Author Archives: admin

A Historic Turnaround?

After a criminally long dry spell, the federal government has finally returned to passenger Rail as something worth paying attention to; not to mention supporting with our money. This support should be the proverbial no-brainer, given both public desire and the huge number of proven benefits afforded by Rail transportation; but then we’re the country that keeps fighting transportation and energy battles already being won just about everyplace else in the “civilized” world (this syndrome is worth a lot of ink, but someone else can spill that).

The years since World War II have seen a steady downward slide for passenger Rail in America. There are plenty of reasons for this; our love for the supposed freedom of the automobile, suburban sprawl, the destruction of many of our Rail lines and of course the Interstate Highway System (built and maintained, by the way, through federal subsidy).

A good overland transportation system has been described as a Three-Legged Stool, with Road, Rail and Air being the legs. In America, the Rail leg has been carved up almost to destruction, and the increasingly alarming results of this butchery are finally becoming obvious to politicians, planners and regular people all across the political spectrum. But wait!

Passenger rail is coming back!

Cities all over the West (except for Albuquerque) can’t build Light Rail and Streetcar systems fast enough to satisfy public demand. Regional and commuter rail lines are being planned and built where no passenger Rail has existed for 50-60 years. Admittedly, the present state of the economy and its effect on municipal revenue streams is pinching these efforts, but they’re still creeping forward, and will pick up again (along with fuel and asphalt prices).

Aside: Long system life, low maintenance costs, stunning fuel / energy economy, smooth clean ride, huge tax and personal savings, compatibility with motorless transportation —-what’s not to like, right? Right?

This Rail renaissance is nationwide. Amtrak ridership has been increasing year by year at a rate that would delight the heart of any red-blooded business—-except, weirdly enough, Amtrak. The management of Amtrak seems to be having trouble with the Vision Thing — with making that long-overdue adjustment from bare survival to robust growth. Hard to blame them; if you’ve had your neck in a choking collar for long enough, it can be disorienting as hell when that collar is suddenly loosened.

What vision and planning does exist at this level is concentrated on new rolling stock for Amtrak and on several High Speed Rail (HSR) coridors scattered around the country. These are wonderful things, and we’d like to see them all in place tomorrow morning; after all, we are visionaries. But we think some official rail visionaries are getting ahead of themselves.

You Want Commonsense Conservatism? Here It Is:

If you look closely at a map of the Interstate Highway System, then at one of Amtrak, you won’t help but notice that the latter seems about half-built. This is because it is. Many important city-pairs and city-groups — El Paso / Albuquerque / Denver, for example — are not directly connected at all. Want to go to Denver by train? Welcome to Chicago. How about El Paso? Hello LA.

The first priority for our passenger Rail network should be — a network. Our country sorely lacks what some call a “Steel Interstate” or what our group calls a “Rail Interstate”. Our rails need to go everywhere our highways go, and our trains should not be spending half their trip time pulled over waiting for freights to rumble by. Another no-brainer. Or should I say, Duuuhh!

As to Amtrak’s aging rolling stock; we submit that more time running at speed and less time starting / stopping / idling would do wonders for that old equipment; not to mention the well-being of the passengers, the crew and the environment (works for traffic, works for trains).

In case we should develop an inferiority complex over our lack of widespread high-speed Rail service such as that enjoyed by Europe and Japan, not to worry; it’s not a complex at all! Our inferiority in this respect is quite real.

The passenger Rail picture in our country is finally getting a little brighter, but let’s put first things first. A bunch of boring old railroad track and gravel ballast doesn’t project the glamour of snazzy new rail cars and locomotives, but that’s where we have to start.

If we can ever re-establish a true national Rail network; one that actually goes most places at a predictable if modest 70-90 mph, and leave it unmolested for a while, we believe that We The People will love it, use it, and will almost certainly cough up the relatively modest sums needed to safely speed it up from there.

To Learn More:

www.nmrails.org
www.steelinterstate.org

This is the seed catalog, folks, the play script, the stage directions, the building plans. If the info and recommendations of this study were taken to heart by the public and our policymakers, we could have a trial commuter rail system within weeks, for a very small relative cost. This rail system could be in place and actually running for less than the cost of the current study for a new rail system between downtown Albuquerque and Rio Rancho. The rail system proposal here would give Rio Grande Valley commuters, air travelers, casino patrons, university students, and local area tourists a real experience of the best way to travel.

Provisions are made for bicycles and wheelchairs, as well as pedestrians and park and ride drivers from outlying areas.

One other virtue of this document – it’s not hard to read.

We have excerpted below some passages we feel summarize the principal ideas in the study.

Operating Advantages of Regional Rail

Regional/commuter rail is intended to operate with stops every five to ten miles in and near metropolitan areas and every 20 to 40 miles between cities, and to serve lower density areas. Stations on the extreme ends of the system often include park and ride lots while the intermediate and neighborhood stops are designed for better access by pedestrians, bicyclists, and drop-off passengers referred to by the transit industry as “kiss and ride” customers. The ability to carry large numbers of passengers with a relatively small investment in land (a single railroad track has the carrying capacity of eight freeway lanes) and lower labor costs than buses can give rail options practical viability in the metropolitan environment. The travel time advantage of regional rail over other conventional surface modes is obtained by both total average speed and use of the railroad tracks as an exclusive right-of-way.

Speed is the factor usually misunderstood when comparing rail to highway travel because of the misconception that posted speed limits determine an automobile commuters minimum travel time. Most regular commuters acknowledge that the true determinants of travel time are a combination of the time of day the trip occurs, the cyclical, seasonal or day of the week time period one chooses to drive and the random acts of traffic, weather and a multitude of independent drivers. None of these factors has any significant influence on the scheduled operation of railroads. This allows them to obtain unrestricted peaks speeds near 79 mph or more, and to maintain constant average speeds of 45 to 50 mph, including the time necessary to complete five to six station stops per hour. Automobiles in rush hour traffic rarely reach a peak speed greater than 55 and most frequently travel at average travel time speeds of 25 to 30 mph or less, until a traffic accident occurs and then they simply stop moving.

The major operating advantages of regional rail trains over buses for metropolitan corridor operations is the high-capacity, high-volume, low unit cost per passenger, and the quick loading that is possible with multiple doors that are wide enough for people to pass in either direction with the level platform loading of wheelchairs, eliminating the time-consuming chair lift process. The relative permanence of railroad tracks also creates a greater incentive for developers to invest in property amenities near each station in order to take advantage of the high volume of pedestrian traffic most desired by retailers and fast food franchises. Train stations also tend to concentrate higher volumes of passengers at one location than do bus stops. Studies have also shown that people actually walk or drive farther to ride a train than they will to catch a bus.

Passenger Comfort and Convenience

The final and perhaps the most important characteristic of regional passenger rail service is the high quality amenities and conveniences which only a large self-contained modern rail car can provide. Regional/commuter rail on a western system is rarely a standing ride and then only because of late boarding on a rush hour train. The image of a graffiti covered steel tube lined with steel benches, as depicted in Hollywood movies showing thugs and uncivilized masses, is a very distorted picture of transit and is virtually nonexistent even in metropolitan New York City or Chicago.

Western regional/commuter rail cars are not subway cars, or bullet trains packed with commuters. Instead, these modern rail cars are equivalent to an airport lounge on wheels. The ride on today’s commuter style trains is smooth and quiet and the comfortable air-conditioned surroundings offer spacious room to sit, walk, or stand. The comfortable high-backed seats can be specified as easy to clean vinyl or deluxe reclining cloth for longer trip service. Restrooms are available on-board and the newer equipment is quickly following the airline practice of providing public phones and other deluxe amenities targeted for the business commuter or traveler. The cars recently delivered for service in Vancouver Canada include a coffee espresso concession bar on-board each train. Each car can hold about 120 to 150 seated passengers with the average train proposed for Albuquerque consisting of three bi-level passenger cars and one locomotive for a combined capacity of approximately 400 to 450 passengers. No other form of transportation can offer so many advantages while providing such a high level of personal safety and comfort. However without the full participation of public sector partners, this system will not become a reality. Million dollar transportation investments will continue to be made by state, federal and local governments, but it will be up to the people and their elected officials to decide whether New Mexico benefits from a “transportation transformation” to modernize passenger rail service.

Technical Assessment
Can You Run A Passenger Train On This Line? – YES

One of the most basic prerequisites has been achieved: the determination of technical feasibility. The initial review of the technical merit of the project was completed during the preparation of the draft concept plan. The basic operating plan calls for passenger rail service on existing tracks in a sub-division (railroad terminology referrring to a designated segment of the line) with excess capacity. Therefore, there are no physical barriers to prevent the immediate start of service and the locomotive equipment required for service is presently available for lease or purchase. Crews to provide the labor for operations and maintenance are available, and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) is interested in working together with the BCTDD to operate and dispatch the trains on their tracks. The manager of passenger services for BNSF, Mr. D. J. Mitchell, has offered to work with BCTDD and configure local railroad operations in the Belen to Bernalillo segment of the line to accomodate local commuter rail operations.

Excerpted from THE NEW MEXICO REGIONAL RAIL MARKET TEST FEASIBILITY STUDY prepared for The Bernalillo County Transportation Development District (BCTDD) by EP Hamilton & Associates, Inc. in June 1996.

Rail StuDies

• The market test project feasibility study, NM Regional Rail, A Transportation Transformation , was prepared for the Bernalillo County Transportation Development District (BCTDD) in June 1996.
• The American Public Transportation Association’s links to online studies. Included are links to four studies by Paul M. Weyrich and William S. Lind

Rail Technology

•  LR55 is a concept in tramway track and tracklaying which has been developed by Professor Lewis Lesley in Liverpool. Revolutionarily inexpensive and quick to install.

• The Federal government, through the FTA , provides financial assistance to develop new transit systems and improve, maintain, and operate existing systems.
• The New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department’s primary responsibility is to plan, build, and maintain a statewide transportation network which will serve the social and economic interest of our citizens in a productive, cost-effective innovative manner.
• The Mid-Region Council of Governments (formerly Middle Rio Grande Council of Governments) (MRCOG) is responsible for developing the plan for transportation expenditures in the greater Albuquerque area. For a list of meetings of their Public Involvement Committee, click here. (505) 247-1750
• Albuquerque Transit Department Albuquerque on the Move! (505) 724-3100

• LR55 is a concept in tramway track and tracklaying which has been developed by Professor Lewis Lesley in Liverpool. Revolutionarily inexpensive and quick to install.
• Trainweb.com has information and photographs relating to passenger, freight and model trains in the U.S. and worldwide, plus items of interest to the professional rail industry.
• Railnews.net is a railroad news network, brought to you by Trainweb.com.
• Metro Magazine is dedicated to providing its readers with the most timely and insightful coverage of surface public transportation.
• Lamont’s Home Page has an unofficial directory of campgrounds, hotels, and motels near railroads.
• The American Public Transportation Association provides links to research on current and proposed light rail systems.
• Light Rail Central bills itself as the “North American Light Rail Information Site”.
• Light Rail Atlas provides maps of Light Rail corridors in Europe, the United States and other areas in the world, using Light Rail Precedents as important examples.
• The New Electric Railway Journal is a web site of the Free Congress Foundation with news and literature concerning light rail.
• Rail Magazine

• Amtrak , the national railway.
• The Santa Fe Southern Railway. came into its namesake city in 1880. (505) 989-8600
• Metropolitan Transit System is San Diego’s Public Transit Page.
• Metro Rail, of Houston is a regional transportation organization of dedicated employees committed to partnering with the public and private sectors to provide the safest, highest quality services and mobility solutions that exceed customers’ expectations while creating economic growth.
• Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is the public transit authority for Dallas and surrounding communities. They provide bus, light rail, paratransit, HOV lanes and vanpool services.
• Fort Worth Transportation Authority. Join the thousands of North Texas residents who have made public transportation the way to go in Tarrant County. You’ll save time and money, while helping to improve the quality of life in our communities by reducing traffic congestion and pollution.
• The Utah Transit Authority website includes information and schedules for their TRAX rail line.