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Railroad Newsline for Friday, March 23, 2007

Compiled by Larry W. Grant

In Memory of Rob Carlson, 1952 – 2006

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RAIL NEWS

TRESTLE FIRE CAUSED ONLY MODERATE AIR POLLUTION TO NEARBY NEIGHBORHOODS, STATE MONITORS SHOW

Photos and graphics here:

[media.sacbee.com]

SACRAMENTO, CA -- Air pollution at the scene of Sacramento's railroad trestle fire reached "hazardous" levels briefly on Friday morning, but surrounding areas monitored by the state experienced only moderate pollution.

Data released Wednesday by the California Air Resources Board offer the first detailed look at particulate pollution from the spectacular fire.

While officials acknowledged the testing had limitations, the results suggest that densely populated areas of east Sacramento, where portable monitors where placed during the fire, experienced particulate pollution that was not serious.

The fire began about 17:40 hours Thursday and, by Saturday, had burned up a 1,400-foot-long section of creosote-soaked wooden train trestle on the banks of the American River.

"It appears to be, at least initially, pretty good news," said Jeff Cook, emergency response coordinator at the air board. "For the bulk of what we were able to monitor, the air quality would fall in either the 'moderate' or 'good' category."

The largest limit to the test results is that almost nothing is known yet about chemical compounds in the smoke.

Creosote is made from coal tar or a mixture of various chemicals, many of which are known to cause cancer.

The state's testing focused only on fine particulates, or soot, which is common to any wood fire. The state did not sample for chemical components.

That testing was assigned to a private contractor hired by Union Pacific Railroad -- a decision made by emergency officials during the firefighting effort.

Railroad spokesman Mark Davis said the company expects to deliver results to federal officials next week.

"We're going to be interested in them when they get released," Cook said. "I think you can suspect there were harmful components in that smoke."

A narrative of the fire incident released Tuesday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said the greatest concentration of volatile organic compounds in the smoke came from benzene, a known carcinogen, and naphthalene, which can cause organ damage and reproductive toxicity. The EPA, however, offered no details on this finding.

EPA spokesman Mark Merchant said further details would have to await the railroad's test results.
Allowing the railroad to handle this aspect of the testing -- and, indeed, all details of the site cleanup -- is standard practice in emergencies, Merchant said.

"Across the nation, what EPA has found in working with UP and other rail companies is that ... when they have an accident like this, they really tend to step forward quickly and take fast action, which means a proper cleanup," Merchant said.

The particulate results from the Air Resources Board do provide some reassurance to area residents.

The state Wednesday provided data from sensors at six locations: the fire scene itself, one at 13th and T streets downtown, two on the opposite riverbank, and two in east Sacramento at Mercy General Hospital and East Lawn Cemetery.

Locations were chosen based on the predicted path of the smoke plume. All stayed within an air quality range considered "good," except for a spike at 06:00 Saturday into the "moderate" range at a site along the south bank of the river.

These rankings are based on a guide for health officials during wildfires. The national standard for fine particulates, or those smaller than 2.5 microns, calls for no more than 35 micrograms per cubic meter of air averaged over 24 hours.

At the two neighborhood sensors, the standard was exceeded only once on an hourly basis: at 15:00 hours Friday at East Lawn Cemetery on Folsom Boulevard, with a reading of 55 micrograms.
"If the numbers had been different, there would have been decisions made about additional warnings or advisories to the public," Cook said.

Tiny particulates are in Sacramento's air all the time from wood burning, vehicle exhaust and other sources, and often creep into the moderate range on smoggy days.

These fine particles are small enough to pass through the lungs and into the bloodstream, and they can cause breathing difficulty, asthma attacks and bronchitis, and may cause heart attacks in people with pulmonary problems.

Cook said it is possible conditions were worse in other locations that were not monitored. Also, the monitors did not begin recording data until 11:00 hours Friday, when the fire had already been burning for about 16 hours.

Dave O'Toole of River Park, upstream from the fire, said he was concerned about the smoke and kept his 2-year-old son indoors more than usual as a precaution.

"There was kind of a haze over the neighborhood on Saturday, and you could definitely smell it. It was palpable," O'Toole said.

The worst time at the fire scene was late Friday night. There, fine particulates spiked into the "hazardous" range about 22:00 hours, with a reading of 1,084 micrograms per cubic meter, and stayed in the "unhealthy" range for about five hours.

Air quality monitors were withdrawn Monday and attention has turned to site cleanup. The state Department of Fish and Game and Regional Water Quality Control Board are analyzing soil and water samples taken from the scene.

The only water results so far come from the city of Sacramento, which sampled the American River at the fire scene and upstream and downstream from it.

"All of them came out the same, and all of them had no elements of arsenic or chromium or creosote in them," said Jessica Hess, spokeswoman for the city Utilities Department. - Matt Weiser, The Sacramento Bee

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DON'T FORGET CYCLISTS: TRESTLE DETOUR FRUSTRATES KEY COMMUTERS

SACRAMENTO, CA -- The fire that destroyed the Union Pacific trestle has disrupted travel for Amtrak commuters and forced UP and other railroads to reroute their hauling of freight. To their credit, UP is moving quickly to rebuild the trestle, and Amtrak has organized buses to help passengers get between Auburn and Sacramento.

Unfortunately, local officials and UP haven't responded as quickly to ensure that another group of commuters aren't endangered or unduly inconvenienced by the construction work -- bicyclists.

Bicyclists? Those sweaty, lycra-clad Luddites? We can already hear some readers questioning why anyone should care.

Actually, we all should. Every day, hundreds of local residents commute to downtown jobs by bicycle; more would likely do so if they could depend on safe, reliable routes. The American River bike trail is essential to such commuting.

Yet as The Bee reported Wednesday, demolition and construction on the trestle has prompted authorities to create a problematic detour that forces cyclists traveling east "to dismount from their bikes at least twice, scale a steep, grassy section of the levee, go down the other side along a dirty path, take up to six turns on surface streets -- some of them unmarked -- before scaling a steep ramp covered in think gravel back onto the levee."

To be sure, bicycle commuters can find alternative routes, such as using surface streets and crossing the river at California State University, Sacramento, to reach the bike trail. Many are already doing so. Yet, at a minimum, authorities need to erect better signs so cyclists can access these alternatives before they come upon a detour that is frustrating, and potentially injurious.

While some people say cyclists protest too much, this group has been pretty patient in recent years. Sewer work messed up the bike trail for months in 2005, and construction at CSUS has made it difficult to bike through that campus.

Bicyclists are just asking for a little consideration. That isn't too much to ask. - Editorial Opinion, The Sacramento Bee

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TRAIN JUMPS TRACKS IN PERRY COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI

Photo here:

[www.hattiesburgamerican.com]

Caption reads: CN Railways employees work the scene of a train derailment Wednesday in Perry County. No injuries were reported. See more photos of the derailment in our gallery. (Rebecca Latimer/The Hattiesburg American)

NEW AUGUSTA, MS - It could take weeks to determine why two locomotives and 26 rail cars jumped the tracks in Perry County, Mississippi and spilled their loads, officials said.

Wednesday's derailment occurred two weeks after another train derailed in south Forrest County, forcing dozens of homes to be evacuated due to the spilling of hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide.

No chemicals were spilled in Wednesday's derailment, officials said, and no evacuations were ordered.

The two locomotives were pulling 126 train cars in all.

Within hours of the derailment, CN Railways, a U.S. subsidiary of Canadian National Railways, brought in heavy equipment to clear a path to the wrecked train cars, some stacked three-high.

The cleanup effort closed one lane of a near mile-long stretch of U.S. 98 between New Augusta and Beaumont as workers tried to clear the wreckage.

"The federal railroad administration will come in and look and Canadian National will too," said Daniel Johnson, a rail inspector with the Mississippi Department of Transportation. "It's a mess," he said, adding because the wreck didn't involve hazardous materials, cleanup shouldn't take as long to complete as it did for the March 8 derailment.

"They have to move all this out and salvage it," said Perry County Sheriff Carlos Herring, pointing down the tracks past the broken and splintered rail ties to one of the cars filled with rolls of paper.

According to Herring, coal is what's hauled mostly on the tracks. But Wednesday's derailed loads were carrying pulp and wood.

Leo Gillie, a worker for the New Old Augusta Railroad Co. in New Augusta, drove his motorcycle to the cleanup area and started a search after he heard about the derailment from some talk at a local service station.

"I'm trying to see if any of our cars we got loaded out got on the ground," he said.

Gillie said his boss had sent him over to see if any of the freight - big rolls of fluff pulp - they had loaded that morning were spilled.

"I'm crossing my fingers none of ours went off the rail," he said.

He didn't get his answer. Company officials sent Gillie and others away from the cleanup site, located about a football field's length to the side of U.S. 98.

Although the cleanup and investigation could take weeks, the track could be open to rail traffic much earlier.

"My guess is in 24 hours we'll have an opening to be operating trains by then," said Rich Miller, a CN superintendent.

Besides MDOT and company officials, Mississippi Emergency Management Agency officials and county emergency personnel were standing by to lend assistance.

County officials set up a roadside command post in the new Perry County Emergency Response Command Center, a vehicle recently bought with federal Homeland Security dollars, according to Herring.

It was a debut run for the $40,000 command vehicle.

"It's going to be here 24 hours around the clock," Herring said. "It's the first time it's went into use." - Susan Lakes, The Hattiesburg American

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BNSF ISSUES UPDATE –- TRACK OUTAGE –- BRIDGE FIRE AT WINSLOW, ARIZONA

At 18:15 CT on Wednesday, March 21, 2007, BNSF Railway Company train operations were stopped at Winslow, Arizona due to a bridge fire that affected all main tracks.

Main track one and two was returned to service at 02:00 CT on March 22, 2007. There is no current estimate for restoring main track three back to service at this time.

Customers may experience delays of 12 to 18 hours on traffic moving through this corridor. - BNSF Service Advisory

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BNSF EMPLOYEE NOMINATED AS AN ALL-STAR FOR HIS HONESTY AND INTEGRITY

In this fast-paced world, we often forget that there are good Samaritans taking the time to assist others.

Recently, one citizen, Ardelle Danielson, Larimore, ND, found a good Samaritan after she lost her wallet which was full of crisp $100 bills.

For Marc Schmidt, BNSF Railway Company machine operator, Minot, ND, it was a normal workday. He was heading to Bottineau, ND, with a rail delivery when he pulled into a wayside stop to stretch his legs. Schmidt spotted a woman’s handbag in the middle of the parking lot.

"I figured it must have been on the roof of someone’s car and fallen off," says Schmidt.

Retrieving the purse, he began checking for information about its owner. He found a large pillbox and became concerned that the owner might need the medicine.

He also found money with at least three $100 bills and a cell phone. Dialing the numbers saved in the phone, he finally reached Bernard Danielson, the purse owner’s husband.

Schmidt informed Danielson that he had found the purse, and they arranged to meet at a truck stop that Schmidt would pass on his return trip. Three hours later, Schmidt returned the purse and its contents.

Danielson tried to give him the money in the purse as a reward, which exceeded $400, but Schmidt refused any type of reward. When the couple returned home, they wrote a letter to Mark Bruce, Twin Cities’ general manager, generously praising Schmidt’s actions. Bruce sent Schmidt a letter of his own, thanking the 28-year BNSF veteran for setting an honest example. Bruce also sent a gift to remind Schmidt of the time he demonstrated high ethical conduct.

For his integrity and honesty, Schmidt has been recognized as a BNSF All-Star. - BNSF Today

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AMTRAK ADJUSTS MISSOURI SERVICE SCHEDULES TO ACCOMMODATE TRACKWORK

CHICAGO, IL -- Amtrak is adjusting train schedules between St. Louis and Kansas City effective April 2, 2007, due to a major track repair project by the line's owner, Union Pacific Railroad (UP). The project will continue through the fall of 2007 and is expected to lead to improved ride quality and reliability.

During the construction period, UP will install new rail, ties, ballast and replace surfaces at road crossings. Unlike 2006, when Amtrak and the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) regularly chartered motorcoaches, this year's plan calls for two daily round-trips to be provided solely by train.

"Although we were able to maintain frequencies by using buses last year, ridership numbers were down because the buses could not equal the seating capacity, schedules and appeal of Amtrak travel," said Rod Massman, Railroad Administrator at MoDOT. "The Missouri Rail Passenger Coalition and other customers have made it clear to us they expect to ride a train when they buy a ticket, so we've changed schedules to accommodate the UP track work and still provide twice-daily round-trips by train," Massman added.

Modified schedules for the Missouri Mule Service (Trains 311 & 316) and Ann Rutledge (Trains 314 & 313) are below, showing the two daily round-trips on the route. Amtrak has reserved the right to occasionally charter buses to represent trains that would otherwise be greatly delayed. This is a practice also used in other parts of the Amtrak network.

UP has informed Amtrak and MoDOT there could be an opportunity for a schedule change that would restore Train 314 to an earlier eastbound schedule from Kansas City for several weeks this summer. Passengers are encouraged to check Amtrak.com, www.morail.org, pay close attention to station notices or on-board announcements or call 800-USA-RAIL for any updates.

"We greatly appreciate the patience of Amtrak customers while our crews complete the necessary track maintenance that will further enhance safe railroad operations across the state of Missouri," said Randy Blackburn, Union Pacific regional vice president, operations, for the Northern Region.

The Southwest Chief (Trains 3 & 4) to and from Los Angeles and Chicago, via Kansas City, and the Texas Eagle (Trains 21 & 22) to and from San Antonio and Chicago, via St. Louis, are not directly affected by this track work project.

Amtrak operates the St. Louis-Kansas City route under a contract with the Missouri Department of Transportation. - Marc Magliari, Amtrak; Jeff Briggs, MoDot; and James Barnes, UP, Joint News Release

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NOW ARRIVING: A BIGGER AND BETTER AMTRAK TIMETABLE FOR SPRING-SUMMER 2007

WASHINGTON, DC -- The newest Amtrak System Timetable, covering 21,000 miles of train routes in 46 states and the District of Columbia, is available next week in staffed Amtrak stations across the country and through Amtrak.com. Several changes have been made to make the booklet easier to use.

"We have gone to larger format, so the System Timetable is now the same size as it's related publication, the Amtrak Vacations travel planner," said Emmett Fremaux Jr., Amtrak Vice President, Marketing & Product Management. "There are four-color pictures throughout the timetable and the use of more vivid colors in the timetable grids make them easier to understand.
"Between the detailed information in the System Timetable and the destinations and packages in the Amtrak Vacations booklet, there's every reason to say 'all aboard,'" Fremaux added.
Timetables can also be obtained by calling 800-USA-RAIL.

There are many minor and some seasonal changes throughout the timetable, but the following are the most noteworthy items in the Spring-Summer 2007 Amtrak System Timetable, which is effective with departures on April 2.

East

While there are minor changes to Acela Express schedules along the Boston-New York-Washington corridor, there are several improvements planned for the Keystone Corridor between Harrisburg, PA, and Philadelphia.

Two new weekend Keystones will be operated. On Saturdays, Train 610 will depart Harrisburg at 19:05 to offer a later eastbound departure and connect in Philadelphia with Regional trains to the north and south. On Sundays, Train 615 will offer an additional westbound frequency from Philadelphia at 13:45 for passengers returning home or to school at the end of the weekend.

On the popular Regional trains between New York and Washington, new Train 121 will operate on Saturdays, departing New York at 05:45 am to allow a full day in visit to Philadelphia, Baltimore or Washington. Also on Saturdays, new Train 147 departs Springfield, MA, at 08:05, providing an additional frequency southbound to Washington.

Train 448, the eastbound extension of the Lake Shore Limited between Albany/Rensselaer, NY, and Boston, via Springfield, MA, will depart at 16:10 due to the new Chicago-Rensselaer-New York schedule of Train 48 (see below).

Central

Train 48, the eastbound Lake Shore Limited, will depart Chicago at 22:00 nightly, allowing it to accept more passengers arriving on other trains from the west and south, while providing a more attractive eastbound departure from Cleveland. At Chicago, Lake Shore Limited passengers can begin boarding two hours before departure and Sleeping Car customers will be offered a complimentary Welcome Aboard Reception in the Dining Car in lieu of dinner.

Two of the three Wolverine Service trains from Chicago to Detroit/Pontiac have new schedules. The departure of Train 350 has been moved to 08:30 in order to allow for a connection from the first inbound Hiawatha Service train from Milwaukee, Train 329, due into Chicago at 07:57. Additionally, Train 352, the mid-day Wolverine, has been moved up one hour, to depart at 12:15, in order to offer a more attractive lunch-time departure for this service from Chicago. Between Chicago and St. Louis, Trains 300-307 will be known as Lincoln Service and all trains will originate in either Chicago or St. Louis. Passengers riding past St. Louis to and from points in Illinois and Missouri will need to change trains at St. Louis.

Carlinville, IL, has been added as a Flag Stop on the Texas Eagle. Trains 21/321/421 and 22/322/422 will stop when advance notice is given by passengers making reservations or signaling from the platform. Most Lincoln Service trains are scheduled to stop at Carlinville.

Between St. Louis and Kansas City, Trains 311, 313, 314 & 316 will continue to operate, despite scheduled Union Pacific Railroad track work on the route. There could be an opportunity for a schedule change that would restore Train 314 to an earlier eastbound schedule from Kansas City this summer.

West

There are no significant changes in schedules for the Pacific Surfliners, San Joaquins, Capitol Corridor, Amtrak Cascades or overnight trains in the region. However, some additions to the Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach system in California are expected May 21, 2007. Consult an agent for details. - Amtrak News Release

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AHEAD OF THE BELL: TRANSPORTATION

NEW YORK, NY -- Investors will be looking for insight on topics ranging from freight demand to buyout rumors when railroad executives speak later Thursday at a conference in New York.

Canadian Pacific Railway, CSX Corp. and Union Pacific Corp. headline a roster of rail operators presenting on the second day of the JPMorgan 2007 Aviation & Transportation Conference.

Canadian Pacific Chief Executive Fred Green will open the day and likely address first-quarter freight demand. Green said Tuesday that the railroad experienced a tough start to the year, due mostly to weather and a strike at its Canadian rival, Canadian National Railway Ltd. The recently resolved strike held up container traffic at the Port of Vancouver.

CSX Chairman and Chief Executive Michael J. Ward will probably also talk about freight demand, but analysts will look for him to address rumors that the railroad might go private. Fueled partly by takeover chatter, shares of CSX have gained 16 percent so far this year and 34 percent over the last 12 months, said Lee A. Klaskow, an analyst at Prudential Equity Group.

"The main driver fueling the stock's momentum has been speculation surrounding CSX as a private equity target given the lack of fundamental catalysts," Klaskow said in a research note on Wednesday. "While we would never say never, we believe the likelihood of this happening is slim."

Other key names presenting at the conference include Union Pacific Chairman Jim Young, Arkansas Best Chief Executive Robert A. Davidson and Chief Financial Officer Judy R. McReynolds, and YRC Worldwide Inc. Chairman and Chief Executive Bill Zollars. - The Associated Press, The Houston Chronicle

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BLOCK BY BLOCK, ROUNDHOUSE RESTORES RARE FLOOR

SAVANNAH, GA -- When Bill Hersch tapped the last wooden block into place and stood up Wednesday morning, he'd just put the last piece of an enormous restoration puzzle into place at the Roundhouse Railroad Museum.

Photo here:

[cms.images.morris.com]

Caption reads: Roundhouse Railroad Museum preservationists rebuilt the original wood block floor at the roundhouse with new creosote soaked wood blocks. (Photo: John Carrington/Savannah Morning News)

The unique floor covers roughly 10,000 square feet and dates back to 1926, Hersch said. But over the years, much of it had been damaged or destroyed.

Hersch and his crew labored on the project for about six months, and they eventually replaced about 45 percent of the estimated 65,000 blocks that make up the floor.

"It's been an honor to work on this," said Hersch, 28, a project engineer and Savannah College of Art and Design student who is finishing up his master's thesis.

Photo here:

[cms.images.morris.com]

Caption reads: Roundhouse Railroad Museum project engineer Bill Hersh, right, Lorena Novoa, and Anthony Temple, left, lay the last of more than 65,000 wood blocks in the floor of the roundhouse. (Photo: John Carrington/The Savannah Morning News)

Originally designed to soak up oil and cushion the workplace, the floor is a tangible link to the days when rail cars and locomotives were pulled into the Roundhouse for inspections and maintenance.

This type of covering was "more economical" than concrete or brick, Hersch said. Unlike bricks, wood won't break when heavy tools are dropped on it.

The new blocks are made of Southern yellow pine. Each one is 4 inches wide, 8 inches long and 3 inches deep - or about the same size as a brick, said Hersch, a North Carolina native. The blocks were pressure-treated with creosote, a coal-tar derivative that matches the existing blocks, preserves the wood and attracts the attention of the Environmental Protection Agency.

The EPA approved this particular case, Hersch said, because it was a minimal usage, and a concrete floor beneath the blocks will protect the soil from runoff.

As they placed the new blocks, Hersch and his crew carefully pushed in granulated cork around them, an agent that helps absorption and allows individual pieces of wood to expand or contract, depending on the weather.

Photo here:

[cms.images.morris.com]

Caption reads: Bill Hersch, project engineer at the Roundhouse Railroad Museum, holds one of the new creosote soaked blocks of wood used to rebuild the floor at the old roundhouse. (Photo: John Carrington/The Savannah Morning News)

The blocks in the original floor were tightly jammed together, said Hersch, "a process that didn't allow for expansion" and sped up deterioration in some areas.

The wooden floor puts the Roundhouse Railroad Museum in rare company, Hersch said. There are only a handful of such floors and, surprisingly, five wooden streets in the United States. Streets made with wooden blocks were quieter and less muddy, he said.

"This is one of our showpiece projects," said Michael Jordan, public relations director for the Coastal Heritage, the parent organization for the Roundhouse.

The new portion of the floor, Jordan said, makes everything in that part of the museum more accessible. - Chuck Mobley, The Savannah Morning News

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THE EMINENT DOMAIN GAME: SENATE PANEL VOTE MAY SIDETRACK RAILROAD CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

PHOENIX, AZ -- A Senate committee gave its approval Wednesday to a bill that would slow down plans for several railroad construction projects across Southern Arizona, most notably a controversial rail yard near Picacho Peak.

And some lawmakers used the opportunity to chastise Union Pacific for what they see as an unwillingness on the part of the railroad to listen to the concerns of property owners.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Jonathan Paton, R-Tucson, would require the Arizona Corporation Commission to review railroad proposals that include acquiring land through eminent domain or at auction. That could affect projects Union Pacific is planning in Willcox, Yuma and the Picacho area.

The committee approval came after a long, heated debate about the benefits and impacts railroad expansions would have on agriculture and property values in rural areas.

Farmers from Yuma and Picacho, where the railroad wants to build a large rail yard, complained that Union Pacific hadn't made an effort to listen to their concerns.

A potential line in Yuma, connecting Arizona to a new shipping port in Mexico, would cut through a farming region there.

"It doesn't really matter in the end," said Yuma farmer Paul Muthart of meetings between property owners and the railroad. "As long as they have the power of eminent domain with no oversight, all those meetings don't really matter."

Picacho's concerns are similar. The Pinal County Board of Supervisors in November voted to change the county's comprehensive land-use plan to accommodate the rail yard. The county sees the project as a major boon to the area, which will need jobs to employ thousands of new residents that housing developments are attracting. Property owners want more oversight.

"What you're hearing today is not that we should ban the railroad," Paton said after the vote. "The message was pretty clear that the public wants to have a dialogue and at this point that hasn't happened."

HB 2020 won bipartisan support in the committee, though some members questioned whether the Corporation Commission would be the best venue.

Sen. Chuck Gray, R-Mesa, said it looks as though Union Pacific "picked on the little guys."

"Man, we've got to do something," he said.

But the company's lobbyist, Chris Peterson, said he has reached out to the community and, if passed, the bill "will have a chilling effect" on adding needed rail capacity in Arizona.

The bill still needs to pass the full Senate before being transmitted back to the House. - Daniel Scarpinato, The Arizona Daily Star (Tucson, AZ)

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WIGGINS BILL WOULD HELP RAILROAD PAY FOR CLEANUP

California State Sen. Patricia Wiggins, D-Santa Rosa, has introduced legislation to enable the North Coast Railroad Authority to reallocate a fraction of the funds it receives through the federal Traffic Congestion Relief Program to help cover the costs of environmental cleanup.

The NCRA was established to own and operate the former Northwestern Pacific Railroad, which runs between Napa and Humboldt counties. Until the railroad is fully operational, NCRA is responsible for emergency maintenance such as strengthening levees, repairing bridges and culverts, vegetation and weed abatement, and general cleanup of debris along the 316 miles of right-of-way from Lombard in Napa County to Samoa in Humboldt County.

Under existing law, the NCRA received $60 million in grants through the Transportation Congestion Relief Program to repair and upgrade tracks. However, the law also required the Authority to hold $5.5 million in reserve, previously designated to help repay a federal loan that has since been forgiven.

According to Wiggins, the original justification for holding $5.5 million in reserves no longer makes sense.

"In recent years, the railroad has suffered serious storm damage, encountered environmental problems, been slapped with federal safety sanctions, and generally declined operationally and financially," Wiggins said. "The NCRA now finds itself in a kind of Catch-22 situation, where it has funds available to address several of its most pressing needs but is currently prevented from accessing those funds."

Her bill, SB 861, is similar to legislation carried by former Sen. Wesley Chesbro in 2005.
Chesbro's bill, however, was vetoed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

In his veto message, Schwarzenegger said the $5.5 million savings should revert back to the Transportation Investment Fund so that it could be allocated by the California Transportation Commission to other projects within the Transportation Congestion Relief Program.

"It is my belief that enabling the Authority to redirect those reserve funds to meet its environmental cleanup and administrative requirements will put the re-start and restoration of the railroad on a fast track," Wiggins said.

A 1999 Mendocino Superior Court order requires that the NCRA clean up nine rail yards between Eureka and Hopland. Currently, that effort is only partially completed, and has included the surface cleanup of scrap metal, railroad ties, abandoned vehicles, steel drums and hazardous waste.

Under the senator's bill, $4 million of the current $5.5 million reserve would be designated for environmental cleanup, with the remainder allocated toward administrative expenses.

According to Wiggins, the NCRA spent last year addressing issues that may change the Schwarzenegger Administration's view of NCRA in 2007:

The California Transportation Commission now fully supports the rail authority's plan to repair the Northwestern Pacific line and complete the court order;

The Attorney General's office and state environmental officials now understand that the $4 million provided in this bill would ensure compliance with the court order;

The NCRA now has an operator with a business plan to provide rail service which was endorsed by the CTC in November 2006. - The Ukiah Daily Journal

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CALIFORNIA TRAIN-CAR FATALITIES JUMP

Last year 36 people were killed in collisions between trains and vehicles in California -- a 63 percent increase over the year before, according to figures from the Federal Railroad Administration.

The total is second only to Texas, which saw 42 people killed in highway-railroad grade crossing accidents.

Overall, however, 2006 was a safer year for railroads in the state, the FRA says.

Total train accidents in California fell 12 percent during 2006 as compared to the previous year.

"This accomplishment is even more impressive considering rail traffic was at its highest point in history in 2006," says Edward Hamberger, president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads, a lobbying group for the industry. "Quite simply, we moved more freight, with fewer accidents."

Last year was the safest year on record for railroad employees in terms of both injury and fatality numbers and rates. FRA data showed that human error - the leading cause of all train accidents - declined 20.2 percent.

Since 1980, the rail industry says it has reduced accident rates by 70 percent and employee injury rates by 81 percent. Over that same time, the grade crossing collision rate has fallen 76 percent, it says. - Central Valley Business Journal

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FLAT REVENUE PROJECTIONS LIMIT COLORADO'S JBC SPENDING

DENVER, CO -- The flat state revenue projections released earlier this week left the Joint Budget Committee with little choice Wednesday but to limit how much money it could spend on capital construction projects.

As a result, at least two Southern Colorado projects won't see funding this year, but the planned expansion of the state penitentiary in Canon City will.

"I'm happy with the budget," said Sen. Abel Tapia, D-Pueblo and JBC chairman. "We put a lot of really good things in the budget. We did a lot of prevention. We did a lot of the governor's package on recidivism, and up-front programs to keep people out of prison."

Under changes the six-member JBC approved, the Legislature will only be able to afford the $36.9 million for the Colorado State Penitentiary II construction and the first 17 projects on the priority list created by the Capital Development Committee earlier this month.

That means Pueblo Community College won't get the $2.7 million it asked for to renovate its learning center, though the school will receive the $130,620 it needs for roof and heating system repairs in its science annex.

Additionally, the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad won't see the $1.35 million it wanted to cover track rehabilitation costs, but it will get $80,000 to rehabilitate its car shop and engine house. Because the CSPII project had been delayed four years because of a lawsuit over the financing plan the Legislature is using to build the 980-bed prison, the Colorado Department of Corrections said it needed more to cover inflation and construction cost increases.

"The longer we wait to build this prison, the more it's going to cost," Tapia said. "It's not a statement of values, it's a need that the state has."

As a result, that money had to come off the top of the money available for capital construction. - Charles Ashby, The Pueblo Chieftain

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RAIL BILL ON ITS WAY TO HOUSE

SPRINGFIELD, IL -- The Rock River Valley moved another step closer to revamping its rail system through legislation that would allow the Rockford Airport Authority to create a railroad authority.

Winnebago County Board Chairman Scott Christiansen said a railroad authority was needed to apply for matching-grant money from state and federal governments for future and current rail lines during his testimony to the House local government committee Wednesday.

"I think it's important for our area," Christiansen said. "All the mayors and village presidents in Winnebago County feel the same way. This is the first step."

The establishment of a rail authority would also help economic development in the county, Christiansen said, as businesses looking into Winnebago County frequently ask if the area has accessible rail and what condition it is in.

The committee passed the bill sponsored by Rep. Chuck Jefferson, D-Rockford, 10-0. It now goes to the House floor.

"This is a great step in the right direction," Jefferson said. "When this becomes reality we're all going to be a lot better because of it."

Several regional railways need to be upgraded, Christiansen said, such as the freight line between Rockford and Rochelle and possible commuter routes to Chicago that have been discussed in the recently released Amtrak study.

Rockford has not had Amtrak service since 1981. - Kiyoshi Martinez, The Rockford Register Star

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TRAIN CRASH: EMPLOYEE FATIGUE BEGS ACTION

Federal officials may have taken their sweet time to determine a cause for the April 10, 2005, head-on collision of two freight trains in Yazoo County, Mississippi's Anding Community, but the cause of the accident demands immediate action.

The National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday that a fatigued crew was to blame for the collision near Yazoo City that killed four people.

While CN railroad officials have praised the employees as "very professional," and the report did not dispute that, NTSB investigators testified that two had worked 12-hour late-night shifts for 18 months. On the day of the crash, the crew was working its sixth overnight shift in a week.

As NTSB noted, airplane crews are limited to 1,000 hours of flight time each year.

The Federal Railroad Administration has a proposal before Congress to give the agency authority to limit railroad employees' work schedules.

Findings of the Anding accident would support that proposal as a public safety issue. - Editorial Opinion, The Jackson Clarion-Ledger

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SUPERFUND SETTLEMENT BACK IN AREA HANDS

CLOVIS, NM -- A cash settlement for environmental damage should be used to restore playa lakes in Curry County, rather than to restore lakes in Roswell, according to a state and federal draft obtained Tuesday by Clovis officials.

The newly endorsed plan would give Curry County landowners incentives to protect playa lakes on their land.

An earlier version of the draft recommended a $459,000 settlement from BNSF Railway be used to restore approximately 43 acres of wetland habitat at Bottomless Lakes State Park in Roswell, although BNSF compromised land and wildlife in Clovis.

Public opposition to the Roswell plan led the report's authors to favor restoration of playa lakes in Curry County, the draft reads.

Of the revised draft, Clovis Commissioner Randy Crowder said, "Hallelujah."

"I'm elated," Clovis City Manager Joe Thomas echoed.

Crowder, fellow city commissioners and Curry County commissioners opposed using settlement funds in Roswell, more than 100 miles away from Clovis.

For years, BNSF Railway Company dumped wastewater into a playa lake about a mile south of its railroad yard in Clovis. In the 1970s, the Environmental Protection Agency discovered hazardous substances in and around the lake and determined wildlife had been harmed. Contaminated soil, sediment, water and native grass at the site have been cleaned up by BNSF, but the Department of Justice ruled BNSF pay for an additional restoration project.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and New Mexico Office of Natural Resources Trustee released the Draft Natural Resources Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment for that site -- named the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway New Mexico Superfund Site -- in October and the revised draft in March.

Playa lakes are natural wetlands that fill up when it rains. Conservationists believe they recharge the Ogallala Aquifer, the primary source of water in eastern New Mexico and west Texas. Endangered birds, mammals and amphibians also rely on playas for food and habitat.

Approximately seven to 10 playas could be conserved under the plan, the draft reads. Approximately 524 playas ranging from less than one acre to more than 120 acres are spread across Curry County, the draft reads.

The plan would require landowners to keep livestock away from playas, where they often graze and erode land.

Crafting the playa lakes plan was "an ongoing team effort," said Crowder, who worked on the plan along with state officials, conservationists and Sen. Clint Harden, R-N.M.

"We all spent a lot of time ... showing (state and federal officials) why this money needed to go to Curry County," Crowder said.

Public comments concerning the draft will be accepted until April 16 and then a final version will be enacted. - Mariena Hartz, The Clovis News Journal

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TRUCK DRIVER UNHURT AFTER HITTING TRAIN

BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, TX -- Authorities said Wednesday that a truck driver escaped injury when his truck hit a train the night before.

The train's conductor, Tillmon McCullum of Lubbock, Texas, suffered minor injuries.

The truck driver, Bryan Thompson of Ontario, Canada, was towing a trailer across the tracks on Texas 105 about 1-1/2 miles east of Stoneham, Texas when the train and trailer collided. The accident occurred about 22:15 Tuesday.

No tickets were given at the scene of the accident, but it remained under investigation by the Department of Public Safety and the Union Pacific Railroad police. Reports said that the railroad crossing is marked on the road with signs and flashing lights. It was unclear how fast the train was traveling.

The train, owned by Union Pacific, was heading east and had 65 cars, but only three were loaded with cargo, according to DPS reports. - The Bryan-College Station Eagle

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TRANSIT NEWS

LIGHT RAIL'S POWER LINES ARE GOING UP IN PHOENIX

PHOENIX, AZ -- Workers are stringing light rail's overhead power lines along Washington Street, another sign that testing trains in the street is only weeks away.

The lines, strung between new poles spaced every 100 feet, offer a glimpse of the finished product when the 20-mile system opens in December 2008.

The $56 million power system will change the landscape. The sky above the streets will be crisscrossed with wires, particularly in big intersections where the tracks turn.

Metro will consume about 20 million kilowatt-hours each year, enough to power a new subdivision of 1,400 homes year-round. That is more than double the demand of the newest system in Minneapolis-St. Paul but barely a quarter of the power used by the Los Angeles system.

Metro engineers say they have taken steps to ensure the power system is safe and unobtrusive.

Officials also are putting in features to respond automatically to downed power lines and substation outages and prevent electricity seepage that can damage underground pipes. - Sean Holstege, The Arizona Republic

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CONSTRUCTION AT THE GATEWAY: SMALL PAIN, BIG GAIN?

Photo here:

[www.sltrib.com]

SALT LAKE CITY, UT -- Limelight Tanning Club owner, Cory Clough, wonders every day whether his business will survive the road work just outside his doors.

Ever since construction crews started tearing up the streets around 200 South and 400 West in mid-January, Clough has noticed a decline in his business. New customers don't seem to be wandering in as much, and his regular clients don't seem to be visiting as frequently.

"Right now, business is only so-so," Clough said. "But every day I'm praying that things won't get any worse."

Clough's business is across the street from the southeast corner of The Gateway shopping center. Road construction is expected to continue through March 2008 as the Utah Transit Authority extends its light rail line from the north side of the Jazz arena to the city's new intermodal transit hub on 600 West, between 200 South and 300 South.

Although the primary objective of the construction is to link the light rail with the planned arrival of a commuter rail line coming from the north, Salt Lake City officials are taking advantage of the situation to upgrade the streets and municipal utility lines, some of which are more than 100 years old.

UTA spokesman Justin Jones said the best way for visitors to avoid any inconvenience caused by construction crews and their equipment is to use light rail. "It provides easy access in and out of the area."

And so far, many of the business operators in The Gateway maintain they have seen at most only a slight impact.

"We've seen a bit of a fall off in our business, but it hasn't been nearly as bad as I thought it would be," said Valerie Johnston, manager of the GNC Live Well store in The Gateway." And it seems that the warmer it gets, the more customers we're getting - so the nice weather definitely has helped."

Cameron Christensen and Amanda Howell drove up from Orem earlier this week to visit the shops at The Gateway. Although they said it was a pain to deal with the road construction, it wasn't bad enough to dissuade them from making the trip.

"I was down here last week, so I knew what to expect," Christensen said.

The Gateway General Manager Tracy James said construction company crews handling the work have done all they can to maintain street access for area businesses, including adding a parking lot at 600 West and 200 South, within walking distance of nearby shops and restaurants.

James also noted The Gateway three weeks ago opened a parking garage on the north end of the shopping center.

"At most, a driver will only have to go through construction for a half block before they get to one of the entrances to our garages," James said.

He reported same-store sales at The Gateway's shops were up 11 percent in January, compared with a year ago.

At the Estilo Salon, across the street and to the east of The Gateway on 400 West, Rina Gutierrez said the construction so far has been a nuisance, but it hasn't hurt business.

"We're still doing well - knock on wood. For a while, we had some parking across the street, but when that disappeared The Gateway allowed our customers to use their parking lots, so we can now validate their parking," Gutierrez said.

UTA's Chad Saley said that with construction, there obviously will be problems for some businesses. "It is something that can't be avoided, but everyone is doing what they can to keep any impact to a minimum."

He said the bulk of the excavation work along 400 West should be completed within the next several weeks. Once that is done, crews can begin restoring the road in preparation for the laying of the light rail tracks. - Steven Oberbeck, The Salt Lake Tribune

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WITNESSES SAY WOMAN ATTEMPTED SUICIDE ON METRO BLUE LINE TRACK

LONG BEACH, CA -- A woman was in critical condition at a local hospital Wednesday night after she allegedly threw herself in front of a Metro Blue Line train.

Photo here:

[www.presstelegram.com]

Witnesses told authorities that the middle-aged woman was standing beside the Metro Blue Line tracks near Spring Street and Pacific Avenue at about 15:30 when she stepped in front of the approaching train, apparently intent on killing herself, said Will Nash, a Long Beach Fire Department spokesman.

"Witnesses said ... she was standing next to the tracks with a drink in her hand, I don't know what kind of drink," Nash said. "When the train pulled up, she threw the drink aside and stepped directly in front of it."

The woman was dragged about 40 feet by the train, which caused massive external and internal injuries, including a severed right leg and a compound fracture to her left ankle, Nash said.

Paramedics rushed the critically injured woman to Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. A second team of paramedics retrieved the severed limb and took it to the emergency room as well, Nash said.

"We haven't heard if they will be able to reattach the leg," he said Wednesday afternoon.

Rescue and MTA crews worked quickly to clear the southbound tracks as all train traffic was diverted to the northbound side, said MTA spokesman Jose Ubaldo.

The closure of the southbound track also led to about a 10- to 15-minute delay for most commuters, Ubaldo said. - Tracy Manzer, The Long Beach Press-Telegram

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STREETCAR DESIGN UNVEILED

TUCSON, AZ -- Tucson transportation managers publicly unveiled designs for the city's new streetcar system Wednesday evening. The streetcar is part of the voter-approved RTA plan to improve transportation in the Tucson area.

The new streetcar system would travel a 4-mile route between the University Medical Center and the Rio Nuevo cultural center, being developed near I-10 and Congress. In between, it would also make stops on the UA campus, along Fourth Avenue, and downtown's Congress Street corridor.

Transportation managers working on the project expect 4,200 riders to use the route everyday.

"It could be one of the most successful transit routes in Tucson," said Shellie Ginn, project manager for the city of Tucson Department of Transportation.

The plan is to run five or six streetcars along the route, operating from 06:00 to 02:00 every day, with a roughly ten minute wait at each stop. Ticket prices have not been determined yet, but project managers expect rates to be comparable to SunTran bus fares.

"I don't know if it will alleviate traffic, but it will make an interesting way to get around town," said Mike Treeful, a community member who visited the open house to peruse the designs.

"Just anything to make more transit available to people, and give them other options for getting around," said Rachel Aschmann, also observing the design boards. "Might take some of the traffic off the downtown streets and the university, where it's really bad."

One resident of the historic West University neighborhood expressed concern not about traffic alleviation, but about the activity and development the project could bring. "We're not against development," said Lori Boston. "But we want to make sure that what happens as far as development, meshes with the neighborhood as it exists."

About half of the project's roughly $100 million price tag is secured through the voter-approved RTA funding. Project leaders will apply for federal funding to pay the rest.

Barring any major delays, construction for the streetcar system is slated to begin at the start of 2009, and could be complete by the end of 2010. - Teresa Jun, KOLD-TV13, Tucson, AZ

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THE END