Hotline #720

As mentioned last week, Amtrak will make service cuts on the Northeast Corridor beginning May 18. On Saturdays, seven afternoon and evening round trips will be cut and on Sundays, train 155 will not operate. New York-Albany loses five round-trips per week; the eastbound Lake Shore Limited will handle all local travel, including a new Rhinecliff stop; the westbound Mohawk runs unreserved through October 25 all the way to Syracuse. Because the changes are too complicated to list here, it is surprising that Amtrak is not issuing a new timetable -- just a schedule changes flier for use with the current timetable. Send us a self-addressed, stamped envelope for the flier.

The Massachusetts Congressional delegation has written to Conrail and Amtrak, warning them not to expect Congress to prevent a rail strike when the pending cooling-off period ends June 24. The letter was circulated on May 4 by the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes, which has a significant and vocal membership in Massachusetts. One member of the delegation, Rep. Joe Moakley, is the influential chairman of the House Rules Committee.

The first conference meeting on resolving differences in the House and Senate 1993 budget resolutions was this week. Because Congress was unwilling to shift defense funds to domestic programs, the overall funding levels for the 13 cabinet departments will resemble, more or less, what was in the Administration budget. That means Amtrak and transit could fall below 1992 levels in 1993.

In last week's public-witness hearings in the House Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, Rep. Bob Carr (D.-Mich.), asked many questions of witnesses. If he is re-elected, Carr likely will chair the subcommittee, as Chairman Lehman (D.-Fla.) is retiring.

The chairman of the full House Appropriations Committee, Jamie Whitten (D.-Miss.), is in poor health and many are questioning how much longer he can fulfill his duties. The next in line to Whitten is William Natcher (D.-Ky.), who will probably take over some of Whitten's duties even before an official retirement or resignation.

The Amtrak Board of Directors will soon have a vacancy. Carl Vogt, who became a board member last year, has been nominated to be chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board. His confirmation hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee was yesterday. Vogt will resign from the Amtrak board soon, with three years left on his term as the representative of the business community.

The Metra commuter rail agency in Chicago has released a nearly $5-billion plan to improve existing rail service, separate 200 grade crossings, make ten extensions to existing lines, and create two new ones -- the Wisconsin Central to Antioch and an inter-suburban route between Aurora and Barrington. However, no funding mechanism has been proposed.

SEPTA has begun a massive project to rebuild its old Reading commuter trunk line north of downtown Philadelphia. The line will be closed for six months this year, until October 3, and for four months next year. SEPTA was optimistic commuters formerly using the suspended service would still use transit and, in fact, 80% of the previous ridership used transit alternatives the first week. Many of the commuters are using the new Fern Rock transfer station at the north end of the Broad Street subway.

Furthermore, SEPTA is planning a 5% reduction in commuter rail service in October, possibly eliminating most weekend service. Other cuts made in two phases in June and September may include ending subway-surface streetcar operations between 1:00 am and 5:00 am and off-peak Broad-Ridge subway spur operation.

The Southern California Rapid Transit District board has approved the first 12 new electric trolley bus lines for Los Angeles. The first four lines are expected to be in operation in 1995. Ironically, last month the Toronto Transit Commission mothballed its fleet of trolley buses.