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Railroad Newsline for Friday, May 25, 2007

Compiled by Larry W. Grant

In Memory of Rob Carlson, 1952 – 2006

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RAIL NEWS

DENVER FIRE CITES RAILROAD AFTER BEER SPILL

The Denver Fire Department issued two citations to BNSF Railroad Thursday in connection with Wednesday morning's derailment and crash in downtown Denver that spilled beer and asphalt in a rail yard near Interstate 25 and 38th Ave.

Fire officials said the railroad company was cited for failure to notify the department and for having a hazardous materials release. Fuel was spilled in the crash.

Officials expressed frustration about the fact they learned about the derailment and crash from reporters calling to ask if firefighters were involved in the aftermath. Fire officials said there was a "breakdown in communication."

Firefighters sent a crew to investigate the situation, but found the entry to the rail yard blocked by BNSF, said Lt. Phil Champagne of Denver Fire.

Champagne said fire officials met with the rail company Wednesday to work on preventing future problems.

"We just want to be invited to the party," he said.

Denver police and BNSF did confirm that rail officials called the police department at about 04:30 hours Wednesday to tell officers about the accident. Officers said rail officials didn't tell them there was any danger or hazardous material spill, which is why police didn't notify the fire department.

No one was injured in the train accident and traffic was not effected. - KCNC-CBS TV-4, Denver, CO

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BNSF ISSUES DERAILMENT UPDATE REGARDING DENVER TERMINAL INCIDENT

At 04:30 hours CT on Wednesday, May 23, 2007, there was a derailment within the BNSF Railway Company Denver terminal. We anticipate delays of up to 72 hours to inbound and outbound traffic through Monday, May 28, 2007.

BNSF will reroute traffic around the impacted area as necessary. We will advise additional information as it becomes available. - BNSF Service Advisory

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HYBRID 'GREEN' TRAIN SHOWCASED AT LA'S UNION STATION; GENERAL ELECTRIC RELAUNCHES ITS ECONAMIGNATION CAMPAIGN

Video here:

[video.knbc.com]

LOS ANGELES, CA -- General Electric officially relaunched its Ecomagination campaign in Los Angeles Thursday, offering visitors a look at the "Green Train," an environmentally friendly locomotive that company officials said is capable of reducing fuel emissions by 10 percent.

GE's "Green Train" is on display on platform 13 at Union Station in Los Angeles according to KNBC. It is just one of more than 40 environmentally-friendly products, from jet engines to refrigerators, researched and developed by GE, according to company officials.

When asked why one of the world's biggest corporations was putting so much effort into so-called 'green' products, GE's chairman and CEO, Jeff Immelt responded, "We thought this would be one of the big economic themes of the next five or ten years. GE has always positioned itself ahead of the times, particularly technically. We think we can make more money for investors and we also think it's the right thing to do more broadly in the economy and society."

According to a statement from the company, the Ecomagination campaign was first launched by GE in May of 2005, as part of the company's commitment to imagine and build innovative technologies. - KNBC-TV4, Los Angeles, CA

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AMTRAK DELIVERS STUDY OF PASSENGER RAIL SERVICE BETWEEN ST. LOUIS AND SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI

CHICAGO, IL -- Amtrak has provided a report to the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) that shows formidable obstacles to possible passenger rail service between St. Louis and Springfield, MO.

The report requested by MoDOT found strategic merit to the proposed route, including serving the state’s third largest metropolitan area, tourism potential, and connections to Amtrak’s national rail service. However, it would also require an initial significant capital investment and ongoing state operating support. The lack of a competitive trip time versus that of automobiles and a lower than expected ridership projection were also cited as concerns.

Specifically, the report found the route as-is would generate only 34,000 passengers annually, including 5,000 connecting from the current state-supported Amtrak service between St. Louis and Kansas City.

This is primarily due to the lengthy travel times on the nearly 235 miles of track, largely owned by the BNSF Railway, with train speeds lower than that of the adjacent Interstate 44. The result is a trip time of almost six hours -- nearly twice that of driving -- even after building a $4 million track connection between the BNSF and Union Pacific Railroad to shorten the route and complement the current state-supported service at Kirkwood, Mo. by adding a stop there. The low speeds are mainly due to the BNSF track as it follows the undulating terrain in the scenic Ozark Foothills, with much of it as curvature.

The report estimates the direct cost of providing the service would be $4.1 million annually and would generate approximately $700,000 in ticket revenue. The initial annual state contract cost would be approximately $3.4 million.

Another issue is the lack of available station infrastructure at proposed train stops in Sullivan, Rolla, Lebanon, and Springfield. Communities along the existing St. Louis to Kansas City service receive no state funding for station construction and must fund these projects locally. Proposed changes to federal regulations require all new train stations meet new standards, to include a full-length platform to serve the longest passenger train using the line. It could cost several million dollars per stop to construct the required station infrastructure.

Due to cost constraints, Amtrak was not asked to study a major re-engineering of railway to achieve a higher differential for passenger train speeds versus freight trains. MoDOT’s rail section estimated the initial service would require warning system upgrades to 25 existing grade crossings at a cost of approximately $6 million. Substantial up-front costs for railcars and locomotives, crew training and other mobilization costs were also not within the study scope.

“While we were hoping for more positive news in Amtrak’s analysis of this proposed passenger rail service expansion, MoDOT will continue to seek to increase transportation options for Missourians,” said Brian Weiler, MoDOT’s multimodal director, who outlined passenger rail service expansion, including Amtrak’s report, to the Southwest Missouri Council of Governments (SMCOG) today in Springfield.

A summary table and schedule mock-up is attached to this release and the report is available for download from the state’s [www.morail.org] website. - Marc Magliari, Amtrak and Brian Weiler, MoDOT. Joint News Release

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RAILROAD TRAFFIC OFF AGAIN, SAYS AAR

WASHINGTON, DC -- Carload freight and intermodal traffic on United States railroads were both down for the week ending May 19 compared to the same timeframe last year, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported today.

The AAR said that intermodal volume totaled 236,313 trailers or containers for the week ending May 19, which was down 3.1 percent from the corresponding week in 2006. Intermodal container volume was up 0.1 percent, and intermodal trailer volume was down 13.8 percent.

And carload freight, which does not include intermodal data, came in at 331,751 cars for the week, down 5.0 percent from the same week last year. Carload loadings were down 5.9 percent in the west and 4.0 percent in the east. The AAR said total volume was estimated at 33.7 billion ton-miles, which is down 4.3 percent from 2006.

Of the 19 carload commodity groups tracked by the AAR, 14 were down from last year, with nonmetallic minerals down 18.8 percent and lumber and wood products down 15.7 percent. Petroleum products were up 4.6 percent, and coke loadings were up 15.8 percent.

Cumulative volume for the first 19 weeks of 2007 totaled 6,432,205 carloads, which was down 4.5 percent from the same week in 2006, said the AAR. Trailers or containers -- at 4,549,621 -- was off 1.2 percent and total volume of an estimated 654.4 billion ton-miles was down 3.2 percent year-over-year. - Logistics Management

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ALLIANCE FOR RURAL AMERICA ENDORSES RAILROAD COMPETITION ACT OF 2007

The Alliance for Rural America (ARA) has endorsed the Railroad Competition and Service Improvement Act of 2007 (H.R. 2125/S. 953).

Larry Mitchell, national spokesperson for ARA, had the following to say in support of the legislation: “Rural America depends on our rail system to deliver the food, fiber, lumber and fuel which we produce as well as the things we use to produce them. America, as a whole, needs the rail system for the same reasons. This bipartisan legislation is critically important to ensure that we all have access to competitive rail service as well as ensuring that rail customers without access to competition are protected from unreasonable railroad rates and practices.”

“The thirteen membership organizations of ARA, representing a combined membership of over 750,000 individual members, support public policy that will ensure that rail customers benefit from the Staggers Rail Act of 1980 as intended by Congress,” added Mitchell. - The Fergus Falls (MN) Daily Journal

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LOOSEN YOU CABOOSE: THE FEATHERBED RAILROAD COMPANY BED AND BREAKFAST

Photo gallery here:

[www.sfgate.com]

NICE, CA -- There are no rooms here, only cabooses -- and not just standard cabooses (if you remember what those are). These have themes, like the Casablanca caboose with a piano, neon sign, trench coat and fedora, and even a bar; or the Wine Country, which has a pastoral mural above the hot tub built for two. The nine-caboose inn is stationed at the edge of Clear Lake in Nice, where there's not much else going on. But if you like the idiosyncratic Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo, you'll want to come aboard.

2870 Lakeshore Blvd., Nice (Lake County). (800) 966-6322. [www.featherbedrailroad.com].
Nine caboose rooms (none wheelchair accessible). $117 to $167, depending on the season; breakfast included. Two-night minimums on Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends.

Comfort zone

Every caboose has a different theme, so the decor will vary accordingly, along with the exact layout. But all have the lodge's namesake: comfortable featherbeds. Cozy, heated and long, the cabooses tended to rock with the wind, creating a soothing nautical feel or vague anxiety, depending on your state of mind. Thanks to husband and wife owners, Kelly and Sherry McLean, and his parents Len and Lorraine Bassignani, every detail of the theme has been thought out, from the stuccolike moulding in the Casablanca -- where we stayed -- to the nude black velvet painting in La Loose Caboose.

Bath and beyond

Like the Casablanca, most cabooses have Jacuzzi tubs for two in the main part of the room (the better to watch TV from the bath), with a handheld showerhead; one caboose has the Jacuzzi in the back, while two have the more standard shower/bath setups. In ours, there was a fine array of soaps, the towels were adequate and the bubble bath worked beautifully, but the actual bathroom was the size of a broom closet -- a clean broom closet, but not much wiggle room. If you are uncomfortable with showering so close to the bed, you might want to secure a caboose with a different layout.

Geared up

In the Casablanca, the coffeepot, cups and accompanying condiments were on the bar, which had two stools and a small refrigerator. Every room has a TV and VCR mounted to the ceiling for viewing from the bed, and there is a selection of movies to borrow in the check-in area. (The Casablanca's TV/VCR also had a DVD component, which was not advertised). No DSL but, really, who wants to work when there's a two-person hot tub to jump into?

In the vicinity

The inn is right on Clear Lake, with its own dock and private (but extremely small) beach. It's about 30 miles from Ukiah and within 15 minutes of several casinos. The proprietors are great resources for restaurants and day trips, but the area immediately around the resort is not, without the cabooses, especially interesting.

Good to know

Featherbed's Web site is great: You can see pictures of every caboose and there's a video tour of the grounds. The breakfast part of the experience (fruit, tasty eggs Benedict, coffee cake) takes place in the nicely appointed main building, which is closed during the winter; during the summer, it offers table tennis and chairs for relaxing. The inn is not recommended for children younger than 12, because of the open Jacuzzi tubs in the cabooses and lack of rollaway beds, but the owners are willing to discuss arrangements. No smoking, no pets.

Highs and lows

Though nice enough, the town of Nice lacks the charm or posh flavor of coastal Northern California. However, the caboose experience is ideal for a romantic (if slightly odd) weekend getaway that's far less expensive and precious than a typical bed and breakfast. - Reyhan Harmanci, The San Francisco Chronicle

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POLICE CRACK DOWN ON ILLEGAL RAILROAD CROSSERS

MERCED, CA -- Alarm bells and lowered crossing guards usually are enough to stop most people from attempting to cross railroad tracks in the midst of an oncoming train.

Unfortunately, many people still don't abide by those warnings.

"Every day, somebody goes around the crossing gates in front of us," said Bob Alexander, field safety coordinator for BNSF Railway Company. "Bear in mind, every two hours somebody gets hit (by a train) in the United States."

Several people who illegally crossed railroad tracks on Tuesday will now be paying for breaking the law, as members of several law enforcement agencies teamed up that day for Operation Lifesaver.

During Operation Lifesaver, members of law enforcement ride in railroad locomotive cabs and watch for instances where motorists are driving around crossing arms or where individuals are trespassing on railroad right-of-ways.

When a violator is spotted, an officer in the locomotive radios the incident to another officer stationed near the railroad crossing. That officer will then give the violator a ticket, which can run up to $322.

Approximately 20 officers participated in Tuesday's event, writing a total of 18 citations and 20 warning tickets.

Deputy Paul Barile, spokesman for the Merced County Sheriff's Department, said the role of the exercise is to prevent injuries and fatalities at railroad crossings.

"There is going to be zero- tolerance for this type of activity," Barile said. "It's just a reminder to people that the railway is not safe. It's not a place to try to challenge the train or try to challenge the crossing guards."

Agencies participating in Operation Lifesaver include the Merced County Sheriff's Department, BNSF Railway police, Union Pacific police, Amtrak police and the California Highway Patrol.

The sheriff's department also used an airplane to monitor illegal railroad crossings from above, Barile said.

In Merced County, there have been 12 noninjury vehicle versus train accidents since 2000, according to Officer Shane Ferriera of the California Highway Patrol.

There have been three fatalities and four injuries in Merced County due to vehicle versus train accidents since 2000, Ferriera said.

Statewide, there were 36 fatalities and 39 injuries due to vehicle versus train accidents in 2006, according to Zoe Gisela Richmond, statewide coordinator for Operation Lifesaver.

There were also 89 deaths and 59 injuries statewide for individuals who trespassed across railroad tracks in 2006, Richmond said.

"California leads the nation in vehicle versus train collisions," Richmond said.

Alexander, who has seen seven vehicle versus train accidents within the last 37 years, said driver inattentiveness is one of the leading causes of collisions that occur on railroad tracks.

Many people don't consider that it takes a train more than a mile to stop, Alexander said.

"Over 50 percent of our incidents happen with trains that are going 30 miles per hour or less," Alexander said.

Joe Tayor, a brakeman for BNSF, said he also sees drivers and trespassers trying to illegally race across the tracks, rather than simply wait for the train to pass.

"People are just trying to get somewhere fast, not realizing their life, when they go through the crossing, could be gone," Tayor said. - Victor A. Patton, The Merced Sun-Star

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$10K REWARD OFFERED IN TRESTLE FIRE INVESTIGATION

SACRAMENTO, CA -- Officials announced Thursday that a $10,000 reward will be offered to anyone with information leading to the person responsible for the Union Pacific Railroad trestle fire.

The Sacramento Fire Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the organizations behind the reward.

Capt. Jim Doucette of the Sacramento Fire Department said there is evidence that the trestle fire was a human act, indicating that the fire was an arson.

Nina Delgadillo, spokeswoman for the ATF, said that plans are to take fliers about the reward and distribute them to the general public and also to the transient camps along the American River Parkway.

Anyone with information and seeking to receive a reward should call 888-ATF-FIRE. - KCRA-TV3, Sacramento, CA, courtesy Coleman Randall, Jr.

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AAR: EMPLOYEE TRAINING, INVESTMENTS RESULT IN RECORD SAFETY GAINS

According to Association of American Railroad (AAR) President and CEO Edward R. Hamberger, the nation's railroad industry continues to make extraordinary gains in safety.

Hamberger, who testified on Capitol Hill Tuesday, May 22, noted since 1980, train accident rates have fallen 69 percent, employee casualty rates 81 percent and grade crossing incident rates 76 percent. In 2006, both the employee accident rate and the grade crossing accident rate were at all-time lows, while the train accident rate was just fractionally higher than the record low set a few years ago.

"What is particularly noteworthy is that these accomplishments occurred during a year where freight rail traffic reached record levels and the industry integrated several thousand new employees into its operations," said Hamberger.

Hamberger also noted that railroads are moving forward with advanced train control systems -- known at BNSF as Electronic Train Management System (ETMS) – that will assist in preventing accidents by automatically stopping or slowing trains before they exceed the limits.

Hamberger also noted that the AAR is asking Congress to consider legislation similar to the Price Anderson Act governing the nuclear industry. "It is impossible to carry enough insurance to cover a widespread catastrophic event," he said, stating that many carriers would opt out of the hazardous materials business because of potentially ruinous claims that could result from a catastrophic hazmat accident.

Railroads have implemented new standards for tank cars carrying chlorine and anhydrous ammonia, effective Jan. 1, 2008. The industry was set to adopt those standards at the beginning of 2007, but postponed them to next year at the request of the Federal Railroad Administration and the chemical industry. - BNSF Today

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BNSF RAILWAY COMPANY EMPLOYEES DONATE MORE THAN 500 BEARS FOR BEARS ON PATROL

FORT WORTH, TX -- Members of the BNSF Community Services Committee in Fort Worth know the world can be a scary place for a child – especially in situations of trauma or emergency. But sometimes even the smallest gift can assist a child in a scary moment. Recently, BNSF employees in Fort Worth donated more than 500 bears to the Fort Worth Police Department’s Bears on Patrol program.

"The stuffed animals are used to comfort the children and help them adjust to their current situation," says Shannon Valdez, BNSF general clerk, Engineering and Planning, and coordinator of the Bears on Patrol project along with Angie Teran, administrative assistant, Service Design and Performance. "It’s proven that children feel more at ease when they have something to which they can relate."

The stuffed animals will also be used by Fort Worth Patrol Units, Crimes Against Children’s Unit and Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth.

"This was huge," says Valdez. "The committee really pulled together and our employees donated one of our largest collections of stuffed animals as well as money to buy stuffed animals."

More than 12 members assisted in the project, and the story of the committee’s work was featured on local newscasts. - BNSF Today

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BNSF COMPETES IN RAILROAD POLICE K9 TRIALS

With security in mind, BNSF Railway Company’s Resource Protection Team is dedicated to keeping all members in shape – including those with four legs.

Earlier this month, BNSF suited up for competition among K9 Security Teams against Amtrak, CSXT, Norfolk Southern, and Union Pacific in Allen, Texas.

Sixteen K9 teams, trainers, helpers, special agents and their K9 partners were selected from within the ranks of the available teams to compete for trophies.

BNSF placed in each category, including:

· Obedience

· Man Work

· Overall

BNSF was represented by Special Agents Luis Mares, Paul Cendejas, Lee Hutchinson, Scott Johnson, Rick Stalder and Steve Stone.

Across the country, working dogs have transformed K9 Units into one of the most crucial and effective tools for security. One noted benefit is the dog’s sense of smell, which surpasses man-made tools. Dogs can differentiate between humans by smell the way humans can with visually seeing DNA samples. This is why canines are so efficient in tracking, which involves a dog putting his nose to the ground and following a person's scent from a starting point. When searching for evidence, a dog seeks out articles with a new human scent, such as a weapon dropped by a fleeing suspect.

Dogs on the railroad are used for more than tracking humans. These dogs are trained extensively for detecting bombs. Additionally, trainers use real-life conditions to train dogs to work near rail properties. – BNSF Today

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CPR WINS PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS FROM TOYOTA

Toyota Logistics Services has awarded Canadian Pacific Railway with the automaker's 2006 Presidents' Award for Rail Carriers and an Excellence Award for Customer Service.

"Canadian Pacific Railway consistently demonstrates the qualities that make a partnership successful," said Alan DeCarr, Group Vice President, Toyota Logistics Services. "Toyota is pleased to recognize CP's commitment to leadership in the rail industry."

Each year, Toyota Logistics Services (TLS) reviews their Logistic Partners' performance across multiple criteria in three major categories: On-time Performance; Customer Service; and Quality. Excellence Awards for each category are presented to the top performing carrier for each transportation mode: rail, truck, and ocean. TLS also selected the best overall carrier in each mode to receive their Presidents' Award based upon overall performance across all service categories.

"Canadian Pacific is very proud to be selected by TLS to receive these distinguished performance awards," said Marcella Szel, CP's Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales. "This is a testament to the collaborative focus and ingenuity that the entire Canadian Pacific team provides to Toyota's service delivery."

Szel noted CP's association with Toyota dates back over 40 years in which the railway provides transportation of finished vehicles for Toyota, which is celebrating its 50th year of operation in North America.

Canadian Pacific, through the ingenuity of its employees located across Canada and in the United States, remains committed to being the safest, and most fluid railway in North America. Our people are the key to delivering innovative transportation solutions to our customers and to ensuring the safe operation of our trains through the more than 900 communities where we operate. Our combined ingenuity makes Canadian Pacific a better place to work, rail a better way to ship, and North America a better place to live. Come and visit us at [www.cpr.ca] to see how we can put our ingenuity to work for you. Canadian Pacific is proud to be the official rail freight services provider for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. - Breanne Feigel, CPR News Release

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RAILROAD: LINE PROPOSAL LIKELY DEAD

PHOENIX, AZ -- Union Pacific Corp. has no plans to revive a proposal to build a new rail line from Yuma in southwestern Arizona into Mexico to serve a proposed new seaport, a company official said Thursday.

Omaha, Nebraska-based Union Pacific and a Hong Kong-based port operator, Hutchison Port Holdings, earlier this month canceled their partnership to bid for a port project proposed for Punta Colonet in Baja California, Mexico.

The companies terminated their partnership for "strategic reasons," said Union Pacific government relations director Chris Peterson, not elaborating.

Peterson said Union Pacific would consider any new opportunities to participate in the proposed new port project, largely a response to congestion at existing West Coast ports due to imports from Asia.

However, development in the Yuma area now makes it unlikely there will be any revival of the proposal to build a spur to the proposed port site in Mexico. The line would have connected the Yuma area's portion of the railroad's existing "Sunset Route" main line between Los Angeles and El Paso, Texas.

"Union Pacific is still monitoring the bidding process in Mexico but we have suspended all of our route study activity in Yuma County and Imperial County" in California, Peterson said.

He commented after an Arizona House hearing on a bill to impose new state regulatory oversight of some land acquisitions for railroad projects.

The proposed spur had drawn strong opposition from Yuma-area farmers and others who feared their property could be acquired through eminent domain and their farming operations hindered.

Asked whether Union Pacific still would consider constructing a spur to Mexico from California, Peterson said the area that was under consideration in Imperial County is sparsely populated and not seeing the same level of development as the Yuma area.

However, Union Pacific is not a port operator and would be "on the sidelines watching things unfold in Mexico" without a new partner, he said.

"We will evaluate any business opportunity that someone might bring to us on this project or any other business opportunity," he said. "But we are not activity pursuing participation. if the project happens eventually, those containers will reach the us and we are interested in playing a role in moving that business (across) the border." - Paul Davenport, The Associated Press, The Houston Chronicle

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RAILROAD REROUTE SPEEDS TOWARD ASSEMBLY APPROVAL

It’s been more than a year since railroad and local government officials began a public wrestling match over how best to plan for future train traffic in and around Fairbanks, Alaska.

The disagreement could reach a notable measure of resolution tonight, when the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly meets to consider a tentative deal between the borough and the railroad.
The two organizations would team under the draft agreement with an eye on eventually removing some or all train traffic from the core of Fairbanks -- a goal that, if possible, would assuredly take decades to complete.

“I think this is the agreement that we’ve been looking for,” borough Mayor Jim Whitaker said.

The deal, contained in a memorandum of understanding, would shuffle the framework of the railroad’s plan to realign about 20 miles of track in and around Fairbanks, a long-discussed project aimed at eliminating road-to-rail intersections and improving safety.

According to a resolution accompanying the draft agreement, the deal would also commit officials from the borough and railroad to jointly work toward identifying a “new rail corridor” somewhere between the southern edge of the city and the northern bank of the Tanana River.

Through a separate but related resolution, Whitaker has asked the assembly to drop its objection to the railroad’s $40 million plan to reroute track around the northern edge of Fort Wainwright Army post, a project meant to eliminate crossings on post.

Under the proposed agreement, the Army post project would be tagged an “interim” train route until a larger reroute can be built.

The Fairbanks area’s three mayors had previously argued the Fort Wainwright project, which could see early work this summer, would make it difficult to leverage future funding for the larger and more expensive southern reroute. Following that public opposition, the assembly had formally opposed the project — with local lawmakers worried it would cement the railroad’s presence in the center of Fairbanks.

Railroad officials had already pledged to work toward a larger “southern bypass” reroute, and the memorandum of understanding before the assembly would put that intention in writing.

“The (agreement) gives us a blueprint with how to move forward with a very large project. We are talking about hundreds of millions of dollars,” railroad spokesman Tim Thompson said. “This allows everybody to agree. We can move forward and take bites out of this very large project.”

A group of retired engineers, local elected officials and residents continues to criticize the tentative deal, with some suggesting the borough administration has backed away from a fight with the railroad.

“Everybody that looks at this says that it’s just more effective to go the southern bypass route” without doing the Fort Wainwright project first, Assemblyman Hank Bartos said.

The Fairbanks City Council approved a resolution Monday supporting the southern reroute and questioning the wisdom behind the railroad’s Fort Wainwright project.

Bartos said he plans to carry a similar request to the assembly tonight.

Railroad officials said they’ve identified $15.5 million that can be used for the $40 million Fort Wainwright reroute.

While borough officials have previously suggested that money could have gone toward planning for the larger southern route, they reversed their stance last month, stating it would likely take an act of Congress to redirect the funding.

Bruce Carr, the railroad’s strategic planning director, said the railroad has a relatively new train depot near the Johansen Expressway that will serve as the community’s primary train station for the foreseeable future. Eventually, he said, it’s “reasonable to expect” a demand could exist for a similar depot south of town, possibly near the Fairbanks International Airport.

Railroad officials said they are contracting a study of opportunities for passenger service stretching from Denali National Park and Preserve to North Pole. The study is critical if planners hope to receiving future funding from the Federal Transit Administration for a southern reroute, which early estimates show could cost as much as $400 million or more, they said.

Under the draft agreement, plans for the larger reroute project would be broken into three phases, with the simplest -- a 10-mile stretch between North Pole and southeast Fairbanks -- getting priority when it comes to future design and construction.

The borough and railroad would “aggressively pursue funding for planning and design” of the entire project, according to the deal. - Chris Eshleman, The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

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CUMBRES & TOLTEC SCENIC RR ROLLS INTO NEW SEASON

The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad will conduct its first run of the 2007 season on Saturday, May 26, with opening ceremonies at 9 a.m. at the Chama, New Mexico and Antonito, Colorado stations.

The 126-year-old railway these days functions as a tourist attraction, taking visitors on train rides from May through October, through the north central region of New Mexico and into southern Colorado.

New this year are four steam locomotives, which were built in the 1920s. They have been restored and are fully operational. A track improvement project begun last year has also been completed, which should give travelers a smoother, faster ride.

The railroad is owned by the states of Colorado and New Mexico and was part of the Denver & Rio Grande Railway. For fare information and schedules, visit [cumbrestoltec.com]. - The New Mexico Business Weekly

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BILL CALLED THREAT TO RAIL YARD, COMMUTER SERVICE

PHOENIX, AZ -- A bill nearing a final vote in the Arizona Legislature could jeopardize a major railroad expansion project and possibly deter Union Pacific from considering use of its tracks for commuter rail service between Phoenix and Tucson, a Union Pacific representative said Thursday.

Despite concerns voiced by representatives of Omaha, Nebraska-based Union Pacific and another major railroad -- Fort Worth, Texas-based Burlington Northern Santa Fe -- a House committee recommended Thursday that the full House approve a bill to require new state regulatory oversight of railroad land acquisitions involving auctions of state trust land or use or threatened use of eminent domain.

The burdens imposed by the bill would delay a new rail yard planned near Picacho between Phoenix and Tucson along Union Pacific's "Sunset Route" main line and possibly even killed the project needed to help serve Arizona's growing reliance on the railroad, said Chris Peterson, UP's government relations director.

And it could make Union Pacific reluctant to allow commuter rail service on its tracks because the bill's requirements for new oversight could make it harder to expand the railroad's existing train-moving capacity on the main line and the existing spur to the Phoenix area, Peterson said in response to a lawmaker's question.

"It would really depend on how this bill plays out and the extent to which it drags out infrastructure projects and makes them more costly and causes us to reconsider whether those projects are even worthwhile," Peterson said.

"It could have some impact on our computer rail discussion with the state," he added, stressing that those talks so far have been very preliminary.

With congestion frequently slowing auto and truck traffic on Interstate 10 between Phoenix and Tucson, Gov. Janet Napolitano and some lawmakers have suggested that the state consider new passenger rail service between the state's two biggest urban areas. The state Department of Transportation is conducting a study.

The bill (HB2020), already approved by the Senate, would require that railroads obtaining private land through eminent domain or trust land through auctions go through a new review process by the state Corporation Commission. The railroads would have to hire experts to brief the commission on economic, natural resource, water and other possible impacts and to allow the commission to suggest alternatives.

Supporters of the bill, who include agricultural groups and property owners, argued that railroads now are largely unfettered with little oversight by the federal Surface Transportation Board.

" I believe that local people ... should at least get a fair hearing on what the federal government plans with their land through the railroad," said the bill's sponsor, Republican Rep. Jonathan Paton of Tucson. "If you believe in property rights and states' rights, you should believe in this bill."

The bill previously would have required a railroad to get permission from the commission, but the Senate downgraded that to only require a review. Union Pacific had objected that the requirement to obtain state approval conflicted with federal law giving exclusive authority to the federal board to approve railroad projects.

Paton and Union Pacific's Peterson disagreed on whether the Senate's change remedied any conflict with federal law.

Rep. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, expressed some reluctance to engage in a court fight over the pre-emption issue but said there are "major issues" of property and states' rights at stake. - The Associated Press, KVOA-TV4, Tucson, AZ

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TRANSIT NEWS

NORTH TEXAS CITIES CAN'T HOP ON LIGHT-RAIL BILL

AUSTIN, TX -– A last-ditch attempt to add more cities to North Texas' commuter rail network failed to make it through the House on Wednesday.

An amendment authored by Sen. John Carona, R-Dallas, would have allowed cities to seek voter permission to raise the local sales tax by a penny to join transit systems. But after an objection Wednesday by Rep. Robert Talton, R-Pasadena, the amendment was struck down on a technicality.

House leaders ruled that Mr. Carona's amendment was not germane to the original bill, which would create a light-rail district in South Texas. Mr. Carona argued that both involved transit taxes.

The commuter rail measure enjoyed widespread support among political and transportation leaders throughout North Texas, but it stalled in House and Senate committees. Lawmakers were not eager to rally behind a measure that would have raised taxes – even with the blessing of local voters.

"We knew it was a long shot," Mr. Carona said. "We had great civic support. ... I'm just disappointed that the leadership in the House chose not to stand in support of this effort." - Jake Batsell, The Dallas Morning News

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LIGHT RAIL CONSTRUCTION DRAWS NEW FINES

SEATTLE, WA -- The state Ecology Department is imposing another $79,000 in fines on Sound Transit and PCL Construction services for water pollution at Gilliam Creek in South King County, near the construction of a new light rail line near Tukwila.

The state said Wednesday that pollution controls at the construction site, between South Boeing Access Road and the airport, have improved. Sound Transit said it will appeal the fines, the fourth imposed on the rail construction.

This time, the state said the agency and PCL didn't write a stormwater pollution prevention plan, didn't make sure products such as gasoline and diesel were properly contained and were responsible for six instances of polluting the creek.

The violations occurred between Oct. 1 and March 31, the state said. Sound Transit and PCL have 30 days to appeal the fines.

The biggest part of the penalty was $40,000 imposed for lack of a prevention plan. Silt-laden stormwater is considered a hazard to salmon.

Two of the three previous fines, totaling $70,000, also were for violations in the Tukwila segment of the line.

Sound Transit spokesman Bruce Gray said the agency does not dispute that the pollution occurred but "we disagree with some of these fines" and will appeal the amounts with the state. - The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

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SOUND TRANSIT SENDS $10.8 BILLION PACKAGE TO VOTERS

SEATTLE, WA -- The Sound Transit board on Thursday approved a plan to add 50 miles of light rail across the Puget Sound region, if voters approve the tax increases to pay for it.

Here’s what you need to know:

The plan: It would extend light rail from Sea-Tac Airport to the Tacoma Dome, connecting to the existing Tacoma Link service. It also would extend light rail north to the 164th Street/Ash Way area of Snohomish County and east to Redmond in King County. And it would include more parking and other improvements to transit facilities.

The cost: That depends on how you count. The construction plan would cost $10.8 billion in 2006 dollars. But when inflation is taken into account, construction would cost an estimated $17.5 billion over 20 years. The measure also includes about $1.5 billion for operations and maintenance in 2006 dollars.

Funding: The measure would require a sales tax increase of 0.5 percent, or 5 cents on a $10 purchase.

What’s next: Voters will get the final say on the measure, part of a larger roads and transportation package that will be on the November ballot. - David Wickert, The Tacoma News Tribune

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