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News Wire: Congressman to hold hearing on Amtrak signal meltdown at Chicago Union Station, other issues

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Saturday, April 20, 2019 2:50 PM

CMStPnP
#2.   Chicago rips off the Taste Of Milwaukee festival and rebrands it the Taste of Chicago.

This year is the 37th Annual Taste of Milwaukee (Google it, not even rating a Wiki entry).

The Taste of Chicago started in 1980 under Mayor Byrne. It's the world's largest food festival, held for five days in Grant Park in July. (Wiki) 

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Posted by CMStPnP on Saturday, April 20, 2019 10:15 AM

ROBERT WILLISON
In my humble opinion, this being a one time issue, reported to been cause by human error, it's kinda of waste of time. Now investiging why CSX and ns can't get the lake shore limited  or the auto train, making one fuel stop enroute should arrive with out major delays. It's not like thier not already long station stops providing catch up time enroute. And yes we already probably know the answers but it's a better waste of time than investigating the metra incident.

Heh, heh, heh.   You have to understand Chicago.   Let me tell you this has zero to do with the Metra incident.

Metra wants absolute control and ownership of Union Station and is going to use this incident as well as future incidents to make that case to wrest control from Amtrak.   Chicago wants the money that CUS is projected to generate once the redevelopment plans are complete.    They have attempted more than once to gain control of the property and the last failure via the court system was pretty epic.   However, that will not stop Chicago from attempting to obtain control of the property.

Interesting because METRA had zero interest in CUS when it was a money losing property after METRA was formed.   I believe Amtrak attempted to convince METRA to take it over back then.   Now, however with the redevelopment plans and the projected revenue that will come in via future.    METRA is going to use every level of the Chicago machine to grab the property from Amtrak.

Lets be honest about the money grab as well.   Don't we see the same thing with the NEC and what NJ Transit and what NYC trains are charged to use NEC infrastructure?   Of course we do.   Big cities will rip off Uncle Sugar if they think they have a good chance of doing so and being successful.

Look at the track record as well (no pun intended):

#1.   Chicago rips off the Summerfest concept from Milwaukee that had been running successfully since 1968 and renames it Chicagofest.

#2.   Chicago rips off the Taste Of Milwaukee festival and rebrands it the Taste of Chicago.

#3.   Chicago attempts to rip off the Milwaukee Circus Parade but then starts to balk at the costs and fails to meet fundraising goals.......so that idea goes to the crapper and long term they fail here.

#4.   Chicago rips off several of Milwaukee's iconic ethnic festivals.

And this is just for starters.

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Posted by BaltACD on Friday, April 19, 2019 11:45 AM

Thunder1212
Lipinski has been running his mouth on issues like this for a bit. One of the new challengers said he was “ too conservative” and is hammering him on that point.  

So so now he’s the advocate for commuter rail! Yay him! 

some of his comments are hilarious, along with his attitude that “ nothing should break down” on the railroad.

Just like Government should never break down......

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Friday, April 19, 2019 10:49 AM

zugmann

 

 
ROBERT WILLISON
In my humble opinion, this being a one time issue, reported to been cause by human error, it's kinda of waste of time.

 

Unless you are being challenged by at least two people in the next primary and need to get your name out there?

Nah, that couldn't be it. Dots - Sign

 

Bill Lipinski is a relic of the old Daley machine of his father.  He was handed his seat by his old man.  He is one of the most conservative Democrats in the House, as 1/5 of his voters voted for Trump.  Two progressives may oppose him in 2020, but if that continues, it almost guarantees his re-election.  

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Posted by Thunder1212 on Thursday, April 18, 2019 10:53 AM

Lipinski has been running his mouth on issues like this for a bit. One of the new challengers said he was “ too conservative” and is hammering him on that point. 

 

So so now he’s the advocate for commuter rail! Yay him!

 

some of his comments are hilarious, along with his attitude that “ nothing should break down” on the railroad.

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Posted by zugmann on Tuesday, April 16, 2019 5:40 PM

ROBERT WILLISON
In my humble opinion, this being a one time issue, reported to been cause by human error, it's kinda of waste of time.

Unless you are being challenged by at least two people in the next primary and need to get your name out there?

Nah, that couldn't be it. Dots - Sign

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any

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Posted by BaltACD on Tuesday, April 16, 2019 5:01 PM

ROBERT WILLISON
In my humble opinion, this being a one time issue, reported to been cause by human error, it's kinda of waste of time.

Now investiging why CSX and ns can't get the lake shore limited  or the auto train, making one fuel stop enroute should arrive with out major delays.

It's not like thier not already long station stops providing catch up time enroute.

And yes we already probably know the answers but it's a better waste of time than investigating the metra incident.

I don't know what, if any, incentives Amtrak's contracts with the Class 1 carriers have for On Time performance.

I do know back in the 1990's there was a system of incentive payments that Amtrak paid based upon the On Time arrival at various 'Checkpoints' on each train's scheduled route.  I believe if the trains were On Time within a 10 minute tolerance 85% of the time per month, the incentive rate was payable to the Class 1's.  If the OT performance was less then 50% of the time then the carriers were required to pay Amtrak a penalty payment.  Most trains had more than a single checkpoint that was measured, Auto-Train had a single checkpoint that was the destination and as I recall the value of that checkpoint was about $11,500 - the value of other checkpoints were less - on the order of $2500 - $3000 each.

What the contracts specify in today's world I have no idea.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by ROBERT WILLISON on Tuesday, April 16, 2019 11:55 AM

In my humble opinion, this being a one time issue, reported to been cause by human error, it's kinda of waste of time.

Now investiging why CSX and ns can't get the lake shore limited  or the auto train, making one fuel stop enroute should arrive with out major delays.

It's not like thier not already long station stops providing catch up time enroute.

And yes we already probably know the answers but it's a better waste of time than investigating the metra incident.

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Posted by Brian Schmidt on Monday, April 15, 2019 9:48 AM

CHICAGO — U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.) will hold a hearing Tuesday on Amtrak’s technical meltdown that snarled Metra commuter service in February. The hearing will be held in room 331 of the Metcalfe Building, 77 W. Jackson Boulevard ...

http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2019/04/15-congressman-to-hold-hearing-on-amtrak-signal-meltdown-at-chicago-union-station-other-commuter-issues

Brian Schmidt, Editor, Classic Trains magazine

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