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Subject: LAUS now and soon, Boy we got emails! More LD Trains lies, More on Amtrak crash

From: Rail Passenger Association of California (noelnoelt@cox.net)

To: ntbraymer@yahoo.com;

Date: Monday, June 1, 2015 9:32 AM

RailPAC Weekly E­Newsletter for June 1, 2015 Edited by Noel T. BraymerFeel free to forward copies of this E­Newsletter to your friends or someone who canuse this information. If you would like to subscribe to the E­Newsletter just send me your name and emailaddress to nbraymer@railpac.orgIf you'd like to see expanded and improved Rail Passenger Service­Join Us!Membership increases our strength in presenting the case for rail to policymakers at alllevels!

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These are instructions for first responders on how to open a Metrolink car door in an emergency.Instructions are also given on how to remove train windows from outside in an emergency. Americantrain windows can't be broken with a sledge hammer. The hammer would only bounce back. Photo byNoel T. Braymer

FRA issues Emergency Order to cut train speeds in wake of recent AmtrackderailmentGovernment Security News ­ May 26, 2015The Emergency Order requires Amtrak to take a series of steps to improve safety along theNortheast Corridor, including implementing Automatic Train Control (ATC) code changes andmodifications, adopting other safety procedures at several curve locations with significant speedreductions,(emphasis added) and submitting an action plan to FRA outlining additional steps.FRA will take additional steps in the coming days and weeks to ensure other corridors are addressingpotential over­speed issues as well.Government Security News: Amtrack? Close enough for government work? NB

Amtrak could have had a working safety systemKennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel ­ May 28, 2015I worked as a signal maintainer 45 or so years ago for Philadelphia Transportation Co. and South EastPennsylvania Transit Authority. As a signal maintainer, I specialized in train signals and track­traincontrols. Both subway and local commuter trains operated on a block signal system. Basically, this blocksection signal system would automatically stop trains if a train lay on the track ahead, a track switch wasset to a conflicting position, if the train were speeding — particularly if the train approached a curvegoing too fast — and many other safety features.

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Amtrak To Install Long­Sought Cameras In LocomotivesCBS Local ­ May 26, 2015Amtrak said Tuesday it will install video cameras inside locomotive cabs to record the actions of trainengineers, a move that follows a deadly derailment earlier this month in which investigators are searchingfor clues to the train engineer’s actions before the crash.As CBS2’s Dick Brennan reported, the idea is to record the actions of the train engineer. But critics saythey’re not sure the move will contribute to safety.

How are Amtrak 188 passengers reclaiming lost belongings?PhillyVoice.com­May 27, 2015More than three weeks after the derailment of Amtrak Train 188, many of the more than 230 survivorsboard still have yet to recover all of their lost goods.How does Amtrak plan to return those items, whichcould range from a laptop to a wardrobe to anything of great personal or monetary value?

U.S. House panel to hold hearing on fatal Amtrak derailmentNJ.com ­ May 28, 2015The U.S. House Transportation Committee will hold a hearing Tuesday on the derailment of an Amtraktrain in Philadelphia that killed eight people.Witnesses include National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Christopher Hart, Amtrak PresidentJoseph H. Boardman, Federal Railroad Administration Acting Administrator Sarah Feinberg, and DennisR. Pierce, national president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.

Let Congress fix its mistakes firstPhilly.com ­ May 28, 2015At first blush, privatizing Amtrak and bringing free­market efficiency to this shabby, inefficiently runwreck of a railroad seems like a bright idea.Bright, that is, until you try to answer the obvious first question. What privately run corporation with afiduciary responsibility to its employees and shareholders would even begin to consider buying such adisaster?The obvious answer is none, which means that Congress must do something it almost never does thesedays; correct its own mistakes

Amtrak Philadelphia Crash Not Caused By Lack Of Taxpayer FundingInvestor's Business Daily ­ May 29, 2015One need only peruse reports from the Government Accountability Office and Amtrak's own inspectorgeneral to see what can go wrong when the discipline of the market is absent.As the IG noted last year, Amtrak "has not consistently used sound business practices in each phase of thecapital planning process, including developing sound project proposals with performance measures,learning from the execution and outcome of projects, and controlling unauthorized expenditures."

Amtrak train stranded at Trenton Transit Center: ReportNJ.com­May 26, 2015Amtrak Train 123 headed to Washington D.C. from New York was stuck in Trenton for about an houraround 10 p.m. ate Monday night after a loose cable caused a power outage, NBC10.com reported.

Miserable, Sweaty Delays For NJ Transit, Amtrak Riders At Penn Station,Thanks ...Gothamist ­ May 27, 2015A downed overhead wire in Queens has caused major delays for commuters at Penn Station: Both NJTransit and Amtrak customers are facing 45­60 minutes delays at what seems to be an air conditioning­

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less train station.

Amtrak train damaged during trip from Cleveland to Alliance (photos)cleveland.com­May 30, 2015FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, Ohio — An unsecured freight train door swung open and struck an Amtraktrain traveling from Cleveland to Alliance early Saturday...The incident caused an hour­long delay for the Amtrak train. The train's full route is from Chicago toWashington D.C. It's next stop after Alliance was Pittsburgh, according to an Amtrak spokesman.

Amtrak Crash Quells Railroads' Effort to Reduce Crews on TrainsBloomberg­May 27, 2015The Amtrak crash that killed eight people this month raised questions of the safety of one­engineer trains,thwarting the idea of reducing freight crews for now, Union Pacific Corp. Chief Executive Officer LanceFritz said.

To see why Amtrak's losses mount, hop on the Empire Builder trainReuters­May 28, 2015To pay for its money­losing routes, Amtrak peels funds away from its profitable ones such as theNortheast Corridor, where its high­speed Acela and Northeast Regional trains saw a combined $484.7million profit in its last fiscal year.This nonsense had to be challenged. This was my reply to Reuters.NBWhat is ignored in this story about Amtrak's costs and losses is the cost of Infrastructure. Mosttransportation depends on government supplied infrastructure i.e harbors, roads, airports and soon. Amtrak's long distance trains run on the infrastructure of the private railroads. Not only that,but by law the railroads must give Amtrak a discounted price to run on them. The railroads havelong complained that they don't make money with Amtrak. Yet we are suppose to believed thatAmtrak is losing money on long distance trains. The major cost of all transportation is not theoperation of the service, but the cost of the infrastructure. Most of Amtrak's infrastructure is on the NEC which it owns. It was given it after PennCentralwent bankrupt largely because of the costs of the NEC. The majority of the traffic on the NEC isfor commuter trains, not Amtrak. At Penn Station in New York, Amtrak might run 4 trains anhour to New Jersey Transit's 20. Yet we are to believe the NEC is profitable?As a comparison, look at Britain. Today for profit companies run all the trains. Commuter andrural services get subsides from the government. The Intercity services, the long distances servicesall operate at a profit and are not subsidized. This is true of most rail service around the world.The company that owns the infrastructure; Network Rail is a non­profit company. It gets 60 % ofits income from the British government and the rest from track charges and concessions atstations. The only way Amtrak can "lose" so much money on long distance trains is to charge them infrastructure costs of the NEC . As proof of this, one can look at attempts to save money byAmtrak by cutting back on long distance trains. The results were no savings on costs but areduction of revenue and higher deficits! NB

Commission to support efforts to keep Amtrak in NewtonNewton Kansan ­ May 28, 2015The City Commission voted 5­0 to to pledge more than $12,500 to support a grant designed to preservethe current route of Amtrak's Southwest Chief, a passenger train that stops in Newton.The Southwest Chief stops in Newton at about 3 a.m. each day. Passengers can head to Chicago or LosAngles via the rail. Last year there were 12,871 arrivals and departures from Newton, according to a factsheet from the National Association of Railroad Passengers. Newton is the busiest station in Kansas. The

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most popular destination in 2014 was Chicago, Illinois. Newton is the perfect place to extend the Heartland Flyer north of Oklahoma and connect withthe Chief. NB

A boon for the ChiefPueblo Chieftain ­ May 27, 2015THE COLORADO Highway Commission stepped up where the state General Assembly fell flat. The commission late last week signed off on $1 million in matching funds to back a federalTransportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER, grant to repair rails for theSouthwest Chief. The passenger train runs daily from Chicago to Los Angeles and includes stops inLamar, La Junta and Trinidad.

One last ride: Amtrak ticket agent to retire after 40 yearsGrand Forks Herald­May 29, 2015But the next time they board the Empire Builder in Grand Forks, Sivertson won't be there to greet them.After 42 years on the job, he is retiring Monday.Amtrak service in Grand Forks will change then, too, switching from full­time service—with an agent onhand to assist passengers on both the eastbound and westbound trains and to perform other duties—tocaretaker status.

OUR OPINION: Making the conservative case for AmtrakGrand Forks Herald­May 29, 2015The case was put forward most clearly in the 2009 book, "Moving minds: The conservative case forpublic transportation."In the book, authors William Lind and the late Paul Weyrich—prominent conservatives both—start bydebunking the claim that driving a car is somehow more free­market friendly than taking a train..."Over the next two decades, federal transit funding never amounted to more than a fraction of highwayfunding. 'The current division of market share between the automobile and mass transit,' Weyrich wrote,'is in no way the product of a free market. It reflects massive and sustained government intervention infavor of automobiles.'

Amtrak funding on the line in final days of Illinois budget battleSTLtoday.com­May 28, 2015As the Illinois Legislature enters the final days of hashing out a budget, the future of Amtrak service onroutes that rely heavily on state funding — including service between St. Louis and Chicago — remainsuncertain.Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposed budget seeks a 40 percent cut in money for Amtrak, which would drop itsstate funding from $42 million to $26 million. It’s part of Rauner’s plan to erase a $6 billion budgetshortfall. Rauner campaigned against extending an income tax increase that expired in January, and hassaid he’ll compromise on the budget if he gets business reforms passed.But Democrats, who hold veto­proof majorities, were not backing down in their fight against his cuts.The deadline to approve a budget is Sunday.

SEPTA plans to spend $154 million on new locomotivesPhilly.com­May 27, 2015SEPTA is buying 13 "Cities Sprinter" ACS­64 locomotives to be built by Siemens Industry Inc., theGerman conglomerate, at its factory in Sacramento, Calif. The price includes an option for fiveadditional locomotives.

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Future site of High Speed Rail at Los Angeles Union Station? Photo by Noel T. Braymer

Views of Los Angeles Union Station now and in the futureComments and photographs by Noel T. BraymerThe main buildings of the historic Los Angeles Union Station are being preserved and restored as part ofa major upgrade of the station. This will turn it into a major transportation hub not only for Los Angelesbut also for all of Southern California. With this will come major new construction and demolition ofmany existing structures at and around Union Station. The following is a visual presentation of howthings look now and what is planned in the future at Los Angeles Union Station.

Nevada joins the high­speed rail bandwagon with plans for Vegas, SoCal linkSacramento Business Journal­May 26, 2015A high­speed train to Las Vegas took another step toward to reality last week as the Nevada Legislaturesent a bill to Gov. Brian Sandoval to establish the Nevada High­Speed Rail Authority.The agency would select a firm to construct and operate a high­speed train from Las Vegas to SouthernCalifornia and oversee construction if Senate Bill 457 becomes law. The bill passed both legislativechambers last week with only one dissenting vote.

Governor signs experimental­drug bill, scores of othersLas Vegas Sun­May 28, 2015 Gov. Brian Sandoval has signed bills to accelerate movement toward a high­speed train between SouthernCalifornia and Las Vegas and to give hope to terminally ill patients.The governor announced today that he has signed an additional 75 bills.SB 457 creates the Nevada High Speed Rail Authority with five members to be appointed by thegovernor. By Oct. 1, the new authority must select a company to move forward with the high­speed rail

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project.

Report: Future of Las Vegas transportation includes light rail under Strip ...Las Vegas Sun ­ May 27, 2015Today's report gives a first glimpse of some of the proposed ideas to relieve congestion and modernizeLas Vegas's transportation system. The recommendations range from massive long­term projects — likethe proposed light rail running underground beneath the Strip — to smaller, more easily achievablesuggestions like adding more pedestrian bridges over Las Vegas Boulevard and increasing staging areasfor taxis at the airport and casinos.

High­speed rail and infill: A great marriage for CaliforniaSacramento Bee­May 26, 2015As other countries have found, high­speed rail can be part of the solution – with the right land­use policy.High­speed rail is about providing California travelers a choice they do not have. It also offersCalifornians more choice about where and how they live by spurring new infill development in urbanareas near high­speed rail stations and other locations connected by transit.As a real estate developer focused on sustainable projects, I see the results every day of decades ofunhealthy sprawl development. Fortunately, positive changes are evident throughout the state, withhundreds of mixed­use, transit­oriented communities being built.

More than 200 properties face condemnation to clear way for high speed railSacramento Bee­May 28, 2015The number of Valley properties identified for possible condemnation by the state for its high­speed railproject has grown to more than 200 after a recent vote by the State Public Works Board.The three­member board, made up of the heads of the state’s Transportation, General Services andFinance departments, adopted 23 resolutions declaring a public need and authorizing the use of eminentdomain to acquire properties in Fresno, Madera, Kings and Tulare counties. The land, adding up to morethan 115 acres, is deemed necessary by the California High­Speed Rail Authority for the first twoconstruction segments of its statewide bullet­train network.

Fly Over Four Options For the Bullet Train's Route From Burbank to PalmdaleCurbed LA­May 28, 2015 According to the California High­Speed Rail Blog, there are four options for the train's pathfrom Burbank to Palmdale and three of them involve long tunnels under various sections of themountains. The details of each proposed bullet train path are laid out clearly in these videos from thehigh­speed rail authority, which give all four the animated fly­over treatment—very helpful when tryingto figure out exactly where this nearly $68­billion bullet train could end up traveling.

High Speed Rail Open House Meeting MondaySCVNEWS.com­May 27, 2015High Speed Rail Authority officials are hosting an open house Monday for Santa Clarita.“These meetings are to update the public on the progress the High Speed Rail Authority is making on thePalmdale to Burbank project section,” said Adeline Yee, spokeswoman for the High Speed RailAuthority.

Still debating where to put the Houston high speed rail terminalChron.com (blog)­May 26, 2015While people in the rural counties are trying to kill the proposed high speed rail line between Houstonand Dallas, some other people here in Houston are thinking about where a station should be.

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Legislature Could Kill Proposal For SA­Monterrey RailSan Antonio Current­May 27, 2015It takes about five hours to drive from Monterrey, Mexico, to San Antonio — that's if there's not muchof a line at the border.It's quite a popular route, considering the growing volume of Monterrey émigrés in SA (there's a reasonthe Stone Oak/Sonterra area is called "Sonterrey" or "Little Monterrey").So they and others may like the sound of being able to cut that trip down to two hours.That's what Congressman Henry Cuellar, D­Laredo, is trying to do.His plan? High­speed trains linking the two hubs, with a stop at the border — Laredo.

All Aboard Florida high­speed passenger train will zip from Miami to Orlando ...Bradenton Herald ­ May 28, 2015The report predicts All Aboard Florida will be carrying about 5.3 million riders a year by 2020, roughlydivided equally between South Florida local travel and long­distance travel between South Florida andOrlando.Revenues, however, won’t be an even split. The report estimates All Aboard America will be taking inabout $294 million a year in fares by 2020, with more than three­quarters coming from the long­haulroutes.“We are confident that that kind of revenue is a very viable business for us,” said Reininger, who notedAll Aboard Florida will also have income from the sale of advertising, food and beverage, among othersources.

TCDD high­speed Velaro enters passenger serviceGlobal Rail News­May 26, 2015Turkish State Railways (TCDD) has put the first of its seven new turquoise Velaro train sets intopassenger service.The new German­built trains went into operation on the Ankara­Konya high­speed rail line on May 23.TCDD’s 320 km/h Velaro will operate six daily services between the two cities.

Virgin Trains faces competition on east coast mainlineThe Guardian­May 28, 2015Yet now the industry regulator, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), is set to give the go­ahead to one ofthree competing claims for additional services on the line from London to Edinburgh.One of these proposals is Virgin’s own plan for more trains, which it sees as the logical extension of itsfranchise and a key component of its successful bid. The second is an attempt by FirstGroup to muscleback in on the route with a low­fare Edinburgh­London shuttle stopping at Stevenage, Newcastle andMorpeth. And the third is the bold move from Alliance Rail Holdings to revive the GNER brand – whichdefaulted on the franchise in 2006 – and slash journey times between the English and Scottish capitals to3hr 43min. This would be half an hour quicker than most trains.

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This is a statue at San Luis Obispo near the train station and tracks. It honors the work of the Chineselaborers who built most of the railroads in the western United States. Photo by Noel T. Braymer

150 years since Chinese workers were brought in to build the transcontinentalrailroadseattlepi.com­May 26, 2015In July 1865, the Central Pacific imported the first major group of Chinese workers from China. Theywere sent to the Sierra Nevadas, where they worked around­the­clock to build 13 tunnels through themountains. By 1867, 8,000 men were building tunnels and another 3,000 were laying track.

Why BNSF Railway is using drones to inspect thousands of miles of rail linesFortune May 29, 2015Rail safety is drawing new focus after May’s catastrophic Amtrak derailment. Though that accident’simmediate cause was excessive speed, the Federal Railroad Administration reports that nearly 500derailments were caused by defective track in 2014, making up more than a third of total rail accidents.Those derailments caused 35 injuries and $94 million in damages last year. BNSF says its drones willallow for more frequent track inspections,which should reduce track­caused derailments.

Santa Cruz agency eyes new passenger­rail serviceProgressive Rail Roading­May 27, 2015California's Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (SCCRTC) is soliciting publicfeedback on a study that examines the potential for launching passenger­rail service along the Santa CruzBranch Rail Line.

Appeals court ruling to boost cost to S.F. of Central Subway land

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SF Gate May 27, 2015When San Francisco officials were negotiating over the price of a South of Market gas station site thatthe city wanted for a future subway station, they made the landowner a final offer of $5 million buttacked on a series of asterisks — the price was subject to approval by a federal agency and the city’sMunicipal Transportation Agency and the Board of Supervisors.

Overcoming the Barriers to a Seamless Bay Area Transit ExperienceStreetsblog SF May 22, 2015The Bay Area’s prosperity is threatened by fragmentation in the public transit system: Riders anddecision­makers contend with more than two dozen transit operators. Inconsistent transit experiences anddisjointed planning and investment make our transit system less efficient, less usable, and less likely tohelp us meet our goals for a thriving and sustainable region.The Bay Area may have the worst problem with "balkanization" of transit in California. Butother regions in California also have similar problems. NB

Man arrested for assaulting Caltrain conductorKRON4.com ­ May 29, 2015SUNNYVALE (KRON) — A man allegedly assaulted a Caltrain conductor after he refused to pay hisfare in Sunnyvale, according to a transit spokeswoman.Around 1:30 p.m., transit police were called to the Lawrence station at 137 San Zeno Way where thealleged assault occurred on northbound Caltrain No. 151 heading, Caltrain spokeswoman TashaBartholomew said.

Metrolink out in front on train techSanta Clarita Valley Signal May 16, 2015Metrolink’s San Bernardino, Ventura County and Antelope Valley lines are operating using PTC oncommuter lines ahead of the Dec. 31, 2015 federal implementation deadline with testing on remainingOrange County lines currently under way, according to Metrolink Spokesman Jeff Lustgarten.“PTC will add an extra level of safety and security for our riders,” Lustgarten said. “The engineer stilloperates the train, but the technology will act as a fail­safe.”

Anti­710 Freeway tunnel group presents new traffic­fixing planThe San Gabriel Valley Tribune­May 28, 2015The group also opposes a 7.5­mile light­rail alternative, one of five options presented in an SR­710 NorthStudy draft Environmental Impact Report released in March. Instead, it suggests installing a surface­routelight­rail or busway from Old Pasadena to East La College, connecting with existing Gold Line andMetrolink stations. The line — in second and third phases — would extend south through 710 corridorcities of Maywood, Bell, Cudahy and South Gate.

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Recent view of the terminal for the Expo Line in downtown Santa Monica. There are test trains alreadyrunning on parts of the new trackage west of Culver City. Service to Santa Monica is expected in early2016. Photo by Noel T. Braymer

We Get EmailRe: China having edge for California HSR contractAfter our experience with Chinese steel and other contractors on the Bay Bridge, they are the last ones weshould consider for any future projects like HSR.Donald F. RobertsonSan Francisco

Re: Dam TrainsYour question on why we need to build new dams when the current ones are empty reminds me of theman who couldn’t fix the roof because it was raining, and wouldn’t when it was dry because it didn’tleak anymore.The last time the rains came down hard the dams were all overflowing and flooding the area. We couldhave used the extra capacity then, and building the extra dams the day before the rains isn’t practical.Recharging ground water is the best solution for the ground water problem, but you can’t ship soggy dirtto places that don’t get enough water to begin with. Those places need water pumped from distantreservoirs to meet their needs.And just for fun, here’s a route I wouldn’t mind riding. From the California Zephyr in Omaha, south toSt. Joseph and Kansas City, then along the route of the Missouri River Runner to St Louis, out to connectwith the Cardinal/Hoosier in Indianapolis, The Lake Shore and Capitol in Toledo and up to reach theMichigan Services in Detroit. That’s my idea for a revived Wabash Cannonball.I can’t see it happening, but the commercials would have one of the best theme songs on television.I’m looking forward to the next newsletter.Claude Medearis

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El Cajon, CA

Re: Lies, Damn Lies and Amtrak StatisticsI want to bring something to your attention. Our small local newspaper reprinted an article titled:Would privatizing Amtak improve safety? Two experts provided side­by­side articles arguing yes and nofrom the Tribune News Service.It seems to me that both articles are filled with inaccuracies that deserve rebuttal. For example, the Noauthor states, " Keep the Noretheast Corridor which made almost $500 million last year, while divestingthe railroad of sparsely traveled an order staffed routes in the rest of the country. And shut down money­losing food services."Dennis TaugherThe heart of the problem for transportation is the cost of infrastructure. Operating passengertrains at a profit with competition between carriers can be done. This is happening in Europe. Butinfrastructure doesn't make money and this is where Amtrak loses most of its money. In most ofthe world, most trains operate at a profit, but the government picks up the tab for most of the costof the railroads infrastructure as it also does here for highways, air and water transportation.Water? ever hear of the Coast Guard and Army Corps of Engineers. Who pays for that? TheTaxpayers. I think this quote from Abraham Lincoln sums up the role of government;"“Thelegitimate object of government is to do for a community of people whatever they need to have done, butcan not do at all, or can not so well do, for themselves... " Lincoln was a major supporter ofinfrastructure. NB

Re: NYC subway deliveries instead of by carWell that was good news.. visited the long ago land of my origins last fall wife wanted bus ridesalternative to trains to see things, don't see much in tunnels.. an hour by bus 15­18 minutes by train. Andin some areas I'm sure mail or package services can't move any faster than the buses what with heavytraffic. Good deal seeing the Prime Now tale. Wonder why mails, express services etc don't use the trainsmore often.. any transit districts/authorities.. and something to think about for mail and other packageservices in the future using high speed rail [if any new systems get finished] good for rail revenues, theremust be a way to accommodate such.. just some thoughts maybe you or someone else can bring moreclarity than my ideas... Ed Davis Sr, Boise IDPeople talk about the Interurban trains like the Pacific Electric carrying people. But they forgetthat they made much of their money from less than carload freight, before trucks took over thatmarket. NB

Re:"Why does Amtrak want to expand Penn Station for New Jersey Transit?"Noel Braymer's excellent May 26 piece "Why does Amtrak want to expand Penn Station for New JerseyTransit?" raises a number of important points. Writing as a transplanted New Yorker, here are someadditional thoughts:1. As Braymer suggests, the NEC should be operated as the NEC Infrastructure Authority, independentof Amtrak. Additionally Metro­North should transfer the section New Haven – New Rochelle to the newagency.Other Amtrak­owned rights­of­way ­ New York­Yonkers, Keystone, and Michigan ­ should betransferred to their respective states or local commuter agencies for operations and maintenance.The new agency should charge users of the NEC (MBTA, Shoreline East, Metro­North, LIRR, NJT,SEPTA, MARC, VRE, Amtrak, NS, CSX) to operate on the Corridor. 2. Penn Station should operate as a run­through station for commuter lines – LIRR trains continue toNJT. This would provide convenience to commuters who live on Long Island and work in New Jersey. Technology exists for a train to draw power alternately from third rail DC or catenary AC.

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Metro­North could also operate to Penn Station to provide "West Side Access" to commuters fromupstate New York and Connecticut via tracks Amtrak now uses for Empire Service and Boston trains. Thus Connecticut commuters could also enjoy a one­seat ride to New Jersey, without needing to take thesubway from Grand Central to Penn Station.3. The East Side Access project is under way for LIRR trains to continue from Long Island to a newterminal deep below the existing Grand Central Terminal. (See Trains Magazine, March 2015.) Thetracks in the new stations will be oriented North­South. These tracks could be extended south and west ina tunnel to connect with NJT in New Jersey for run­through service between the two commuter regionsvia Grand Central.4. For years, a new Penn Station in New York has been considered, converting the handsome post officebuilding across 8th Avenue from the existing station, to be an esthetically appealing replacement of thepresent ugly underground station below Madison Square Garden. This new facility would be on a parwith the beautiful stations in Washington and Los Angeles, entirely appropriate for New York – one ofthe world's great cities. A second Hudson River tunnel could serve this station for Amtrak and NJTtrains. Track realignment in the new station would make accessing trains more convenient forpassengers.Don Bing

Re:Make Grade Crossings SaferMany thanks for your posting of May 22, 2015 on "How to Make Grade Crossings Saferfor Everyone". Thanks for sounding off!!! About three years ago I wrote a report urging a study to upgrade safety at Railroad/Highway grade crossings. This was after the accident (2012) near Fallon, NV involvingAMTRAK and the accident at Pecos, TX involving a parade. Noel, with the advent of PTC on high speed passenger lines and/or chemical routes, sensor systems atgrade crossing will have a platform for being incorporated into this safety system. Start with the gradecrossings on our Federal Highway systems, like the NV crossing, and fund the installations like the circa1973 Highway Act did with adding or upgrading crossing warning devices. In my report I asked this question: "Who would think that some grade crossings are three miles long(along the track) and over a half mile wide (along the roadway?" 20 seconds of warning time is notenough time needed by a driver to react to a road closure, that is if he can see the warning signals, and heis going 70 + MPH on a road with traffic. What about a 68,000 pound loaded truck at that speed? Train Detection Systems must be modified to add in highway conditions in approach of aHighway/Railroad Grade Crossing. This is the twenty­first century problem that must be solved !!!Bob MacDonaldThe "Retired" Plant Rat PS: I spent 8 years in the S.P. RR Signal Dept. as a signalman and signal maintainer, and 15 years as aPublic Projects Engineer handling Grade Crossings!

Opinions expressed in this enewsletter are those of the authors and not necessarilythose of the Rail Passenger Association of California.

The RailPAC Mission: Passenger Rail advocacy, Publications…both print andelectronic, Representation at regional meetings, and Rail education.Join us! More memberships increase our strength in presenting the case for rail topolicymakers at all levels!

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