Letter: House Republicans to Mr. Flynn

https://www.rawstory.com/2020/10/house- ... on-amtrak/

Fair Use:

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden earlier this month took an Amtrak train ride to campaign in key Rust Belt states — and Republicans are vowing to get to the bottom of it.

Republican members of the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on Wednesday sent a letter to Amtrak CEO William Flynn asking him for information on Biden’s train trips, which they implied without evidence caused delays in the delivery of needed medical equipment during the novel coronavirus pandemic

A PDF of the letter is linked within this "alternative media" report. which does appear authentic.

Must wonder, do these "Critters" think Amtrak provided this train to Joe "bargain basement" or even "gratis"?

Very possible they were mislead by the media coverage which in Ohio and Pennsylvania did not inform people that it was a charter trip. If you were not a rail savy person, you could have gotten the impression that it was a regularly scheduled run that was catering to Joe. One engineman made his final run before retirement on one segment and was honored by the candidate.

This is utterly ridiculous. I'd encourage people to go directly to the letter: https://republicans-transportation.hous ... letter.pdf. So obviously a dig at the Biden campaign just for spite. They don't give two ***** about any of their questions. Since when did Republicans care about Amtrak delays? Gimme a break. Keep in mind one of the signers is the same Senator who has proposed PennDOT take over the Keystone Line.

Desperate fact free inuendo is all they have these daze it appears...

Must wonder, do these "Critters" think Amtrak provided this train to Joe "bargain basement" or even "gratis"?

Or that any host railroad would seriously delay its trains for a charter?

This part of the letter defies logic:

We are concerned that the Biden campaign’s use of Amtrak’s charter train redirected
Amtrak’s scarce resources during a time of record losses, employee layoffs, and service cuts
during the COVID-19 pandemic.8 Specifically, Amtrak has started cutting its workforce by
roughly 2,000 employees.9 On October 1, 2020, it began sharp reductions in several of its routes
due to the drop in ridership and the need to conserve resources.10

Reduced service = lots of extra equipment and less work for T&E crews.
Charter train = a few extra hours for employees + a little extra revenue for Amtrak. Surely they charged enough to cover fuel, crew, avoidable maintenance.

I'm also kind of amused by the claim that using film and pictures of Amtrak trains and stations is using "Amtrak resources". Do they know how many of us take pictures and videos of trains? Are they aware that trains go out in public and stations are public places?

Arborwayfan wrote: ↑Thu Oct 22, 2020 9:34 am I'm also kind of amused by the claim that using film and pictures of Amtrak trains and stations is using "Amtrak resources". Do they know how many of us take pictures and videos of trains? Are they aware that trains go out in public and stations are public places?

I doubt a lot of these Congress "critters" ever took the train in their entire life.

Arborwayfan wrote: ↑Thu Oct 22, 2020 9:34 am

Must wonder, do these "Critters" think Amtrak provided this train to Joe "bargain basement" or even "gratis"?

Or that any host railroad would seriously delay its trains for a charter?

This part of the letter defies logic:

We are concerned that the Biden campaign’s use of Amtrak’s charter train redirected
Amtrak’s scarce resources during a time of record losses, employee layoffs, and service cuts
during the COVID-19 pandemic.8 Specifically, Amtrak has started cutting its workforce by
roughly 2,000 employees.9 On October 1, 2020, it began sharp reductions in several of its routes
due to the drop in ridership and the need to conserve resources.10

Reduced service = lots of extra equipment and less work for T&E crews.
Charter train = a few extra hours for employees + a little extra revenue for Amtrak. Surely they charged enough to cover fuel, crew, avoidable maintenance.

I'm also kind of amused by the claim that using film and pictures of Amtrak trains and stations is using "Amtrak resources". Do they know how many of us take pictures and videos of trains? Are they aware that trains go out in public and stations are public places?

There may have been a Secret Service advanced sweep/stoppage on the segments the train was occupied (and possibly on the CHI-CLE positioning setup).

That about the Secret Service is a really good point, actually. Whether it delayed anything any more than flying a candidate into a few airports or having a motorcade is a question, but it's a good point.

I have now learned that the story has been addressed within recognized media:

USA Today

Washington Post

From the USA Today article:
"
In its disclosures to the Federal Election Commission, the former vice president's campaign reported spending $265,000 on a “train lease.”
"
Seems like this must have been net profitable to Amtrak, before even considering the PR value.

The Republican complainers look foolish delving to this level of inventing controversy. IMO.

Whether or not these congressmen have a valid point or not, it would be a major mistake for Amtrak leadership to ignore them. Who knows, maybe getting just one of them to support future funding in the near future may or may not prevent the end of Amtrak.
Every congressman you can satisfy with an explanation may be important. Ignore them at your own peril.

We are in the midst of an election season where every possible discrepancy gets blown all out of proportion. Both sides do it! Both sides will continue to do it. And it is done world wide in every country that holds competitive elections.

I don't think there's been any indication that Amtrak might ignore the congressmen's letter. When I worked for Conrail we never neglected a letter from a legislator; we replied, setting out the facts as they were, and that usually disposed of the matter. I'm sure that's what Amtrak is going to do here, and in doing so make clear how foolish some congresspeople can make themselves look without even trying. I get a chuckle at the idea of a freight railroad delaying its own trains on its own tracks to make way for Amtrak; I wonder how many of the letter writers even know that the Biden train was running on the tracks of a for-profit freight railroad that dispatches all movements on its own tracks.

I think the letter was a case of following the political adage "Fling enough mud and some of it will stick." I doubt that the letter signers took it seriously. After all, it's only mud.

If only this site also covered air travel one could wonder at the costs in dollars, manpower, and delays, the use of AF1 entails when used for campaigning.

But this site does not do that, so one cannot state that wonder.

And it needn't...