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Delaware Valley Rail Passenger Vol 12 No 09
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
<mmitchell@asrr.arsusda.gov> 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
<rail@rx.uni-karlsruhe.de>.
--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, "Rhre zwischen zwei Welten" [Tubes
between two Worlds] and his note, "Modell fr 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 3.70 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 Confderation gnrale 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 Dllinger 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 s
tate 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
<mmitchell@asrr.arsusda.gov>
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
