IOWA ASSOCIATION OF RAILROAD PASSENGERS 3349 Southgate Court Southwest #108 Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52404-5424 319-362-6824 Voice, 319-362-7734 Fax or (Wulff Home 515-276-8888) www.simpson.edu/~iarp henrywulff@aol.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 10/09/01 State Rail Passenger Group to Meet in Osceola (Osceola, Iowa)--The next meeting of the Iowa Association of Railroad Passengers (IARP) is scheduled to be held at the Lakeside Casino Resort, 777 Casino Drive, Osceola, Iowa, at 1:00 p.m., on Saturday, November 3, 2001. IARP President Henry C. Wulff of Urbandale says the group will hear updates on the active proposal for more rail passenger service across the state. The proposed Council Bluffs/Omaha through Des Moines, Grinnell, Iowa City and Davenport to Chicago trains which would be part of the nine-state Midwest Regional Rail System. Wulff says, "We picked Osceola for this meeting because it is a tourist destination, as well as being an active Amtrak stop." Wulff recently returned from a two-day regional rail passenger meeting in Gary, Indiana, where the new nine-state passenger rail service was discussed by various national and regional experts. Wulff says other details about the program for the meeting will be available in the near future. The meeting is open to the public. There is a $5 meeting fee for attendees. A buffet lunch will be available before the meeting at the resort for attendees who want to informally discuss transportation issues prior to the meeting. The Iowa Association of Railroad Passengers is a statewide, nonprofit citizens' organization which supports rail passenger service--both commercial and tourist service. IARP supports a solid rail infrastructure, quality freight service by rail and inter-modal. The group was formed in 1981 to strengthen the voice of the rail user in Iowa. The group meets at various locations throughout the state. It's most recent meetings were in Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Burlington and Amana. IARP is affiliated with the National Association of Railroad Passengers in Washington, D.C. Membership information is available by writing to the Iowa Association of Railroad Passengers, 3349 Southgate Court, SW, Suite #108, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 524045424 or by calling (319) 3626824, or at the group's website at www.simpson.edu/~iarp.