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THE ESPA EXPRESS
NEWSLETTER OF THE
EMPIRE STATE PASSENGERS ASSOCIATION
The following is a summary of our association’s bi-monthly newsletter.
All ESPA members receive the complete unabridged version
(with photos, graphs, etc.) of this newsletter by mail or e-mail.
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and our support efforts for a modern public transportation network in New York State
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July - August 2009
Vol. 33, No. 4
The first round of application submissions to the FRA for ARRA grants is now only weeks away. We understand that NYSDOT is poised to submit over 30 project applications, covering potential work from across the state. The FRA’s aggressive timeline calls for the state’s ‘pre-applications’ to be submitted by July 10th!
So by the time we read this, the list of proposed projects will be public information and we will have a full perspective on the potential scope of improvements being proposed. Please sure to check our web site for the full list as soon as it becomes available.
As has been widely reported, the state’s final applications are then due to FRA by August 24, 2009, with FRA scheduled to make the initial grant decisions and announcements by the end of September. Additional decisions on project and program application funding will continue over the following 12 months.
While it is highly unlikely that all of New York State’s initial applications will be selected for ARRA funding, most observers (including myself) feel that we are in a good position to receive funding for a number of vital improvement projects, including the 4th platform track at Rensselaer; repairs to the Livingston Avenue Bridge over the Hudson; double-tracking fr om there to Schenectady; a new signal system between Poughkeepsie and Rensselaer and at least some new and/or improved interlockings west across the state on the CSX mainline.
So, after waiting many years (or is it decades?) for meaningful improvements for the Empire Corridor, we now have only to wait three short months before we will learn the scope of the initial work to be completed as the first step in the coming multi-year effort to bring higher-speed and more reliable, passenger-friendly rail service to the state.
In the past month, Tony Rudmann and Sherman Jewett, our Albany Government Representative, have had a series of productive meetings with both Assembly and Senate leaders and staff. As noted in the enclosed article, joint efforts aimed at creating a NYS Rail Authority have gained momentum after many years of inactivity. Unfortunately, the recent meltdown in the Senate has stalled the possibility of any immediate action on this vital initiative, but I remain hopeful that the Legislature will consider it in future sessions and that the Governor will approve it if and when it is passed.
I hope everyone has a pleasant summer and has an opportunity to ride the rails, whether it is on Amtrak or on any of the many excursion train operations which dot our state.
As always, I welcome your comments, critiques and suggestions, on how ESPA can better attain our goals of improved passenger rail service in New York State. Don’t hesitate to contact me at anytime.
Bruce B. Becker
ESPA sponsored a National Train Day event at the Depew Station on May 9th. Over 250 passengers, friends and families enjoyed complimentary snacks, while browsing the materials on display. The event attracted coverage on Buffalo’s popular all-talk radio station.
Left to Right: Dave Skoney, Bruce Becker, Bob Lenz - Photo By Bruce Becker
ESPA and the Niagara Chapter – NRHS co-sponsored a Memorial Day Flag Display at the Depew Station. The event, coordinated by ESPA Western New York Coordinator Dave Skoney was featured on Buffalo’s local CBS TV station.
Left to Right: Howard Nole-Amtrak; Bruce Becker-ESPA; Jim Ball-NRHS; Dave Skoney-ESPA
Photo By Bruce Becker
ESPA’s Director of Legislative Affairs/Capital Region Coordinator Anthony Rudmann has been appointed to the National Association of Railroad Passenger’s Council of Representatives effective immediately.
Tony is filling one of two vacant seats representing New York on the newly re-organized Council. Based on the Council’s revised allocation system, New York State is now entitled to 8 representatives. The remaining vacancy is being filled by Gary Gianotti, ESPA’s Utica Coordinator. Gary is awaiting final approval action by the NARP Board of Directors.
Tony (and Gary) will be joining Andrew Cabal, George Haikalis, Lewis Hoppe, Richard Kulla, John Ross and Steve Salatti on the Council fr om New York. Bruce Becker remains an ‘at-large’ Council Representative and he currently serves as the Council’s Northeast Division Leader.
Congratulations to Tony (and Gary Soon) on their new responsibilities!
Bruce B. Becker
NYSDOT Acting Commissioner Stan Gee announced on June 23rd that Ms. Ann Purdue will be joining the State’s Department of Transportation, as the first High Speed Rail Program Manager, effective July 6, 2009,
Ms. Purdue has been serving as a Senior Assistant Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Virginia where she was responsible for the negotiation and development of transportation agreements for the construction, financing, operation and management of major infrastructure projects. She has a depth of experience in rail matters, having served as both in-house and outside counsel to CSX Transportation. She also brings a wealth of experience in the areas of railroad capital improvements, operating agreement, grants and regulation, as well as other private and public sector experience in finance, real estate and commercial transactions.
In the announcement Acting Commissioner Gee said “We are very fortunate to have someone with Ms. Purdue’s talents to lead our ongoing efforts to ensure that passenger rail and high-speed rail transportation will be a safe, energy efficient, competitively priced, economic generator for New York.”
Ms. Purdue and the High Speed Rail Program team will be part of the Department’s Policy and Planning Division’s Office of Integrated Modal Services under the leadership of Don Hannon.
ESPA is very pleased by this news and congratulates the Governor and Department on attracting such a highly-qualified individual to help the lead the impending higher-speed initiatives across the state.
Bruce B.Becker
On June 2nd, ESPA President Bruce Becker and Vice-President Gary Prophet attended the final of seven nationwide Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) High-Speed Rail Workshops, held in Philadelphia.
Over 200 rail advocates, state and local officials and industry professionals participated in the session, which was geared by FRA to inform the interested parties of the progress being made in the planning to distribute the $8.0 billion in ARRA funds designated for high-speed rail and to listen to constituent comments and concerns.
Along with formal presentations by FRA Administrator Joseph Szabo; Duputy FRA Administrator Karen Rae and Amtrak’s new Vice-President of Policy and Development Stephen Gardner (among others), participants were afforded an opportunity to provide direct feedback, in small groups, to the FRA on the guidelines being developed for the high-speed rail funding (see related story).
Bruce and Gary had an opportunity to speak with many influential attendees, including Administrator Szabo and CSX’s Assistant Vice President for Public-Private Partnerships Jay Westbrook.
Bruce B. Becker
As a result of Amtrak’s ongoing Route Improvement Program, the Adirondack’s consist has recently been upgraded to now include two Amfleet II long-distance coaches for passengers traveling between New York points and Montreal. These cars provide much larger windows (perfect for this scenic route), leg/foots rests and vastly greater space between seats. These cars join two Amfleet I coaches for local passengers and a full table café car as the regular equipment for this train north of Albany.
In addition, in a move long-sought by ESPA, the train is now also carrying an additional New York to Albany Amfleet I coach for local Hudson Valley riders. This car is removed/added with the engine change in Rensselaer on each trip. This extra car frees up capacity in the other coaches and should help boast overall revenues on the state-sponsored section of the train north of Albany by increasing the number of longer distance passengers.
ESPA applauds Amtrak for making these very positive changes and urges them to now consider adding a baggage car to this train popular with international tourists and other travelers.
Bruce B. Becker
The Finger Lakes Railway, which operates both freight and excursion passenger service out of their Geneva, NY base on a number of former NYC and Lehigh Valley lines, is advancing a proposal to introduce regularly scheduled Amtrak service to and fr om this Finger Lakes community, home to over 13,000 residents, two colleges and a gateway to the popular NYS wine region.
As ESPA has long advocated for, such a new service would provide the opportunity for an early morning train eastbound fr om Syracuse to Albany and New York City, with a late evening return trip to Syracuse. The concept assumes that one of the existing Hudson Valley trains would be extended past Albany, making all regular stops to Syracuse and then run non-stop to Geneva via the CSX mainline to Lyons, followed by running south 14 miles on a currently out-of-service former NYC line now owned by Norfolk Southern.
The Finger Lakes Railway would provide a station and overnight servicing facilities in Geneva for the train. Currently no such overnight layover capability exists at Syracuse.
The proposal does assume that the line between Lyons and Geneva would be purchased fr om NS and upgraded for passenger service. In addition, the plan would presumably curtail efforts by Wayne County interests to construct a new station stop in Lyons, as Geneva has been considered one of the primary traffic bases for such a stop there. The Lyons station plan has been stalled for years due to the high cost of meeting CSX requirements for a new facility there.
ESPA applauds the Fingers Lake’s initiative and is fully supportive of this proposal to better serve upstate New York destinations.
Bruce B. Becker
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