Epitome of Customer Service! Amtrak Employees Undertake Daring Rescue Mission For Lost iPhone

April 9, 2009 at 2:05 pm

(Source:  Infrastructurist)

Image: Nostri-imago@ flickr

So, the absent minded editor of a certain infrastructure news site recently had an adventure in losing things on Amtrak trains. The experience was revealing and – spoiler alert – the much-slagged government owned and operated rail line acquitted themselves beautifully on matters of beyond-the-call-of-duty customer service.

 For simplicity’s sake, let’s just call this editor “I.” Anyway, I was headed from Washington DC to New York on the 11 a.m. Acela. When the train reached Penn Station (on time), I gathered the various bags and coats I’d brought and exited the train. Not among the gathered possession was an iPhone, which was left unattended on the seat. I realized this as I was about to catch the subway home to Brooklyn, by which time the Acela had already scooted off for Boston.At this point the situation looked glum. It remained so through the course of the first conversation I had with an Amtrak employee. The gentleman, white haired and in his 50s, gave the classic bureaucrat’s shrug. “You gotta call lost and found in Boston,” he said. Shrug.

“Are they open today? Will they be open when the train arrives?” I asked. It was Sunday.

“They’re closed today,” he said. Shrug.

I gave him a pleading look. He shrugged again and turned away.

So even if some heroic individual wanted to return the device, it would take a return visit to the train station in Boston to actually be able to turn it in – assuming, say, she didn’t get off the train in Stamford or Providence or…

I went to the Customer Service office. There, a genial woman named Karen became my new best friend. She immediately began coordinating a multi-city search and rescue operation. Before I even finished explaining the situation, she was on the phone with an agent in New Haven to make arrangements for someone to dash onto the train and look for the device during the brief stopover there. She called the lost phone about a dozen times in hopes that someone would answer. At some point, a man did answer. His name was Mark and he was a conductor on the train. He promised that he would get the phone back to New York safely that evening. Karen’s liaison in New Haven organized a complicated hot handoff across the platform between Mark and a conductor southbound train. About four hours after I’d got off the train without, an Amtrak conductor walked up to me in Penn Station with a sealed envelope containing the lost phone. It was carefully bubble-wrapped. 

Click here to read the entire article.  
TransportGooru appreciates the sincere attempts of Karen and her staff at Amtrak to reunite one of our “infrastructurists” with his iPhone . Kudos to Amtrak for a job well done!

These days rail looks very attractive to Politicians! Infrastructurist Compares New High Speed Rail Projects Around The World

April 8, 2009 at 11:59 pm

(Source: Infrastructurist)

Image: Infrastructurist

Everywhere you look, from Argentina to Saudi Arabia, there’s a country planning a new high-speed rail line.  Contributor Yonah Freemark offered this incredible, easy to understand graphical depiction on Infrastructurist, which compares seven lines on four continents that are either in the engineering phase or already under construction. They range in size from the diminutive 34-mile project that will connect Jerusalem and Tel Aviv to the gargantuan 818-mile link between Beijing and Shanghai. The variations in construction cost per mile and local meaning of the term “high speed” are almost as great.

UK’s High Speed 2 Fleshed Out – Rail line could be up and running by 2021

March 30, 2009 at 10:57 am

(Source: The Transport Politic & Telegraph, UK)

With support from Tories and Labour, project construction is virtually guaranteed

uk

The United Kingdom, despite its intense population concentration and relatively straight-shot connection between its biggest cities, has yet to invest in a major high-speed program, unlike its peers in France, Spain, and Germany. Beginning late last year, however, the Conservative Party, under leader David Cameron and shadow Transportation Minister Teresa Villiers, began pressuring the Labour-controlled government to begin planning a high-speed rail link between London and Manchester, via Birmingham, as a replacement for the planned third runway at Heathrow airport. Plans to route the line through the airport to allow easy connections to flights were incorporated into the proposal almost immediately.

Though in January Labour did approve the runway at Heathrow as a way to relieve the significant congestion there, the U.K.’s ruling party has come to see a high-speed rail program as politically advantageous – especially as Mr. Cameron’s party has risen in popularity in recent years. It’s not surprising, then, to see Lord Andrew Adonis, the nation’s Minister of State for Transport, endorsing the line’s approval by early next year, before the next general election. With support from both major parties, the line is unlikely to face major opposition – and will likely get government funding as soon as its route has been finalized.

The map above illustrates the general consensus on the routing of the full route (in red). Running northwest from London, the line would hit Birmingham and then Manchester, before heading north to Leeds, Edinburgh, and Glasgow. A spur line from Manchester to Liverpool is likely, and, if conservatives and engineering company Arup get their way, the line would be routed through Heathrow Airport before extending north. Planning on the service has begun by a company called High Speed 2; the name is a reference to High Speed 1, the company that completed the Channel Tunnel Rail Link in 2007 (in black on the map above). High Speed 1 carries Eurostar trains from London to Paris and Brussels in 2h15 and 1h50, respectively, down 40 minutes from pre-construction travel times.

Click here to read the entire Transport Politic article.

Algiers Light Rail Moves ahead – Metro receives delivery of vehicles

March 26, 2009 at 2:48 pm

(Source: The Transport Politic)

 23 km streetcar project to complement continent’s second metro line currently under construction

Last week, Algiers accepted the delivery of the city’s first trams from Alstom, which manufactured the vehicles at its facility in France. The Citadis light rail vehicles are as modern as any currently in operation in Europe, and they will be the first trams in operation in Algeria in fifty years. The system, which will traverse the principal sections of the 4 million-person metropolis, is expected to transport 185,000 riders a day, though the first stage will only be 16 km long and likely not carry as many passengers. If ridership predictions are accurate, the Algiers tramway will be one of the world’s most trafficked tramway lines. It was designed in collaboration withRATP (Paris’ transit operator) and Systra (an affiliate of France’s SNCF railways).

What’s interesting about Algiers’ tram program is that it is being developed simultaneously with the Metro of Algiers (pictured in the map to the right). The first phase of the Metro program will be 9 km underground and open this summer, though the project will eventually spread out over an area of several dozen km, opening consecutively over the next several years. The system, using Siemens technology, will incorporate automatic train control, minimizing gaps between trainsets and therefore expanding the potential number of voyagers.

Click here to read the entire article.

IBM Accelerates Into “Smart Rail,” Guns for High-Speed Rail Investments in U.S & China

March 25, 2009 at 5:04 pm

(Source: Earth2Tech CNET)

GAO’s Report on HSR Recommends Significant Federal Role

March 25, 2009 at 12:31 pm

 (Source: The Transport Politic GAO; Photo: Swanksalot@flickr)

General Accountability Office sees federal involvement in planning and financing as necessary for high-speed rail construction

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), Washington’s in-house accounting firm, studied high-speed rail in its most recent report (”High Speed Passenger Rail: Future Development Will Depend on Addressing Financial and Other Challenges and Establishing a Clear Federal Role,” PDF) and came to some significant conclusions about how best to proceed in implementing fast train links in the United States. GAO’s report also indicated strong government support for investment in high-speed rail in corridors of distances between 100 and 500 miles, which the study indicated were best-suited for such connections.

The Transport Politc states that “GAO’s push to incorporate high-speed rail into the broader ground transportation program is elemental for the future of rail in the U.S. That’s because – as GAO’s study indicates – fast trains need to be put into comparison with highways and airports when considering the manner in which Americans will get around in the future. Without such direct, cross-modal comparisons, there is little chance for establishing whether rail, road, or air connections are priorities; without the comparison, we get the status quo, where funding allocations are close to random and where few question which transportation mode fits best where.

The GAO study made the following  Recommendations for Executive Action:
Recommendation #1: To ensure effective implementation of provisions of the PRIIA related to high speed rail and equitable consideration of high speed rail as a potential option to address demands on the nation’s transportation system, the Secretary of Transportation should, in consultation with Congress and other stakeholders, develop a written strategic vision for high speed rail, particularly in relation to the role high speed rail systems can play in the national transportation system, clearly identifying potential objectives and goals for high speed rail systems and the roles federal and other stakeholders should play in achieving each objective and goal.

Recommendation# 2: To ensure effective implementation of provisions of the PRIIA related to high speed rail and equitable consideration of high speed rail as a potential option to address demands on the nation’s transportation system, the Secretary of Transportation should, in consultation with Congress and other stakeholders, develop specific policies and procedures for reviewing and evaluating grant applications under the high speed rail provisions of the PRIIA that clearly identify the outcomes expected to be achieved through the award of grant funds and include performance and accountability measures.

Recommendation# 3: To ensure effective implementation of provisions of the PRIIA related to high speed rail and equitable consideration of high speed rail as a potential option to address demands on the nation’s transportation system, the Secretary of Transportation should, in consultation with Congress and other stakeholders, develop guidance and methods for ensuring reliability of ridership and other forecasts used to determine the viability of high speed rail projects and support the need for federal grant assistance. The methods could include such things as independent, third-party reviews of applicable ridership and other forecasts, identifying and implementing ways to structure incentives to improve the precision of ridership and cost estimates received from grant applicants, or other methods that can ensure a high degree of reliability of such forecasts.

Click here to read  the entire Transport Politic write-up.  If you care to read the entire GAO report you have the following options:   Summary (HTML)   Highlights Page (PDF)   Full Report (PDF, 108 pages)   Accessible Text  Recommendations (HTML).  Shown below is the read only version of the GAO report for those whol like to read without leaving this page:

An interesting dialogue on High-Speed Rail brings out some high-profile supporters

March 23, 2009 at 7:34 pm

(Source: National Journal; Photo: Cliff @ Flickr)

Is High-Speed Rail Worth It?


Lisa Caruso @ the National Journal has kicked off an interesting dialogue on America’s proposed investment in Highspeed rail.  She asks:  “What do you think of President Obama’s decision to make high-speed passenger rail service a centerpiece of his transportation agenda? Is it a wise use of taxpayer dollars to spend $33 billion in the next five years (according to the stimulus and his FY10 budget outline) to make a down payment on constructing a rail network that could take decades to create? Or are there better ways to spend this money on transportation?

 So far the following folks, including Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, Secretary of Transportation Ray Lahood, have recorded their opinions on this interesting dialogue.  7 responses: Steve HemingerPhineas BaxandallGreg CohenGov. Tim KainePeter GertlerRay LaHoodBob Poole  

So, continue to watch the thread as more folks step up to share their take  on why HSR is very important for this nation.

Click here to read and follow the entire discussion.

Mr. O’Toole a tool for Big Oil? – Cato Institute scholar O’Toole opines that trains Are For Tourists

March 23, 2009 at 2:06 pm

(Source: NPR;  Photo Courtesy: Hans Splinter@ Flickr)

NPR.org, March 19, 2009 –  When I went to Europe, I loved to ride the trains, especially the French TGV and other high-speed trains. So President Obama’s goal of building high-speed rail in the United States sounded good at first.

Randal O'Toole is a Cato Institute Senior Fellow working on urban growth, public land and transportation issues. Courtesy of the Cato Institute

But when I looked at the details, I discovered that — while high-speed rail may be good for tourists — it isn’t working very well in Europe or Japan.

Japan and France have each spent as much per capita on high-speed rail as we spent on our Interstate Highway System. The average American travels 4,000 miles and ships 2,000 ton-miles per year on the interstates. Yet the average resident of Japan travels only 400 miles per year on bullet trains, while the average resident of France goes less than 300 miles per year on the TGV — and these rail lines carry virtually no freight.

Click here to read the entire “Opinion” of Mr. O’ Toole.  

Throughout the world and throughout history, passenger trains have been used mainly by a wealthy elite and have never given the average people of any nation as much mobility as our interstate highways.

NOTE: TransportGooru disagrees with the author at many levels, especially on the above quoted paragraph lifted directly from Mr. O’Toole’s article.  Mr. O’ Toole forgets the very fact that Railways are in deed the lifeline for many countries in the developing world.  Heck, nearly half of the world’s population now resides in India (Population: 1.4 Billion and China (Population: 1.6 Billion) are two good examples of how emerging economies help their citizens move around the country without having to own a private automobile. If anything, remote regions such as China’s Tibet and India’s Kashmir valley are now connected to the mainland by trains, making it easy for people who make less than $1 per day to move across the country.  Hope Mr. O’ Toole would realize that railways have in deed given the average people of India and China as much mobility as the American people enjoy from their interstate highways.

Dictionary.com Reference:    [tool]  Show IPA ,

Tool – a person manipulated by another for the latter’s own ends; cat’s-paw.

U.S.Transportation Secretary’s Latest Blog — High-speed rail: an engine of growth

March 20, 2009 at 2:07 pm

(Source: Fast Lane, The offical blog of the U.S. Sec. of Transportation)

March 19, 2009

I’ve been focused this week on talking about livable cities, but I don’t want anyone to think we’re ignoring inter-city travel.

If you read any news at all about transportation in the past 6 weeks, you know about the $8 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act investment we’re making in high-speed rail (HSR). I’ve been hearing from many enthusiastic rail advocates, and news outlets across the country have been writing editorials championing HSR. More importantly, there is a growing list of states and cities that want to get working on this right away.

Let me remind anyone who doesn’t already know it that I’m from Peoria, Illinois. So, when I consider rail, my first thoughts are of the old Rock Island Rocket that ran to Chicago in my youth. That train, with its GM Electro-Motive engine and its legendary speed, dominated the imaginations of me and my friends.

People rode the Rocket because of the convenience and efficiency it offered. And, with the ARRA high-speed rail investment, President Obama and I want to develop a 21st century equivalent of that efficiency and convenience.

Click here to read the entire post.

Paris Announces Ambitious New $25 Billion Rail System (“Greater Paris” Initiative)

March 20, 2009 at 1:21 pm

(Source: The Transport Politic); Photo Courtesy: The Infrastructurist)

New circular route around city core would improve suburb-to-suburb commuting


On March 17, Christian Blanc, France’s minister of Development in the Capital Regionannounced that the state would invest 15-20 billion Euros over the next 10 years for the construction of the world’s longest automated rapid transit line, at 130 km and with 60 stations. The minister made the announcement of the state’s commitment at a day-long presentation of proposals by architects for “Le Grand Paris,” an attempt to unite the city and the surrounding suburbs through governmental reforms and infrastructure improvements. The Paris’ city core is currently cut off from its suburbs by a ring road.

There’s been a lot of talk in recent months about the potential for a new transit line that would circle the city without entering it because of the growing number of suburb-to-suburb commutes, the continued development of the dynamic business center at La Défense on the west side of the city, the creation of science and technology cores in the south at Saclay and in the north at Le Bourget, and the continued need for improving the social equity between the poor northeastern sections of the suburbs and the wealthy western areas. RATP, the city’s mass transit authority, has proposed a project called Métrophérique, and the region of Ile-de-France has proposed the Arc Express; both projects would ring relatively closely to the city’s outer limits and hit the densest areas of the suburbs.

Click here to read the entire article and to check out the proposed route maps.