Arizona Rail Passenger Association

• “Phoenix Station Days,” Passenger Train Journal, March 1992, Article on 1991 event.
• “Funding a First-rate American rail Passenger System,” W. Graham Claytor, Private Varnish, May/June 1992, Commentary
• “430-mile system proposed for Arizona,” Railway Age, May 1992
• “Supplying Help,” Railway Track and Structures, May 1992, Editorial on methods to enliven rail industry
• “Commuter rail proposal makes tracks with officials,” Mesa Tribune, June 16, 1992
• “Volunteers Make A Difference,” Amtrak Express, July/August 1992
• “From three losers,” a winner, Railway Age, July 1992, Article about Copper Basin Railway and Jake Jacobson
• “Letter to the Editor on the Sunset Limited,” Alan Wimmergren, Passenger Train Journal, July 1992
• “Needed: state rail passenger corporations,” Trains, July 1992
• “Try Intercity Regional Passenger Rail,” Railway Age, July 1992, Editorial with mention of Arizona
• “Arizona Rail A smart state will work to make this a reality,” The Arizona Daily Star, July 6, 1992, Editorial
• “Commuter train network for Arizona being pushed,” The Phoenix Gazette, July 6, 1992
• “Push is on for passenger rail system covering five counties,” Phoenix Business Journal, August 31, 1992
• “The station as symbol,” Progressive Railroading, October 1992, Article about station as focal point in community for commerce and travel
• “Speed on the ground,” Frank Richter, Progressive Railroading, October 1992 , Commentary on need for faster trains
• “Dream Tracks on the Verde,” Arizona Highways, October 1992, Article on Verde River Canyon Railway
• “Panel ponders commuter rail for Valley,” The Phoenix Gazette, October 14, 1992
• “Why BN courts commuters,” Progressive Rail, November 1992
• “1993 Regional Passenger Railroad Planner’s Guide,” Railway Age, November 1992
• “Alitalia turns to trains,” Railway Age, November 1992, Article on planes to trains in an integrated schedule
• “Commuter rail comes to Los Angeles,” Metrolink article, Trains, November 1992
• “The changing times,” Don Phillips, Trains, December 1992, Article on the transportation policy and Washington politics
• “Railroad Blues,” Trains, December 1992, Letters to the Editor on the cause of rail woes
• “Bad-air penalty looms for Valley,” The Arizona Republic, December 15, 1992

January 3, 1992

Jay L. Myers
Chairman
Amtrak Committee
Arizona Rail Passenger Association

Dear Mr. Myers:

Thank you for your letter of December 7, 1991, concerning daily operation of the Sunset Limited, I am responding to your letter as Mr. Claytor is away from the office for several days.

As Mr. Sullivan pointed out in his September 3, 1991 letter, Amtrak would prefer to operate all long-distance trains on a daily basis. We have planned for this goal by including in our 140-car Superliner order an option for 39 additional cars that would produce sufficient equipment to operate the Sunset Limited to New Orleans on a daily basis. However, given our need to reduce federal subsidy requirements and our primary goal of operational self-sufficiency, the financial impact of any increase in service will have to be carefully determined. All previous financial evaluations have shown that federal subsidy requirements would increase substantially with daily service.

A decision for exercising the option order for additional Superliners must be made by November 1992. We will, therefore, be conducting a new financial evaluation of daily Sunset Limited service, including an option with an extension to Miami, prior to that date. The results of the evaluation will influence the decision on whether or not to exercise the option.

Thank you for your support of Amtrak and the future of rail passenger service.

Sincerely,

William S. Norman
Executive Vice President