IOWA ASSOCIATION OF RAILROAD PASSENGERS
3349 Southgate CT SW #108
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52404-5424
(319) 362-6824 Voice, (319) 362-7734 Fax
www.simpson.edu/~iarp
dick@rfwelch.com


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
01/10/2000


DOT Commissioner to Speak to State Rail Passenger Group in Amana


(Amana, Iowa) -- One of the seven members of the Iowa Transportation
Commission will speak to the next Iowa Association of Railroad Passengers
(IARP) meeting at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, January 15, 2000, at the Amana Barn
Restaurant, 4709 220th Trail, Amana, Iowa (319)622-3214. 

Thomas "Tom" Aller of Cedar Rapids will address the group at its meeting
and give an overview of transportation priorities in the state. Aller is in
his second four-year term on the Iowa Transportation Commission. Aller is
Vice President of Investments for Alliant Industries in Cedar Rapids.

State Senator Neal Schuerer (Dist. 30) of Amana also plans to address the
group. Scheurer will have just completed his first week of the new
legislative session in Des Moines. 

The meeting will include discussions of the proposals for additional rail
passenger service across the state as well as for  Des Moines area commuters.

An informal lunch with individual settlement will be held at 11:30 a.m.
prior to the meeting.

The meeting is open to the public and the public is invited to attend.

Iowa Association of Railroad Passengers President Richard F. "Dick" Welch,
of North Liberty, says IARP is a state-wide group that supports rail
passenger service--both commercial and tourist service. Welch says the
group meets at various locations throughout the state. IARP supports a
solid rail infrastructure, quality freight service by rail and intermodal.

Previous recent meeting sites have included Des Moines, Iowa City,
Davenport, Cedar Rapids and Boone.

Membership information is available from the Iowa Association of Railroad
Passengers, Inc., 3349 Southgate Court, SW, Suite 108, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
52404-5424. Membership information will also be available at the meeting.
Information about the organization is available on the Internet at
http://www.simpson.edu/~iarp.

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