John Mica Live RAIL Webinar TODAY AT 11 AM

[Ocklawaha]

We should know within a few hours if Mica has any plans to help Florida gain more passenger train services.

Those who oppose Amtrak are not all bad, Amtrak has had 40 years to improve rail passenger service and all they have accomplished is status quo services on an ever shrinking network. A good portion of the blame for this lies with Congress, but no small part is Amtraks either. Amtrak could be described as a basic accommodation and rail passenger service (in other countries today) best described as the grand conveyance, or what America threw away.  So lets listen to this and see if Mica offers anything that would REALLY make private industry flock to the rails again, if they do, we've got it made in Jacksonville, and if they don't, it will be just more of the same.

Meanwhile Amtrak just plods along, they even waited 2+ years into the Obama Administration before asking for improvement funds, and when they did it was for such stellar things as crossing signs and toilet paper. They could lobby to get the FEC route added to the 'nationally mandated system' but they are instead waiting for Governor Scott. Multiply this by JAX-ATL, CHI-FLORIDA, STL-FLORIDA, NOL-JAX and hundreds of other possible markets that they have ridden by for 40 years and you get the picture. Lethargic at best, political at worst, I wouldn't miss them if they vanished tomorrow, that said however, understand that I completely support passenger rail and would not stand still for their abandonment unless something better replaces them.

I'm at best hopeful but I'm not holding my breath for the chance to see the Republican Zebra change his stripes.

OCKLAWAHA

Committee Leaders to Roll Out Northeast Corridor High-Speed Rail & Intercity Rail Privatization Plan

June 14, 2011

Washington, DC â€" House Transportation Committee Chairman John L. Mica (R-FL) and Railroads Subcommittee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) at a national briefing on Wednesday will roll out a dramatically new approach to bring private sector competition to high-speed passenger rail in the Northeast Corridor and intercity passenger rail service across the country.

“After 40 years of highly subsidized, poorly managed Amtrak operations, it’s time for Congress to change the direction of America’s failed high-speed and intercity passenger rail service,” Mica said. “This new direction will employ private sector competition to bring real high-speed rail to the Northeast Corridor, reform passenger rail service across the country, and lower taxpayer costs. After spending billions of dollars, Amtrak and its snail speed, last-century level of service have reached the end of the line.”

“As high-speed trains and passenger rail service around the world speed by, America remains stuck at the station,” said Shuster. “It’s time to leave behind the decades-old, inefficient and unproductive Amtrak monopoly and deregulate passenger rail service.”

Chairmen Mica and Shuster will unveil their proposal via live webcast and teleconference from Washington on Wednesday, beginning at 11:00 a.m. (EDT). Members of the media may attend the briefing in person, watch live at http://transportation.house.gov, or call the following number to listen and pose questions: (877) 229-8493 and enter the code 184163.

WHO: U.S. Rep. John L. Mica (R-FL), Chairman, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee;
U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA), Chairman, Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee

WHAT: Rollout and Briefing: Northeast Corridor High-Speed Rail and Intercity Passenger Rail Privatization Initiative

WHEN: 11:00 a.m. (EDT), Wednesday, June 15, 2011

WHERE: 2167 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Watch via live webcast: http://transportation.house.gov

Teleconference number (questions will be taken over phone):
(877) 229-8493 and enter the code 184163