Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Fri Aug 23, 2019 3:22 pm
Lest we forget, Mr. Stephens, that's a "been there done that" with the W-Gang's freight initiative.
Apparently, The Pennsylvanian was simply the ERIE's Atlantic Express, and there wasn't enough freight to mKe it pay.
It isn’t like the
Lake Shore Limited or
Capitol Limited are bringing home more bacon than they take from the piggy bank, to mix metaphors. Why not consider a third train that largely garners a new set of riders: the late departure/evening arrival endpoint riders, the graveyard shift folks in the next cities (PHL/HAR westbound, SOB/EKH eastbound), and the daylight passengers between?
This is an instance where the “glide path” approach patently won’t work (though one could slightly expand the Amtrak Express program with the influx of V-II bags) and the state PRIIA funding approach really isn’t applicable. It’s really on Amtrak to make it happen as a much more workable alternative to the
Cardinal as an evening train, and to figure out how best to cover its costs through Federal monies, fares, and on-board services.