The big ax just fell. Long distance to 3x/week.

[NY&LB]

There are TWO bills that must pass before an agency can actually SPEND our taxpayer money.
1. Appropriations bills and
2. Authorization bills.
Continuing resolutions (CR) typically allow spending at last years levels with some exceptions. NEW programs cannot receive CR funding.

[Railjunkie]

Mr. Pennsy, the abolishment notices have been posted, and the displacement process under the Agreements has been completed. The adversely affected employees that choose to stay on have now bumped the junior employees to the Street and RRUI effective Oct 1.

The roads have already adjusted their train schedules and MofW windows to reflect that Amtrak will no longer interfere with operations during those slots now vacated. You can be sure there isn't a Train Dispatcher, be they in Jax, Atl, FTW, OMA, or out on the line (not sure if NS has centralized their dispatching) that isn't saying "good riddance while we have it".

It would be too much to expect the "Genie can be put back in the bottle" over the next 144 hours.

As of yet I have not seen any T&E layoffs or a couplet with new jobs for that matter. I just finished rules class with with three that will be on the street come next month. I dont think dispatchers RTCs or the like really care there will be less Amtrak trains on their territory. Most times you just sit in the slot you land in, often l wonder while following that 40mph junk train in front of me why the F dont you run me around. Especially when you pass nothing coming in the opposite direction. Todays dispatchers dont dispatch they just look at the lights on their board. For all the dispatchers I know I know "you dont see the big picture"

[Gilbert B Norman]

Going out from Mr. Junkie to his favorite CSX Train Dispatchers:

https://youtu.be/Eq0ooP57Muk

Interesting that apparently Amtrak is prepared to pay Guarantees under your Agreement, lest they lose getting those Rules Qualified men back when they need 'em.

Likely, you noted my earlier posting regarding the gal I know holding a "streetside" public contact position with a "big four" airline. She has less than a year with them - and they won't let her take leave.

Learning of your's and the gal's experience makes one wonder just how severe transportation industry displacements will be.

[eolesen]

Really, 1900 heads getting whacked is pretty lenient when compared with the possible (probably not that bad) 30,000 air transport employees on the block.

Now I must say, I have to wonder about some of the airline whackings. I have a "fiftysomething" neighbor (could pass for 35) whose three girls have graduated (all Mizzou), but works "for the travel privileges" with a "big four". She is "streetside" public contact; she asked to "take leave for the duration" (no pay or health - buy it from her husband's employer, but travel). They said no, but yet they are whacking "planeside" Ground employees (and many Flight).

Hopefully the mods will tolerate the slight sidebar...

As it stands, layoffs may reach 50,000 between the big airlines and regionals, and I'd guess that between people taking voluntary leaves or early retirement/buyouts, there are another 25,000 who have already hit the street.

They're retooling for a steady state 30% drop in demand, which still seems optimistic when you consider that the TSA's daily reporting shows that current traffic is around 30% of what it was a year ago.

[Jeff Smith]

Nah, we have a zero tolerance policy here......

[STrRedWolf]

This brings up a related point which I'll bring back to trains in a minute.

Because air traffic is down 70% (now currently 30% of traffic at this time last year), a ton of the in-airport vendors are closed. There may be a few coffee shops or fast food joints, but there's not enough traffic to support opening those shops. The traffic's not there to support it.

Look back at train station traffic. At last report, Grand Central's nearly a ghost town (but this was a few months back). Baltimore Penn Station has zero food outside of the news stand. I can only guess that businesses are mostly shut down in these mall-stations (NYP, Grand Central, WAS, maybe LAX?)

Anyone been to WAS/NYP/LAX/etc lately?

[J.D. Lang]

Back in July I was in NYP, Chicago, and Wash. Most shops in NYP where open. Many in Chicago and Wash were closed except for the Micky D's. All three stations were way down in foot traffic. Only about 8 or 10 people were in my sleeper on the LSL other sleeper was empty except for one occupant in the handicapped room. The Cardinal sleeper was easily 3/4 full with both bedrooms taken. Go figure.

[lordsigma12345]

And in the final hour a development. Daines from Montana has introduced an amendment in the senate to the CR that would prohibit Amtrak from moving on the furloughs and the 3x a week LD during the CR period. See RPA for details. Vote on the amendment and CR tomorrow.

[NRGeep]

Back in July I was in NYP, Chicago, and Wash. Most shops in NYP where open. Many in Chicago and Wash were closed except for the Micky D's. All three stations were way down in foot traffic.

Interesting yet not surprising in current South Station in Boston all local businesses are shuttered while big boys Duncan's, Micky D's, Star Bucks etc remain open.

[mtuandrew]

I work relatively close to WAS, but it’s rare I’m there. Will see if I can make an excuse to stop by - I’d expect the retail shops to by & large be open with limited hours, but some of the restaurants in the “pit” may only be staffed during rush hours. Undoubtedly the McDonalds, Starbucks, and Walgreens are open.

[STrRedWolf]

I work relatively close to WAS, but it’s rare I’m there. Will see if I can make an excuse to stop by - I’d expect the retail shops to by & large be open with limited hours, but some of the restaurants in the “pit” may only be staffed during rush hours. Undoubtedly the McDonalds, Starbucks, and Walgreens are open.

Yeah, I got to take a trip down there myself and really soak it in. I miss the theater that Walgreens is in now.

[Pensyfan19]

And in the final hour a development. Daines from Montana has introduced an amendment in the senate to the CR that would prohibit Amtrak from moving on the furloughs and the 3x a week LD during the CR period. See RPA for details. Vote on the amendment and CR tomorrow.

Any word on this vote? Will approval of this maintain daily service for all of amtrakś LDs? (Or just the Empire Builder)

[STrRedWolf]

The CR is HR8337. It passed the House w/o the Amtrak amendment. It's over in the Senate now.

[lordsigma12345]

The Amtrak amendment is a Senate thing -it will be voted on this afternoon. Senate session starts at 3. The house bill had no Amtrak provisions except that the 1 year extension of the FAST act removed the prohibition on operating subsidies for food and beverage losses.

[Gilbert B Norman]

Messrs. Sigma and Wolf, if the Senate throws in a provision regarding Amtrak train frequencies, lest we forget the Bill need go back to the House for inclusion of that provision within theirs. That means the House need vote on the amended Bill.

Only one bill goes to the President for signature and enactment.

It seems like too much "fruck-fruck" within the next thirty six hours to go through to keep a bunch of trains running that no one rides. Lest we further forget, the possibility of 30K whackings in the air transport industry (maybe not that bad if more crafts on more properties agree in principle as United Pilots have done to "spread" the work around) remains. With 1900 positions in jeopardy at Amtrak (and again if that; ref Mr. Junkie's earlier report), displaced airline employees might wonder standing in line at the polls (or sitting at their desk at home as will I be doing) "you saved jobs at that pipsqueak Amtrak; what did you do for us?".