L.A.-to-San Diego Amtrak Service

I am glad to read in David Smollar’s story (Jan. 28) about Amtrak’s plans to upgrade its rail passengers service between Los Angeles and San Diego. But it sounds as if the Amtrak officials in Washington still don’t understand the situation out here.

There is no excuse for Amtrak not to cut 15 minutes off the present runing time of 2 hours and 45 minutes. Ten minutes of the present schedule was added more than 4 years ago to deal with temporary slow running due to track work, which has long since been completed. This time is now pure excessive padding.

Eight additional minutes of running time can be saved today between Los Angeles and Fullerton by running the train at the legally permitted top speed of 79 m.p.h. The present schedule reflects an old Los Angeles County ordinance that has since been repealed, which held a top speed in the county for all passenger trains to 65 m.p.h. regardless of how fast the train could run safely.

There is no need to talk about raising top speeds to 100 m.p.h. when these and other less costly improvements can cut time out of the schedule. Ten more minutes can be saved by speeding up some presently slow stretches with capital costs of no more than $20 million. Yet another 10 minutes can be saved by replacing the present car fleet with new equipment that would allow for faster loading and unloading of passengers at stations.

An eighth train to San Diego is long overdue. For the morning train to work it must get into San Diego no later than 8:30 a.m. for the beginning of the business day. The point Amtrak ignores is that this morning train would also save Amtrak money. This would make present equipment use more efficient. This would also reduce by one train set of equipment left overnight in San Diego for late morning departure for Los Angeles. When the train is left overnight in San Diego, the crews, who live in Los Angeles must be fed and housed. This morning train could save as much as $200,000 just in hotel and restaurant costs.

The issue that was not brought up is the long overdue need to extend the train north to Santa Barbara. There is enough equipment now in Los Angeles to extend 3 out of 8 trains out to Santa Barbara. The extra business would more than pay for the additional costs. Isn’t this growing business and additional revenue the goal of Amtrak or any other corporation?

NOEL T. BRAYMAN

Los Angeles

Brayman is president of the Railroad Passenger Assn. of California.