December 16, 2001: Warning no. 13,847--Don't sit on railroad tracks. It happened today right in RTN's back yard, a half-mile from our office. A northbound Capitol Corridor train that had just left the Berkeley station came upon two people sitting on the track, at the Gilman Street crossing. We didn't know about the fatal accident until the evening TV news came on. The report said that the train was annulled and passengers "put on another train."

     News reports from the East Coast on the startup of the Downeaster train are out, and there were laudatory remarks made about the new Amtrak Boston-Portland service. Reportedly over 1700 people rode on Saturday, the first day of revenue service. Michael Dukakis was mentioned a lot; he rode the VIP train up from Boston on Friday, and back on a revenue train Saturday. RTN's own report on those two days will appear in issue no. 642. Issue 641 is now in preparation.
     The Downeaster offers four daily round trips, but already critics are asking for more trips and for alterations in time slots.

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