Rail Service

Amtrak rail service was virtually paralyzed between New York and Washington for much of yesterday afternoon after power lines tumbled across tracks just northeast of Baltimore, canceling trains and stranding several thousand passengers. The disruption began about 11 a.m., and delays were expected to extend into last night. Amtrak hoped to have normal service restored by this morning. In all, 14 trains scheduled to shuttle passengers along the Northeast corridor yesterday were canceled.

The American Public Transportation Association reports that public transit use in America is growing fast. Last year, rail and bus systems provided 9.7 billion trips. That's 25.1 percent growth over the past decade, compared with 22.5 percent growth for highways. And within the public transit world, the fastest-growing mode is - drum roll, please - light rail. From New Jersey to Los Angeles, the various forms of light rail, from modern streetcars (like Baltimore's) to heritage trolleys, are reporting double-digit ridership increases.

American Airlines recently generated news when it said that it had set up a special service for its passengers bound to North America from London.A passenger can check in for a flight from Gatwick Airport at a special American Airlines counter at Victoria Station in central London. There, one can drop off baggage, get boarding passes and buy a ticket for a Gatwick express train. At the airport, the passenger has only to go through immigration formalities before boarding.But American is by no means the only airline offering such a convenient service in Europe.

WASHINGTON - Amtrak is into one of its classic budget squeezes; some long-distance lines may be axed. The country is in an economic downturn. A conservative president sits in the White House. Yet oddly enough, the prospects may be the brightest ever for serious national investment in passenger rail. The reason is clear, says James RePass, president of the National Corridors Initiative: Americans are increasingly caught in monumental metro-area traffic jams. Air travel remains "miserable," even in the current slump.

Senator Mathias helped build Maryland's infrastructure If the late Senator Charles McC. Mathias had been an American corporation, he'd be Microsoft, Google and Intel combined. His influence on Maryland's economy and society has been incalculable. His independence, fidelity to the Constitution, civil rights record and reputation as "the conscience of the Senate" made him unique in the annals of Congress, as many commentators have pointed out since his death on Jan. 24. But few realize the extraordinary influence Senator Mathias continues to exert on the wealth, prosperity and material well-being of the Free State's 5 million citizens.

If the late Senator Charles McC. Mathias had been an American corporation, he'd be Microsoft, Google and Intel combined. His influence on Maryland's economy and society has been incalculable. His independence, fidelity to the Constitution, civil rights record and reputation as "the conscience of the Senate" made him unique in the annals of Congress, as many commentators have pointed out since his death on January 24. But few realize the extraordinary influence Senator Mathias continues to exert on the wealth, prosperity and the material well-being of the Free State's 5 million citizens.

For local firms that rely on rail service now frozen by a labor dispute, today brings concern. Next week, calamity?Companies that ship bulk items by freight, which can't easily be converted to trucks, face the most pressing worries. Bethlehem Steel Corp., which employs more than 6,000 people at Sparrows Point, is feeling the impact already. On any given day, it has 3,000 rail cars ferrying coal, iron and finished steel around the country. Some of that is now stranded on the rails.General Motors Corp.

It doesn't take a train buff to recognize kindred spirits roaming the halls of Congress and the White House have fallen in love with the possibilities of passenger rail. Not only does the stimulus effort include $8 billion for the development of high-speed rail, but President Barack Obama included an additional five-year, $5 billion state grant program in the budget he unveiled last week. With the similarly elevated funding given Amtrak - formerly known as the industrial world's most perpetually insolvent railroad - it's likely that some people have expectations of Japanese-style bullet or French TGV trains zooming across the American landscape any day now. Not so fast.

Amtrak indefinitely suspended its Acela Express train service yesterday after cracks were discovered in a shock absorber beneath a locomotive in Boston, and additional inspections revealed similar failures in seven of nine other trains examined. Without the 18 high-speed trains, many of Amtrak's 40,000 daily passengers in the Northeast Corridor faced delays yesterday or squeezed onto packed and slower Metroliners or Acela Regional trains. Officials said late yesterday that the trains' manufacturer, Bombardier of North America, had promised to outline a repair plan today.

On the brink of launching Acela Express - North America's first high-speed rail service - Amtrak packed its new train with dignitaries yesterday and took them for a one-stop demonstration spin from Washington to Boston that hit an Amtrak-record 150 mph. Regular ticket service is still a month off. But the guests on board the silver-and-blue bullet train yesterday relished the ceremonial journey and heralded it as a significant first step away from highway...