Railroad Forums
NHV 669 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 25, 2024 6:33 am if they're serious about this proposal, and not BSRC 2.0, the last thing they would want to do is offer a 5+ hour ride on outdated buses.I would prefer a train (of course), but millions of tourists nationwide take motor coaches (busses) annually and some of them are quite nice. These aren't Greyhound busses.
artman wrote: ↑Fri Jan 26, 2024 1:09 pm These aren't Greyhound busses.I dunno.. "Excursion Motorcoach" seems like just another way of saying "tour bus". They'd better be a few cuts above Concord Coach.
On March 4, 2021 In an article entitled "Expanded train lines in 30 cities and towns? AmeriStarRail wants to privatize Amtrak service on Northeast Corridor", Zoë Read of the WHYY staff wrote:Read much more of this story at WHYY's web site
Expanded train lines in 30 cities and towns? AmeriStarRail wants to privatize Amtrak service on Northeast Corridor
The plan from AmeriStarRail would privatize Amtrak service on the Northeast Corridor, adding new stops and faster, more frequent trains.
Updated March 5, 6:45 p.m.
AmeriStarRail wants to privatize the rail system on the Northeast Corridor. The group doesn’t want to replace Amtrak, but simply enhance it, they say.
Under its proposal, which was presented to the Delmarva Rail Passenger Association on Thursday, trains would operate on Amtrak’s lines and stations, and passengers would board Amtrak trains using Amtrak tickets.
What would change is the experience on board, AmeriStarRail claims.
The group would arrange private financing to convert the fleet to compartment-style trains and increase high-speed trains while making it more affordable for families.
There would also be more direct routes and increased service. AmeriStarRail says it can do this all while remaining unionized.
The proposal includes expanding the footprint of the Northeast Corridor by providing more than 30 new cities and towns with direct high-speed rail access.
AmeriStarRail would create a centralized maintenance center, likely in Delaware, which they say would create more than 150 jobs in the First State.
The project would cost $5 billion for the complete expansion of the Northeast Corridor, and the creation of the maintenance center. There would be an additional $200 million cost to convert the existing fleet to compartment-style seating.
AmeriStarRail would first have to get approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
“We simply would be setting ourselves up as a company, much like in the airline industry, where you have various private companies operating routes for the major carriers, like American has American Eagle, or United has United Express,” said AmeriStarRail’s Scott Spencer. “The private entity has a different name, but they operate as an affiliated carrier under that marketing brand. So we’re simply using the airline model to improve Amtrak service.”
AmeriStarRail wants to develop a mutually beneficial agreement with Amtrak and would pay to use their tracks. Unlike other private sector entities, AmeriStarRail would not own the infrastructure. But Amtrak has not yet been receptive to the idea.
