The Delaware Valley Rail Passenger September 1994 Vol. XII, No. 9 ISSN 1073-6859 Published by the Delaware Valley Association of Railroad Passengers in the interest of continued, improved, and expanded rail service for the present and potential railroad and rail transit passengers of southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, and nearby areas. For more information about DVARP and good rail service, please contact us: P.O. Box 7505, Philadelphia, PA 19101 215-222-3373 or <73243.1224@compuserve.com> The electronic edition is produced as a public service to the network community. It is archived on the CUNYVM Listserver in the RAILNEWS directory. An index of back issues is available by sending INDEX RAILNEWS to LISTSERV@CUNYVM. Thanks to Geert K. Marien (GKMQC@CUNYVM) for maintaining this archive! If you have comments or questions, contact us, not Geert! The DVRP is also archived on these FTP servers ftp://wuarchive.wustl.edu/graphics/trains/text *OR* graphics/trains/incoming ftp://hipp.etsu.edu/pub/railroad/dvarp (Thanks to Bob Weir) Volumes X (1992) and XI (1993) are on floppy disk for $4.00 each from DVARP. Now on World Wide Web! Visit the Cyberspace World Railroad [gGeneral Superintendent: Dan Dawdy] http://venus.mcs.com/~dsdawdy/cyberroad.html We hope you consider joining DVARP; your financial support makes possible this newsletter and our many other activities on behalf of rail and transit passengers. Annual dues are $15.00. see the coupon at ##V. Contents copyright (C) 1994 DVARP, except photos (C) 1994 credited photographers Opinions expressed in The Delaware Valley Rail Passenger are not necessarily those of DVARP or its members. We welcome your comments: call 215-222-3373 DVARP President: Chuck Bode Newsletter Editor: Matthew Mitchell Production Manager: Tom Borawski for other officers and committee chairs, search for ##U Schedule change alert: New SEPTA R8 schedules are in effect SEPTA City Transit schedules change Sept. 12. contents: use the search function of your word processor to find articles ##A Reinventing Amtrak: Downs Shakes Up Management: ##B From the Editor's Seat: ##B1 Passengers Can Have an Effect! [President's Note] ##B2 Changes in Your Newsletter ##C On the Railroad Lines... Center City Work to Begin Another Fern Rock Boondoggle Teach Your Children... Please! Another Seat Test ##R3 West Trenton Project ##R5 Crews Cause Chaos ##R6 Shawmont Saved? ##R8 AM Reliability Sacrificed Schedule Change, Sunday Disruption Octoraro Lives! ##D Transit News Update ##LRD Eye on the Infrastructure: 15 Surviving ##100 Cab Signals Working ##PATCO Deal Struck, Fare Increase Likely ##E News Notes Two Minute Warning Syracuse Opening Hot Rails? ##F Gambaccini Pay Dispute Ends ##G PennDOT Listening ##H The Value of a One-Seat Ride ##CREDITS ##I South Jersey Notes NJT Rail Crew Wins "Roadeo" Again ##J Unions Not Pacific ##K More Comments on NE Subway ##L Freight Mergers in the News ##M Computer Corner: Web Access to the DVRP German Train Info at ICE Speed ##N State of the Art: Fare Collection [Part 1-Amtrak] ##O Fare Wars: Amtrak Strikes Back ##P Amtrak Notes Superliners in the East! Derailment Casualty 500 Miles Away ##Q Congress Acts on Rail Safety Quoteable: Ross Capon on Rail Accidents ##R Eurorail Views: Baptism of the Unborn? ##S Dates of Interest ##T Up and Down the Corridor Two Levels, One Seat to Port Jeff Rare Mileage Labor Upset Delays Maine Train Air Connections? Highway Steamroller Stalled in NJ Short-term Pain, Long-term Gain ##U DVARP Phone & Voice-mail Directory ##V DVARP Membership Coupon ##W Upcoming DVARP Meetings: ##A Reinventing Amtrak: Downs Shakes Up Management: by Matthew Mitchell The trains and stations are the same; they still go the same places, and there isn't a catchy new slogan; but a new Amtrak is under construction in 1994. The architect of these changes is Tom Downs, Amtrak's new president. Downs is implementing a top-down reinvention the nation's passenger railroad. The changes start with a reorganization of Amtrak into three business units: Northeast Corridor, Intercity, and Western. This kind of 'sectorization' has been a popular trend in the worldwide railway industry, aimed at vesting one person with ultimate responsibility for performance of the sector, rather than diffusing responsibility among several departments. In turn, the business unit managers are reorganizing the departments they control. The change in corporate culture couldn't be more dramatic; and it stems from the history of Amtrak's leaders. Downs comes from a career in government while Graham Claytor, his predecessor, was a lifetime railroader. Claytor epitomized the approach of the old-time railroad, with its resistance to all but the most incremental changes. New ways of doing things always involve some risk, but old-time railroaders taught that "safety is the first duty" avoided taking risks. Staying with the old ways is also more comfortable for everyone involved. But Downs make it clear he wouldn't stand for mediocrity, no matter how comfortable. Visibly perturbed with what he saw at the time he took office, [see April DVRP] Downs prescribed radical change. So far, that change has been virtually invisible to the average passenger. And much of what that passenger will see is beyond even Downs's ability to change. Downs's reorganization can't do more than bandage Amtrak's biggest problem, its chronic shortage of capital. And to tinker with Amtrak's route map is to invite the wrath of Congress. Downs's ultimate goal is for each and every employee to understand how their individual task affects the bottom line. And to Downs, that bottom line is the delivery of good, consistent service to Amtrak's customers. An internal memo distributed systemwide tells why he feels this restructuring is so crucial: >Our railroad is in serious trouble. Our employees are telling us they >don't feel empowered to solve customers' problems. Our customers are >telling us they have far too many problems when they ride our trains. >These feelings have a direct effect on our bottom line. In July, revenues >were almost $16 million below budget and we lost $28 million more than we >had anticipated. We are projecting losses for the year to be about $82 >million more than we had planned. That $82 million would buy about 40 new >passenger cars. Or it would pay nearly 1,600 employees for a whole year. >We cannot afford to let this trend continue. > >Restructuring our organization to focus on the customer and to give our >employees the resources and tools they need to do a better job is critical >if we are to turn Amtrak around. And we don't have a lot of time. If we >can't stop the hemorrhaging, we'll lost the patient. Claytor's management style did keep Amtrak alive through the eighties, slowly but steadily improving short-term financial performance and even ordering badly-needed new equipment, but day-to-day effectiveness slipped. Maintenance of equipment was deferred, causing breakdowns and delays, and more importantly causing dissatisfied customers. Authoritarian top-down management was a legacy of a railroading era based on great numbers of unskilled laborers building standard structures and equipment. Today it stifles the ingenuity of line employees who are better-educated than predecessors of decades ago. Clearly that is one part of the old way which has to go. At least a few of the changes have filtered down to the passengers. New measures giving employees more power to resolve customer service problems have been put in practice with train chiefs empowered to give refund vouchers to on the spot to passengers. Meanwhile, at 30th Street, staff have instituted a curbside baggage check-in service at the 29th St. (Center City-side) entrance to the station. Under Downs, buzzwords of nineties-style management flood internal memos and meetings: 'team-building,' 'outreach,' 'empowerment,' and 'stakeholders.' In the chaos of staff transfers, surveys, people in the ranks feel great unease. Will this reorganization mean layoffs? Will people be asked to do jobs they aren't suited to do? Will the rules change in the middle of the game? The employees are the most important group Downs must sell his plan to, so communication and openness to the employees has been stressed almost to the point of information overkill. Says another explanatory memo: >In today's economy, everyone feels pressured to get the maximum value for >the lowest cost. For the transportation service industry and especially >for Amtrak the competition is fierce. People have lots of choices, and >many of those choices are lower cost, faster time, better quality or more >convenient than the train. If we're going to compete successfully in this >rapidly changing world we have to figure out how to work smarter and how to >do it with a single-minded focus on our customers and their needs. > >Having a plan to work smarter and more competitively is what strategic >planning is all about. A strategic plan isn't a one-time event. It is a >dynamic process that requires the attention of each and every employee. >It isn't about budget numbers and glossy reports it's about how we deliver >our services and sell our products day in and day out. > >Over the past several months, the management committee has commissioned a >number of efforts to define the basic building blocks of an Amtrak >strategy. > >The fact-finding stage of the strategic planning as included getting facts >about who our customers are and what they think of our service, how our >employees feel, what the real costs are of doing business the way we do it >today, and what employees in the field believe can make things better. > >Since May, about 100 analysts from every Amtrak department have been >working on a series of cost and performance studies. These studies have >looked at five critical issues: equipment reliability and utilization, >on-time performance, the physical condition of stations, the right-of-way >and other facilities, the costs of customer and employee complaints, and >the cost impact of special legal and regulatory requirements. > >In addition, nearly 200 focus groups with more than 1,000 participants were >held throughout the system to discuss what quick hits could be done in 1995 >to improve the customer experience, employee morale and equipment >reliability. The TARP customer survey and Gallup employee survey are two >other important building blocks for the planning effort. Finally, >throughout the summer, work has continued on the design of Amtrak's new >strategic business units--the organizations that will be primarily >responsible for refining and carrying out Amtrak's strategic plan. > >From this point forward the real work begins--deciding what the facts mean >and what we have to do, in what order, to turn the customer experience >around while also improving the bottom line. The company's senior >management and board of directors will be discussing the implications of >the data collected this summer at a leadership meeting in Crotonville, >N.Y., and at special board meetings Sept. 13 and Sept. 27-28. > >So what does a strategic business plan mean for Amtrak employees? When it >is done right, it means we have a framework that lets each and every >employee understand how his or her job affects the bottom line and what >their daily priorities should be. > It means constantly reexamining how and why we do the tings we do. And it >means constantly adjusting our behavior to changing markets and customer >needs. In the next several months, all employees will have the opportunity >to see and react to the management committee and board's conclusions about >where we are today and what those facts mean for our future. The >fact-finding process is just the tip of the planning iceberg. Changing our >business priorities, focusing on the customer, and making sure we sell a >high-quality product that people want to buy will remain a never-ending >challenge. Strategic planning is just a process to make meeting that >challenge a little easier. ##B From the Edit^H^H^H^H President's Seat: ##B1 Passengers Can Have an Effect! [editor's note: Chuck wrote such a good commentary on our recent victories, I'm turning this space over to him this month] At times DVARP's cause can seem hopeless-volunteer passengers taking on the "system." Much effort is put forth, but often results are hard to find. SEPTA service standards show that change does come, even if slowly. From our May 15, 1989 Operating Budget Testimony: > We also recommend that SEPTA make an effort to involve the public much > earlier in the process.... A system of announcing projects when they > are in concept form and soliciting public input (through meetings and > telephone and mail submissions to SEPTA) when they are at that stage > could resolve many of the issues that are currently disputed at > hearings and carried over into Board meetings. A community meeting > with riders, and potential riders, to obtain their input before > beginning route changes could assist in making the riders feel that > SEPTA is their system.... By our May 21, 1993 statement, we had refined it to: > The budget process should begin with an annual assessment and a > proposed operating plan. The operating plan would outline the > proposed service levels and routes, the resources required, and the > anticipated ridership, revenue, and subsidy. This plan-less detailed > in the more distant years-would be distributed to the interested > parties for review and recommendations early in the process. Following > agreement-such as it is in a public process-the capital and operating > budgets would be developed in coordinated fashion to support the > planned services. Notice how closely SEPTA's process matches DVARP's proposals. As a member of DVARP, you helped change SEPTA. Congratulations!-CB ##B2 Changes in Your Newsletter The decision we made to mail the DVRP first-class again has a few other consequences besides the fact that you won't wait so long for the Postal Service to deliver it. The third-class rate we had used had a much greater weight limit; now we must pay 23 cents more if we exceed one ounce (16 pages). That means I have to work harder to fit all the news and analysis you want into the trimmer package. Because some articles have to be cut to fit into the space we have available, we will expand our on-line edition of the DVRP to include the full text of those pieces, and will direct you to the on-line edition when there is more to be found there. More and more people have access to computers at home, work, school, or library; so we'll take advantage of the internet to connect with you more effectively. I also plan to conduct a reader survey this fall, to make sure we know clearly what it is you expect from this newsletter. When it is printed, please take a few min-utes to write down your candid comments about this publication (and about our organization too, if you like); they will be of great value. This newsletter is a labor of love for the many volunteers who make it each month. Satisfied, involved readers are our best reward.-MDM ##C On the Railroad Lines... Center City Work to Begin Renewal of overhead wires on the segment of RRD trackage between Suburban Station and 30th St. will commence this month. Be ready for minor delays at off-peak and especially weekend hours. Another Fern Rock Boondoggle An unconfirmed report from a SEPTA source indicates that the Stations Department of RRD is planning to install a platform washing system at Fern Rock which is alleged to cost $2 million. The source expressed concern that the washer might cause the rails below to be slippery. Teach Your Children... Please! A half-dozen trains were delayed the afternoon of August 21 when a nine-year-old Philadelphia boy accidentally contacted the catenary wires while throwing debris on the tracks near Zoo Tower. The young vandal suffered electrical burns over 50 percent of his body. Another Seat Test Have you spotted the new seats in a few of SEPTA's Silverliners? A v ariety of models are being tested as the Silverliner IV fleet approaches its twentieth birthday. We passengers have an twice-a-day intimate relationship with SEPTA's seats, so we ought to have some say in their selection. Though other railroads have held public open-houses for soliciting feedback on plans for new or refurbished trains, SEPTA riders are going to stand up for themselves. Got comments? Forward them to DVARP's Commuter Rail Committee and we'll 'butt' in on SEPTA and make sure they're heard. ##R3 West Trenton Project Reconstruction crews have gone to work on the overhead catenary of the West Trenton line, and on signal equipment too. The line has been problem-plagued during the rush hours these past few months. Fortunately for the passengers, full R3 service will be maintained during this project. ##R5 Crews Cause Chaos A late summer disruption in morning-commute service on the Paoli line was handled poorly by at least one R5 crew. A line blockage resulted in trains being halted way back up the line. Rather than wait at Rosemont until the line was cleared, the crew moved the train up to the signals west of Bryn Mawr, where trains were holding. A crew member made an announcement of the delay in the first car, then hid from the passengers the rest of the time. Meanwhile, another crew member had also gone away, leaving the door and trap of his car open. Passengers were jumping off the steps to the roadbed below, at danger not only of a sprained ankle, but also of being struck by an Amtrak train on the next track as they walked to a station to call for a ride. A DVARP member took it upon himself to close the door and warn his fellow passengers to stay on the train for safety. Were any SEPTA managers riding this train? Did anyone hear about these incidents before now? Has the crew been instructed on the proper procedures to follow when a serious disruption comes up and is someone making sure they follow those procedures? It's a matter of attitude. First the details that improve customer satisfaction slip, then the details that maintain safety follow. That slippage has to stop, now. ##R6 Shawmont Saved? Outcry from area residents who showed up at a station abandonment hearing may have prevented closure of the Norristown Line's Shawmont station. Residents of a nearby apartment complex petitioned to keep their train service, citing their needs and that of a new complex under construction next door. Shawmont is also a handy stop for people who want to ride SEPTA to the Valley Forge bike/recreation trail. ##R8 AM Reliability Sacrificed Reliable service on the Chestnut Hill West line has suffered because of the whims of some Chestnut Hill residents. In the "good old days," trains that were due to go out on the early morning runs stayed in Chestnut Hill the night before so as to get an on-time start the next day. This writer [BC] recently learned that neighbors were complaining about the noise made by blowers and compressors of the idling Silverliners as they sat in the station. As a result, SEPTA was forced to store the trains downtown and run a number of deadhead trips up to Chestnut Hill. If the deadhead gets delayed, the rush-hour train it turns into will also be delayed Is it fair to Chestnut Hill residents who ride the R8 to put up with delayed service because some other residents complained about some noise? Why all the fuss now about noise? Go figure. Schedule Change, Sunday Disruption New R8 schedules are in effect, reflecting a project which will sever the two halves of the line on Sundays for Center City electrification repairs. Octoraro Lives! PennDOT has contracted with the newly-created Delaware Valley Railroad for operation of the former Octoraro Railroad lines in Chester County and Delaware. DVRR is a subsidiary of Rail America Corp., which operates a number of other shortlines in the Midwest. ##D Transit News Update ##LRD Eye on the Infrastructure: 15 Hanging in There A recent inspection of the eastern portion of the Girard Avenue light rail infrastructure yielded reassuring results. Overhead wire remains intact from Broad St. to the Richmond and Westmoreland loop, except for one block at Front St. removed for work on the El station. The safety islands at trolley stops between Broad and Front have been removed, as has one of the three loop tracks. The west end of the line remains serviceable; this summer it hosted an excursion for trolley fans, as well as detoured Route 10 cars. ##100 Cab Signals Working SEPTA has now cut in the new NHSL signal system from Norristown all the way in to West Overbrook. The remainder, protecting the complex of trackage around 69th St., is expected to go into service soon. The system automatically brakes trains which exceed the speed limit, and can speed service by communicating clear conditions to the operator sooner than wayside signals can. Once the inevitable (though the system is fail-safe) bugs are worked out, the cab-only signal system is supposed to save signal maintenance costs. *SEPTA bought 60 third-rail heaters, to improve reliability of P&W service in winter storms. ##PATCO Deal Struck, Fare Increase Likely The long-boiling feud over payments to the City of Philadelphia for PATCO's use of the City-owned Locust St. Subway has been resolved. The Delaware River Port Authority will pay $2 million per year, plus a steep penalty in the event that PATCO's deficit (covered by bridge toll surpluses) exceeds $6 million. At the heart of the question is a debate over who benefits from PATCO's trains: New Jersey, whose residents make up the bulk of Speedline ridership; or Philadelphia, which collects the hefty wage tax from those commuters. In statements to an Inquirer reporter, State Sen. Walter Rand (D-Camden) commented: "But what I do object to is [the city] trying to make a profit out of PATCO." while David Cohen, chief of staff to Mayor Rendell, called the $2 million "fair rent." PATCO GM Robert Schwab said a fare and parking fee increase would be inevitable, to make the payment to the city and balance the budget. The Inquirer mentions the possibility of three increases of 9% each in the next three years, bringing the cost of a ride to Camden to about $1.00, and a Lindenwold trip to about $2.10. A hearing on the fares has not yet been scheduled, but may occur as soon as October. ##E News Notes Two Minute Warning Commuter rail's ability to quickly solve transportation keeps getting demonstrated all across the country. Football fans in Seattle may end up travelling by train to Tacoma, which is where Seahawks games will be played while the falling tile problem of Seattle's Kingdome is being fixed. You can't build access roads and parking lots that quick! Syracuse Opening The commuter train service in Syracuse, NY (run by the New York, Susquehanna, and Western) is expected to start September 17. Local officials are planning to move the Salt City's Amtrak station to a new location closer to downtown than the present East Syracuse station. The new station is to be an intermodal transportation hub. Hot Rails? A man was arrested for removing a quarter-mile of track from a dormant branch of the Scranton-area Pocono Northeast Railroad and selling it to a scrapyard. Though the scrap value of the steel rail is $15,000, it will cost about $100,000 for labor and materials to relay the tracks. ##F Gambaccini Pay Dispute Ends by Betsy Clarke The ongoing saga of the Lou Gambaccini pay dispute finally came to an end with he SEPTA Board giving him a three-year contract at his current salary of approximately $191,700 with no raises. He will, however, receive an additional lump sum to close out his old contract which provided for raises and benefits he has not used from the time he came to SEPTA in August of 1988. Reliable sources also indicated that he really is entitled to an amount of $450,000 to $500,000 if he chose to resign now. The new contract also provides for an incentive provision which awards him $10,000 if SEPTA's ridership increases by 1% over the span of one year; $20,000 if it rises by 3%. Missing from this current pact are a series of perks which had caused concern among some suburban members of the Board as well as Mayor Rendell and City Council President John Street. The mayor, however, indicated his satisfaction with the provisions of the new agreement. According to Patrick McCarthy, Governor Casey's appointee to the SEPTA Board, Gambaccini's health and life insurance and pension benefits would be identical to those of other SEPTA managers. At one point during the negotiations, it had been proposed that he receive higher benefits. McCarthy told the Board "this is a very hard-edged, give-back, concession-oriented contract." Most Board members wanted to see Gambaccini remain with SEPTA. The General Manager for his part clearly stated that he would like to remain for three more years. The contract negotiations had become a public issue when a tentative version was leaked to state legislators. [see July, August DVRP] Senators William J. Stewart and Vincent Fumo, in particular, expressed strong opposition to this pact. This outcry by members of the state legislature was interpreted by some as a political ploy to increase Harrisburg's control over the SEPTA board. This contract dispute was settled the same day that SEPTA learned that it would be receiving $400 million in new funds for capital projects. [cover story, August] Rendell said that the city and surrounding counties had agreed to delay upwards of $400 million in highway projects so that SEPTA would receive this money. The first $100 million of this money will be used next January to help pay for 220 new cars for the Market-Frankford El. ##G PennDOT Listening As it continues with development of a master Transportation Policy Plan, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is holding three meetings for the purpose of reporting and discussing proposed goals. Your attendance has been invited, though none of the meetings are in our immediate area, let alone accessible by SEPTA. The Eastern PA meeting is in Whitehall, near Allentown, on Oct. 6. If you are unable to attend in person, you can still participate; phone the plan staff at 1-800-838-PLAN to have a set of workshop materials mailed to you. *The PennDOT Air Quality Task Force will hold a public meeting in Harrisburg Sept. 27, to hear comments on the state's implementation plan. This document sets out how local and state agencies are supposed to assess transportation projects. It's an important document, because it defines what level of public participation is enough and because goals and assessment criteria can be molded to favor one transportation mode over another. Rail advocates need to make sure the process won't overlook rail's advantages. You may also submit a written statement for this meeting; and getting the materials is as easy as a phone call to Becki Mescher-Vuxta, at 717-787-9626. ##CREDITS News compiled by Matthew Mitchell and correspondents: Chuck Bode, Howard Bender, Tom Borawski, Betsey Clarke, Russ Gould, John Hay, Mike Mandy, Don Nigro, Mike Rubin, Sharon Shneyer. Additional news from BITNET, Passenger Transport, Philadelphia Inquirer, Pro-Rail Nebraska, USENET ##H The Value of a One-Seat Ride by Donald Nigro The following is an op-ed piece from the Courier-Post, July 30. In the weeks prior to its publication, DVARP and NJ-ARP repeatedly expressed written concern to NJ Transit about a lack of balance in their presentation of the alternatives for the Burlington/Gloucester Initiative. DVARP and NJ-ARP were not alone in perceiving this leaning. When the press wrote of NJ Transit's "three hour briefing [which] revolved around" one alternative, a public response was in order. It was with great dismay that I read of New Jersey Transit's reckless push to expand rail transit service into Burlington and Gloucester Counties through the cheapest means rather than considering the most cost-effective end. Through this, they have disregarded the data in their own most recently published study on the matter. NJ Transit's is hastily pushing for a trolley-style vehicle, which would require a transfer in Camden for the bulk of the passengers destined for Center City, Philadelphia. This is at the expense of the public's consideration of other rail options which, in addition to providing effective intra-state connections, could offer a one-seat (no transfer) ride to Center City, Philadelphia. These are the figures from NJ Transit's most recent study. I will focus on Gloucester County, but the numbers are similar for Burlington County. The capital costs for a modified-PATCO line to Glassboro would be $552 million; the trolley-style, light rail cost would be $495 million. The difference is 11%. Yet, the projected average weekday ridership for modified-PATCO is 75% higher, than that of light rail; 23,100 for modified-PATCO, 13,200 for light rail. Furthermore, the travel time from Glassboro to Philadelphia is significantly shorter with modified-PATCO than light rail. With light rail in Gloucester County, a trip to Philadelphia would take 6 to 18 minutes longer depending on the additional time spent waiting for the arrival of the next train at the transfer point within Camden. Yes, we want effective intra-state connections; at the same time, the value of a one-seat ride to Philadelphia should not be underestimated. 87% of the Lindenwold Line passengers travel between Southern New Jersey and Philadelphia. In the words of NJ Transit's study, the "Center City bound commuters are a key ingredient," and this market is the only one "with enough potential passenger volume to justify" rail expansion within Southern New Jersey. Good business transportation decisions are needed to avoid a boondoggle project. All of the surrounding counties of Philadelphia with the exception of Burlington and Gloucester Counties currently offer one-seat rail rides to Center City, Philadelphia. Rail service failed in Burlington and Gloucester Counties in the late sixties primarily because it did not offer a one-seat ride. Passengers got off at Broadway Station and transferred to the Bridge Line (the predecessor to the PATCO Speed Line). NJ Transit values a one-seat ride for Northern New Jersey. In that part of the state, NJ Transit is constructing the Kearny Connection, a link to allow the Morris & Essex commuter rail lines direct access into New York City rather than forcing a transfer at Hoboken Terminal. If such an idea is desirable for passengers in Northern New Jersey, a region with horrendous traffic problems such that significant numbers of commuters accept a multiple-seat ride, then certainly it is strategic in Southern New Jersey, where commuters view their car as the primary choice for travel; after all, commuters will always take the path of least resistance. With the investment in the Kearny Connection, the state, through NJ Transit, is spending over $131 million for direct and indirect costs to increase ridership by 38%. All of this because of the desirability of a one-seat ride. On April 18, 1994, the Washington Post revealed a common text book case of what we fear for Southern New Jersey. The new [Washington Metro] Greenbelt [Green] Line within the Washington, D.C. area requires its passengers to transfer to the Wheaton [Red] Line at a modern, pleasant facility to complete their trip to and from Washington D.C. 13,000 riders were expected for this line, the actual figure has been 8,600. The Post refers to this serious shortfall as a "disappointment" and further states that these figures suggest "that many concerns expressed by riders in December have turned out to be true". "The vast 1,068-space lot at Prince George's Plaza usually has about 175 spaces filled." The article goes on to state that "transit studies show transfers can discourage ridership." Asked whether the transfer was a prime reason for the low numbers, Metrorail manager Fady P. Bassily was quick to respond: "Absolutely". For the South Jersey initiative, NJ Transit has pledged itself to an open process, but these words ring with hollowness. Although they technically have refused to make an outright endorsement of a particular transit system, by their tactics, epitomized by the three-hour press briefing on July 20 revolving around one possible outcome, NJ Transit has tainted the process with its manipulation. In addition, they have demonstrated a clear and gross disregard for the available and upcoming research data. This is not conducive for effective expansion of rail transit service into Burlington and Gloucester Counties. We do not want the cheapest system; we want the most cost-effective one, the one that will attract the most motorists out of their cars for the best price. ##I South Jersey Notes Congratulations to NJ Transit's rail operator team, which successfully defended its APTA Rail 'Roadeo' championship this summer. ##J Unions Not Pacific by Matthew Mitchell An unwanted merger offer escalated into an inter-union battle last month during the strike of United Transportation Union members against CP Rail/Soo Line in the midwest. Earlier in the year, UTU sought to incorporate the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers into its organization, but BLE leadership rebuffed the plan. UTU pressed ahead though, and sought provisions in the Soo contract that BLE officers called a "raid" on their union. The war of words escalated to the point where BLE told its members to cross the UTU picket lines and return to work, a rare breach of labor solidarity. Faced with a weakening position vis-a-vis management, the UTU strikers announced an impending secondary boycott against all the other railroads which connect to the Soo. Though the widened strike was not to be directed at Chicago-area commuter railroads, the action set off the predictable chain reaction. President Clinton declared the impending secondary action to be a threat to interstate commerce and intervened under the Railway Labor Act. A mandatory 'cooling-off' period has been instated while Federal mediators examine the case. After 30 days, UTU is free to resume its strike, though it would be likely that Congress would impose the mediators' settlement on the parties. Besides the representational issues which upset BLE, train staffing levels are at issue in the walkout. Soo is one of the few American railroads where contracts still require three-person crews on all trains. UTU accuses management of failing to bargain in good faith. Amtrak service between Chicago and Milwaukee has been disrupted by the strike. Several trains have been canceled for the duration, while others have been delayed due to detours over other railroads. ##K More Comments on NE Subway Replying to a DVRP cover story on proposals for rapid transit service, Chris Zearfoss, of the Mayor's Office for Transportation, and Ed Tennyson, P.E., told us some of long the history of this project. Here are some excerpts from Tennyson's letter: [quote] Less than thirty years ago, we put it to a vote, and the Pennway alignment was approved by over 60 percent of the entire city, including every ward in the service area. Only the small ward on the Schuylkill River at South Street opposed it....Final construction plans were drawn and work began. A station shell was built under the Sears parking structure just north of Roosevelt Boulevard....GM [General Motors] made it clear to him, with PTC [Philadelphia Transportation Company, predecessor to SEPTA] help, that Philadelphia was no place for new rail transit. (He later went to jail for other problems). The politicians went right ahead with the Pattison Avenue extension.... Primary candidate Frank Rizzo ran a full page ad in the papers promising to finish the Northeast subway if elected. He was, but in the general election he ran another full page ad promising NOT to build it, substituting the Center City Commuter Connection which businessmen downtown saw as serving higher income clients, with different funds. Zearfoss adds: [quote] Now that significant, but not complete, progress has been made in repairing old infrastructure, and with some measure of financial confidence in light of ISTEA and Act 26, the City wishes to explore the Northeast rail issue-much as New Jersey is advancing the Burlington and Gloucester Rail Corridors Study, and SEPTA is advancing the Cross County Metro concept. [quote] On the questions of subway vs. commuter rail, both writers defended the subway plan. DVARP hasn't endorsed one mode over the other for Northeast service, but is concerned that the planning process won't give thorough consideration to alternatives other than the subway. Said Tennyson: [quote] [The] Broad Street subway has plenty of capacity, far more than enough, with a Northeast express every five minutes and an Olney local every five. That is 24 trains per hour, 144 cars, 20,000 peak hour passengers, although for longer rides it might be held down to 18,000. That is 180,000 per day. And Zearfoss: [quote] The City is not "locked into heavy rapid transit as the only option." The current Needs and Preferences Study will also evaluate the SEPTA proposal for a Northeast Metro Light Rail Line.... [quote] In 1984, Booz, Allen, and Hamilton, consultants to the City Planning Commission, conducted a federally-funded feasibility study of instituting commuter rail service on the New York Short Line, which concluded that ridership and revenue generated would be insufficient to justify the capital investment and operating costs. [quote] While in concept commuter rail could be implemented on the New York Short Line more easily than a rapid transit subway along Roosevelt Boulevard, what is actually a "sensible price" is predicated upon detailed studies of operating and service constraints &and parameters, land-use issues, alternative alignments and modes, capital investment required, ridership, fares, revenues, operating costs, plus externalities. [quote] ...The flat fare from the Far Northeast has many roots, including ease of fare collection, and the fact that the trip time to Center City is nearly an hour-twice that for commuter rail.... [quote] ...Any correlation that may exist between the flat fare to the Northeast and taxes paid by residents is no different in principle from the City's paying a disproportional share of the commuter rail local subsidy, which as I recall DVARP has supported on the basis of wage tax considerations.... [quote] A major factor constraining Northeast Philadelphia commuter rail patronage is poor access. Bus routes linking rapid transit lines are within walking distance of almost every neighborhood. With few exceptions, commuter rail stations must be accesses by car; even if park-and-ride were expanded, many Northeast residents do not have the luxury of a second or third car to leave at the station all day. [quote] The Northeast Metro LRT is not a "mostly in-street (trolley route) through Olney and North Philadelphia". Between roughly Tabor Road and Huntingdon Street, the line would be on abandoned railroad ROW, and between Huntingdon and Master Streets, in a reservation along the extra-wide segment of American Street. Dedicated lanes and transitways would carry the line most of the rest of the way into Center City. This proposal is not as some have misconstrued, just a replication of the Route 50 streetcar." [quote] The chart allegedly portraying more favorable travel time for the Reading commuter rail route versus the Broad Street and Market-Frankford Lines extensions is misleading, since it does not pinpoint the comparable station locations, let alone allow for the advantages of much better transit headways. Current R-8 timetables show a 25 minute travel time between Fox Chase (at Rhawn Street) and Market East Stations-not 20 minutes. By contrast, prior studies have shown that Broad Street Subway Extensions can provide City Hall-Rhawn Street service in 20 minutes or less. [quote] City Hall Station, Northeast Extension or not, is slated for a major modernization to improve amenities and capacity.... [quote] ...Whatever the preferred route or mode, ultimately it will be selected through community and political consensus-building. The real point, however, is that a rail transit line, wit h frequent headways, convenient transfer points, and a fare structure fully coordinated with that of the surface feeder lines, is required. Commuter rail service levels, typical station spacing and amenities, and fares, are inadequate to meet fully the public transport needs of Northeast Philadelphia. Author Matthew Mitchell replies: The problems with commuter rait to the Northeast like today's too-slow travel times and a capacity problem also mentioned by Tennyson, are matters of implementation rather than capability. When trains are only going 40 mph on brand new track cleared for 60, that's the fault of management, not the mode itself. But whatever the outcome this kind of discussion is what will make passengers and taxpayers feel confident their money is being spent wisely, whichever way the decision goes. If the City officials have as good an understanding of the commuter rail option as they say they do, then it shouldn't be either difficult or threatening to include it wth the official choices. Zearfoss's objections to the commuter rail routing and mode stem from an assumption that a Northeast commuter rail line would be operated in the same manner as the present RRD lines in Philadelphia, with hourly base headways, and poor integration of fares and service with local transit routes. Instead of abandoning commuter rail as a viable choice for city residents, why not change the commuter rail service so that it meets their needs? Increase service levels, coordinate and guarantee connections and establish an intermodal single fare, so people can use commuter rail for their trunk haul instead of an inefficient bus or a crowded Frankford El. The result will be faster travel times, increased transit market share, and more room for the closer-in people who watch buses pass them by. And if flat fares are justified on city transit routes, why not on city railroad routes? The difference in fare structures (and the mediocre train service) keeps rail ridership within the city artificially depressed, despite good city/SEPTA initiatives like acceptance of TransPasses on off-peak trains. ##L Freight Mergers in the News Rail industry sources claim the Philadelphia-based Consolidated Rail Corp. is in merger talks with Norfolk Southern Corp., which previously sought to acquire Conrail at the time the Federal government privatized Conrail. Coming on the heels of the announced merger of western giants Burlington Northern and Union Pacific and a track-sharing agreement between Canadian National and CP Rail, the eastern deal foreshadows a new round of mergers which would leave only three or four coast-to-coast megacarriers in place of the present nine big railroads. The pundits feel a CR/NS merger would make sense, but the deal is far from complete, though. It would be a virtual certainty that strings would be attached to the deal, to ensure that some competition in rail freight service would remain in the areas served by the two railroads.--MDM ##M Computer Corner: Web Access to the DVRP A new and easy way to retrieve current and back issues of the Delaware Valley Rail Passenger is with the all-point-and-click hypertext interface of the World Wide Web. Aim your WWW client at: http://venus.mcs.com/~dsdawdy/cyberroad.html German Train Info at ICE Speed If you can access the World Wide Web, you can now visit RailServer for information on the German Railways. By filling out a form on your screen, you can get schedule information, including connections. Fare, fly-ride, and other travel information is also on the server, in English. Link to: http://rzstud1.rz.uni-karlsruhe.de/~ule3/info-Trn.html Much of the information is also available, though not as conveniently, by electronic mail. Send a message saying #HELP to . --MDM ##N State of the Art: Fare Collection by Matthew Mitchell (first of a three-part series) After decades of little change, the collection of fares on rail and transit systems has been revolutionized in the 80s and 90s. New ideas and new technology are being used in efforts to boost system revenue while reducing the cost of collecting that revenue. This article will describe some of those developments and try to see how they might work in our area. Amtrak: Taking technology for granted It is difficult to envision how Amtrak could get along without its Arrow computerized reservations and ticketing system. Though the railroad runs from coast to coast, and dedicated buses extend its network to hundreds of additional cities, itineraries and tickets for any trip can be generated at the touch of a few keys. Before Amtrak, passengers (or their travel agents) often had to deal with two or more different ticket agents. Uniting America's intercity passenger trains also brought consistency in policies like childrens' fares, and made nationwide offers like the All Aboard America fare possible. In recent years, Amtrak has taken more and more cues from the airlines. A 'yield-management' system was implemented to allow Amtrak to tailor its fares to passenger demand. With yield management, a certain number of seats on each lng-distance train are allocated to each discount level. When Amtrak needs to fill more seats, they are shifted to lower-fare categories. When demand is high, Amtrak can charge full fares. The system is also given part of the credit for increasing the average trip length and keeping train seats filled longer. In another move patterned after the airlines, Amtrak has just made its discount tickets non-refundable. One place where Amtrak hasn't emulated the airlines is with a frequent-traveler program. Riders accustomed to piling up air miles for a trip to Hawaii often ask why they can't do the same with the train. The airlines instituted their mileage programs to build repeat business in an industry where nearly all carriers offer the same prices. Since it has no rail competitor, Amtrak doesn't need such a program, and is grateful it hasn't had to. The airlines lose buckets of money on them, but because business travellers now have a sense of entitlement to the perk, the airlines can't eliminate them. Amtrak pioneered self-service ticketing, with credit card-operated machines seen throughout the Northeast Corridor and at other stations. Savvy riders know to bypass ticket lines by stepping over to the easy-to-use machines. But once the tickets are sold, their collection on board the train is much like it was thirty years ago. Conductors must still handle cash fares from unattended stations, punching the traditional two-part receipt. They inspect and punch tickets and mark seat checks identifying the passenger's destination. Only minor changes are anticipated here; Amtrak has tested a new ticket with pre-printed seat check. Finally, Arrow plays an important behind-the-scenes role. Data from the computer can be used to forecast travel demand and adjust train consists to meet it where possible. This helps keep costs down, and pays off on the bottom line. Though Northeast Corridor passengers may complain about having to stand when trains are full, Arrow makes that problem less frequent. With Amtrak starved for capital, few improvements are anticipated. Computer terminals and other hardware have been upgraded, but other goals, like one-stop ticketing and information for passengers connecting to or from local commuter trains remain illusory. Until that improvement is made, the millions of potential rail passengers living in suburbia will continue to find that catching a train is no more convenient than catching a plane. ##O Fare Wars: Amtrak Strikes Back An Amtrak fare sale offers a 50 percent discount off lowest available fares for a friend or family member you bring along on your next train trip. The offer ends October 31, and travel must be completed by December 11. Restrictions and limitations apply (including: not valid Nov. 23 or 27, for weekday Metroliners, or with certain fare plans like 'All Aboard America'), but Amtrak's fine print isn't quite as onerous as the airlines. Call your travel agent or 1-800-USA-RAIL for reservations. ##P Amtrak Notes Superliners in the East! Amtrak has announced that the Capitol Limited (Washington-Pittsburgh-Chicago) will be the first eastern train to employ the double-deck Superliner equipment, beginning October 30. As of July 1, Amtrak had taken delivery of a quarter of its 195 new double-deck cars. 25 sleepers are on the property, along with 15 new diners and 11 high-low transition cars. The new cars will let Amtrak move its tri-weekly trains to daily service, and equip the Auto Train with Superliners. The added capacity is sorely needed if Amtrak is to come closer to its goal of breaking even financially. *Amtrak sources say the fall schedule change may see an extension of the Palmetto to Tampa, Florida, in place of the Tampa section of the Silver Meteor. *Trying to get a reservation on Amtrak but the train is booked up the day you want to travel? Try calling shortly after 3:00 am. Amtrak's Arrow computer system closes out its day and releases unticketed reservations at midnight Pacific time, which is 3:00 in Philadelphia. *Bad weather caused a signal failure and a number of train delays on the A.C. line August 14. Another storm August 13 knocked out signals at New Brunswick, hampering Amtrak and NJT service. *Preliminary investigations of the Lake Shore Limited derailment in Batavia, NY last month have placed blame on the underframe of one of the train's Heritage Fleet cars. *Kosher meals served to Amtrak passengers who specially reqest them have been upgraded with new menus and improved presentaton. Derailment Casualty 500 Miles Away Amtrak's Executive Sleeper (the car dropped off/picked up in New York by the Night Owl for travelers who want to wake up in downtown Washington or New York) has been discontinued due to a shortage of sleeping cars resulting from the Batavia derailment. ##Q Congress Acts on Rail Safety In response to the well-publicized Amtrak accidents of the past year, the House has passed a bill ordering the Department of Transportation to consider new rules for detection of hidden track defects, evaluate technological gizmos for saving railroad bridges from lost barges, and test possible changes in regulations governing rail workers' hours of service. Another bill was passed authorizing $182 million for planning of high-speed rail service in a number of corridors, including New York-Buffalo and Washington-Carolinas. The authorization was scaled way back from the original committee proposal of $1.2 billion to start actually upgrading these lines for high-speed passenger trains.--MDM Quoteable I guess God decided it was time to send a message about the safety of the towboat industry....We have accepted the fact that highways are unsafe. Somewhere along the way, someone made the decision that one passenger [rail] fatality is one to many -Ross Capon, NARP Executive Director, commenting on recent Amtrak accidents and the proposal to impose expensive safety mandates on the railroad. ##R Eurorail Views: Baptism of the Unborn? by James Morgan [Full text here in the online editon of the DVRP; the hard copy edition has been edited for length-Ed.] On June 28, 1994, the latter half of the first program in New Jersey Network's new series Makin' Tracks (available on Channel 23 Tuesday evenings from 8:30-9:00 in the Camden-Philadelphia area) focused upon the feat of digging the channel tunnel. The trip by Queen Elizabeth II of England and French President Mitterand under the Channel on May 6, 1994 seems to represent a milestone in railroading. In fact, the May 13 issue of Die Zeit [Time] devoted three full feature articles plus a short article to this very event. But the consensus of the articles seems to be that the celebration resembles a festooned christening of an unborn child, as Reiner Luykens puts it. After all, when will ordinary mortals be able to ride Le Shuttle? While I had hoped to deal with articles from other sources, this special issue of Die Zeit provides enough material for one installment. One of the articles is a translation from the English of a paper by Roy Jenkins, "Sehnsucht nach dem alten Glanz" [Yearning for the Old Splendor]. Roy Jenkins has occupied various English ministerial posts, and has served as President of the European Commission. The other articles include Reiner Luykens' "Tunnel? Wer braucht einen Tunnel?" [Tunnel? Who Needs a Tunnel?], and Ludwig Siegele's article, "RŒhre zwischen zwei Welten" [Tubes between two Worlds] and his note, "Modell fŠr Europa?" [Model for Europe?]. Luykens' article affords a sketch of the problem. Freight transportation was supposed to being on March 7, 1994, but this was postponed. Of course, at the time of this writing in July, four freights a day pass through the tunnel. An advertising campaign for tourists which took shape in the fall of 1993 quickly ran out of steam. Those who call receive the answer that passenger service may begin in October 1994-but callers are best advised to watch for announcements in the newspapers. Dividends were to be paid to stockholders beginning in 1995. Probably now no dividends will be declared before 2000. There has been a third issue of shares. Debts mount. Each day initiation of full service is delayed results in the loss of £2 million in expected earnings. The results of tests of the system have been very dubious. True, Waterloo Station in London has been ready for some time. Now speeds of the Trans-Manche [English Channel]-Super-Train in Oile, Somme and Pas-de-Calais in France are 300 kilometers per hour. Speeds through Kent County in England are a leisurely 140 kilometers per hour. Luykens argues that trains will have to travel at high speeds to be competitive with air travel. In France, the trains draw power from the overhead, in England from a third rail. Test trips through England experienced difficulties because of frequency flutter in the current. At the time Luykens wrote, the ninth proposed route was under discussion, but now a route to London has been selected. Luykens focuses on the case of the town of Ashford, which has railroaded [durchgedrckt] itself into the European railway network. There are only two ways out of Ashford. The one would entail extra costs of £65 million. The other runs through a stretch of countryside immortalized in the filmed novel The Darling Buds of May. Luykens criticizes the proposed use of Diesel locomotives in England. These are currently being coupled on to freight trains upon their arrival in England, but electric locomotives will be used for passenger service.. Is any aspect of the project working? The museum at Folkstone is proving to be a success with its life-sized mockups and its model railroad, despite an entry fee of œ3.70 per person. The French intend to duplicate the feat in their own way, with audiovisual aids using 8 headed laser cannons and sublime music. Luykens does not, however, go into the roots of the problem. He does note the joy of many British at the hardships of tunnel project. He draws attention to the shadow market in French alcoholic beverages, especially canned beer, on the ferries, which relaxed customs regulations have created. He notes that many participants in this trade view the train with dismay. It is Siegele who goes into the various conflicts which have dogged the project. An underlying issue is the fact that the project is basically French. The French have done much of the planning and two thirds of the stock holders are French. The three French companies in the Trans-Manche Consortium operate worldwide, while the five British companies restrict their business to the United Kingdom. The British have reacted to the venture as a new Hastings. The clash of cultures manifested itself even in the haggling over the name of the train. The French rejected the proposed designation of the Loop because of its similarity to their word for wolf, loup. Dart was rejected because it had no particular connotations for the French, except for a skin eruption. The name finally adopted, Le Shuttle, is objectionable because it is franglais. The clash over terminology is just one manifestation of a general lack of communications. In contracts, for example, French credit agreements are basically short. Many contingencies are addressed by the operation of law in the French system. If the French planned the operation, it was left to the English to implement it. British lawyers found the simple credit agreements to constitute a fertile ground for objections. The French find the British tendency to draw up contracts which can fill a wardrobe in an attempt to address every imaginable contingency to be a waste of time-and money, too, perhaps, given the legal fees. The difference between the two approaches is made visually concrete in the contrast between the superhuman station facilities at Pas-de-Calais and the simple facilities at Folkstone. The French find that the British love for smallness can lead to confusion. In the French system, a single person is responsible for police, fire and accidents, the prefect. The British would have separate authorities responsible for each. The conflicts between the two cultures have lead to complicated equipment design in the cars being produced by Bombardier ANF Industrie in Valenciennes, France. Each car contains 76 kilometers of cables, ten times more than a TGV car. There is even a control chip for the restrooms. The production line resembles an airplane factory, and great cost overruns have resulted from the attempt to convert what was conceived as a Renault 4 into a Rolls-Royce. The cars contain elaborate smoke detectors, and in case of fire, a fire-extinguishing gas called halon would be sprayed from above, while foam would be introduced from below. These specifications were requested by the British, who fear a tunnel fire, remembering the devastating conflagration which occurred at the King's Cross subway station in London in 1984. While Siegele mentions that enlarging the width of the car door entailed considerable additional expenditures, he fails to mention the cause for the 10 centimeters which raised the price for the 252 cars to nearly one and one half times the projected DM 1.1 billion: Initial failure to design the doors to accommodate wheelchairs, which is an international requirement. Of course, the British find the tunnel to be an ideal target for the IRA. An automatic life sentence is imposed upon anyone attacking the Chunnel. Despite the priority which the English assign to combatting terrorists, French gendarmes will have to leave part of their uniforms on the train should they wish to enter Waterloo station: Their sidearms. Debating this thorny problem consumed a month. Has there been significant cooperation in any area? Siegele's short note, "Model for Europe?" suggests that such has occurred between British and French labor organizations working on the project, which has employed 1300 persons. The communistically inspired Conf‚deration g‚n‚rale du travail (CGT) [General Confederation of Labor] and the less ideological Transport & General Worker's Union (TGWU) found that about 80% of their rules were really similar, despite differences in their union traditions. The French felt that labor law was nonexistent in England, where everyone has to negotiate his or her own labor contract. The British were astonished the French Labor Code regulates in great detail what British unions have to fight for. Siegele notes that recently a British court found that all participants must be announced by name in advance in case of a strike. CGT officials were irritated that Eurotunnel did not ask them to put up candidates in the most recent personnel representative elections, despite the fact that they had a right to do so. TGWU spokespersons have stressed the importance of soliciting union members. CGT functionaries are participating in TGWU practical courses in London. What is there to fear in a tunnel connecting the United Kingdom with the European Continent? The cartoon illustrating Roy Jenkins' article surely says more than a thousand words. The nineteenth century cartoon depicts the British lion fleeing from a French rooster emerging from a projected tunnel under the English Channel. Jenkins points out that a land connection between the British Isles and the Continent has a diminished strategic significance in the age of supersonic military aircraft. In the Victorian era, Britain was very much involved in European affairs. Britain was a significant force in European affairs from Waterloo in 1815 to Locarno in 1925. Prime Minister Gladstone undertook more than nine trips to Europe and corresponded with several major European statesmen in their own languages (Theodor Ignaz von DŒllinger in German, Franaois Guizot in French, and Cavour and Mazzini in Italian). Benjamin Disraeli dominated the Berlin Congress. The events of 1940 changed much of this. Although Britain did not lose World War II, it was the United States and the Soviet Union which provided the troops necessary to win it. They were now the superpowers. After World War II, Britain did not pursue a policy of splendid isolation. England was active in three intersecting circles, the Commonwealth, its relationship with the United States, and Europe. England sought to play in the same league as the new superpowers, and missed the Messina conference in 1955. Germany and France overtook the United Kingdom in per capita income and in influence in Europe. Both major parties, Labor and Conservative, have fallen victim to the arrogance of isolationism. For a while, the left wing of the Labor party believed it could establish an independent, insular socialism. After the threat of socialism on Great Britain subsided, the earlier enthusiasm of the Tories for Europe cooled and they began to see Jacques Delors as the embodiment of the ugly alien. Recent election victories by pro-European forces in the Labor and Liberal parties manifest popular support for a policy of cooperation with Europe. But, cautions Jenkins, Channel Tunnel or no Channel Tunnel, if Britain is poorly represented in European official bodies, this is due to a weakness in British politics, of attempting to play in another league. At the present time (July), the main obstacle to passenger service, a plan of evacuation in case of fire, has been overcome. Perhaps the initiation of regular passenger service, and other events, will generate occasions for assessing additional literature I have accumulated. ##S Dates of Interest NJ DOT public input meeting for state budget planning: Mon., Sept. 12, 7 p.m., at Henry Beck Middle School, Cropwell Rd., Cherry Hill. Additional meetings Thurs., Sept. 22, 7 p.m. at Freehold Borough High School, Rt. 79 and Robertsville Rd., Freehold Borough and Wed, Sept. 28, 7 p.m., at Thomas Jefferson School, James and Ogden Sts., Morristown. DVARP General Meeting: Sat., Sept 17, 1:00 to 4:00 at Temple University Center City, 1616 Walnut St., Philadelphia. SEPTA Citizen Advisory Committee: Tues., Sept. 20, 5:45 pm at SEPTA Board Room, 714 Market St. SEPTA on Site (Suburban Transit): Wed., Sept. 21, 7:30 to 9:30 am and 3:30 to 5:30 pm at 69th St. Terminal, 7:30 to 9:30 am at Norristown Transportation Center. SEPTA Board Meeting: Thu., Sept. 22, 3:00 pm at SEPTA Board Room, 714 Market St. NJ Transit Hoboken Festival: Sat., Sept. 24, all day, at Hoboken Terminial. Deadline for October newsletter material: Tues., Sept. 27, to Matthew Mitchell or in DVARP mailbox. Delmarva Rail Passenger Association: Thu., Oct 6, 6:30 pm, at Stationmaster's Office, Amtrak Wilmington Staton. Call Ken Berg, 410-648-5961, for more information. DVARP General Meeting: Sat., Oct. 15, 12:00 to 5:00 at Lansdowne Library, Lansdowne Ave. just south of R3 tracks, Lansdowne, PA. Note change of place and time!! DVARP General Meeting: Sat., Nov. 19, 1:00 to 4:00 at Collingswood Public Library. Listings based on information provided to DVARP. Contact sponsor to confirm time & place. Call 215-222-3373, message box 3, to add your event to this calendar. ##T Up and Down the Corridor News of other Northeastern commuter rail and rail transit services Two Levels, One Seat to Port Jeff A pair of milestones were marked on Long Island last month. New York became the second Northeastern city to begin using double-deck commuter rail coaches as a dozen new cars entered service. The new train is pulled by a freshly-rebuilt FL9AC locomotive which puts high-tech guts into a classic body. The dual mode electric/diesel engine allows this train to operate LIRR's first direct run from Port Jefferson all the way to Penn Station. One rider called the new cars "light and airy-looking"-high praise for a double-deck car which must fit under the electric wires at Penn Station. But unlike gallery cars, a crowded 3+2 seating plan is used, since the goal is to get more commuters into Manhattan but not strain the capacity of the East River Tunnels. A European feature makes its local debut in those cars: jump seats. The ride of the cars is reported to be less than satisfactory, though. An unpleasant pitching motion was felt, especially on the upper level. Rare Mileage Conversion of a couple of deadhead runs to revenue service now makes it possible to ride the LIRR from Hunterspoint Ave., Queens to Long Island City, over a little-used branch. Labor Upset Delays Maine Train The start-up of Amtrak service from Boston North Station to Portland, ME has been postponed until at least Thanksgiving, and likely longer. Work to improve the tracks has been stalled by labor union opposition under a provision of Federal law which requires labor union consent before a Federally-funded project which would result in a loss of jobs can go ahead. Bus workers have claimed they will be hurt by the train service [though at least one local experience showed that bus patronage can increase where passengers can travel at least one way on a train]. Air Connections? New York area air travelers may soon not have to use a car or bus to get to the airport. Port Authority officials are eyeing a dedicated ticket tax as the means to build a rail line connecting Kennedy and LaGuardia airports with midtown Manhattan. A grand opening would be many years away though; the mode and route of the line has not even been decided. Meanwhile, plans exist to extend Newark Airport's monorail (now under construction) to a new station on the Northeast Corridor. Neither project will be able to match the convenience of SEPTA's R1 Airport Line. Highway Steamroller Stalled in NJ Following intense criticism from community and environmental groups (including NJ-ARP), the North Jersey Transportation Advisory Committee voted to turn down an I-287 highway widening previously approved by the committee. A bus/carpool lane project was substituted. Committee chairman Richard DuHaimie, a freeholder of Passaic County, called project opponents "obstructionists" for blocking his plans to pave over more and more of Somerset County. However, the opponents had both Federal law and NJTPA's own technical advisors on their side. Both said that adding more lanes for single-occupant cars would worsen, not solve the area's transportation problems. Short-term Pain, Long-term Gain Commuter and Amtrak riders will have a harder time finding parking when garage construction projects begin this fall both at Metropark and at BWI Airport Rail Station. ##U DVARP Phone & Voice-mail Directory DVARP main number (voice mail line) 215-222-3373 9 Chuck Bode, President 215-222-3373 1 Tom Borawski, VP-Transportation 215-552-4198 <73243.1224@compuserve.com> 6 Robert H. Machler, VP-Administration 215-222-3373 5 Sharon Shneyer, VP-Public Relations 215-386-2644 3 Matthew Mitchell, Newsletter Editor 215-885-7448 4 Betsey Clark, Volunteer Coordinator 215-222-3373 8 Mark Sanders, Treasurer 215-222-3373 2 John Pawson, Commuter RR Comm. 215-659-7736 (6 to 9 pm please) 3 Transit Committee 215-222-3373 7 Don Nigro, South Jersey Committee 609-869-0020 Dan Radack, Bicycle Coordinator 215-232-6303 Media Hotline (digital beeper) 215-552-4198 Computer e-mail (internet) 73243.1224@compuserve.com ##V DVARP Membership Coupon Yes, I want to support improved passenger train service in our region! Here are my DVARP membership dues for 1994! 9/94 Name Address City, State, Zip Please choose a membership category below, enclose check and mail to: DVARP, PO Box 7505, Philadelphia, PA 19101 ( ) Regular: $15.00 ( ) Family: $20.00 ( ) Supporting: $25.00 ( ) Sustaining: $50.00 ( ) Patron: $75.00 ( ) Benefactor: $100.00 ( ) Introductory-new members only: $10.00 ( ) under 21 or over 65: $7.50 ##W Upcoming DVARP Meetings: Saturday, September 17, 1:00 to 4:00 Temple University Center City 1616 Walnut St., Philadelphia. Please see bulletin board in lobby for meeting room. Food and drinks prohibited in meeting room. Saturday, October 15, 12:00 to 3:00 Lansdowne Public Library **Note change of place and time** Accessible by SEPTA R3 train. Saturday, November 19, 1:00 to 4:00 Collingswood Public Library Accessible by PATCO train