At the same the Obama administration allocated $70 million to two Maryland rail projects last week, it also turned thumbs-down on the city's effort to gain $1.7 billion  in funding for the long-discussed, semi-dormant proposed Maglev train  line between Baltimore and Washington.

The Maryland Department of Transportation had put the request in at the behest  of the Baltimore city administration -- hardly a ringing endorsement. Robert Kulat, a spokesman for the Federal Railroad Administration, said a statutory impediment to Maryland spending any money of its own on Maglev was a significant impediment to federal approval.

Maglev supporters can take some comfort in the fact the Federal Railroad Administration did not find the project ineligible. The FRA classified it a a project that was "not ready" for funding. So the grant application could return another day. Until then,  Maryland will have to content itself with $60 million for the engineering work on a new Amtrak runnel in Baltimore to replace the 1873 Baltimore & Potomac Tunnel and $10 million toward a new BWI train station.

Posted by Michael Dresser at 5:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Amtrak/intercity railroads
        

When the Obama administration announced which states would be the winners in the $8 billion high-speed rail derby last week, Florida was one of the biggest winners -- getting $1.2 billion to build a rail line from Tampa to Orlando. Maryland, on the other hand, received $70 million for two critical but more  modest projects -- better than many states but far behind the biggest beneficiaries.

So now a Florida congressman is contending that Maryland got "peanuts," Southerrn Maryland Online reports.

U.S. Rep. John Mica, the ranking Republican on the House Transportation Committee and one of the leading cheerleaders for high-speed rail in Congress, said the money Maryland received toward a new Amtrak tunnel in Baltimore and a new BWI train station was "an insult."

If Maryland's own representatives were feeling insulted, they concealed it well. Most of the state's top Democrats welcomed the money. But Mica's point is that more of the money should have been directed into the Northeast Corridor to bring it up to a condition that would support truly high speeds.

Posted by Michael Dresser at 3:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Amtrak/intercity railroads
        

The good new this morning was the $70 million Maryland received out of $8 billion the Obama administration allocated Thursday for high-speed rail projects. Maryland's share will go toward two important projects for the state -- replacement of Baltimore's ancient Baltimore & Potomac Tunnel on the Amtrak Northeast Corridor and replacement of the far-too-small Amtrak/MARC station at BWI.

But those two projects were only two of seven on the state's original wish list totaling $360 million.

Getting $70 million out of a $360 million request might not sound like much, but it was a  better performance that the national average. The Obama administration received $57 billion in proposals for a share of $8 billion in high-speed rail funds allocated under last year's stimulus bill -- meaning that $1 was granted for roughly every $9 requested nationwide. Maryland received better than $1 for every $6 requested.

Here's the five Maryland projects that didn't make the cut after No. 1 and No. 2 were granted:

Continue reading "Here's the rail projects that weren't funded" »

Posted by Michael Dresser at 11:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Amtrak/intercity railroads
        

Two high-priority Maryland projects will receive $70 million in funding as part of the $8 billion in rail investments announced yesterday by the Obama administration.

Jack Cahalan, a spokesman for the Maryland Department of Transportation, said the state will recived about $60 million toward engineering and preparation of environmental impact statements on a project to replace the more than 100-year-old Baltimore and Potomac Tunnel just west of Penn Station on the way to Washington along Amtrak's Northeast Corridor.

Replacement of the tunnel, a significant bottleneck for Amtrak and MARC Penn Line trains as they pass thhrough Baltimore, is expected to eventually cost on the order of $1 billion, Cahalan said.

Receiving $10 million in funding is a project to replace the Amtrak station and add a new platform at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Cahalan said. That money will also be used for engineering and ebvironmental statements -- a  necessary step before coonstruction on the $80-$100 million project can begin. As part of that project, Cahalan said, the state will add a fourth track to the current three and  build a middle platform so that all tracks can be used for getting on and off. Currently only two of the three tracks can be used for that purpose.

Cahalan said that in addition to improving Amtrak service, the tunnel and station improvements are also part of MARC's long-range expansion plan.

Continue reading "Maryland gets $70 million in federal rail funds" »

Posted by Michael Dresser at 12:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Amtrak/intercity railroads, MARC train
        

In the aftermath of this month's death of 14-year-old  Anna Marie Stickel (right) along the Amtrak tracks in Middle River, Baltimore County Councilman John Olszewski Sr. is weighing in to ask the county school system to do a better job of educating students about the dangers of intruding in the railroad right-of-way.

According to students at Kenwood High School, where Anna was a  freshman, the school administration had said little or nothing to them about the dangers of the tracks before Anna's death. Past students at the school report that in the past, school authorities would hold assemblies to emphasize the hazards -- a practice  that apparently fell by the wayside in recent years. The councilman makes a good point. Here's his letter:

           January 21, 2010

 Dr. Joe Hairston

 Superintendent

Department of Education

6901 N. Charles Street

Towson, Maryland 21204

Dear Dr. Hairston:

The recent tragedy in Middle River that took the life of one of our students is cause for much sadness and concern. It is not the first tragedy involving the railroad tracks and fast moving trains.

Continue reading "Councilman urges schools to teach rail dangers" »

Posted by Michael Dresser at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Amtrak/intercity railroads
        

It was Jan. 7, just two weeks ago, that I visited the Middle River community where 14-year-old Anna Marie Stickel was killed when struck by an Amtrak train while walking along the tracks on the way to Kenwood High School. During that visit, I had the opportunity to inspect some of the fences that supposedly separate the public froom the tracks, and to find some of the gaps that had been created over the years by people wanting to cut through.

One of those  cut-through points was one off an alley not far from Kenwood. A well-worn path signaled that it had been used for years by local residents -- most  likely high school kids -- seeking a shortcut.

During that visit, two days after Anna's death, there was a brand-new fix in place -- apparently added in response to the tragedy. But my impression at the time was that it was an amateurish job at best -- held together by a metal strip that could be removed by hand with no more difficulty than popping the top on a  soda can. The fence that had been repaired looked worn and shoddy.

Continue reading "Amtrak fatality revisited" »

Posted by Michael Dresser at 1:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Amtrak/intercity railroads
        

Amtrak's chief spokesman, Steve Kulm, sent this clarification of Amtrak's policy on the identification of victims of train-pedestrian collisions on its tracks. The statement represents a change from the railroad's previous flat assertion that it was Amtrak policy not to release such identifications.

When individuals trespassing on railroad tracks are struck and fatally injured by Amtrak trains, we are saddened by the unnecessary loss of life and understand all too well the grief that surviving friends and families experience.  The emotional impact of a trespass incident can extend also to our Amtrak train crew members and to passengers aboard the train.

When it comes to investigating trespass accidents of this nature, it is generally the state and local law enforcement agencies that assume the responsibility as the lead investigating agency. 

Continue reading "Amtrak replies on victim identification" »

Posted by Michael Dresser at 4:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Amtrak/intercity railroads
        

After some resistance from Amtrak, we now have an identification of the man who was killed last Friday when he was struck on the railroad's Northeast Corridor tracks in Aberdeen. According to the Aberdeen Police Department, the man is James Dexter Sharon, 48, of the Aberdeen area.

According to department spokesman Sgt. Fred Budnick, next of kin have been notified but police are not aware of any fixed adddress. Sharon was struck by a southbound train along the  tracks  at the 600 block of South Philadelphia Boulevard (U.S. 40) in Aberdeen. Budnick said questions about whether the victim was intoxicated could not be answered until toxicology reports came back.

Earlier this week the Aberdeen Police deferred questions about the man's identity to the Amtrak Police as the lead investigative agency. The Amtrak Police declined to provide an identification, saying it was their policy not to do so. On Thursday, Budnick said the matter had been clarified and that the matter was  now considered "a joint investigation."

Posted by Michael Dresser at 2:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Amtrak/intercity railroads
        

It's almost a week since a man was killed on the Amtrak tracks near Aberdeen and there's still no word from the railroad's in-house police force on the victim's identity.

The Amtrak Police are the lead investigative agency in the case, but public affairs officials for the railroad were still refusing Wednesday to provide any information on the name, age or hometown of the victim -- or even to say whether the person had been identified at all. The Aberdeen police deferred to the Amtrak police because the railroad cops are running the investigation.

An Amtrak spokeswoman deflected an inquiry Tuesday, saying: "Amtrak Police informed me that the medical examiner could provide this information for you" and passed along that number.

Continue reading "Amtrak still won't name Aberdeen victim" »

Posted by Michael Dresser at 7:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Amtrak/intercity railroads
        

Monday's Getting There column calling on the entire Middle River community to take a share  of responsibilty for preventing recurrences of the tragic  railroad track  accidents such as the one that caused the  death of 14-year-old Anna Marie Stickel was not universally persuasive.

Quite a few readers continue to hold the view that Anna, who was certainly on the Amtrak tracks unwisely and without authorization, was solely responsible for her death -- or as one writer put it "this girl got what she asked for."

Fortunately, the east side of Baltimore  County is represented by a councilman who sees a community interest in protecting young teenagers from their own immaturity. Baltimore County Council Chairman John Olszewski Sr. (right) sent me this  email signaling that he is interested in looking for solutions -- not merely pointing a finger at a dead girl and her grieving parents:

Good morning Michael, I just finished reading your article in the morning paper and I think you got it right. This issue isn't just a parental one but it is one that everyone involved should come together and come up with some collaborative ideas to bring a bright light onto the subject of dangerous train tracks.

Continue reading "Councilman seeking rail safety solutions" »

Posted by Michael Dresser at 11:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Amtrak/intercity railroads
        

Amtrak announced this  week that it will add WiFi service to its Acela Express service  this  March -- but with the ominous  caveat that it would "make it available to every passenger initially free of charge.

The addition of a high-speed wireless Internet connection is encouraging -- if a little behind  the times. The Autopia blog notes that some intercity buses already offer the service, as well as JetBlue, which also operates in the Northeast Corridor.

In addition to WiFi, Amtrak also announced it will upgrade the Acela Express service  -- the nation's fastest -- by renovating the interior of its rail cars by the end of the year. Amtrak said the improvements will include  leather seating  and better tray tables and power outlets for laptop computers,

The Sun/Jed Kirschbaum

Continue reading "Amtrak to add WiFi to Acela Express" »

Posted by Michael Dresser at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Amtrak/intercity railroads
        

Apart from disasters, transportation stories tend to unfold over the course of many years. Some of the ones that garner big headlines at the time will be all but forgotten in a few years time. So in choosing the Top 10 Maryland transportation stories of the past decade, it helps to project forward to 2020 or 2030 and look back at what made a lasting difference.

A little disclosure is in order. I have covered transportation for The Sun since 2004 and before that followed many transportation-related stories as a State House Bureau reporter. So there might be a bias in favor of the stories I covered. (Thanks to my colleague Scott Calvert to reminding me of the Howard Street Tunnel fire, which occurred before my time on the beat.)

With those caveats, I present my top 10 in the bottom-to-top format made wildly popular by David Letterman:

10. Light rail double-tracking project completed. When Baltimore's light rail system opened early in the 1990s, it soon became clear that the system had been built on the cheap. The decision to run trains on a single track over long stretches led to constant delays and operational difficulties. Thus, under the Glendening administration, the decision was made to add a second track. The Ehrlich administration then made a tough decision to expedite the work by closing down the southern and northern stretches of the system for periods of about a year. It was a rough time for light rail users, but the project was finally completed in early 2006, and the result has been much more reliable service on this still image-impaired system.

                                                                                                 Sun photo/Amy Davis/2006      

Continue reading "Top 10 Md. transportation stories: 2000-2009" »

Posted by Michael Dresser at 7:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

CSX played host Tuesday as up to 150 first responders from fire departments throughout the region took part in drills simulating several disaster scenarios at the railroad's Washington Boulevard rail yard.

A Baltimore Fire Department spokesman, Capt.  Kevin Cartwright, said oorganizers were pleased with the "fluid" response of the multiple agencies that participated in the train wreck simulation.

Firefighterrs fromBaltimore, Anne  Arundel, Howard, Harford, Carroll and Cecil countiies joined thhose from the cities of Baltimore and Annapolis in the practice session. Cartwright said the first responders dealt with scenarios including an engineer trapped in a locomotive who needed extraction, a chlorine leak, a liquid propane gas release and an ethanol spill.

About 150 observers were on hand from the Environmental Protection Agency Region III Emergency Preparedness and Prevention & Hazmat Spills Conference, now taking place at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Also there was The Sun's Algerina Perna, who took video of the exercise.

Cartwright said the drill went well. "Everyone was pleased -- especially EPA and CSX," he said.

Posted by Michael Dresser at 3:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Amtrak/intercity railroads
        

Csaba Hanyi of Towson sent along a well-written, reasoned critique of my Oct. 26 column on high-speed rail -- or the lack of it -- in the United States. I though it was worth posting in its entirety, though I disagree with its conclusions.

I read your column about high speed trains with great interest, since I
have been interested in rail travel most of my life. However,
considering some of the facts, I must disagree with some of your
observations.

You probably know that all European governments subsidize their rail
systems by handicapping truck traffic on their highways in order to
force more freight to rail, since the rail needs the revenue to enable
inexpensive commuter traffic.

Similarly, Maryland subsidizes MARC to remove some motor vehicles from
the road between Baltimore, Montgomery county and Washington.
Therefore, MARC is much cheaper to use than Amtrak on the same line.
MARC trains on the Penn Line do exceed 100 mph om some stretches.
The Camden line has obsolete track which prohibits high speed.

High speed rail requires ridership which is willing to pay premium
rates for the comfort, speed and convenience of traveling between
main city centers. This is only possible between major cities with
moderate distances between them. You get that in Europe, Japan, and
China by having high population densities.

In the US you can get the same thing along the Boston - Washington -
Richmond corridor, and we have a reasonably fast train service on
this corridor. When you travel further south or west the cities
get smaller and the distances much greater.

Continue reading "Reader dissents on high-speed rail" »

Posted by Michael Dresser at 12:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Amtrak/intercity railroads
        

Amtrak got its share of bad publicity lately when it lost the contract to operate Virginia Railway Express trains to a French company. Now, with a big win under its belt, Amtrak spokesman Steve Kulm thinks it's only proper that the media recognize its successes.

Happy to, Steve.

Amtrak, which lost its contract with Southern California's Metrolink system in 2005, has regained that business and will take over operations of its commuter trains next July. The nation's largest passenger rail company reached an agreement on a four-year contract, with a possible two three-year extensions, with the Southern California Regional Rail Authority.

In 2005, the SCRRA decided to dump Amtrak in favor of Veolia Transportation. That didn't work out so great for the Metrolink system. In 2008, a Veolia engineer who was later found to have been texting while on the job ran a signal and collided with a Union Pacific freight train. The crash killed 25 people, including the engineer. Metrolink has been dealing with the legal and public relations fallout ever since.

Posted by Michael Dresser at 5:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Amtrak/intercity railroads
        

Maryann here, providing spot support this week while Mike's on vacation.

Maryland is seeking $360 million in federal funds for rail upgrades, Tim Wheeler (of B'more Green) wrote for today's paper. The state is hoping to use stimulus funds for improvements to replace the aging passenger tunnel (not the freight tunnel that caught fire years ago), expand the BWI Marshall airport rail station, and make improvements on passenger rail in the area.

However, one of the most interesting tidbits lies farther down in the story. The Federal Rail Administration will open up bids in October for greater infrastructure improvements, which could possibly include the first maglev train in the U.S. (The train pictured at left is Shanghai's maglev.) But problems are afoot, Wheeler reports:

Any bid for maglev funding faces a potential hurdle. A preliminary study of a maglev train between Washington and Baltimore halted after state lawmakers barred Maryland officials from studying, developing or building such a system in response to constituents' vocal fears about the safety and potential disruption of super-high-speed trains in their communities.

Call me daft, but wouldn't a high-speed rail be a boon for the Baltimore-Washington area? Are we so consumed with NIMBYism that we can't even study and consider the option?

Personally, I would love to have a quicker, more convenient route to and from D.C., especially on days when the B-W Parkway is closed both ways. But that's just my non-homeowner perspective. I'd like to know your opinion: Would you be down with a maglev train connecting Baltimore and Washington, or are you firmly against?

Photo by kanegen @ Flickr

Posted by Maryann James at 9:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (30)
Categories: Amtrak/intercity railroads