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New Amtrak Reform Council asks for big budget boost for itself

WASHINGTON – In one of its first official acts, the new Amtrak Reform Council has asked that its own $50,000 budget be increased to $1.9 million.

That has caused the Transport Workers Union, which represents 2,000 Amtrak workers, to bash the Council and its chairwoman, New Jersey Governor Christie Whitman. The TWU’s legislative director said the budget request and six-figure salaries proposed for staff members shows the council intends to become "a shadow administration of Amtrak."

Congress created the Reform Council in 1997 and charged it with making recommendations for how Amtrak can contain costs and improve productivity.

Three die in Chicago commuter train accident

PORTAGE, Ind. – A Chicago-bound commuter trains struck a tractor-trailer at a railroad crossing early today killing at least 3 people and injuring others.

All of the dead were male passengers.

A local TV station said the South Shore Railroad train was going 75 mph when it hit the tractor-trailer. The train runs between South Bend, Ind., and Chicago.

The truck was carrying steel coils when the train hit its back end. There were about 20 passengers on the train. The driver of the truck was unhurt. The double-trailer truck stopped because of train traffic on the northern tracks and the second trailer had not cleared the western tracks when it was hit.

Conrail picks new president

PHILADELPHIA – Timothy T. O’Toole was elected president of Conrail and immediately assumed his job.

Earlier this year, Conrail’s new owners, CSX and Norfolk Southern, said that O’Toole would be president of the future Conrail, which will operate and manage the shared assets of the organization to be established in areas served by both CSX and NS in New Jersey, Philadelphia and Detroit.

In addition, Timothy P. Dwyer has been named senior vice president-operations replacing Ronald J. Conway, who joined CSX last week as executive vice president-operations.

Talks between TWU, SEPTA go nowhere

PHILADELPHIA – A two-hour negotiating session between TWU negotiators and SEPTA did nothing to resolve the situation, according to news reports.

As the strike enters its 17^th day, there is no movement on either side. There are no new talks scheduled.

Polish railway fires officials as strike halts trains

WARSAW – In an attempt to swiftly end a 2-day-old strike that has idled 40% of Poland’s trains, the government railway authority fired 8 rail officials today.

The fired officials are regional supervisors who are being blamed for allowing the strike to happen. The government declined to say whether it would fire striking train drivers.

Estimates are that 850 engineers have stopped work stopping 40% of passenger trains and 60% of freight trains. The leftist Trade Union of Train Engineers called the strike, which the government calls illegal.

Mohawks declare independence

MONTREAL – The Mohawk Indians of Kahnewake declared independence from Quebec and Canada Wednesday after a tax dispute with the provincial government. A Mohawk spokesman said the new country would not impose a levy on roads, railroads, shipping lanes and utilities passing through its territory.