INTERMODAL · FREIGHT · PASSENGER · TOURIST
Meeting called to order at 7:05 p.m. John Palmer asked that the minutes of Aug. 25 be amended to show that Gus had also participated in the M&L Line discussion. Adopted without objection.
Steve Flanders reported $878.92 in association funds.
Legislative report: Rep. George Katsakiores (R-Derry) noted that most members had been named by the House clerk to the Northern M&L Line Task Force. The first meeting will be to organize, appoint a permanent chairman.
George also emphasized a growing need for a steady revenue stream to NH railroad projects including installation of industrial sidings, crossings and upgrades. Guilford is still interested in beefing up the criminal penalty for trespass upon RR rights-of-way. Their bill on this will be reintroduced over the objections of hunters and fishermen who frequently must cross tracks.
Pres. Peter Griffin attended an Upper Valley/Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Meeting. Their executive director Ben Frost is resigning to take a job in the Office of State Planning evaluating planned I-93 expansion. But he remains very pro rail.
Peter also attended this morning's Transportation Infrastructure Conference in Bedford sponsored by the Manchester Chamber of Commerce. Sen. Bob Smith was a no-show due to terrorism concerns in Washington. Director Kevin Dillon advised that all Manchester Airport expansion is on hold. Rep. John Sununu did show but remains to be convinced of the need for rail, freight and passenger.
The next N.H. Rail Council meeting will be the end of October.
Resolved: That the NH Railroad Revitalization Association go on the record as urging that Gov. Shaheen take appropriate action to "freeze" any further removal or destruction of infrastructure along the Northern Railroad (Concord-WRJct) until that line, as a portion of the former Boston/Montreal Corridor, has been studied and it is determined that it has no place in the region's transportation mix.
Passed by unanimous vote.
Milford-Bennington Line: No report.
Tom Greenman is moving his Nashua/Lowell MBTA Connector Line files to the NHRRA archives.
Kenyon Karl: The whole world changed on Sept 11. This includes how we view transportation and its impact upon homeland defense. Even the FAA is now questioning the feasibility of short-hop flights, say from Boston to NYC. Thus there is a real need for expanded rail over shorter distances. Did members notice how fast the Congress moved to bail out (subsidize?) the airlines? Would they ever have been as committed to rail?
Concord-Lincoln Line: Dave White reporting. ATVs are undermining ballast, doing other damage. New England Southern RR only operates under a 30-day lease cancellation.
Concord-Claremont Line: Now has 4 hopper cars and a locomotive but still there are complaints about too many overloaded gravel trucks upon the highway.
New NHRRA member Bruce Smith introduced.
N.H. Rail Plan: A "plan" in name only. Is more of an inventory of NH's dwindling rail infrastructure. But there are portions which might make good points of departure for future discussion and (hopefully) some sort of meaningful action.
C&J Trailways continues to oppose restoration of rail service in the seacoast. They apparently have the ear of Dover publisher George Foster (Daily Democrat and Laconia Citizen). Still no date for the inaugural run of the DownEaster (Portland to Boston), now postponed again. Speed trials by Amtrak underway.
Next meeting of NHRRA is Oct. 22 in Concord at the NH Safety Council Office on Manchester Street.
<Malcolm T Taylor [northeastnews@juno.com] 9/28/01 3:21 PM>
