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So if the rail safety bill passes the senate and...

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So if the rail safety bill passes the senate and...
Posted by lattasnip9 on Monday, September 29, 2008 9:47 PM
is signed by the president (not likely... but likely to be overturned if vetoed), Amtrak is reauthorized?  What happened to S. 294 and how did reauthorization legislation get wrapped into this bill?
Robbie
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Posted by Prairietype on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 8:02 PM

 lattasnip9 wrote:
is signed by the president (not likely... but likely to be overturned if vetoed), Amtrak is reauthorized?  What happened to S. 294 and how did reauthorization legislation get wrapped into this bill?

 

The latest I heard (I haven't actually seen it in print) is that SB-294 is wrapped up in this as "Amtrak Reauthrorization." Let's hope. We'll know on October 1st; that's the other thing I'm hearing.

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Posted by Nataraj on Friday, October 3, 2008 1:08 AM
 Prairietype wrote:

 lattasnip9 wrote:
is signed by the president (not likely... but likely to be overturned if vetoed), Amtrak is reauthorized?  What happened to S. 294 and how did reauthorization legislation get wrapped into this bill?

 

The latest I heard (I haven't actually seen it in print) is that SB-294 is wrapped up in this as "Amtrak Reauthrorization." Let's hope. We'll know on October 1st; that's the other thing I'm hearing.



What will reauthorizing amtrak do? (I never knew it was authorized in the first place. Is there a benefit for doing this? ) And what does it actually do? (special privileges?

Thanks
Nataraj -- Southern Pacific RULES!!! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The GS-4 was the most beautiful steam engine that ever touched the rails.
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Posted by 4merroad4man on Friday, October 3, 2008 3:29 AM

S294 is buried in this bill.  The giveaway is the portion authorizing the STB to investigate delays to Amtrak trains caused by host railroads, and to order the hosts to pay all additional costs associated with the delays.  That authority only existed in S294.

Amtrak was authorized to provide intercity passenger service when created.  That authority is not perpetual, and needs to be renewed in order for operations to continue, money to be appropriated, etc.

Serving Los Gatos and The Santa Cruz Mountains with the Legendary Colors of the Espee. "Your train, your train....It's MY train!" Papa Boule to Labische in "The Train"
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Posted by blue streak 1 on Friday, October 3, 2008 1:33 PM
If the STB can investigate delays to AMTRAK and the host RRs to pay all additional costs associated with delays then maybe we will finally see if the trains can operate on time. Of course the hosts will want additional padding in the schedule a - la - UP and the sunset limited. Do we measure the schedule in effect May 1, 1971, any improvements, down grading a - la - IC(CN) city of NO route, installation of cab signals (PTC). etc?
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Posted by oltmannd on Friday, October 3, 2008 4:02 PM

 blue streak 1 wrote:
If the STB can investigate delays to AMTRAK and the host RRs to pay all additional costs associated with delays then maybe we will finally see if the trains can operate on time. Of course the hosts will want additional padding in the schedule a - la - UP and the sunset limited. Do we measure the schedule in effect May 1, 1971, any improvements, down grading a - la - IC(CN) city of NO route, installation of cab signals (PTC). etc?

No, those original deals all expired and were replaced with newer ones with current running times.

-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/

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