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  • Fred Frailey Column- "It's Time"

  • Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.
Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.

Moderators: GirlOnTheTrain, mtuandrew, Tadman

 #1507535  by mtuandrew
 
JoeBas wrote:Why does it have to be a race to the bottom? Why can't we level a playing field without someone feeling they're being "Penalized"?

And oh yeah, things aren't perfect now, so chuck the whole thing. That's the (new) American Way, right?
In addition, Col Perkowski’s point supposes a self-fulfilling prophecy: freight hosts reduce speeds due to lack of investment, Amtrak reduces system speeds and downgrades service while raising fares, fewer people due to reduced capacity and features, Amtrak raises fares higher and cuts amenities more, people complain in ever-decreasing numbers to a Congress that hasn’t been so divided since 1859 and to an uncaring FRA, the government orders Amtrak to reduce losses, and there come the Adios drumheads — but piecemeal.

There is an alternative, gentlemen and any ladies who happen across this talk: negotiating a broad-base incentive tax credit and investment plan to improve freight capacity and passenger speeds. This could include allowing the Last Round of mergers between BNSF/CN/probably NS, UP/CP/probably CSX, and KCS to whoever gets the jump ball. It could also involve (blech) reduced government oversight. Y’all know I’m a fierce critic of this administration and its policies, but one thing they have is a direct line between the transportation industry, Congress, and the White House in SecTrans Chao. As a shipping company executive, she very intimately understands the need for intermodal transportation and speedy container trains out of Long Beach, Oakland, Tacoma, Hampton Roads, Galveston, and New York Harbor. Generally those important routes are shared by Amtrak, and would benefit both public and private interests.
 #1507540  by Tadman
 
JoeBas wrote:Why does it have to be a race to the bottom? Why can't we level a playing field without someone feeling they're being "Penalized"?

And oh yeah, things aren't perfect now, so chuck the whole thing. That's the (new) American Way, right?
Now? Things haven't been perfect since the depression. Things have been rough since 1946. Things have been bad since 1967. As of this year, the industry has 90 years of overall poor performance in long distance passenger trains with a few exceptions, but not many. 90 years of either over-regulated services or government provided mediocre services.

There is an opportunity to provide good regional service that is competitive with cars and planes, but it seems they can't get their heads out of their behinds enough to do so. I'd love to enjoy such a service, I would use it all the time. But instead, I'm forced to either fly or wait til 3am for a late LSL in Cleveland or Buffalo. Or wait til tomorrow for a train out of Tucson, because they don't run every day to LA.
 #1507558  by Tadman
 
David Benton wrote:You guys have been ordering the adios drumheads since these forums began. That must be coming up to 20 years.
That's exactly right. Anybody other than the US government would've figured out how to make it work or shut 'er down. But in the land of no consequences, we still have a 1950's passenger train system. But we also still have a post office that can't find a package by tracking number, nor can they tell who sent it. True story, I dealt with this yesterday morning. They literally asked me what my package looked like. Uhhh... brown box??? Like all the others???? Bueller???????? Anybody???????????

Imagine if these people were in charge of our healthcare, too!

"OK sir, into the iron lung!"
 #1507562  by ExCon90
 
An example of what can happen when one governmental entity runs an activity is the way the VA handled an enormous backlog of cases awaiting a first visit with a doctor--let alone treatment--awhile back: if the numbers show there's a problem it's a lot easier to fix the numbers than to fix the problem. I think the whole thing dragged out until a newspaper got on it.
 #1507563  by Gilbert B Norman
 
For the benefit of our youngsters not even born on A-Day, here is the Adios drumhead on the final UP #103:

https://images.app.goo.gl/yUm6UVCc7uTByNUA6" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The caption, even if correct, is misleading. The photo was taken on Cajon Pass, where the ROW is property of the Santa Fe, and on which to today, the UP has trackage rights.

Incidentially, that very train was my "Adios" as well. I rode the "City" to Savanna on A-Day Eve, returning on BN #10, Afternoon Zephyr.
 #1507573  by east point
 
I have a temporary medical condition for next 10 weeks. Actually 9 weeks now. No flying, bus trips due to need to be constantly mobile, car trips as well ( 30 minute limit. So for next 9 weeks if a family emergency I a s---t out of luck. This condition is a very prevalent problem so what happens to the persons so affected?
 #1507601  by george matthews
 
David Benton wrote:You guys have been ordering the adios drumheads since these forums began. That must be coming up to 20 years.
The US is the only major industrial power that has such an undeveloped rail system.
 #1507620  by JoeBas
 
Tadman wrote: Imagine if these people were in charge of our healthcare, too!
Because profit-motivated insurance companies making decisions on approving or denying procedures are yielding so much better results than the rest of the western world now, right?... (not to take this "political", just walking through the door that was opened for me).
Last edited by JoeBas on Fri May 03, 2019 9:13 am, edited 1 time in total.
 #1507623  by mtuandrew
 
JoeBas wrote:It comes down to this, AFAIAC - No National Network, No National Dollars.
That’s the conventional wisdom. Such conventional wisdom has been breaking down recently as the political discourse has shifted from liberal/conservative within our current framework to establishment/anti-establishment of parts of the National framework itself. I wish it wouldn’t!
 #1507628  by Gilbert B Norman
 
JoeBas wrote:It comes down to this, AFAIAC - No National Network, No National Dollars.
At one time, Mr. Bas, the position you and Mr. Stephens note was sacrosanct.

But I think there has been a "backaway" from that position. We are addressing a point in time where the Superliner equipment (at least the I's) is at the end of its economic life, and replacement need be made (remember while the Corridor A-I fleet at Boston, Wash, Roanoke, Norfolk, Charlotte, Newport News, and wherever else I missed sleeps, the S-I's, II's, A-II's, V-I's, V-II's roll on). We are also addressing that as the Class I's become busier (pipelines or no, oil is making a moderate comeback; despite my personal gloom, neo-PANAMAX to date has not caused the death of the E-W line haul of containers) and the industry certainly has lobbyists with greater clout than do the volunteers from NARP/RPA participating in that Non-profit lobby day.

Now Mr. East Point, you likely reside on a LD route and I do accept there are medical conditions that require a patient to move about (I had one where I needed to be flat on my can for 48 hours). Now what if you resided in Grand Island NE? Would you expect service to be restored along the Overland Route? In all fairness, during the last flight I was on, there was a gal (I was seated next to her Mother; we had a great time together - and made being "busted" from my usual First to Coach quite acceptable - and a $168 refund as well) who simply was ignoring the Attendant's commands to sit down and buckle up - even on descent and almost to a rough X-wind landing at ORD. I don't think that would be you, Mr. East Point.

Simply because the Anderson gang got rebuffed on the Chief busteetoot, does not mean the idea will be repackaged. If there were to be "two a day" over the LD routes, then greater public benefit would be available for folk in, say, Hastings, NE.

Finally, should the LD's survive and be reequipped, think as the Depreciation expense on the S-III's were charged against each train, their losses would be increased to a point of unbearable. The same debacle presently faced with the V-II-D order, would be "redoubled in No Trump".
 #1507645  by mtuandrew
 
You have a good argument, Mr. Norman. The other thing we need to consider is that even as traditionally left-leaning voters swing rightward toward nationalism, they still expect and demand increasing amounts of social services like government-sponsored healthcare, family leave, social protections, and even train service. Anderson is reading the room - he sees that small-town America has more political power to flex than in past years, and that each one wants their own piece of the pie (in this case, their own train.) DMU service is ideal for a transportation model where loads are smallish and diffuse.

I think that’s a mistaken model in many senses, freight companies won’t be keen to allow passenger service over lines that have been freight-only since 1971 or earlier. There’s room for perhaps adding DMU or 2-3 car sections at certain places, like La Junta-Pueblo, Albia-Des Moines, or Salt Lake City - Pocatello, but that depends on access. Not so easy as putting up a bus stop or even arranging the necessary steps for hub-spoke regional airline service (puddle-jumpers), since no one charges airlines by the air-mile.
 #1507648  by Gilbert B Norman
 
Mr. Stephens, that RDC/DMU will still have the same interference with BNSF/UP/SOO operations as would a ten car Chief or Zephyr, and a twelve car Builder.

Let's just get those DMU's, or whatever term someone has in mind for those stink buggies, where they belong - on the highway.
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