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Workin’ on the Railroad... Trains in our Future? |
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by David Weisman
Regular contributor David Weisman takes a break from his anti-Diablo activities to articulate a subject dear to his heart: the train system. His love and deep concerns for alternative transportation as well as the fun and joy of traveling on Amtrak are embedded in each sentence of this superb essay.
Daddy, what’s a train? Is it something I can ride?
Does it carry lots of grown-up folks and little kids inside?
Is it bigger than our house? Well how can I explain
When my little boy and girl ask me daddy, what’s a train?
— Bruce “UTAH” Phillips
There comes a moment, late each afternoon, when – if the spirits that favor the iron horse are appeased – a confluence of forces merge in the quaint old mission town of San Luis Obispo. A northbound and a southbound train face each other on adjacent platforms. Passengers alight; some gratefully inhale the cigarettes they have been coveting for hours; college students of all shapes and sizes heft their colorful and bulky backpacks – of all shapes and sizes – from the grass where they’ve been lounging, and amble toward the trains. A little boy sits atop his father’s shoulders and waves to the engineer. And the engineer, as they always do, waves back. Skateboarders and surf dudes exchange convoluted handshakes that pass as farewells; there are occasional tear-filled good-byes. The dining car chef, his starched tunic and tall white hat a welcome bit of nostalgia, takes a moment from his chores and leans idly on an open vestibule door, the faint odor of garlic wafting from within.
Like antennae, the rails themselves vibrate with the throb of the idling locomotives; a subtle reminder that this static scene is but an interlude between great forces that will soon pull in opposite directions. And though there is a time certain when that movement will occur, there is as yet an unhurried and easy feeling; a casual and comfortable sense of coming and going that has long been absent from air travel, and can only be applied with irony to the thought of a rest stop along the busy interstate.
On an adjacent siding, a third train rumbles to life, and will depart within the hour. This much passenger activity hasn’t graced the rails in San Luis Obispo since the time when a photograph of the scene could have only existed in black and white. Two quick blasts from the horn, and passengers step lively; visitors retreat while hands flutter from behind windows like fringed flags. The stainless steel caravan glides away, distant horns bellowing through the grade crossings on their way out of town. Within moments, quiet returns. Birds chirp and automobiles rush past.
OK, so I’m a sucker for trains.
There was a time in this country when the long distance passenger train might have been eligible for protection under the Endangered Species Act. But as the issues surrounding global climate change and the “end of oil” emerge, it’s time to give the railroads a second look. While scenes of long distance travel described in the opening paragraphs are increasing (as are long distance passengers), the greatest potential for development is along the highly populated inter-city corridors. Between Boston and Washington, Amtrak’s high-speed electric trains have already made inroads, and after some teething pains, established themselves as bona-fide competition to driving and air travel.
The less well-known fact is that, outside of the east coast, Amtrak and Caltrans’ California rail corridors are the fastest growing routes in the country, including the second and third busiest in the nation. Happily, the residents of San Luis Obispo, hometown to HOPEDANCE, have three opportunities each day to hear the “all aboard” either arriving or departing to points south and north. And those traveling between San Jose, Oakland and Sacramento have up to 16 weekday trains a day in each direction on the “Capitols” route, while there are 11 weekday “Surfliner” departures between Los Angeles and San Diego with six of those reaching up to Santa Barbara. This represents a greater frequency of service than was offered on these routes during the heyday of rail travel in the 20th Century. In fact, over half the Capitol riders are using the train for business, which is not surprising given the rise in traffic congestion along the freeways that serve the sprawling southern California and Bay areas. And while these may not be the high speed bullet trains of Europe (the Surfliner does reach 90 MPH en route to San Diego), they seem to be moving fast enough when compared to the parallel freeway that has crawled to a standstill, as many railroad passengers can witness when the tracks scoot alongside the I-5 freeway south of Los Angeles, or the moribund I-80/680 freeway heading west from Oakland.
Will shifting our transportation base from private automobiles to trains help combat global climate change? According to the National Association of Rail Passengers (www.narprail.org), expanding passenger rail reduces greenhouse gasses. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory reports in its Transportation Energy Data Book, Amtrak energy intensity was 2,935 British Thermal Units (BTUs) per passenger-mile and commercial airlines were 3,587. Commuter rail was 2,751 and automobiles were 3,549 BTUs. In other words, Amtrak was 18% more energy efficient than planes, 17% than autos. A solid rail investment program could give rail an even greater energy efficiency edge. Despite carrying more passengers on more trains, Amtrak reduced its diesel fuel use by about 3.2 million gallons or 5% in FY 2005. This was achieved by reducing the number of locomotives and by instituting national fuel conservation practices. In addition, the transformation of “switcher” engines to battery-power is significant, because these tugboats-of-the-rails, or “goats” in railroad parlance, are left idling and at the ready almost 24/7. With a state grant from the California South Coast Air Quality Management District, Amtrak is retrofitting a switch engine with RailPower Company’s hybrid “Green Goat” technology. The hybrid locomotive will be used in the Los Angeles Yard and will reduce fuel consumption by 75 percent and emissions by 80 percent.
Between 2000 and 2006, rail ridership on the Surfliner and the Capitols has increased an average of 66 percent each, and is growing every year. When a second daily train was added on the San Luis to Los Angeles route, passengers increased by one-third. Trains have also been popular with budget-minded college students (who receive a 15 percent discount at www.studentadvanteage.com ). They are particularly visible on the Surfliner routes that connect Cal Poly, UC Santa Barbara and UC San Diego, often clustered around their laptops watching DVDs and occasionally doing homework. Which brings to mind another resource that trains help preserve – and it’s not a fossil fuel based one: Time. Trains are the ultimate time machines…. Without having to maintain the constant vigilance required of driving, passengers can actually get work done. I wrote most of this article on a laptop plugged in at my seat, while sipping some Green Mountain coffee (the Surfliner café cars serve that environmentally responsible brand!). Imagine being able to use your cell phone (which functions along most Amtrak California routes) and not having to incur the road-rage of narrowly avoided collisions, but instead watching the sun setting across the rice fields of the Sacramento Delta, or the rolling waves off the beaches at Ventura or Oceanside. And later in 2007, Amtrak hopes to begin implementing “Wi-Fi” on the Capitol route to Sacramento. And since someone else is doing the driving, why not stop in the lounge for a beer or some wine? I have found regional microbrews and Paso Robles wines served on occasion. I particularly like the cozy charm of the lounge cars on the Capitols and San Joaquin valley trains, with their wood-grained walls and Victorian style desk lamps on the tables. There are also free copies of the Sacramento or Fresno Bee for catching up on the latest news. This can be the ultimate “office with a view.” And for riders in California, the views are worthwhile, particularly the unspoiled 100 miles of coastline between San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara, inaccessible to automobile traffic and a good place to spot dolphins leaping, whale migrations and large flocks of sea birds. Special incentives to visit Santa Barbara by rail – and help eliminate auto emissions – can be found at www.santabarbaracarfree.org
“Is train travel practical?” is the question I am most frequently asked, and the answer depends on your needs. Train travel is not a good idea for genuine “Type A” personalities, for although on-time performance has improved in recent years, and hovers on average around 80% for California inter-city rail, trains still stop for unexpected freight congestion and people who think they can beat a train across a railroad crossing. On the other hand, recently announced Department of Transportation statistics (US DOT) concluded that in 2006 nearly one-out-of-four airline flights was delayed or cancelled for one reason or another. After I first moved to the Central Coast and chose to drive when visiting my acquaintances back in Los Angeles, I noticed I was putting lots more miles on my car, which meant more frequent servicing. And after the price spikes in gasoline, the trips were costing more. At approximately 450 miles roundtrip from SLO to LA, averaging 30 MPG, gas would cost roughly $40. The current roundtrip Amtrak fare is $60, or $54 for students and AAA members, who can deduct ten percent. Factoring in “wear and tear” on the car and the fact that I have enough friends in LA (or can use Metro subway and bus system) to get me around locally, I consider it almost a break-even deal. When gas prices spiked to $3 and a gallon and higher, the train became more economical. The train takes five and a half hours, the drive takes under four – but – this is dependent on Los Angeles traffic, and I have been stalled for as much as an hour just to travel the last 15 miles of my journey on highway 101 into Los Angeles. The train can also help save money on air travel … as fares from San Luis Obispo are often significantly higher than from Burbank or LAX. All the Surfliner trains stop at Burbank Airport (BBK), and from the platform it is a ten-minute walk to the check-in counters. From Los Angeles Union Station, Fly Away Bus Service now provides convenient non-stop service to Los Angeles International Airport every 30 minutes between 5:00 am and 1:00 am and hourly thereafter, and the fare for the 45 minute trip is $3.50 one-way and $6 roundtrip. (www.lawa.org/flyAwayInfo2.cfm )
On the trip from SLO to Sacramento, Amtrak California provides a bus connection from SLO to San Jose or Hanford, and then the Capitol or San Joaquin train to Sacramento. The busses are modern and comfortable and make only limited stops. On that route, the drive time is about six hours, the train seven and a half. Sacramento is served by an expanding light rail line, which reaches from the Capitol plaza out to the suburbs. Using the previous statistics, the rail fare would be $76, the gasoline about $55. An added incentive for using Amtrak is that long-term parking at most of its stations, including all the ones in San Luis County, is free for the duration of your journey. The final deciding factor may be how travelers value their time: If the extra hour or two would be useful for work, reading, or finding a quiet place to watch the scenery, or for socializing in the lounge car, then there are considerations beyond mere economics, or the knowledge that your “carbon footprint” has been lowered.
The most anticipated event for California rail passengers in 2007 is the potential return of the Coast Daylight, a daytime train connecting Los Angeles and downtown San Francisco. Current trains stop in Oakland, but this route would travel up the San Francisco peninsula and deposit passengers at the CalTrain terminal, Fourth and Townsend Street. According to Peter Rogers, Administration Director of the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (www.slocog.org ), San Francisco “… remains the largest untapped intercity market because no direct long distance trains arrive into San Francisco anymore – and millions of potential passengers reside in the bay area.” He added that Amtrak “is running the wheels off the existing equipment” and more new cars and locomotives need to be ordered to meet the demand. In this past election, Californians voted, as part of the omnibus transportation bond measures, to fund improvements. Sure, $11 billion goes to roads and highways – whose lobbyists far outnumber the mass transit advocates—but there was $400 million (less than 5 percent of the road funding!) to “Improve intercity rail, including purchasing railcars and locomotives.” The problem, says Rogers, is getting the state government to “release” the money so that the planning and procurement can begin. The voters approved the spending, but the state chooses to slow their bond debt by not appropriating the funds. Once they do, $10-30 million is earmarked for improving the rail bed, and $150 million for cars and locomotives. There will still need to be some negotiations with the host railroad, Union Pacific, but at least the ball will be rolling, followed hopefully by the train itself.
That’s where the activism comes in: Railfans, or “rail advocates,” as they should be more properly addressed, haven’t taken on the protest tactics of more visible groups. But they are out there. Two groups specific to California are: the Train Riders Association of California (TRAC) at www.trainriders.org and RAILPAC at www.railpac.org . Or maybe it’s time to let the “conductor” in chief Governor Schwarzenegger know that you want the money you voted for released to fund our intercity rail services. You can always drop him a line at: http://www.govmail.ca.gov . And when you’re ready to plan a trip, visit www.amtrak.com or www.amtrakcalifornia.com .
Meanwhile, I’m reminded of some lines by Edna St. Vincent Millay:
My heart is warm with friends I make,
And better friends I’ll not be knowing,
Yet there isn’t a train I wouldn’t take,
No matter where it’s going.
See you at the station….
David Weisman is an activist living in Morro Bay who believes the only reason he should be required to remove his shoes when traveling is so he can stretch his toes. davidweisman@charter.net
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