Passenger Trains > STB ruling on Portland service (guilford)

Surface Transportation Board (Board) Chairman Linda J. Morgan announced
today that the Board has directed the Guilford Rail System (Guilford) to
allow the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) to test
Guilford's track to determine whether Amtrak may safely operate its new
passenger service at speeds of up to 79 miles per hour (mph) over certain
Guilford rail facilities between Plaistow, New Hampshire and Portland,
Maine. The Board's decision resolving the dispute that the private parties
brought to it should help them as they move closer to reestablishing
passenger rail service between Boston, Massachusetts and Portland.



Freight railroads must allow Amtrak to operate over their lines for a fee.
When parties cannot agree on the terms and conditions of Amtrak's access,
they may bring disputes to the Board for resolution. The instant dispute
involves Amtrak's request for access to Guilford track that was
substantially upgraded, through public funding, to facilitate the
reintroduction of passenger service between Boston and Portland. Amtrak
and Guilford have had several prior disputes concerning Amtrak's efforts to
initiate its new Boston-Portland operations and, over the past few years,
the Board has issued two decisions resolving a variety of issues (see
Surface Transportation Board "News" releases No. 99-43, issued to the
public on October 22, 1999, and No. 98-38, issued on May 29, 1998).



In a decision issued in late 1999, the Board found that Amtrak could safely
operate its Boston-Portland trains at speeds of up to 79 mph using
115-pound rail (rather than the 132-pound rail that Guilford argued would
be necessary), so long as the track is upgraded according to certain
engineering criteria and maintained according to Federal Railroad
Administration (FRA) safety standards. A dispute arose, however, over
whether and how Amtrak could enter Guilford's system to test the track to
see if it meets the Board-prescribed engineering criteria.



After reviewing the parties' arguments and information provided by FRA,
which has substantial expertise relative to issues such as these, the Board
found that a test using a device known as the "Track Loading Vehicle" (TLV)
would be reasonable and practical and should provide sufficient data to
evaluate the track. The TLV, which was recently developed by the
Transportation Technology Center, Inc., a subsidiary of the Association of
American Railroads, would run over the line at very slow speeds for two
days checking for locations where additional track support may be needed,
and then, on a third and final day, measure these locations to ensure that
the track meets the criteria set in the Board's 1999 decision. The Board
also found that, so long as the line is rehabilitated to the appropriate
standard, and maintained at FRA-prescribed levels, a single engineering
test, followed by regular inspections, should ensure that it will be safe
for 79-mph speeds.



In a filing made with the Board, Guilford criticized the testing
methodology and argued that repeated testing should be required, but the
Board relied on FRA's conclusion that

". . . based on Amtrak's representation that the line would be maintained
to FRA Class 4 standards, that it would be subject to routine FRA-mandated
track safety inspections, and that it would be periodically inspected by
Amtrak's track geometry car, FRA has been unable to identify any safety
regulatory concern with the use of 115-pound rail on the upgraded
Plaistow-Portland Line."

Guilford also argued that the proposed testing would be unreasonably
burdensome and disruptive, but the Board disagreed. Noting that Amtrak has
agreed to compensate Guilford for all costs incurred in relation to
Amtrak's testing, the Board ordered Guilford to allow Amtrak access to the
line so that tests may begin and the Board's prior decisions can be put
into effect.



The Board issued its decision today in the case entitled National Railroad
Passenger Corporation--Petition For Declaratory Order--Weight of Rail, STB
Finance Docket No. 33697. A printed copy of the decision is available for
a fee by contacting D~-To-D~ Office Solutions, Room 405, 1925 K Street, NW,
Washington, DC 20006, telephone (202) 293-7776, or via
[url=http://Da_To_Da@Hotmail.comhttp://[email]Da_To_Da@Hotmail.com[/email[/url]]. The decision also is available for viewing
and downloading via the Board's Website at http://www.stb.dot.gov .

Well, let's see what happens now since the STB did that last year and Guilford put a road block on that fusterating the parties who pushed for this for such a long time. Let's see how Guilford reacts on this one!

Whats to react to? Amtrak has to test the track again. Guilford simply has to sit back and see how well their line improvements fair in testing again.

Dear Mr. Guilford,

Please bend over. Test train will be inserted slowly and carefully. But then it will accelerate to 79 mph. Mr. Guilford, the proctologist promises to do the procedure gently......at no charge to you.

MEKoch wrote:
>
> Dear Mr. Guilford,
>
> Please bend over. Test train will be inserted slowly and
> carefully. But then it will accelerate to 79 mph. Mr.
> Guilford, the proctologist promises to do the procedure
> gently......at no charge to you.

And Guilford will probably put another stupid roadblock again!

Its ok , its their track, they can do it. But just a note, Amtrak is training crews using the actual equipment for the route as we speak. In other words, no more roadblocks. Just Speed bumps.

I'll see it to beleive it!