A couple of posts back, I reported speculation that the recent crash of a Metrolink commuter train near Los Angeles could have fallout that goes beyond trying to figure out what happened and taking corrective action. The concern was that the freight railroads would use that accident as an excuse to resist any increase in…
The Union Pacific Railroad has a partnership agreement with Ferromex, the largest private railroad in Mexico. Freight cars are loaded in Mexico and hauled to the U.S. border by Ferromex, where the train is taken over by Union Pacific. From there it goes to its assigned destination. Union Pacific has no control over the rail…
My tablemates at dinner tonight include a demure middle-aged lady from South Carolina and a couple from Houston. The husband was originally from Alabama and still has a heavy accent. His only interest in life appears to be NASCAR and he keeps the conversation going in that direction, reeling off the names of drivers and…
Two years ago, my wife and I were on Amtrak’s Coast Starlight traveling from Seattle to Los Angeles. The scheduled arrival time in Los Angeles is 9:00 p.m., but we were running late. Seven hours late! We would get to LA at 4:00 in the morning, then sit around drinking coffee all day until our…