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In America 75 mph passes for high speed rail. That’s the average speed for the Acela, the only high speed rail line in the United States.  The Acela does have a maximum speed of 150 mp, but is rarely able to approach it on the creaky, old tracks of the Northeast corridor.  Despite much ado about High Speed Rail in the 2009 ARRA stimulus bill, it still remains to be seen whether any true high speed rail line will be operational in the next decade.

Meanwhile, China continues to push the limits of railroad engineering.  Despite a recent fatal high speed rail crash, CSR, a state-owned railroad manufacturer, pushed ahead with the unveiling of a new prototype capable of a record 310 mph. Such a train could travel from New York to Boston or Washington in less than an hour, dramatically changing the nature of life in the Northeast.  It’s time for an audacious vision to connect our cities with true high speed rail by the end of this decade.

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China Sets New Passenger Rail Speed Record While American High Speed Rail Languishes is a post from Transit Wisdom - Let Someone Else Do the Driving. All Rights Reserved.

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Once upon a time, not so long ago, both the bald eagle and American passenger rail were endangered. Both have recovered, but an Amtrak train hit an unfortunate eagle near Aberdeen, Maryland recently.  The bird was feeding on a deer carcass when it was struck and killed by the train. Several hours later it was removed from the front of the train where it “stuck to the locomotive like an emblem.”

It is perhaps ironic that Amtrak, which has always failed to live up to its promise, met the symbol of America. Or perhaps it indicates that Amtrak will press on, and that greater things were ahead.

National Bird No Match For Amtrak Train is a post from Transit Wisdom - Let Someone Else Do the Driving. All Rights Reserved.

Amtrak released a concept plan entitled A Vision for High Speed Rail in the Northeast Corridor. The plan proposes that new dedicated tracks be built parallel to the existing ones for high speed rail between Boston, New York, and Washington. The existing tracks would be kept for slower trains and freight.

The new trains would average 137mph for a trip between Washington and New York taking 96 minutes, and at an average rate of 148mph, a trip between Boston and New York would take only 84 minutes. Today daily departures could increase from 42 today to as many as 148 in 2040.

That’s right, we said 2040. The construction period alone would be 25 years and would take 4.7 billion dollars annually. Perhaps $117 billion dollars over a few decades is an impossible dream, but as Amtrak’s CEO commented, “Nothing gets financed without a vision. If you don’t know what you want to do, you can’t go and ask for money publicly or privately.”

Amtrak itself asked for 2.5 billion for the 2011 Fiscal year, which begins October 1st to cover operations and buy new rolling stock.  The President awarded 8 billion dollars earlier this year to states to develop high speed rail.

So, we now have visions…can we get some rail please?

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Amtrak Puts Forth a Vision of High Speed Rail is a post from Transit Wisdom - Let Someone Else Do the Driving. All Rights Reserved.

Some Metro-North trains could reroute to Penn Station, if need be. The Hudson Line could use Amtrak‘s Empire connection to get into New York City. The New Haven line could use Amtrak’s Hells Gate line to get into Penn Station. We gather the only barrier to this in regular service, aside from crowding, are some minor infrastructure issues, and in an emergency, might be doable.

That may be a bit of a worst-case scenario. However, we will monitor the situation for future developments.

Update (9/20 3PM EDT) – ABC News reports that the fire burned through the wooden piers in the river meant to keep boats from hitting the bridge. Smoke billowed over East Harlem for nearly two hours. Off-peak train service resumed on two of four tracks after 2:30PM. MTA officials are assessing any damage before full service is restored. The cause of the fire appears to be a transformer.

Looks like no diversions to Penn this time.

Metro-North Bridge Fire Leads to Disrupted Service is a post from Transit Wisdom - Let Someone Else Do the Driving. All Rights Reserved.

A while back, we spotlighted the TARC Bike Rack Rap. Now, in our own backyard, the Long Island Railroad has come out with The Gap Rap, performed by Dr. John Clarke, their Medical Director.

Love that catchy refrain, “Look down, step over, and watch the gap!”

LIRR Gap Rap is a post from Transit Wisdom - Let Someone Else Do the Driving. All Rights Reserved.

The Auto Train is non-stop 855 mile trip between Sanford, Florida and Lorton, Virginia. The Auto Train is so named because it is the only Amtrak train that transports both passengers and their cars, vans, motorcycles, boats, etc. The train is scheduled at 17.5 hours, and operates at an end-to-end average speed of 49mph, but often arrives early. This year, it was ontime 88% of the time. The north and southbound trains both leave at 4PM, and are scheduled to arrive at 9:30AM the following morning. My train had 486 passengers onboard, 220 cars, 4 vans, and 4 motorcycles…at least according to the conductor.

Ridership of the Auto Train is about 233,000 passengers and 111,000 vehicles a year, and other routes are being looked at periodically. Such things are dependent on money, but Amtrak did research adding an Auto Train service from Chicago to Phoenix, a route which has the same features as the VA-FL route in terms of demand, probably linking it with an existing route.

They could do better on the speed, but there are restrictions due to freight trains on the route as well as other issues. The train makes a single refueling stop in the middle of the night in Florence, SC. The route is actually one that makes profit for Amtrak, and thus has many amenities.

One-way coach fares range from $93 per person to $228. Roomettes and bedrooms are also available, at a cost of $219 to $1,024 per traveler. One-way fares for vehicles range from $152 to $304 for standard automobiles; up to $339 for oversized cars; and up to $225 for motorcycles. The prices include dinner and breakfast.

My trip started when I flew down to Florida to bring back a relative’s car. I drove to the Sanford AutoTrain station, which recently received 10.5 million dollars to be renovated and updated. This is good, as the current station, while nice, is not befitting such a route. Upon arrival, your automobile is assigned a number and videotaped to document its condition. Then you can check in as a passenger and pick your seating and your meal time. The train had three dinner sittings and a choice of multiple options, including a vegetarian option. You can even pre-order a kosher meal, if your dietary needs are such.

While I was in coach seating, the car had several sleeper cars. I did walk through them, but after we started off, that section of the train wasn’t available to me…and people don’t appreciate you taking pictures of their rooms(Here is Amtrak’s page on sleeping arrangements). it was a full train, so next to me was a complete stranger. Each seat had two outlets, but I did bring a splitter…just in case. Many people, including my seatmate and myself, brought portable computers. I brought a prepaid cellular modem that I’d gotten a daypass on, and had a signal pretty much all of the way.

After boarding the train, you can stop by the dining car for a complimentary wine and cheese tasting. Ironically…wine and cheese free. Bottled water or soda…not. The train stores potable water, and in the middle of the coach car is a spigot and cups.

Superliner coaches have wide two-and-two reclining seats, with foot-rests and retractable leg-rests. The 50-inch pitch of the seats is more than you will get in a business class seat on a domestic flight, but puts the foot-rests out of reach of some passengers. The recline of the seats goes to a near flat position, and travel pillows and blankets are provided. Many people brought along their own pillows for increased comfort.

I’ve done coach seating before, on the Lake Shore Limited, from New York to Chicago(which didn’t have outlets at the time) and wouldn’t have minded trying sleeper service, which I have not, but all the sleeper cars were booked. Sleeping wasn’t bad, although I’m not used to sleeping in that position and I spent much of the time enjoying the scenery, watching the movement of the train on my GPS, and once it grew dark(thus no scenery), I was online.

The train also felt friendlier in some ways. Perhaps it was the large amount of friendly senior citizens. The Auto Train does skew older, and I traveled in a period when there would be fewer families with children. There were also many college-age students, moving their cars elsewhere. When you sat down in a lounge car, it was quite possible someone might want the seat next to you, and a conversation might ensue.

Early, we pulled into Lorton, VA…the end of the line. The Lorton station has been renovated, and the Sanford station’s renovation will bring it more in line with this large glass structure, which befits the popularity of this route.

The offloading of cars was just as organized as the loading, although it seemed more efficient to many I spoke to in Lorton than Sanford…but I have no hard data on this. While you wait in the waiting room, they call the car numbers over the loudspeaker. When your car is offloaded, they expect you to get on the way to clear space for the offloading of other cars.

And that brought the trip to an end…at least on the train. Maybe someday the AutoTrain will have a terminus further north. I could see them, even out of Florida, splitting a train in Lorton, VA or elsewhere and taking it further north, perhaps New Jersey. Admittedly, the tunnel clearance is an issue, but there are alternate routes that could be used. Or maybe the Chicago-Phoenix route will come to be someday.

Who knows what the future may bring? Until then…we have the Auto Train, and its an established Amtrak cornerstone you should try.

Taking a Ride on the Auto Train is a post from Transit Wisdom - Let Someone Else Do the Driving. All Rights Reserved.

There can be no doubt that James McCommons is a man who loves trains.  While he may not be a foamer(the term for a railfan who could be called excessively enthusiastic), McCommons spent a year riding intercity passenger trains around the country and meeting with every important player in the passenger rail industry.

That intercity passenger rail exists at all in this country, McCommons tells us, is nothing short of the miraculous result of a series of compromises, of a political machine bent on killing it, and of small groups at the margins fighting to preserve what remnants they could.  Amtrak was founded on the premise that passenger rail, including infrastructure costs, could be profitable, when no such demand was ever made on road or air travel, the infrastructure of which is heavily subsidized. Without specific funds earmarked for Amtrak, every year became a funding battle, and another opportunity for opponents to kill it.

McCommons’ narrative has the feel of a journey by train; the details of different lines and the passengers who he meets gently blend together like scenery quickly passing by a train’s window. McCommons captures the serenity of train travel, the ability to contemplate, to meet interesting people. In a world where air travel has become steadily more unpleasant, and surging fuel costs and environmental concerns have led some to diminish their automobile use,  intercity train travel could be an increasingly viable alternative, if only routes existed, were run at sufficient frequency, and with reasonable on-time performance.

Unfortunately, there is little incentive for the freight rails which own the track to upgrade their infrastructure to allow greater speed and throughput.  Until recently, there has been little federal money available for infrastructure upgrades. Where individual states have allocated funds there are pockets of better service, but they are rare, and there has been no clear national strategy.

When given a competitive rail option, it is clear that many Americans will choose it. McCommons reminds us how much we all love trains, and paints a tragic picture of the lost opportunity that our deteriorated passenger rail system represents.  Waiting on a Train: The Embattled Future of Passenger Rail Service–A Year Spent Riding across America presents a case that is subtle and understated, but ultimately convincing.  It should be required reading for all legislators who might be convinced that a strong intercity passenger rail network serves a vital national interest and is crucial to continued American prosperity. For the rest of us, it’s a pleasant diversion; a fine approximation of the experience of riding every Amtrak line, and awakens in us a longing to ride the rails.

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Book Review: Waiting On A Train – A Wistful Travelogue And A Call To Action is a post from Transit Wisdom - Let Someone Else Do the Driving. All Rights Reserved.

In the early hours of Sunday morning, a driver on Philadelphia’s SEPTA system noticed one of her passengers, an elderly man, was unresponsive, had urinated on himself, and was drooling. When advised, the control center ordered her to continue to operate her route, not wanting to delay service. A supervisor boarded as she proceeded and checked the man, advised he was breathing but unresponsive, then instructed her to proceed to her terminal, making all stops, where the police would meet her.

Roughly 40 minutes later, at the terminal, the man was pronounced dead. A spokesman for SEPTA insists protocol was followed, and that it appeared to be an intoxicated passenger who had passed out, a not uncommon occurrence. Approximately, 10 to 12 people die on SEPTA vehicles or in stations each year.

Transport Workers Union Local 234, which represents the driver, intends to file a grievance.

We’re just as shocked as the driver here. A passenger was unresponsive and in possible need of medical assistance, and the driver was ordered to proceed for another hour to the Frankford Transportation Center. Here’s a transcript of communications between the driver and dispatch.

Let’s assume the supervisor legitimately thought the passenger was merely passed out from excessive drinking and wanted the route to continue undisturbed. Was the supervisor qualified to give a medical diagnosis? Did he have any medical training?

Why weren’t the police dispatched to a stop much closer then the end of the line? Why were the police dispatched and not qualified medical personnel? Has SEPTA not heard of the expression abundance of caution?

What do you think?

Bus Driver Told to Continue Route With Dying Passenger Onboard is a post from Transit Wisdom - Let Someone Else Do the Driving. All Rights Reserved.

The Consumerist reported last month that on the story of Miriam. Miriam bought a Greyhound ticket, but the bus skipped her stop without notifying her. They refused to provide her money, as she’d purchased a nonrefundable ticket. She was advised the stop was skipped as the bus was running late. That is disappointing enough, but no announcement was made. According to someone Miriam spoke to at the bus station, it happens all the time. Schedules are more like suggestions, we suppose, than anything else.

Elsewhere, courtesy of the same site, Richard, who is in a wheelchair, tried to take Greyhound, using the service Greyhound provides, which requires he make reservations so they can schedule a lift-equipped bus. but, he felt as if, every step of the way, he was ignored, forgotten, and treated as a burden to Greyhound personnel.

Now, both of these stories are examples of horrible customer service. Now, in all fairness, Greyhound is trying to improve its image. They have started deploying new buses to compete with smaller companies. These buses offer free wi-fi, seatbelts, and outlets. But, as Gadling said, in their recent article, Greyhound Travel: The Imperfect Lover, “Bus people have a certain air of resignation and quiet about them. Their expectations are low.”

Other companies, such as Megabus, have come in because they recognize there is a call for inexpensive, clean, and well-run bus service on various routes. They are looking for a higher quality of bus service. It isn’t just about the wi-fi…every form of transport is jumping on that bandwagon. It is about making people want to ride the bus again.

What could Greyhound have done? Well, for Miriam, revise their stopping procedures. It is all right to miss a stop if you know no one is there. But if you require reservations for passengers boarding in less popular places, then you know someone is waiting. It is time for Greyhound to live up to its promise to clean up its act.

Go Greyhound? Should We Leave the Driving to Them? is a post from Transit Wisdom - Let Someone Else Do the Driving. All Rights Reserved.

For those of you who do not know, intermodal transportation is transportation that covers multiple modes of transport…bus, train, plane.

It is a significantly overlooked part of the bigger transportation picture. Why can’t plane connect to train or connect to bus? Most cities don’t look at these things as connected.

Los Angeles World Airports announced earlier this month a three-year license agreement with the City of Irvine permitting the FlyAway bus service to operate nonstop from Irvine Station in Orange County to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The Irvine Station is the fourth location in the FlyAway network, the others being Van Nuys, Westwood and Union Station. Together, the three handled more than 1.5 million travelers combined for the year ending in June.

Both Irvine Station and Union Station provide links to Amtrak, commuter rail, and other bus service. The FlyAway service began in 1975 at Van Nuys, with service added at Union Station in 2006 and Westwood in 2007. The routes are all Express. The ticket price is $7 for the Union Station and Van Nuys routes, and $5 cash for the Westwood route. Children 5 and under ride free. The proposed price for the Irvine service would be $25, but has not yet been set.

This is one of many good transportation programs. It brings people from the airport nonstop to central transit hubs and locations. As we mentioned in our previous post, about our hometown, New York City, direct and regular service from city center to the airport is critical. But things become unfortunately spread out. The main intercity bus terminal for New York City is on 42nd street, 0.6 miles away from Penn Station, where one commuter rail and the Amtrak station is. The rest of the commuter rail is 1 mile in another direction, at Grand Central. One mile isn’t much in a rural area, but in a densely populated and congested city, it is.

Cities need to improve these links. More direct links to the airport. More links between train and bus. Airlines reoriented around the hub and spoke system. Buses use the same system, often terminating at a common terminal. Why do we not think of it in a progression and see how that changes our thinking? Local buses as subway and commuter rail delivery systems. Intercity buses as airport and long-distance train delivery systems…short route buses to medium-haul-trains to long-haul planes.

Now, this isn’t the model that works for everything. Some people are not trying to go from their door to Wisconsin, they just want to get to the local market and back, which is a totally different set of assumptions. When doing planning, people have to envision both scenarios, both short and long. For the long-haul, creating points of easy connection between different modes of transportation is key to the future of our transportation infrastructure.

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Let’s Talk About Intermodal Transportation is a post from Transit Wisdom - Let Someone Else Do the Driving. All Rights Reserved.