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Your weekly source of fresh takes on news affecting America's passengers. See also the NARP Blog.

Hotline #749

November 20, 1992

No company benefits from extended uncertainty about its future leadership, but that's just what Amtrak seems to be facing. It still looks like President Bush may make his four appointments to the Amtrak Board. That means the new Congress and President Clinton possibly could retaliate early next year by restructuring the board. That, in effect, would shorten the tenure of the new appointments and p...

Hotline #747

November 13, 1992

During his campaign, President-elect Clinton supported full funding of ISTEA and spoke of a special $20-billion infrastructure program. Yesterday, he said he would "try to accelerate [that] in terms of road projects, water projects, other projects that are ... ready to go in the first year, with the commitment that I have to transfer defense cuts into domestic investment." Clinton transportation...

Hotline #746

November 6, 1992

Of the three presidential candidates, President-elect Clinton said the most about high-speed rail. He alone rode Amtrak and transit during the campaign year. NARP will give input as the transportation policy of the new administration develops. The next Congress will have new faces in key transportation positions. Rep. Bob Carr (D.-Mich.), who was narrowly re-elected, will be the new House Transpo...

Hotline #745

October 30, 1992

The Amtrak board met October 28. No equipment orders were approved, but the following items were -- $7 million for improvements to Sunnyside Yard train servicing facilities; $9.6 million for retrofitting some Amfleet II, Horizon, and Superliner cars with retention toilets and for waste-handling trucks; a $9.4-million, five-year lease on luggage-rack movie screens for Silver Meteorand Silver Star c...

Hotline #744

October 23, 1992

The X2000 train set Amtrak imported from Sweden arrived in Dundalk, Md., earlier than previously expected, on October 20. Yesterday, the train was brought to Washington and will begin testing in November. Public rides may begin in January, but for now, when the train is not being tested, it will be kept on track 16 at Union Station. The X2000 is capable of providing electric train service at 150 m...