Westbound Texas Eagle crosses Trinity River after leaving Dallas.
On Saturday February 2, 2008, NARP Region 9's annual meeting will be held in the Magnolia Hotel, 1401 Commerce Street, in downtown Dallas. The hotel is located about 3 blocks from DART's Akard Street light rail station.
This meeting will feature several presentations dealing with regional rail passenger issues, and will also include a presentation by NARP Executive Director Ross Capon. Capon is the 2007 recipient of the prestigious W. Graham Claytor, Jr. Award for Distinguished Service to Passenger Transportation. This award is given annually by Railway Age magazine to honor those who have contributed to the advancement of passenger rail in America. After lunch, the election of NARP Region 9 board members will take place, along with a Texas Association of Railroad Passengers presentation.
MEETING SCHEDULE, Saturday February 2:
The meeting will conclude in time to allow out of town participants to depart on the Texas Eagle train 22 at 3:40 p.m., or on Trinity Railway Express to connect with the Heartland Flyer in Fort Worth.
Meeting participants who are present on Friday night are invited to a group dinner (Dutch treat) at a nearby restaurant, to provide an additional opportunity for networking and visiting among rail advocates.
This meeting is open to all who support passenger rail in America; it is not necessary to be a member of NARP to attend. The National Association of Railroad Passengers Region 9 includes the states of Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri. If you are not a NARP member, but support the expansion of a nationwide passenger rail service, we welcome your attendance at this meeting. (We would also welcome your membership, should you decide to join NARP after hearing about the advocacy efforts that are underway.)
Registration for the NARP-TxARP meeting is $25 in advance, $30 at the door. Please register in advance -- this helps meeting sponsors obtain an advance count of attendees, and it also helps you avoid a long registration line before the meeting. Registration may be made electronically by Paypal or by mailing a check with a completed registration form. Credit cards can be accepted only through the Paypal 'blue button' link on this page.
To review other visitor destinations in the Metroplex, visit:
On Friday, February 1, 2008, one day prior to the NARP Region 9 - TxARP meeting, Texas Rail Advocates is hosting a passenger rail conference, also in the Magnolia Hotel. The NARP meeting was scheduled so that attendees would have the opportunity to attend both meetings if desired. The TRA Conference is separate from the NARP meeting, and requires a separate registration, although a special "rail advocate" registration fee is available for NARP or TxARP meeting participants. See TRA Conference web page for registration fees and agenda information.