Railroads

Your morning transportation speed-read:

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has ruled that a June Amtrak crash in Nevada was caused by brake failure and driver error.

New Jersey Transit officials are coming under fire for leaving rail cars in yards that flooded during Hurricane Sandy.

Minnesota has a new transportation commissioner.

The European Parliament has endorsed a proposal to let airlines trade flight slots within the European Union.

As House Republicans press to privatize Amtrak service in the Northeast US, the company said Monday that it set a new ridership record over the Thanksgiving holiday. 

Amtrak said it carried 737,537 passengers from Nov. 20-26, which encompassed the Thanksgiving holiday. The total was a 1.9 percent increase from the Thanksgiving 2011 ridership, which Amtrak said was the previous record for holiday travel on its railways.

The record ridership brought in $56.1 million to Amtrak, the company said, an 8.4 percent increase over 2011. 

Republicans on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will renew their push to privatize rail service in Amtrak's most profitable region this week. 

The hearing comes as President Obama and congressional leaders continue negotiations for a potential deficit deal that will mostly likely include numerous spending cuts.

The GOP has long argued that Amtrak's federal funding is a waste of taxpayers' money. To press that point, the House Transportation Committee will hold a hearing Thursday titled "Northeast Corridor Future: Options for High-Speed Rail Development and Opportunities for Private Sector Participation." 

Officials from Amtrak and other northeast U.S. public transportation agencies briefed a Senate committee Thursday on the damage that was sustained by transit systems last month during Hurricane Sandy.

"When we look at what we really lost in terms of revenue, we're at about $30 million just in terms of the few days that we were out of business. And then direct cost to get things fixed was another $20 million," Amtrak CEO Joe Boardman told members of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee's subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security.

Amtrak shut down routes in the northeast in anticipation of Sandy, as did intra-city mass transit systems in cities like Washington, D.C., Boston, Philadelphia and New York City.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood took a break from celebrating his birthday Thursday to press lawmakers to release funding for the centerpiece of President Obama's high-speed rail plans.

LaHood turned 67 on Thursday, and celebrated the occasion by testifying at a House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing on high-speed rail.

LaHood used the appearance to try to convince Republicans on the panel to drop a ban on federal transportation dollars going to a proposed high-speed railway in California that supporters say would link San Francisco, Los Angeles and other major cities.

Your morning transportation speed-read:

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority has created a safety song and dance.

Amtrak has reached an agreement to continue using a bridge between Niagara Falls, N.Y., and Ontario, Canada.

Montana's Billings-Logan International Airport is planning a $9 million runway renovation.

The website SmartMoney.com has ranked the best airlines for five different kinds of flights.

Your morning transportation speed-read:

The Atlanta airport worker who was accused of throwing eggs at the National Football League's New Orleans Saints' bus has quit his job.

A U.S. airline pilot has pleaded guilty in a plot to ship airplane and helicopter parts to Iran.

Delta Airlines is considering buying a big stake in British airline Virgin Atlantic.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating a New Jersey train derailment.

Amtrak supporters warily eye the incoming House Transportation Committee chairman as both sides gear up for a potential funding fight.

Your morning transportation speed read:

An Alameda County, California transportation sales tax referendum is heading for a recount.

Workers at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport are under investigation for allegedly egging the bus of the New Orleans Saints football team.

Dunkin' Donuts is making sure travelers are aware of its "non-traditional locations" in places like airports, train stations and bus terminals as passengers are gearing up for holiday travel.

A Nevada museum is offering visitors an opportunity to ride the train with Santa Claus.

Incoming House Transportation Committee Chairman Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) said Wednesday that he sees the potential for compromise on legislation involving Amtrak funding.

Speaking to reporters at the Capitol hours after formally being elected chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Shuster adopted a less confrontational tone regarding Amtrak than has marked the panel's tenor under Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.). 

Mica pushed hard in 2011 to privatize Amtrak service in the Northeast, which is its most profitable corridor. Shuster supported the effort, which was fiercely opposed by Democrats.  

But the long-time Pennsylvania lawmaker said Wednesday that there was potential to find "common ground" on Amtrak funding next year.