rail operations was cut by Congress for the fiscal year that started Oct. 1. And all money for high-speed rail projects in the fiscal year was eliminated.

Memo to the CEO: When it comes to pay parity, don't mess with a human-resources pro, because it could get even messier in court. Maybe Amtrak should have taken that advice when paying human-resources director Sheila Davidson, now director of workforce development at Amtrak. A federal court in Philadelphia approved a consent decree requiring Amtrak to pay Davidson $171,483 in back compensation, damages, and attorney's fees. Amtrak also agreed to boost Davidson's annual salary by $16,505.