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Sweden Requires Fuel-Efficient Driving Lessons (audio)
Alison Hawkes, National Public Radio (NPR)
Sweden is known as an eco-friendly country - except when it comes to people's preference for big cars with gas-guzzling engines. In order to meet carbon dioxide emissions standards set by the European Union, Sweden is requiring motorists to learn to drive with greater care toward fuel efficiency.
(8 August 2008)

Airlines to cut 60m seats for Christmas
Jon Swaine, The Daily Telegraph
Airlines are set to make the reduction, the equivalent of one in every 14 seats, in response to high oil prices and the global credit crisis, according to the Official Airline Guide (OAG). Reduced availability is almost certain to force up ticket prices.

In all there will be 59.7m fewer tickets available compared to October-December last year. Routes will be scrapped at 275 airports around the world and 3,500 fewer planes will be needed, according to the OAG.

While Europe will suffer the loss of 5.5m seats, America will be worst hit, with a reduction of about 20m.
(7 August 2008)

All Aboard: Too Many for Amtrak
Christopher Conkey, Wall Street Journal
Surge in Ridership
Leads to Crowding
On Intercity Trains
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WASHINGTON -- The number of people riding Amtrak surged 13.9% in July from a year earlier, as high gas prices caused more commuters to rely on intercity rail.

But many Amtrak trains are getting overcrowded, and a backlog of infrastructure problems stands in the way of expanded service.

Since last fall, Americans have been driving less while Amtrak usage has steadily increased. The latest figures suggest that the migration from highways to rail is accelerating.
(8 August 2008)

Proposal to put trucks on trains and save fuel hasn't developed
Editorial, Harrisburgh Pennsylvania Patriot-News
... the Age of Cheap Oil is over.

... And the truth is that there is not one "big thing" that can be done to make the problem go away. Rather, the challenge requires a host of seemingly small steps that together can have a big impact.

A reader recently reminded us of a December 2006 Patriot-News editorial that focused on one of those steps with local implications. That's the proposal to upgrade Norfolk Southern's "Crescent Corridor," which parallels Interstate 81 for much of the way, in order to put more trucks on rails.

Consider that one intermodal train can take upward of 300 trucks off the road. Based on 2006 traffic statistics, the railroad says that 1 million trucks could be taken off the highway in a year. This would equate to a 26-million-gallon savings in fuel.

This idea has been around for some time, and indeed, Cumberland County Commissioner Rick Rovegno has commendably worked hard to generate interstate support for this plan. For its part, Norfolk Southern is making various improvements where it can, including looking to build a new intermodal rail yard between Harrisburg and Hagerstown, likely closer to the latter, according to spokesman Rudy Husband.

But to do the job right, to maximize the use of rail to divert truck traffic from roads and save energy requires a public-private partnership, notwithstanding that Norfolk Southern reported record earnings for the second quarter last month.

As with too many other issues before our state and federal governments, there exists a striking dearth of decision-making, of commitments, of getting the job done. And so, for now, another good idea for saving energy, as well as for reducing congestion and pollution, languishes for lack of strong leadership at the highest levels of government.
(8 August 2008)
Reader Jersey Geoff writes:
Slowly but surely the drumbeats for higher efficiency and in this case the conversion of truck to rail freight are growing. Harrisburg lost their scheduled air service from American Eagle this month- hopefully passenger service improvements are not far behind.