And despite the facts that it is losing money on every passenger it carries on 39 out of 40 corridors, that its under the gun from Congress to be self-sufficient by 2003 (which the GAO says isnt going to happen), that 50% of its passengers never buy a second ticket, and that it provides trivial passenger miles to this State, YOUR Washington State DOT continues to campaign to spend millions of YOUR tax dollars on AMTRAK.

From todays PI:

Amtrak needs funds to make trips faster Thursday, April 27, 2000 By GEORGE FOSTER mailto:georgefoster@seattle-pi.commailto:georgefoster@seattle-pi.com SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER More frequent and faster trains between Seattle and Portland could arrive earlier than expected if money can be found for track and equipment improvements, Amtrak President George Warrington said yesterday. The difficulty in the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere, he added, "is that demand exceeds (rail) capacity . . . the entire system is saturated." Warrington was in Seattle yesterday to help break ground for a $43 million Amtrak maintenance base to be shared with Sound Transit's commuter trains. The structure will be a block south of Safeco Field along the Burlington Northern Santa Fe tracks. Washington state is absorbing $22 million of the cost; Amtrak $21million. Billed as a ground-breaking, the event took more of a dramatic turn when, on cue, the bucket of a large track hoe swung ceremoniously into the 90-year-old vacant building that has housed Amtrak's maintenance offices. The crowd broke into applause. During ceremonies, Amtrak board member Amy Rosen of New Jersey chided airlines, saying the originally scheduled guest speaker, Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, would be late flying in "'because the airways are too crowded." Thompson leads the Amtrak board. Speaking earlier to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer's editorial board, Warrington made it clear that securing money for equipment, track improvements and new signals was key to Amtrak operations being self-sufficient by 2003, as mandated by Congress. Part of the solution, he said, is congressional approval of the High Speed Rail Investment Bill, authorizing Amtrak to sell $10 billion in bonds to fund projects. States would supply 20 percent of the grants on regional projects. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., is chief sponsor. Gil Mallery, who leads Amtrak's Western Division, said this money could buy new light-weight diesel locomotives for Seattle-Portland service, helping reduce the travel time to under three hours. Asked how soon this was possible, he and Mallery said 2003, provided the locomotives are bought and some track and signal improvements are made on the BNSF line Amtrak uses. This was earlier expected by 2005 or later.

http://www.seattle-pi.com/local/trak27.shtml

-- Craig Carson (craigcar@crosswinds.net), April 27, 2000

Answers

Because the DOT is on the take from BNSF?

When Amtrak folds, they are going to get all the equipment at fire sale rates.

-- (zowie@hotmail.com), April 27, 2000.

"Gil Mallery, who leads Amtrak's Western Division, said this money could buy new light-weight diesel locomotives for Seattle-Portland service, helping reduce the travel time to under three hours. Asked how soon this was possible,..."

This is possible right away. I can get in my car and drive to Jantzen Beach in less than 3 hours. I'll take 21 million, too. Thank you very much.

-- Matthew M. Warren (mattinsky@msn.com), April 28, 2000.

Perhaps it's because the percentage increase in ridership is outpacing the percentage increase in highway miles traveled by about ten fold....

Amtrak Cascades reports steady ridership increase - Availability of popular Internet discounts extended

SEATTLE - January to March ridership on the Amtrak Cascades hit an all-time high with more than 106,570 passengers during the first quarter of 2000. This ridership trend represents a 14.2 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Amtrak Cascades ridership was also record-breaking for March, with more than 41,480 guests traveling during the month, representing a 23.7 percent increase over March 1999.

Ridership in the Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor has grown from more than 226,000 in calendar year 1993 to more than 565,000 in 1999 -- an increase of over 160 percent. This fiscal year ridership is almost 14 percent ahead of ridership over the same period last year.

The continued popularity of Amtrak Cascades service illustrates the bright future of passenger rail in the Pacific Northwest, said Gil Mallery, president of Amtrak West, who along with Amtraks Board of Directors, is in Seattle this week to break ground on a new $43 million maintenance facility. As a result of our commitment to providing superior customer service, the public is responding in record-breaking numbers.

In addition to ridership, customer satisfaction continues to remain strong. In 1999, the Amtrak Cascades rated the highest in customer satisfaction in Amtraks 42-route national system.

Amtrak and state officials attribute the continued rise in ridership to higher-than-expected passenger counts on a new daily Seattle- Bellingham round-trip, regional marketing, adjustments to train equipment that make more seats available on the most popular trains, and new European-style train equipment.

Responding to customer needs has really paid off, said Ken Uznanski, manager, Washington State Department of Transportation Rail Office. Working with Amtrak and railroads, we found a way to offer more seats on trains during times when our service typically sells out. This allows us to serve our customers better and divert more traffic from congested highways.

In 1999, Amtrak service diverted more than 31 million miles of auto traffic from regional highways and prevented more than 700 tons of air pollution.

Exclusive Internet discounts were featured as part of the launch of a new local Amtrak website, www.AmtrakCascades.com. The popular discounts will now be available through May 25, 2000. The AmtrakCascades website also features travel packages, travel information, a virtual train tour and many other fun features.

The Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor extends 466 miles from Eugene, Ore. to Vancouver, BC. Amtrak Cascades service on this corridor is provided in partnership with the states of Washington and Oregon. Three daily roundtrips serve Seattle and Portland, with one extending to Eugene. One daily roundtrip serves Seattle and Vancouver, BC and one daily roundtrip serves Seattle and Bellingham, with guaranteed motorcoach connections to Vancouver, BC.

Regular one-way adult fares between Seattle and Portland start as low as $21; Seattle and Vancouver, BC, $21; Portland and Eugene, $14; and Eugene and Seattle, $29. Passengers are encouraged to purchase tickets early to obtain lowest fares. Reservations are required.

New Amtrak Cascades Business Class service offers wider, more comfortable seating; priority boarding and deboarding; and complimentary snack, non-alcoholic beverage and newspaper. A one-way Business Class upgrade is $15.

For current schedule, fare and reservation information visit www.AmtrakCascades.com, call 1-800-USA-RAIL or visit a staffed Amtrak station.

-- Patrick (patrick1142@yahoo.com), May 03, 2000.

"Perhaps it's because the percentage increase in ridership is outpacing the percentage increase in highway miles traveled by about ten fold.... "

Which when it's trivial to begin with, is not hard to do.

Some questions for you, Patrick:

1. What percent of the total traffic along the corridor is AMTRAK? 2. What is the subsidy per rider in operating costs? 3. What is the subsidy per rider in capital costs? 4. Of the 40 AMTRAK routes, how many make enough money to cover just their operating expenses? 5. How man total cities are served by AMTRAK in Washington, and what is their average daily passenger onload and offload? 6. Do YOU seriously believe that AMTRAK will be able to cover their operating expenses by 2003 as they are required to do by law, if they aren't to be put into bankruptcy?

-- Craig Carson (craigcar@crosswinds.net), May 03, 2000.

The Amtrak passenger train that struck and killed a man on a trestle near the King-Pierce County line Monday night had all its bells and whistles working and was going a little slower than the normal track speed at the time of the fatal incident, a railroad spokeswoman said yesterday.

"The engineer put on the emergency brake as soon as he saw him," Amtrak spokeswoman Elizabeth O'Donoghue said. "But it was dark. And it takes over a mile to stop."

Authorities were still investigating the cause of the accident yesterday. It was not immediately known why the man was on the track.

The King County Medical Examiner's office identified the victim as Gregory Allen Gates, 33, but did not release his home town. They said an autopsy showed he died from blunt-force injury.

Gates was knocked off the trestle into the White River near the town of Pacific shortly before 9:30 p.m. A railroad crew member pulled him from the water after the train was halted, O'Donoghue said.

There were 84 passengers and three crew members on board the northbound Cascades train, which was making a run from Portland to Seattle when the fatal incident occurred, the Amtrak spokeswoman said.

No one on board the train, which was going a little less than the normal 79-mph track speed, was injured in the emergency stop.

The train was delayed for about 1 1/2 hours because of the accident, O'Donoghue said.

The fatal incident occurred less than two weeks after two young girls were struck and killed by another Amtrak train as they walked along

a trestle over the Green River in Kent.

Killed in the April 20 incident were Zandra Rene Lafley, 13, and Rachel Lynn Marturello, 11.

In answer to one of Craig's question above, it would appear that we are moving about 84 people a train, with a crew of three and tens of millions of dollars worth of equipment, and only killed three people in the last two weeks to do it.

How can Craig be so critical of a great transportation system like this????

Mark

-- Mark Stilson (mark842@hotmail.com), May 03, 2000.

Mark Stilson writes, in part:

"In answer to one of Craig's question above, it would appear that we are moving about 84 people a train, with a crew of three and tens of millions of dollars worth of equipment, and only killed three people in the last two weeks to do it."

I'm not sure that it is statistically valid to use a sampling of the passenger load of one train to conclude that 84 people is typical (the number may be more or less). I will concede the millions of dollars of equipment, however.

As far as killing 3 people in 2 weeks... I view that as natural selection at work. Mother Nature is simply weeding stupidity out of the gene pool by knocking off those that have not learned that it is unwise to be on railroad rights of way (especially trestles) at the same time as oncoming locomotives.

-- Curious George (---@---.---), May 03, 2000.

"I'm not sure that it is statistically valid to use a sampling of the passenger load of one train to conclude that 84 people is typical (the number may be more or less). I will concede the millions of dollars of equipment, however. " Obviously you don't recognize tongue in cheek, Jorge!

"As far as killing 3 people in 2 weeks... I view that as natural selection at work. Mother Nature is simply weeding stupidity out of the gene pool by knocking off those that have not learned that it is unwise to be on railroad rights of way (especially trestles) at the same time as oncoming locomotives" I am tempted to agree with that for the adult. For the two kids....., well, I don't think any of us made it through our childhood without guardian angels looking over us, everyone is born ignorant and believing they are bulletproof. Learning your not immortal can be an expensive lesson. If every gun needs a trigger lock, why can't we have fences around railroad tracks?

-- Mark Stilson (mark842@hotmail.com), May 03, 2000.

Nice and tasteless for Mark to try to bolster his view by taking advantage of a tragedy. But if safety is a concern, in 1998 there were 41,471 fatalities on the highways and 577 on the rails.

And Craig, you can complain all you want, but the simple fact of the matter is that the economic numbers for AMTRAK are increasing rapidly. Will it turn a profit in 2003? I don't know. But with ridership and revenue growth consistently increasing throughout much of the 90's, the question is when AMTRAK will turn a profit, not if. So should Amazon.com stop expanding since they aren't turning a profit, or for that matter, just close up shop all together?

And, this is getting old, but again, public opinion is sharply against Craig's point of view. This from a Gallup Poll done in 1997:

A Gallup poll conducted in late October indicates that almost seven out of ten Americans feel that the federal government should continue to fund Amtrak "in order to ensure that the U.S. has a national train service". Only about a quarter agree that the federal government should stop funding Amtrak even if that means "the train service could go out of business if it doesn't operate profitably on its own".

These pro-Amtrak sentiments hold even among the majority of Americans, who would be unaffected if Amtrak were to cease operations. Sixty-four percent of Americans say that they personally would not be negatively affected or inconvenienced in any way if Amtrak were to go out of business. Nevertheless, sentiment that the government should continue its funding of Amtrak is at 62% among this group. (A still higher number of those who would be affected by the train service's demise, 81%, favor continued government support.)

-- Patrick (patrick1142@yahoo.com), May 03, 2000.

"And Craig, you can complain all you want, but the simple fact of the matter is that the economic numbers for AMTRAK are increasing rapidly. " With all due respect, Patrick, B**LL***T.

Not just MY opinion, but the GAOs and OMB as well. By tossing out the GAAP (Generally accepted accounting principles) to fund all their major overalls with capital money rather than properly accounting for them as an operating expense and doing a lot of one-time sales of real estate ( having sold it once, they are very unlikely to be able to sell it again) and one time squeezing of money from state DOTs (including our own WADOT), they met their rather easy 1999 targets "glidepath, as they call it." All the heavy lifting is in the next two years. The GAO doubts that they can make it. The OMB doubts that they can make it. And lowly old Craig REALLY doubts that they can make it. They continue to lose money on 39 of 40 routes, and have used capital that the GAO (and AMTRAK) says they need for long term capital replacement for operating expenses. And that's not counting their payments into the railroad retirement accounts (which Congress funds) and capital expenses. Here is an excerpt from the 1999 Amtrak Reform Council report. They are the oversight committee that Congress has established to advise them concerning Amtrak's progress at making themselves self-sufficient which they have been trying to do since 1970. Acela, which they were pinning their hopes on, is behind schedule, over budget, and running in to both technical and environmental problems. Wanta bet anything on their achieving operating expense self sufficiency in a mere third of a century? I wouldn't even propose a bet that they'd cover their own capital expenses. Nobody expects them to pull that off, ever.

Amtraks Financial Performance in 1999. The preliminary financial results for FY1999 (ended September 30, 1999) are $8 million better than projected in Amtraks 1998 Strategic Business Plan. But this positive variance is more than fully attributable to higher than projected net earnings from Commuter, Reimbursable and Commercial activities, which were $19.6 million ahead of the projections, due to renegotiated contracts for easements, flagging costs to contractors on the NEC, and increased charges to state and local governments and commuter authorities. AMTRAKS CORE BUSINESS OF PROVIDING INTERCITY RAIL PASSENGER SERVICE ACTUALLY PERFORMED MARGINALLY WORSE THAN ANTICIPATED IN THE FY1999 PLAN. Amtrak needs to achieve step-level improvements in operating and financial performance during the two key years of FY2000 and FY2001 to meet its Plan goal by the end of FY2002. Amtrak projects approximately $125 million of improvements in both FY2000 and FY2001 due primarily to the introduction of the new Acela Express Service. The Council cannot determine the impact of the Acela delay until it receives additional information from Amtrak, including Amtraks Strategic Business Plan for FY2000 to FY2004, which Amtrak has not yet released.

http://www.amtrakreformcouncil.gov/preliminary.html

-- Craig Carson (craigcar@crosswinds.net), May 03, 2000.

And, of course, heres the General Accounting Offices perspective:

http://www.bts.gov/ntl/data/rc98151.pdf

Amtrak spends almost $2 for every dollar of revenue it earns in providing intercity passenger service. Only the Metroliners high-speed service between Washington, D.C., and New York City is profitable; all of Amtraks other 39 routes operate at a loss. Financial performance measures highlight the problems that Amtrak routes generally are experiencing. For example, 3 Amtrak routes spent more than $3 for every dollar of revenue, and 14 routes lost more than $100 per passenger in fiscal year 1997. At the same time, Amtrak has improved the financial performance of several routes by negotiating support payments with affected states. For example, California supplemented the revenues of two routes by about $16.5 million each in fiscal year 1997 because these routes particularly benefited its residents. Any decisions about restructuring Amtraks route system need to consider whether and how Amtrak will continue to provide national passenger service. An analysis also needs to assess each routes customer demand and financial performance, the willingness of state and local governments to subsidize service, and the routes broader benefits. These benefits could include providing connecting service to other routes, providing public transportation that links smaller communities with major cities, and helping to alleviate highway congestion and pollution. Amtrak is in a very precarious financial position and remains heavily dependent on federal funding to pay its operating and capital expenses. While Amtraks goal is to eliminate the need for federal operating subsidies by 2002, its Board of Directors approved a revised strategic business plan in March 1998 that projected substantially higher net losses in fiscal years 1998 and 1999 than were included in the previous plan. To reduce these net losses, Amtraks revised plan would use federal capital appropriations to pay for maintenance expenses that traditionally have been treated as operating expenses. As a result, Amtrak would spend $800 million, or 15 percent, less for capital improvements over the next 5 years than previously planned. As currently structured, Amtrak will continue to require federal capital and operating support in 2002 and well into the future. The reforms included in the Amtrak Reform and Accountability Act of 1997 will have little, if any, immediate effect on Amtraks financial performance, according to Amtrak and Federal Railroad Administration officials. The officials added that the longer-term benefits of these reforms are unclear. These reforms may result less in measurable financial savings for Amtrak than in additional flexibility in negotiating with its unions or in addressing the concerns of freight railroads about the extent of their liability if an Amtrak train is involved in an accident on their track.

-- (craigcar@crosswinds.net), May 03, 2000.

http://www.cnie.org/nle/eng-11.html

and, of course, the Congressional Research Service thinks youre better off taking the bus, or even DRIVING A CAR, if you are trying to save energy, decrease CO2 emissions, etc.

SUMMARY
A rationale for federal financial support to Amtrak has been that 
rail service conserves energy, compared to other forms of intercity 
passenger transportation.(l)(2) The numbers presented in this report 
suggest that the rationale might not be valid with regard to some 
alternative modes of transportation, and the report discusses some 
public policy implications that could follow from that conclusion.
COMPARATIVE FUEL INTENSITY
The fuel intensity of alternative modes of intercity passenger travel 
is contained in table 1.(3) As can be seen from the numbers there, 
intercity buses use less than 40% of the energy of Amtrak (measured 
in Btu(4)) per passenger-mile. Automobile trips longer than 75 miles 
are about as energy efficient as travel by Amtrak, and the average 
trip length on Amtrak in fiscal year 1995 was 257 miles.(5) 
Transportation by certificated air carriers on domestic routes 
consumes substantially more Btu than Amtrak, and general aviation 
uses more than three times as much energy as Amtrak.
TABLE 1. Fuel Intensity of Competing Modes of Intercity Passenger 
Transportation
(in ascending order of Btu consumption per passenger-mile)
Mode of Transportation 	Btu per Passenger-Mile 	Btu per Pass.-Mile 
Compared to Amtrak 
Intercity buses 	953	36 %
Autos, trips over 75 miles	2,625 	99 
Amtrak 	2,646 	100 
Autos, all trips, including local 	3,593 	136 
Air, certificated route, domestic 	4,482 	169 
Air, general aviation 	8,582 	324 






the craigster



--  (craigcar@crosswinds.net), May 03, 2000.

"including Amtraks Strategic Business Plan for FY2000 to FY2004, which Amtrak has not yet released. "

It's May 2000 and the federal Fiscal Year starts 1 October, and they haven't got their Strategic Plan for FY2000 out yet?

Their management doesn't appear any better than their trains on-time performance.

-- (mark842@hotmail.com), May 04, 2000.

"Nice and tasteless for Mark to try to bolster his view by taking advantage of a tragedy. But if safety is a concern, in 1998 there were 41,471 fatalities on the highways and 577 on the rails. "
Yeah, and what percentage of passenger miles were road miles compared to rail miles?
But even more to the point, consider this:
An auto going down a limited access highway at 60 mph can come to a complete stop in about 120 yards.
An auto can DODGE around an obstruction in it's path on a limited access highway in even less distance.
They call it Limited Access because it is required by law that there be a fence to deter kids and critters from getting in the path of the cars.

An amtrak train going 79mph takes a mile to stop.
When last I checked, it wasn't very good at dodging around anything in its path.
But it gets to go through downtowns and suburbs without fences or controlled access crossings?

You would, I assume, believe it equally "tasteless" for anyone to try to use the Columbine massacre to encourage gun control? Patrick, the NRA member?
You sound like General Ripper in Dr. Strangelove who, after the Wing Commender had gone nuts and started WWIII, said "You can't fault the whole program for one foul-up.

But you're right, these three fatalities were rare events. It may not happen again for......, Damn, will you look at that... Mikey Woman dies when she is struck by locomotive in Sumner by Joshua Robin Seattle Times staff reporter A woman was killed yesterday afternoon when she was hit by a locomotive in Sumner, the region's fourth fatality due to a train accident in the past two weeks. The accident occurred at 3:05 p.m., as the Burlington Northern Santa Fe locomotive was traveling through Sumner from Seattle, said railroad spokesman Gus Melonas. The conductor later told Sumner police that the woman, who was not identified, was waiting at a bus stop near railroad tracks by the intersection of Wood Avenue and 16th Street. As the southbound train approached, the woman walked closer to the tracks, stopped and appeared to be waiting for the train to pass, the conductor said. At the last possible moment, the woman stepped into the path of the oncoming train, the conductor said. The woman was described as between 25 and 30. On Monday night, Gregory Gates, 33, of Auburn was killed when he was struck by an Amtrak train as he walked on a trestle over the White River in Pacific. On April 20, two girls, Zandra Rene Lafley, 13, and Rachel Lynn Maturello, 11, both of Kent, were walking along railroad tracks about two miles south of downtown Kent and were killed when they were struck by an Amtrak train bound for Seattle. Joshua Robin's phone message number is 206-464-8255.

-- (mark842@hotmail.com), May 04, 2000.

Another test.

-- Matthew M. Warren (mattinsky@msn.com), May 05, 2000.

Why we don't trust Patrick, Part One:

"Nice and tasteless for Mark to try to bolster his view by taking advantage of a tragedy. But if safety is a concern, in 1998 there were 41,471 fatalities on the highways and 577 on the rails. "

Rail-Highway Grade Crossing Safety

Federal Railroad Administration

Report Number: RT-1999-140 September 30, 1999

Nearly 10 times each day a train and a motor vehicle or a person collide at a rail-highway grade crossing. Grade crossing accidents often have severe consequences. While 1 in 150 highway accidents results in a death, 1 in 10 train-motor vehicle collisions is fatal. In 1998, 1,008 people were killed in railroad accidents. This included 431 who died in crossing accidents, 536 killed while trespassing on railroad property, and 41 fatalities in other rail- related accidents and incidents. Approximately half of the crossing accidents and fatalities occurred at crossings where gates, lights, or bells were in place to warn motorists of an approaching train.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) has embarked on an ambitious plan to reduce crossing and trespassing accidents, and has made substantial progress in improving grade crossing safety during the past 5 years. Unfortunately, reckless driver behavior at grade crossings continues to cause hundreds of accidents and fatalities each year. Accidents involving large trucks are particularly serious, as demonstrated in a recent accident at Bourbonnais, Illinois. That accident resulted in 11 deaths and 49 injuries when an Amtrak train derailed after colliding with a truck hauling steel that is suspected to have driven around the gates at the crossing.

The objective of this review was to assess the progress made toward achieving DOTs 10-year goal to reduce accidents and fatalities by 50 percent, that is to no more than 2,500 crossing accidents and 300 crossing fatalities by 2004, as established by the Rail-Highway Grade Crossing Safety Action Plan.

HERE'S WHERE I GOT MY NUMBERS, PATRICK: http://www.oig.dot.gov/audits/rt1999140.html

WHERE DID YOU GET YOURS?

-- (mark842@hotmail.com), May 05, 2000.

And the silence from Patrick continues to be deafening.......

Meanwhile:

State moves to increase train speeds 2000-05-09 by Bruce Rommel Journal Reporter

Amtrak trains could be flying through Kent, Auburn as fast as 79 mph next fall

Passenger trains could start rolling through downtown Kent and Auburn at nearly 80 mph next fall while freight trains could increase speeds to 60 mph.

Those are the new speed limits being recommended by state rail officials.

``We don't have any other choice,'' said Mike Rowswell, rail safety manager for the state Utilities and Transportation Commission. (/B> The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad has requested increased speed limits on its tracks between Seattle and Tacoma.

Once the railroad completes installation of required sensors, signals and other safety equipment, federal law says the higher speed limits can be put in place.

A public hearing on the increased speed limits is expected to be scheduled sometime next month.

BNSF freight trains currently are limited to between 35 and 45 miles in most South County cities. Amtrak passenger trains can travel up to 79 mph in areas where there are no street crossings, but the trains slow down within cities.

The increased speed limits are recommended in Sumner, Auburn and Kent. Proposed speed limits still are being studied in Puyallup and Tukwila.

Auburn city officials earlier opposed the increased speeds -- at least until construction of new overpasses or underpasses at major crossings, such as Third Street Southwest in downtown Auburn and South 277th Street between Auburn and Kent.

Paul Krauss, Auburn's planning director, said funding for those safety improvements has been secured, but the projects won't be completed for about two years.

Despite that, Krauss yesterday said it appears likely train speeds might be boosted in September.

``We don't anticipate doing any more at this time. I don't think any further appeals would be of any use,'' Krauss said.

Boosting train speeds in September coincides with the launch of Sound Transit's new Sounder passenger rail service between Tacoma and Seattle. Amtrak trains already share the same tracks with BNSF freight trains.

Gus Melonas, a spokesman for BNSF, said boosting the speed limits doesn't mean all trains will be traveling the maximum allowable speeds. Like a state highway, he said, vehicles slow down for many reasons. On rail lines, when one freight slows down to drop off or pick up cars at a siding, other train traffic slows down.

``The speeds will vary for many reasons,'' Melonas said.

About 50 BNSF trains pass on the tracks every 24 hours, along with eight Amtrak trains. The new Sounder passenger service, with trains stopping at new stations in Auburn, Kent and Tukwila, adds six more trains each weekday.

Higher train speeds appear likely because the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in recent cases that speed limits must be lowered only when there are ``unique'' safety concerns, Rowswell said.

Kent city officials, for example, can't request speeds be reduced because the BNSF tracks cross seven streets in the downtown area.

``There's nothing unique about seven or more crossings in one town. The U.S. Supreme Court has made that clear,'' Rowswell said.

The UTC staff recommendation comes just after three recent fatalities on BNSF trestles in South County.

Two girls, ages 11 and 13, were killed April 20 when a freight train going about 40 mph struck them as they tried to cross a trestle over the Green River in Kent near South 266th Street. On May 1, a 33-year- old man crossing a trestle over the White River in Pacific was struck and killed by an Amtrak train going 79 mph.

A 15-year-old girl was struck and killed on the same trestle in Pacific last year. The trestle is part of a local short-cut used between the Pacific neighborhood and Auburn Riverside High School. Officials from Pacific and Auburn are to meet soon with state UTC staff to talk about safety improvements. One possibility is to build a pedestrian tunnel underneath the tracks.

-- (mark842@hotmail.com), May 09, 2000.

Todays resignation of long-time passenger rail advocate John Vranich from the Amtrak oversight coucil should be a wake-up call for those who believe that we should continue to listen to the "transportation choices" advocates.

He gives example after example of poor business practices including shady billion dollar loans from the Canadian government, questionable accounting practices, and using Amtrak "pork" to buy congressional influence. Time to shut Amtrak down! Vranich

Inc identally, aren't these the same people the PI editorial board wanted us to give $10 BILLION more in bonding authority??

-- (mark842@hotmail.com), July 10, 2000.