Eau Claire - Minneapolis Passenger Rail Proposal

dgvrengineer wrote: ↑Thu Jun 04, 2020 7:42 pm I think at least in the near term, we would be better off concentrating on the current route. Having multiple frequencies on one route should generate more ridership and have lower overall costs than spreading the trains over several routes, at least as far as St. Paul to Chicago.

Absolutely correct. Studies have shown that frequency--not speed--is the best builder of ridership. One has to look only at Illinois to bear out that.

What would be the cost of insurance that would protect the UP from significant liability (liability > annual fees UP would earn from the passenger vendor)

Amtrak assumes all liability even if they are not at fault. As an example, the Cayce, SC wreck where a switch was incorrectly lined for a siding. Amtrak had no apparent fault. The CSX crew left the switch improperly lined and reported that it was properly lined to the dispatcher. Amtrak still had to pay all liability claims up to a maximum set by Congress.

dgvrengineer wrote: ↑Fri Jun 19, 2020 6:46 pm Amtrak assumes all liability even if they are not at fault. As an example, the Cayce, SC wreck where a switch was incorrectly lined for a siding. Amtrak had no apparent fault. The CSX crew left the switch improperly lined and reported that it was properly lined to the dispatcher. Amtrak still had to pay all liability claims up to a maximum set by Congress.

Right, but Amtrak probably wouldn’t run this service. If Amtrak was chosen as the operator, even though it’s US Government-insurer it would send the bill for market-rate liability insurance along to the client - which brings us back to the original question of liability insurance needs.

dgvrengineer wrote: ↑Fri Jun 19, 2020 6:46 pm Amtrak assumes all liability even if they are not at fault. As an example, the Cayce, SC wreck where a switch was incorrectly lined for a siding. Amtrak had no apparent fault. The CSX crew left the switch improperly lined and reported that it was properly lined to the dispatcher. Amtrak still had to pay all liability claims up to a maximum set by Congress.

Yes, Amtrak assumes liability for customer lawsuits, but unless CSX is somehow indemnified, it's feasible that Amtrak (or their insurer) could go after CSX to recoup anything paid out.

From the North Coast Hiawatha thread over in Amtrak:

bretton88 wrote: ↑Mon Jun 29, 2020 2:04 pm

Tadman wrote: ↑Wed Jun 24, 2020 5:58 pm I have no idea how they pay the property taxes on their storage area, let alone act like a viable business.

Stuff like this helps them stay in business: https://wqow.com/2020/06/25/passenger-t ... next-week/ Any bets on this operation ever happening? Or how loudly the UP will laugh when they get approached?

does Eau Claire still have the milkman's convention ?

https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews ... -proposal/

Consultants hired for scoping of Eau Claire-Twin Cities passenger rail proposal

Route is one of 34 potential new operations selected for FRA Corridor ID program



EAU CLAIRE, Wis. — The Chippewa-St. Croix Rail Commission has hired a consultant team led by HDR Engineering and including HNTB Corp. to carry out the scoping work for proposed Eau Claire-Twin Cities passenger rail service.

The scoping work is the first phase in development of a new route under the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification and Development Program. The Eau Claire-Twin Cities route was one of 34 potential new passenger routes among 69 selected for the Corridor ID program last year; that selection came with a $500,000 grant to support the scoping process [see “Full list of passenger routes in FRA Corridor program released,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 8, 2023]. The scoping process involves creation of a Service Development Plan, which estimates the cost and timeline for launching new service, among other features.
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Possibly not a bad idea. The People's Republic of the Twin Cities has getting fairly expensive to live in compared to Wisconsin, so this might open up opportunities for commuting from across the river.