Amtrak faces possible shutdown in July..

[HAC]

LAST EDITED ON Jun-06-02 AT 02:55PM (EDT)[p]from the Washington Post..

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2438-2002Jun5.html

So why can't we make passenger rail work? No interest from governments, airline lobbyists, railroads that don't have a clue, crop circles? I give up..

Harold

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[CPR_Malice_96th]

Wow,

I didn't realize things were THAT bad !!

Tim Kent
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"Power for You"

[atsfdude]

It because while the government spent Billions each year on road projects, the gave Amtrak table scraps to run. Very few politicians are willing to "push" mass transit over the use of the automobile.

Also Amtrak operates in most states and the senators of those states may stand behind it, it touches very few congressional districts so members of the house that is affects are in the minority.

And I seem to remembers that on some trackage, freight trains have priority and this makes it hard to run a passenger service.

I hope that we can work it out and expand Amtrak. It has proven itself in many areas of the counry (NEC and California) as a viable alterantive to the car. I know that Georgia is looking to expand its commuter train service in the Atlanta area.

ATSFDUDE

[georgi55]

Well, if they take a lesson from Japan and learn how to operate on time with no accident, then probably people will use it.
I lived in Japan 8 years and half, and the only time a train was late was when someone jumped into rails to suicide.
Georgi

[Interborough]

>It has proven itself in
>many areas of the counry
>(NEC and California) as a
>viable alterantive to the car.

Acela has done more than that! Acela is actually competing with the Delta Shuttle, and is doing very well between New York and Boston. Delta is frantic and they've gone so far as to put "Planes are faster than trains" on selected Super Shuttle vans. More and more people are taking the train. Amtrak doesn't make money, highways don't either. If the reason they shut down Amtrak is because it doesn't make money, they might as well shut down the highways. Since they aren't shutting down the highways, they shouldn't shut down Amtrak.
If they do shut it down, my prediction is that international services would be claimed by VIA and NEC, Keystone, and Empire services would be claimed by Continental Airlines, who is a strong partner of Amtrak.

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John

[chucksc]

Georgi,

Please Do some research Lad!
Amtrak's problem is not lack of Ridership! Especially on the NEC it is lack of capacity and especially now Lack of Equipment! All caused by lack of Capital Investment!
Inspite of the Wrecks and on Time performance you cite it is bursting at the seams....
FYI, the low usage on the long distance runs is end to end is off set by high usage from point to point as on some like the southwest chief the majority of users ride between intermediate stops... And some like the Silver Service to Florida from NY is Standing Room Only and sold out weeks in advance and they can't put any more trains on because of lack of equipment....
BTW the Auto-Train Accident was CSX Trackwork which worked ok for a slow freight but not a faster passenger 30 mins. later! BTW the track is not under the control of Amtrak!


------Chuck Schneider---------
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[kevarc]

And be prepared to subsidize it. The Japanese subsidize theirs with how many billions of Yen per year. I looked at using Amtrak, but the cost and the routing I would have had to use made a definate no go. I could rent a van and drive for the cost and still have money left over. It would also take 2 days longer to go just one way. Keep Amtrak in Cal, the NEC, and a couple of other corriders where it makes sense but dump the rest.

Kevin Arceneaux

[atsfdude]

Good Point George.

In Other countries the rail service owns and maintains the tracks, in the US Amtrak has to lease most of its trackage from other railroads (except in the NEC, if I remember correctly.)

It is a matter of funds to maintain your fleet and expand. Routes in California and the NEC are packed to capacity but there are no new cars to try to expand in these areas.

I cannot find one passenger railroad in the world that does not recieve some sort of government support, and of all of them, Amtrak receieves the least.

Billions for the airlines, tables scraps for Amtrak.. just not fair

ATSFDUDE

[CSX_CW60AC_GregMarck]

in this June Trains, theres an articel worth reading about Amtrak. I wont give it away.




Greg Marck
Act. Maker
gregoryis411@hotmail.com

[darkfyre]

Not to be offensive; but what is the intelligence of laying more and more track (or at least, expanding territory); if you have a pretty good hunch that you're not going to be able to cover the costs?

I heard Canadian National is going to be swallowing up Maine's biggest line, Guilford Rail..it would make sense to me that after Amtrak recently extended their service to Maine (the Downeaster); that VIA would follow suit in swallowing up an American RR..



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