Anyone comment on this: Amtrak 718 Conductor made on-board announcement today that Amtrak California will soon receive new cars, which will require federall standards for carry-on bags being limited in size. Without trying to quote her verbatim, I think she said the size was like 18x20x28 inches.

What new cars will be ordered that would require such small luggage? No checked baggage offered on intermediate stops on this route, so that presents a problem. Where will we be putting the big bags?

Given this press release, I don't read into this where what she said matched the press release:


Amtrak California will add double-deck coach cars on two of its passenger train lines, including the San Joaquin line that runs through the Valley, with a $100 million federal grant announced Wednesday.

The Federal Railroad Administration is awarding the money to the California Department of Transportation, which funds Amtrak service in the state, for 27 coach cars and two diesel-electric locomotives.

Eight cars will add capacity to the San Joaquin trains, which run six times daily in each direction between Bakersfield and Oakland or Sacramento.

...

Nine of the new bi-level cars will replace older single-level cars on the Pacific Surfliner line, which runs between San Diego and San Luis Obispo. The remaining cars will be used to increase capacity of the Pacific Surfliner trains, said Debbie Mullins, a spokeswoman for Caltrans' Division of Rail.

The two new locomotives will replace a pair of aging engines that are part of Amtrak California's fleet in Oakland and will serve either the Capitol Corridor or San Joaquin lines.

...

The federal grant will cover 80% of the estimated $125 million total for the new equipment. Under the terms of the grant agreement, Caltrans will pitch in $25 million, expected to come from Proposition 1B, a $20 billion transportation bond measure approved by California voters in 2006.

Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph Szabo said the grant will allow California to place the first order for new cars and locomotives under new federal Next Generation design standards. The standards are intended to promote uniformity of passenger train systems and technology across the country.