Intercity Rail Passenger Systems Update

Transcription

1 Intercity Rail Passenger Systems Update No. 18 Winter 2011 Crrent Research and Development in Intercity Rail Passenger Systems Intercity Rail Passenger Systems Update is pblished exclsively on the Internet. The table of contents offers links directly to each article, or yo can scroll down to read the entire newsletter. Please keep yor bookmark at for pcoming editions. The Transportation Research Board s Committee on Intercity Passenger Rail (AR010) is concerned with research that will lead to better planning and implementation of intercity rail passenger systems, with particlar emphasis on the fll range of high-speed systems inclding new technology. This research will inclde demand analysis, financial considerations, economic impacts (inclding consideration of ser and social benefits), and instittional arrangements inclding pblic private partnerships. The research shold also address impacts on other rail operations, coordination with other modes, rail highway interfaces, corridor verss system concerns, technology assessment, environmental impacts, and implementation strategies. The Transportation Research Board is one of six major divisions of the National Research Concil, which serves as an independent adviser to the federal government and others on scientific and technical qestions of national importance. The National Research Concil is jointly administered by the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institte of Medicine. The mission of the Transportation Research Board is to provide leadership in transportation innovation and progress throgh research and information exchange, condcted within a setting that is objective, interdisciplinary, and mltimodal. Contents...2 Editor s Introdction...3 Coming Will the...5 -Generation Corridor Eqipment Pool Committee: Stats and Update...8 Measres to Redce Rail Indstry Costs...10 Intercity and High- No Light at the End of the Tnnel Yet!...12 Special Annoncements...14 Intercity Rail Passenger Systems Update is pblished intermittently by the Transportation Research Board to disseminate information abot crrent research and development in intercity rail passenger systems. Penny E. Eickemeyer, Editor; David P. Simpson, Chair, TRB Committee on Intercity Passenger Rail; Ann Prde, TRB Senior Program Officer. Any findings and conclsions are those of the athors and not of TRB. TRB Pblications office: Lea Camarda, Editor; Pal debrijn, Design. Sbmit news items to Ann Prde, Transportation Research Board, 500 Fifth Street NW, Washington, DC, 20001, telephone , or aprde@nas.ed.

2 No. 17 Smmer This Isse Editor s Introdction Generation Eqipment Stats and Update Measres to Redce Rail Indstry Costs the Tnnel Yet! Special Annoncements Dear Friends and Colleages: The poplar adage abot living in interesting times certainly applies to anyone with an interest in advancing high-speed and intercity passenger rail. Nearly every developed nation in the indstrial world is committing serios, long-term investments to passenger rail systems a compelling choice for intercity mobility from an economic, environmental, and sstainability perspective bt in the United States, advances into the modern era of passenger rail transportation remain halting and sbject to reversal based on local and national politics and perspectives. As members and friends of the Intercity Passenger Rail Committee, or role is critical not only in terms of encoraging new and timely research efforts bt also in framing relevant isses in a way that illminates rail s niqe contribtions to a broad array of modal investments. Or committee had a very bsy research paper review period and evalated 21 research papers a significant charge for any TRB committee. I am pleased to report that approximately 95 percent of the individal review assignments were completed in a timely manner. Special thanks are de to the committee s many friends, withot whose efforts this sccess wold not have been possible. To help coordinate or research needs, I welcome Genaro Mejia as or new Committee Research Coordinator. Genaro will work closely with Randy Wade, Chair of the Research Sbcommittee, to shepherd and spport research of intercity passenger rail isses and technologies. As yo know, the TRB Annal Meeting will be held soon. I encorage all of yo who can do so to plan a visit to Washington, D.C., Janary 22 26, to attend the meeting. The Mineta Transportation Institte is organizing a half-day workshop on rail secrity Snday, Janary 22, and Crtis Morgan is coordinating a session on the private sector s role in developing and operating intercity passenger rail a topic that is often discssed bt seldom nderstood. Finally, on Tesday, Janary 24, a session on Intercity Passenger Rail: Tailored Soltions and Market Penetration will highlight the best of the best of the 21 passenger rail papers sbmitted to TRB this smmer. Don t miss the World Sper Bowl of transportation events! David Simpson, Chair David P. Simpson Consltants simpsonconslt@comcast.net

3 No. 17 Smmer This Isse EDITOR S INTRODUCTION Editor s Introdction Generation Eqipment Stats and Update Measres to Redce Rail Indstry Costs the Tnnel Yet! Special Annoncements F irst, or previos editor Matthew Melzer deserves a warm thank yo for his dedication prodcing Intercity Passenger Rail Update over the past 4 years and for his spport facilitating the smooth transition in the editorship of this pblication. I look forward to serving as the new editor and plan to provide newsletters that are an objective sorce of key information, research, and research opportnities on topics sch as policy and legislation, crrent practices worldwide, potential instittional arrangements, technological innovations, and economic impacts. Offers to athor articles or sggestions for potential topics will always be welcome. Many nresolved isses contine to have an impact on the advance of improved intercity passenger and high-speed rail. As the commnication arm of the TRB Intercity Passenger Rail Committee, this pblication will help frther the committee s goals by disseminating information that highlights research challenges and opportnities relevant to passenger rail. In trn, this will assist transportation professionals, governmental leaders, and interested members of the pblic to sort ot the best approaches to achieving the ltimate goal: an integrated, mltimodal, safe, reliable, efficient, and sstainable transportation system that will enhance the American economy. This isse incldes two articles on the theme of necessary preparations for sccessfl implementation of high-speed rail service in the United States. The lead article, by Donna Marillo, Director for Commnications and Tech Transfer at the Mineta Transportation Institte at San José State University, California, targets the isse of employee readiness to maintain a highly specialized highspeed rail system. She describes a discssion with several experts, sponsored by the Mineta Transportation Institte in April, on whether the United States will have well-trained professionals to meet the challenge of providing highspeed rail service. Marillo smmarizes the panel s recommendations, crrent edcational and training opportnities, and possible soltions for the remaining edcational gaps. Next, John V. Madden, a member of the Next Generation Corridor Eqipment Pool Committee (NGEC) and Project Team Leader at the New York State Department of Transportation s Freight and Passenger Rail Brea, reports on the design and development of specifications recommended by NGEC for standardized next-generation eqipment. Moving on to an international focs on existing service, Gianlca Favaloro and Daniel Roth of the Infrastrctre Advisory Team at Ernst & Yong, LLP, examine cost isses for the rail indstry in the United Kingdom. Favaloro and Roth report on a recent stdy commissioned by the U.K. government that evalates the efficiency of its heavily privatized system and recommends steps to achieve a 30-percent redction in rail costs over the next several years.

4 No. 17 Smmer This Isse Editor s Introdction Another article considers ongoing legislative efforts in transportation and their potential impacts on the ftre of high-speed rail and of Amtrak. Athor Eric Peterson highlights details on the Obama Administration s recommended spending plan, issed in Febrary 2011, and the components of proposed U.S. Hose of Representatives and U.S. Senate proposals. The newsletter also incldes an introdction of Genaro Mejia as the new Committee Research Coordinator and an annoncement from the Federal Railroad Administration on a recently pblished report, Station Area Planning for High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail, which contains gidance for transportation agencies and local governments. Penny Eickemeyer Region 2 University Transportation Research Center, City College of New York peickemeyer@trc2.org Generation Eqipment Stats and Update Measres to Redce Rail Indstry Costs the Tnnel Yet! Special Annoncements

5 No. 17 Smmer This Isse HIGH-SPEED RAIL IS COMING WILL THE WORKFORCE BE READY? Editor s Introdction Generation Eqipment Stats and Update Measres to Redce Rail Indstry Costs the Tnnel Yet! Special Annoncements Donna R. Marillo donna.marillo@sjs.ed Donna Marillo is Director of Commnications and Tech Transfer for the Mineta Transportation Institte, San José State University, California. When President Barack Obama introdced his administration s plan for high-speed rail in the United States, he opened p an entirely new career path for the nation. Thosands of new jobs are expected, from technical positions to operations to coach and rail maintenance. Nearly all of them will reqire the specialized knowledge and skills necessary to spport a national high-speed rail system. Bt will the United States have sfficiently trained professionals to fill those positions? That qestion is being addressed in workforce development circles arond the contry. Several edcators recently met at the Mineta Transportation Institte (MTI), a University Transportation Center (UTC) affiliated with the College of Bsiness at San José State University in California. Participants inclded representatives from MTI; METRANS, a UTC affiliated with California State University at Long Beach and the University of Sothern California; California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona); and Pal Toliver, president of New Age Indstries. Panelists acknowledged the gap between the edcational and training needs for high-speed and intercity passenger rail and the programs offered by the U.S. edcational system. According to a California State University representative, expected demand for high-speed rail reqires specific knowledge and skills that crrently are not available. For example, trains traveling at speeds greater than 200 mph mst se engineered slab track presently not sed in the United States rather than traditional ballast. High-performance vehicles, which are constrcted sing carbon fiber, have not yet been manfactred or deployed here. High-speed rail also will reqire the development and deployment of positive train control systems that are new to this contry. Additionally, innovative project financing, with private and pblic investment, may be employed to fnd high-speed rail development and operations. If the proposed high-speed rail system helps boost passenger travel, especially for trips p to miles, this increase will create great demand for highly trained employees. In trn, edcational systems inclding not only niversities and technical schools, bt also apprentice programs and other nonscholastic training will be challenged to provide the necessary edcation and training. Until now, those programs have not been widely available, althogh several are crrently offered:

6 No. 17 Smmer This Isse Editor s Introdction Generation Eqipment Stats and Update Measres to Redce Rail Indstry Costs the Tnnel Yet! Special Annoncements Slab track on the Nremberg Mnich high-speed rail line in Germany. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons) MTI has offered a Master of Science in Transportation Management (MSTM) for several years, bt it is one of the only niversities to do so. In fact, the program is different becase it is part of a college of bsiness, rather than an engineering school. Gradate corses cover topics sch as transportation law, project management, disaster planning and response, secrity, fnding and finance, and marketing. Certificates reqire stdents to take for of the MSTM corses and are offered in transportation management, secrity, and high-speed rail. To allow working people to matriclate into the master s degree program, corses are held in the evenings by live teleconference throghot California. Most of the stdents already have transportation careers and wish to advance into management or policy positions. So far, nearly 200 stdents have earned their MSTM degrees. The College of Engineering at California State University, Long Beach, also is taking visionary steps by developing a new, safer, and more reliable form of high-speed rail electrification that reqires less maintenance. Sch a system will accommodate doble-stacked freight in shared rail corridors. This innovation will remove traction drive limitations and in trn allow for redced tnnel and bridge lengths, faster starts and stops, and noise and vibration mitigation. The school s linear synchronos motor coples with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory magnet technology to prodce safe electrification withot exposed wires. These projects provide significant learning opportnities for stdents. Cal Poly Pomona is creating a series of corses on railroad engineering and is edcating engineers in the design, constrction, operation and maintenance of high-speed rail in California. Those classes inclde transportation engineering, which introdces high-speed rail and its criteria for geometric design; railroad engineering, which covers the fndamentals of railroad engineering; and design projects for railroad separation and crossings. Also in development is a smmer program in China throgh the Civil Engineering Department and International Center that will allow stdents to gain

7 No. 17 Smmer This Isse Editor s Introdction Generation Eqipment Stats and Update experience with designing and operating high-speed rail overseas. Cal Poly Pomona is beginning research on railroad transportation, inclding electrification of the freight train network from the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to the Inland Empire. Becase the United States has no practical experience with high-speed rail operation, perhaps we shold look to contries sch as Germany, France, and Japan, which have had sccessfl operations for many years. Even China is leapfrogging ahead to become a world leader in high-speed rail. Sending or stdents to those contries for hands-on training, as Cal Poly Pomona is planning, cold be a workable soltion for a certain part of the workforce bt does not solve the problem entirely. We need more edcational instittions to commit to lanching people into high-speed rail careers. We need partnerships among those instittions so that many stdents can be taght qickly and cost-effectively. We also need reliable and accrate research data to reveal the training gaps and to recommend methods to address and close these gaps. At the very least, we mst ensre that high-speed rail training is niform, relevant, and widely available. Achieving that goal wold involve partnerships among rail operators, edcational instittions, nions, and private indstry sch as engineering or planning firms, with gidance from foreign operators. Measres to Redce Rail Indstry Costs the Tnnel Yet! Special Annoncements

8 No. 17 Smmer This Isse PRIIA SECTION 305 NEXT-GENERATION CORRIDOR EQUIPMENT POOL COMMITTEE: STATUS AND UPDATE Editor s Introdction Generation Eqipment Stats and Update Measres to Redce Rail Indstry Costs the Tnnel Yet! Special Annoncements John V. Madden jmadden@dot.state.ny.s Professional engineer Jack Madden serves on the Technical Sbcommittee of the Next-Generation Corridor Eqipment Pool Committee. A Project Team Leader in the Freight and Passenger Rail Brea at the New York State Department of Transportation, he previosly worked for Conrail. The Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (PRIIA) mandated the establishment of the Next-Generation Corridor Eqipment Pool Committee (NGEC) to design and develop specifications for standardized next-generation eqipment and procrement procedres. Initiated by Amtrak in Janary 2010, the committee comprises representatives from Amtrak, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), passenger railroad eqipment manfactrers, interested states, and other passenger railroads as appropriate. 1 The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials provides spport services to NGEC, sch as website hosting of mintes and all other docments as well as approved eqipment specifications. Since its inception, the NGEC Exective Board and its sbcommittees have addressed the committee s goals and deliverables, focsing on specifications for a bilevel car, a single-level car, and a diesel electric passenger locomotive, all of which are FRA Tier I. 2 In addition, the committee s mandate to attend to isses of safety standards, reqirements related to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the By America provision of PRIIA, and a common vision and direction for the manfactring commnity. 1 Exective Board: Chair Bill Bronte, Chief, Division of Rail, California Department of Transportation; representatives from California, Georgia, Loisiana, Iowa, Maryland, Missori, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Washington, and Wisconsin. Technical Sbcommittee, primarily responsible for developing PRIIA-compliant standardized eqipment specifications: Chair Mario Bergeron, Chief Mechanical Officer, Amtrak, and Exective Board Vice Chair; representatives from California, Iowa, Illinois, Loisiana, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Washington, and Wisconsin; approximately 135 indstry members. Finance Sbcommittee, responsible for identifying and evalating instittional opportnities and strctres for procrement and for considering the type of entity or corporation needed to carry ot NGEC s work: Chair D. J. Stadtler, Chief Financial Officer, Amtrak, and Exective Board treasrer; representatives from California, Washington, and Wisconsin. Administrative Task Force, which oversees bdget isses, manages NGEC operation, defines what is presented to Congress, serves as the Exective Board policy development arm, and keeps open records and relevant committee policies: Alan Ware, Rail Planner, Intermodal Division, Georgia Department of Transportation, and Exective Board secretary; representatives from Missori, Washington, Oklahoma, and North Carolina. 2 Under Title 49 Code of Federal Reglations, Part 238.5, Tier I refers to trains operating at speeds not exceeding 125 mph; Tier II refers to trains operating at speeds from 125 to 150 mph.

9 No. 17 Smmer This Isse Editor s Introdction Generation Eqipment Stats and Update Measres to Redce Rail Indstry Costs the Tnnel Yet! The Exective Board has approved several specifications to date for 125- mph PRIIA-compliant eqipment: Bilevel Passenger Rail Car (Agst 2010) Single-Level Standalone Passenger Rail Car (Febrary 2011) Diesel Electric Passenger Locomotive (March 2011) In March, the Exective Board established a Locomotive Technology Task Force to investigate new technology soltions for locomotive development, inclding replacement of the existing dal-mode, third-rail electric diesel locomotive sed for New York state passenger services throgh the tnnels into New York City. The NGEC s Technical Sbcommittee completed the Single-Level Tier I trainset specification and the Exective Board approved it in Agst The Technical Sbcommittee also approved a dal-mode passenger locomotive reqirements docment diesel electric and electric for sbmission to the Exective Board. The standardization of eqipment aims to provide for flexibility and efficiency in operations throghot varios North American corridors and to permit mltiple manfactrers to bild interoperable eqipment. These efforts also contribte to the sccess of ftre rail travel and help foster related economic development. NGEC recognizes that its work will play a significant role in rebilding the passenger rail eqipment manfactring indstry in the United States and nderstands that its sccess will lead to a more efficient, reliable, safe, and environmentally sond national intercity passenger rail system that is an integral part of the nation s vast transportation network. More information on NGEC can be fond at Section305Committee.aspx and on the By America provision at Special Annoncements 3 Details on these specifications and the crrent trainset review draft are available at org/pages/docsspecs.aspx.

10 No. 17 Smmer This Isse KEY U.K. REPORT RECOMMENDS MEASURES TO REDUCE RAIL INDUSTRY COSTS Editor s Introdction Generation Eqipment Stats and Update Measres to Redce Rail Indstry Costs the Tnnel Yet! Special Annoncements Gianlca Favaloro and Daniel Roth gfavaloro@k.ey.com, Daniel.Roth@ca.ey.com Gianlca Favaloro is a Director of Ernst & Yong LLP s Infrastrctre Advisory team, based in London. Daniel Roth is a Managing Director of Ernst & Yong Orenda s Infrastrctre Advisory team, based in Montréal. Since privatization in 1996, the United Kingdom s railway indstry has attracted mch attention throghot the world, having become one of the most liberalized markets in Erope in terms of private sector delivery of rail operations and infrastrctre. The separation of infrastrctre from train operations was a fndamental element of the liberalized model and broght significant benefits. Competition in both the freight and passenger markets has driven p traffic volmes by 60 and 42 percent, respectively, in the past 10 years the fastest growth in Erope. 4 There is, however, a growing recognition that liberalization has failed to deliver some of the cost efficiencies that originally were envisaged. On a passenger-kilometer basis, according to benchmarking analysis condcted on behalf of the Department for Transport and the Office of Rail Reglation (ORR), rail nit costs have not improved since the mid-1990s and total indstry costs are 20 to 30 percent higher than they shold be compared to similar Eropean contries. Many acknowledge that for the U.K. government to contine to invest in the growth of the rail sector particlarly given a political and economic environment characterized by widespread spending restraint there mst be a strong indstry psh to control costs and drive efficiency improvements. Against this backgrond, the government commissioned the Rail Vale for Money Stdy to examine the costs of the rail indstry and recommend ways to achieve a more efficient system. Led by Sir Roy McNlty, the stdy was released in May 2011 and is considered a key first step toward major changes in the operation of the rail sector. It identified key barriers to implementing whole-system soltions for total indstry cost savings: indstry fragmentation and misaligned incentives between private freight and train operating companies (TOCs) and the infrastrctre manager Network Rail, which is sbject to ORR reglation. clded are recommendations on how stakeholders might work together toward a goal of redcing rail nit costs by 30 percent by 2018 or 2019: 4 Sccesses and Lessons of Rail Liberalisation in the U.K. Rail Freight Grop, London, 2007.

11 No. 17 Smmer This Isse Editor s Introdction Generation Eqipment Stats and Update Measres to Redce Rail Indstry Costs the Tnnel Yet! Provide greater clarity in specifying overall vision and policy objectives and indstry acceptance of responsibility for delivering otcomes within these parameters. Establish a senior-level grop of indstry people from Network Rail, TOCs, and other stakeholders the Rail Delivery Grop to facilitate indstry change throgh emphasis on partnership and cooperation. Encorage more effective partnerships and better alignment of financial incentives between TOCs and Network Rail throgh cost and revene sharing, joint ventres or partnerships, and other initiatives, with the long-term aim of vertical integration throgh a combined concession of infrastrctre management and train operations. Devolve and decentralize decision making within Network Rail and facilitate greater efficiency, enabling more operational decisions to be made at the rote level and in partnership with TOCs. Spport the government s annonced plans to reform the crrent franchising system by moving toward longer concession terms for TOCs and improving contractal incentives to promote greater investment and cost control. Review fare policy and strctres that seek to redce crrent complexity and improve management of peak demand and the matching of demand with capacity (ongoing). Since the stdy s release, key stakeholders sch as Network Rail and TOCs have acknowledged the need for change and the greater imperative to work together. At the same time, the government has maintained pressre on the indstry to follow throgh on the recommendations. At a recent indstry conference, former Secretary of State for Transport Philip Hammond emphasized, the new cltre of cooperation in the rail indstry and the focs on cost redction is here to stay and is mandatory, not optional. The next several months will determine whether the challenging move toward a more efficient rail indstry is geninely nderway, or whether the stdy will end p on a shelf at the Department for Transport. Special Annoncements Network Rail s East Coast Main line rns from London to Edinbrgh, Scotland. (Photo: Network Rail)

12 No. 17 Smmer This Isse TRACK AHEAD FOR AMERICAN INTERCITY AND HIGH-SPEED PASSENGER RAIL: NO LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL YET! Editor s Introdction Generation Eqipment Stats and Update Measres to Redce Rail Indstry Costs the Tnnel Yet! Eric C. Peterson ecp50@verizon.net Eric Peterson is a transportation policy consltant and a member of the TRB Intercity Passenger Rail Committee. The battle in Congress to balance the bdget, ct spending, and hold the line on possible revene increases has virtally eliminated all previosly athorized, appropriated, proposed, and nobligated fnding for the Obama Administration s intercity and high-speed passenger rail initiative. Despite this sitation, there still is life in the nation s high-speed rail initiative and potential for progress in improved intercity passenger rail service inclding high-speed passenger rail in certain corridors albeit not too qickly. Leading p to the major fnding cts from Congress and the Administration this past smmer, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) obligated $13 million for a variety of mltistate intercity passenger rail planning initiatives. Overall, nearly $8.1 billion of the $10.1 billion proposed in the Administration s initial high-speed rail program has been obligated to spport 131 projects in 32 states. Amtrak received approximately $450 million from the Administration s high-speed rail initiative for power, signal, track, and catenary improvements in the Northeast Corridor; also, nearly every state in the Northeast Corridor received significant fnding to spport improvements to stations, track, and other facilities that will benefit passenger rail service. Special Annoncements Catenary maintenance nit on the Northeast Corridor mainline near Baltimore, Maryland. Amtrak received approximately $450 million for catenary and other improvements from the Obama Administration s high-speed rail initiative. (Photo copyright James G. Howes)

13 No. 17 Smmer This Isse Editor s Introdction Generation Eqipment Stats and Update Measres to Redce Rail Indstry Costs the Tnnel Yet! Special Annoncements Earlier this year, the U.S. Hose of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastrctre proposed dismantling Amtrak privatizing the Northeast Corridor and stripping Amtrak of fnding for its state-sponsored rotes. Recently, committee chair Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) annonced that the committee was abandoning that effort bt wold seek other reforms. The 2012 Transportation Hosing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill recently was voted ot of its joint conference committee and will be voted on separately by the U.S. Senate and Hose of Representatives. The measre provides $1.6 billion for FRA $6.6 billion below the president s reqest and $326 million above last year s level. Of this amont, $1.4 billion is targeted for Amtrak, primarily for capital improvements to the nation s rail lines. The agreement also incldes Amtrak policy reforms: reqiring employee overtime limits to redce nnecessary costs and reinstating a provision that prohibits federal fnding for rotes for which a fare discont of 50 percent or more is offered. In addition, the agreement does not inclde fnding for high-speed rail or other intercity passenger rail service improvements. Looking ahead, the Senate version of the srface transportation athorization bill, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Centry (MAP-21), still waits for the Senate Commerce Committee to add the railroad title. In the Hose of Representatives, the Transportation and Infrastrctre Committee is reformlating its passenger rail measre in light of Mica s recent annoncement. In early December, Mica annonced that the Hose of Representatives wold not take p the srface transportation legislation ntil 2012, leaving many policy observers with the impression that there may be no new athorization bill passed by Congress and sent to the President ntil after the 2012 elections. In its FY 2012 bdget proposal, the Administration said that its intent was to pt intercity passenger rail on an eqal footing with other srface transportation programs, with a long-term objective to provide 80 percent of Americans with access to intercity passenger rail within the next 25 years. It did not, however, inclde a financing plan to spport this initiative. Frther complicating the long-term pictre for srface transportation, specifically intercity and high-speed passenger rail, is the work of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Redction attempting to redce government spending by at least $1.2 trillion. The committee was reqired to present a plan to Congress by Thanksgiving. Since it has failed to do so, the government will be forced to redce spending across the board by 10 percent over the next decade. Despite this bleak fnding sitation, interest in intercity and high-speed rail remains strong among legislators, as evidenced by the recent formation of a new congressional high-speed rail cacs. The grop incldes several prominent senators who also are longtime advocates for intercity passenger rail service. In addition, recent srveys by the American Pblic Transportation Association and others show very strong pblic spport for intercity and high-speed passenger rail. With gas prices contining to climb and airports and airfares increasingly less desirable, the traveling pblic is eager for alternatives to cars and airplanes especially in travel corridors with distances of less than 600 miles.

14 No. 17 Smmer This Isse SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS Editor s Introdction Generation Eqipment Stats and Update Measres to Redce Rail Indstry Costs the Tnnel Yet! Chair David Simpson Appoints Committee Research Coordinator Congratlations to Genaro Mejia on his recent appointment as the Committee Research Coordinator for the Intercity Passenger Rail Committee. In this capacity, Mejia will work closely with Research Sbcommittee Chair Randy Wade. He will coordinate the Committee s research efforts, reaching ot to organizations and individals with proposals to address these research needs. He also will liaison with other committees as needed. Mejia is a Senior Alignment Engineer for Arp, an international mltidisciplinary engineering firm. He holds a bachelor s degree in civil engineering from the University of California, Irvine; a master s degree in transportation engineering from the University of Sothern California; and is a Professional Engineer in California. He has 10 years of experience specializing in engineering design for rail transportation projects, inclding grade separation, high-speed rail constrction, rail widening, tnnel constrction, and station platform design. He crrently is working on the Palmdale to Los Angeles section of the California High-Speed Rail project; specifically, horizontal and vertical track design throgh the rban corridor from Sylmar to Los Angeles Union Station. New FRA Report Gides Station Planning The following annoncement was sbmitted to this pblication by FRA. FRA has released a new pblication, Station Area Planning, that provides gidance to local jrisdictions and transportation agencies for optimal integration of high-speed and intercity passenger rail stations in their land se, development, and transportation contexts. It is organized arond three principles: Location: Optimize the station location. Transportation: Maximize station connections with other transportation modes. Special Annoncements

15 No. 17 Smmer This Isse Editor s Introdction Generation Eqipment Stats and Update Development: Shape development throgh rban design. Focs infill development arond the station. This is the first in a series of references that FRA expects to pblish. It can be accessed at Jne_2011_c.pdf. Additional information can be fond at (go to the links for Station Area Planning and high-speed rail on the home page). Newsletter Comments We look forward to yor feedback on the format and the content of this pblication. Comments on this newsletter, and most especially, contined contribtions by committee members, friends of the committee, and others can be sent to the editor: Penny Eickemeyer peickemeyer@trc2.org Measres to Redce Rail Indstry Costs the Tnnel Yet! Special Annoncements