Goddard tunnel

[NW Mailing List]

I have no problem with our taxes improving the
Hudson & Manhattan or B&P Tunnels.  They
provide our citizens with one more mode of transportation.
But the fact is, that the railroads have played Amtrak
like a violin.  In 1993, when John Snow was CEO of
CSX, the route selected for the Southeast High Speed
Rail Corridor Washington-Atlanta  was via CSX Alexandria-
Richmond to Secoast.  The Commonwealth is supposed to
resurrect the 66-miles from Secoast to the NC/VA state line.
NCDOT owns the tracks from there to Raleigh.  From Raleigh,
the high speed trains will use the North Carolina Railroad
via Greensboro, and NS to Atlanta.  And oh yes, once in
place, CSX will be allowed to run their freights on the high
speed track.  It'll save CSX 14 miles on every car and
engine moving Petersburg to Hamlet.   Imagine the
performance bonus the CSX officials will get.

Now to bring Amtrak to Roanoke, the double track must
be restored Green to Smothers--two stations on the former
Southern between Hurt, VA and Chatham, VA ($37,100,000.)
and the tunnels on the former Virginian will be enlarged
to accept double stacks ($36,000,000).  That will save NS
30 miles on every double stack moving Roanoke-Linwood. 

A representative from the Railroad Retirement Board advised
the Cost of Living Adjustment for 2017 will be 0.003% for
Tier 1 and 0.001% for Tier Two -- for me that amounts to $5.90,
but the medicare premium is increasing by $5.00, so I'll have
an additional $0.90 to spend every month next year.  I don't
get a performance bonus any more.
                                                                  Harry Bundy
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