All Signals Green for Departure

This post marks the debut of RAIL Magazine's Potomac Express blog. This venue will bridge the gaps between our quarterly editions of RAIL and our monthly electronic newsletter, Fast Mail for RAIL. Since this is a blog, the Potomac Express will be presented in a less formal style and include postings as news and developments occur in the passenger rail industry, or simply when I have an idea to share or concept to discuss. This means sometimes there may be several posts in a week, and in other weeks none. Some will be more substantive, and others more brief.

In all, the Potomac Express represents another means to get you the latest happenings, trends and ideas in passenger rail, while also offering a new interactive medium for you to share your reactions and connect with other passenger rail leaders, experts, advocates and observers. As always, feel free to contact me at sampson@ctaa.org if you'd like to spread the word on any interesting news, resources or events.

In a bit of a preview of what's coming down the line in the Potomac Express in the days ahead, I'll be making a week-long visit to California to meet with leaders of community and public transit systems across the state, and you can expect some intermittent posts as I encounter some of the the Golden State's numerous passenger rail services, stations and vehicles along the way. This could include some original photography, passing thoughts on nuances of the various operations and perhaps some details or commentary on the state's evolving effort on high-speed rail.