The North American passenger rail market - Passenger Rail Planner's Guide 2002

Railway Age, March, 2002 by William D. Middleton, Julian Wolinsky

Fueled by the record level of federal funding support provided through the ISTEA act of 1991 and TEA-21 of 1998, U.S. rail transit has enjoyed an extraordinary renaissance that is now well into its third decade. Transit ridership hit a new high in 2001, and with a record federal appropriation of $6.7 billion in fiscal 2002, and $7.2 billion proposed for 2003, there was no sign that the rebuilding and expansion of rail transit is losing momentum.

For U.S. intercity rail there was uncertainty. Even as

INTERCITY PASSENGER RAIL SYSTEMS

National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) operates more than 22,000 route-miles serving more than 500 stations in 46 states. After five straight years of business growth Amtrak recorded the best year in its history during fiscal year 2001, when it transported 23.5 million passengers and generated revenues of S2.1 billion. Still, Amtrak failed to meet its Congressionally-mandated goal of operating self-sufficiency, and public attention was focused on Amtrak came off the best year in its 30-year history, the Amtrak Reform Council issued its report proposing a three-way break-up of the national carrier.

In Canada, Ontario's provincial government reversed a 1997 decision to hand off transit funding responsibilities to local government, and there were signs that the federal government would begin to support transit spending as well. Canada's national intercity carrier, VIA Rail, was well started on a major expansion and improvement program funded by a five-year capital investment program announced in April 2000.

Amtrak Reform Council recommendations for breaking up and privatizing the system.

While the service expansion envisioned by the Network Growth Strategy of several years ago was largely stalled, there were still positive developments. Acela Express high speed service in the Northeast Corridor after a delayed start-up reached 13 weekday round trips in the New York-Washington segment and nine round trips in the New York-Boston segment. Amtrak began operating between Boston and Portland, Me., in December, with four round trips daily. Upgraded Turboliners were entering service in New York's Empire High Speed Corridor. Construction was in progress for upgraded high speed service in the 104-mile PhiladelphiaHarrisburg Keystone Corridor. In a development with major implications for the future of passenger rail, Amtrak and Continental Airlines this month began a code sharing, single reservation service linking Continental flights in and out of Newark International Airport with Northeast Corridor services.

Under a Midwest Regional Rail Initiative plan for a nine-state network of high speed trains, Amtrak last year received proposals for high speed trainsets for operation in corridors linking Chicago with Detroit, Milwaukee and Madison, and St. Louis. Although a contract for new trains awaits federal funding, Amtrak has already begun to ramp up speeds in segments of the Midwest system. In January Amtrak began operating trains at 90 mph over a 45-mile section line in the Chicago-Detroit corridor equipped with positive train control (PTC). Ultimately, speeds of 110 mph are planned. A track upgrade this year between Dwight and Springfield, Ill., and a similar PTC installation will permit higher speed operation in the Chicago-St. Louis corridor.

Ridership continues to soar on California's three state-supported corridors--Pacific Surfliner, Capitol and San Joaquin--which are adding new trains to handle growth. Operated by Amtrak under the direction of Caltrans, they carried 3.4 million passengers in fiscal 2001, 15% of Amtrak's national total. Ridership has continued to escalate during the current fiscal year. State-owned rolling stock totals 88 coaches and 17 locomotives. Caltrans plans to continue expanding its passenger rail program. Double tracking is under way in the San Joaquin corridor and between Oakland and San Jose. Triple tracking and signal upgrading between Los Angeles Union Station and Fullerton in Orange County is now in final design and construction has been funded.

Amtrak West anticipates final approval from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service this spring for double tracking about 20 miles of Union Pacific-owned line in the desert near the California-Nevada border, allowing the start of a daily round trip between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The National Park Service has already given its approval, which was required because the track is located in the Mojave National Preserve. The two federal agencies required an environmental mitigation plan and permit to make certain the desert tortoise, a "threatened species," is protected. Union Pacific will require 10-12 months to complete the track work, after which a Talgo tilting trainset will be transferred from the Pacific Northwest to operate the line.

The 466-mile Amtrak Cascades from Eugene, Ore., through Portland and Seattle to Vancouver, B. C,, are also attracting record ridership. More than 560,000 passengers were carried during 2001 on five Talgo tilting trainsets, three owned by Amtrak and two by the State of Washington.