Intercity Passenger RailThree successful systems:Californias Capitol CorridorThe CascadesVirginia Railway Express

*Harris poll: Priorities for passenger transportation

47% Safety44% Energy efficiency29% Cost27% Environment26% Reliability

* On-line poll of 1,961 adults; released 2.08.06

Trains are a great way to see America

Inter-city rail offers many amenities

Trains take cars and trucks off our highwaysTrains took 16 million vehicles off Virginia highways in 2001

3.6 million passengers189 million tons of freight

Trains take cars and trucks off our highways

Virginia Railway Express takes one lane of traffic off I-66 and I-95 during peak hours every day

Trains take cars and trucks off our highways A single freight train takes 280-500 trucks off the roads.

Some facts about Intercity RailConnects communities across the continentProvides a choiceAn alternative to drivingAn alternative to flyingNot the same as commuter rail or light railIntermodal links to transit

Intercity Rails role in transportationProvides a travel choiceConnects students to campuses leisure travelers to destinationsrural Americans to urban centersbusiness travelers to commercial centersseniors to mobilityVital to National Security (WWI, II)

*Harris poll: Americans want more rail options Want a bigger share of passenger transport

44% Commuter trains35% Long-distance trains23% Local bus23% Airlines11% Local car11% Long-distance carWant a bigger share of freight transport

63% Freight RR35% Air Freight24% Trucks

Intercity Passenger Rail

Where convenient, reliable new service is started, ridership explodes

San Jose to Sacramento16 stations in 8 Northern California Counties

Unique California StationsFresno Station

1,165,300 riders in 2004In six years:Ridership gains of 152%Revenue increase 110%Number of daily trains increased 200% (from 8 to 24)Locally controlled and managedAmtrak provides operations State funded

Kids Ride Free

School Field Trips Use the Train

Eugene, OR to Vancouver, BC

Cascades Route Map

Facts about The CascadesOver 603,000 riders in 2004. Met its 12-year ridership goal in 3 yearsRidership grows 2-4% every yearState funded by Oregon & WashingtonTrains designed for high speed (limited to 79 mph for safety)Tilting technology keeps riders comfortableSeats are turned for return trip

1999 Tour of Seattle-Portland Transit

Local decision-makers ride The Cascades

Cascades Talgo trainsets

Other states making significant public investments in intercity passenger rail

North CarolinaNew Mexico FloridaIllinoisWisconsinNew York

Virginia Senate START Commission:Virginia should review its role in creating passenger rail alternatives in light of the private sectors decision not to provide such service.

TDX Route Map

Virginia Railway Express

VRE Service Network80 mile systemNS track to Broad RunCSX track to Fredrxburg2004: 19 engines; 68 coachesLocally owned and managedAMTRAK operation

VRE PerformanceRidership has doubled since 1993Carries 3.3+ million riders annuallyTakes one lane of traffic off I-95 and I-66 daily during peak hoursNational reputation for customer service, on-time performance & efficiency

Today well be talking about Intercity Passenger Rail. We will start by learning about several new, successful systems in a number of states, including a commuter system in Virginia.Many people enjoy train travel and they would like to have the option of traveling by train more often. There are many reasons to take the train. For one, trains are a great way to see America.One advantage is the many amenities that train travel offers to passengers as they travel between cities. For example, the Cascade line in the Pacific Northwest offers a caf car where passengers can purchase regional, locally prepared meals. While traveling by train, you can use your laptop or cell phone, get work done, or simply relax and read or watch a movie. And, when you reach your destination, there are inter-modal connections for getting around at your destination, such as buses, metros, or taxis.Trains are a great solution to congestion on todays highways.

In 2001, the Virginia Department of Rail and Transportation computed that between freight and passenger trains, 16 million vehicles were removed from our highways. That was accomplished by providing service to 3.6 million passengers and by unloading 189 million tons of freight from what would otherwise be truck traffic.

In Northern Virginia, Virginia Rail Express (VRE) takes one lane of traffic off I-66 and I-95 every hour during peak hours in the morning and evening. Next time youre sitting at a railroad crossing, waiting impatiently for that freight train to pass so you can get on your way, think about this: A single freight train takes 280-500 trucks off the roads. Imagine what it would be like if you had to sit and wait while 500 trucks rolled by! Maybe youll think about the train differently the next time. Americans are beginning to think about trains as a desirable alternative. A recent Harris poll surveyed 1900 Americans and asked what travel mode they would like to see take a bigger share of both passenger and freight transportation in the future. A startling finding was that the three most preferred categories were commuter rail with 44%, long distance passenger rail with 35%, and freight rail with a whopping 63%. Notice that the least preferred alternatives were cars and trucks. Now Im going to talk about three new intercity rail services that have succeeded beyond all expectations. The conclusion from these and other examples are that, Where convenient, reliable new service is started, ridership explodes! This first example of a successful new passenger rail service is the Capitol Corridor in California.The line runs from Sacramento to San Jose, serving 16 stations in 8 Northern California Counties.This picture shows the unique the architecture of California rail stations. They present quite a to the colonial architecture of our historic Virginia stations. Because we at CvilleRail enjoy train travel so much, we have included many beautiful pictures of trains traveling across the country. This one is the Capitol Corridor..And here is another of the Capitol Corridor

Here are some facts about the Capitol Corridor. In 2004, it carried over a million riders. In the first six years of operation, the Capitol Corridor experienced ridership increases of 152% and revenue increases of 110%. During that same period, the number of daily trains increased from 8 to 24, or 200%. This last summer alone, 4 additional routes were added to the corridor, increasing the number of daily trains to 28.

The Capitol Corridor is owned and funded by the state of California. The system is locally controlled and managed, and Amtrak operates the trains under contract to the state. The Capitol features such family-friendly programs as Kids Ride Free during the summer, and it has promotions such as ice cream on board, shown here, which, of course, the kids just love.Another special program is school field trips. Teachers can simply call a number and arrange for a field trip at a discount for their children. The first year this program was made available, ridership increased by 10%.Heres another highly successful intercity rail service called the Cascades. You see here one of the Cascades trains at the Seattle station.The Cascades line runs between Eugene, OR and Vancouver, BC. On your left is a view of the Seattle station at night, on your right is Vancouver.This train travels through some of the most beautiful scenery in the country. Here is the route map for the line. On the top left is the Bellingham Station, on the bottom is Mount Saint Helena some of the breathtaking scenery viewable from the large windows of the train. Some facts about the Cascades: The line carried over 600,000 riders in 2004, and ridership growing steadily, particularly in the past year. Its original 12-year ridership goal was met in the first 3 years. It is jointly funded by the states of Oregon and Washington. The trains, though capable of speeds of 120 mph, actually average about 79 mph due to safety precautions.

The trains are equipped with tilting technology, which corrects for centrifugal force as the train travels through curves. This riders comfortable at high speeds.

The trains are push-pull equipped, with an engine at each end. When trains reach the end of the line, the seats are simply turned around to prepare for the return trip.

In this upper picture, you see one of the Cascades Talgo commuter trains at the Seattle Station on the left. Its side by side at the station with one of Amtraks Superliners. Notice how much smaller and more aerodynamically designed the Talgo is, compared to the standard old Amtrak workhorse.

The picture below shows a group of local leaders from Charlottesville and Albemarle touring the rail systems of the Pacific Northwest in 1998.Heres an aerial photo of a Talgo trainset traveling outside of Seattle. They are called train sets because they are just like the train sets one might find under the Christmas tree. They are a fixed set of cars that dont couple or uncouple, and have engines at both ends. Like California, Oregon and Washington, a number of other states are investing in state-funded intercity passenger rail, including N. Carolina, New Mexico, Florida, Illinois, Wisconsin, and New York .

Virginias neighboring Southeastern states Florida, Tennessee, Georgia and N. Carolina are all making significant investments in commuter and intercity rail. In 2006, the Virginia Senate START Commission recommended that Virginia review its role in creating passenger rail service in light of the private sector decision not to provide such service. The private sector referred to here are the corporate railroads, Norfolk Southern and CSX.Virginia has explored intercity rail and developed a proposal in 1998 for a new service called the TransDominion Express.Heres a map of the proposed route for the TDX. Trains would travel between Bristol at the far Southwestern border with Tennessee, North through Roanoke and Lynchburg, and at Lynchburg would diverge with one spur going east to Richmond and the other going north to Charlottesville, Culpepper, Manassas, Alexandria and Washington. The route would span the state from North to South through Central Virginia.

A few years ago the state adopted a demonstration project for the TDX which was partially funded. All stations north of Lynchburg, including Charlottesville, were cut out for the demonstration project. Since then, the TDX has run into some political barriers in the General Assembly. Even if the project is eventually funded and goes forward, Charlottesville is not slated to have service from the TDX anytime soon. An example of a passenger service that operates very successfully in Virginia is the Virginia Railway Express (VRE). It is a commuter rail line that connects Washington DC at Union Station with its suburbs.VRE runs on 80 miles of track between Union Station in DC west through Manassas, ending at Broad Run, on Norfolk Southern tracks on one line, and south to Fredericksburg on CSX tracks on the other line. The tracks converge near Alexandria and all trains run on the CSX line to Union Station. Here are some facts about VRE. Since its launch in 1993, ridership has more than doubled. It now carries 3.3 million riders annually. The trains take one lane of traffic off both I-66 and I-95 every hour during peak hours. VRE has develop a national reputation for on-time performance, customer service, and efficiency. You may have heard recently that there were performance problems last summer created by track problems, however, these have been addressed and VRE currently has a 94% on-time performance record for its trains.Here are some beautiful pictures of VRE trains in Washington, DC with familiar sites that you will probably recognize.

In view of the Capitol.