Railroad Forums 

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

  • 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

 #1553732  by STrRedWolf
 
Pensyfan19 wrote: Wed Sep 30, 2020 8:07 pm Did this bill pass? Did Amtrak receive enough funding so that they could maintain daily LD service and prevent more furloughs???
It passed unamended and it's on the President's desk. No Amtrak Mandate.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-con ... losed#tabs
 #1553733  by lordsigma12345
 
The only Amtrak stuff in it was continuing funding as part of the CR and the FAST act extension did eliminate the Mica prohibition on food and beverage loss subsidies. Only thing that could save daily before the election is the last ditch negotiations that have resumed between Speaker Pelosi and Secretary Mnuchin to try to come up with a COVID relief/stimulus bill. The current proposed house bill released yesterday does include Amtrak funding and requirements to maintain daily LD.
 #1553735  by Pensyfan19
 
STrRedWolf wrote: Thu Oct 01, 2020 6:05 am
Pensyfan19 wrote: Wed Sep 30, 2020 8:07 pm Did this bill pass? Did Amtrak receive enough funding so that they could maintain daily LD service and prevent more furloughs???
It passed unamended and it's on the President's desk. No Amtrak Mandate.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-con ... losed#tabs
So the fate of Amtrak and it´s daily LD service is in the hands of the President (again). One signature could save the LDs, while a veto could deal a permanent plow to the American passenger rail system (unless if the veto is eventually overridden).
 #1553745  by STrRedWolf
 
Pensyfan19 wrote: Thu Oct 01, 2020 6:33 am So the fate of Amtrak and it´s daily LD service is in the hands of the President (again). One signature could save the LDs, while a veto could deal a permanent plow to the American passenger rail system (unless if the veto is eventually overridden).
The mandate to maintain daily service didn't make this bill. When I said "unamended" I mean "the House version was passed as-is."
 #1553755  by Pensyfan19
 
STrRedWolf wrote: Thu Oct 01, 2020 8:23 am
Pensyfan19 wrote: Thu Oct 01, 2020 6:33 am So the fate of Amtrak and it´s daily LD service is in the hands of the President (again). One signature could save the LDs, while a veto could deal a permanent plow to the American passenger rail system (unless if the veto is eventually overridden).
The mandate to maintain daily service didn't make this bill. When I said "unamended" I mean "the House version was passed as-is."
In that case, is there anything that can be done to mandate daily LD service (certain amendments or new bills)? Or do we have to wait until late spring and hope for Amtrak to keep their word of restoring services by then?
 #1553758  by John_Perkowski
 
Any relief for Amtrak will be in the FY2021 Transportation Appropriation Act. IIRC, it gets lumped with Commerce and Labor.
 #1553765  by Gilbert B Norman
 
Simply because the so-called Mica provisions have been thrown out does not instantly mean full service Dining complete with ceramic and metal table ware, or tablecloths and the Carnation as well, will be restored.

Despite whatever "howling" the advocacy community can mount, Amtrak is under no obligation to restore such. I think One Mass is happy to see the cost savings the simplified (Flex, or whatever the "buzz term" of the day might be) arrangements have on the bottom line.

As Col. Perkowski has noted here, Amtrak will continue to get its $1.3B level of pre-COVID funding with or without support from the "flyover" states. The "we want a train through North Platte or Bozeman (and we want a USDA Prime Steak whle our constituents ride) or you don't get your Gateway" will be a "non-operative". During a Trump second term, this will become more evident.
Last edited by Gilbert B Norman on Fri Oct 02, 2020 12:18 pm, edited 3 times in total.
 #1553786  by Anthony
 
Even though the Mica amendment was repealed, I don't expect a Broadway Limited, 20th Century Limited or Super Chief dining car atmosphere to be restored. However, I'd really like to see the return of cooked-to-order meals on ALL long distance trains, both east and west of the Mississippi River.
 #1553808  by urr304
 
I am sorry do not feel like going back through all this. Anyway, as far as food service is concerned, what Amtrak has been doing isn't much worse than what I have heard is happening at VIA up north. I believe they give you a box lunch and water on the few trains they are running and that is it!

AFAIK, there was not any relief/subsidy yet to the airlines either and they have many times the employees and passengers than Amtrak.
 #1553811  by eolesen
 
No relief for anyone. Nothing for airlines, nothing for Amtrak, nothing for restaurant, hotel, cruise employees either.

This isn't Trump's fault. It's the House and Senate not coming to a compromise. Instead of a clean bill that addressed the actual needs for COVID relief, it's been filled up with pet projects and unrelated pork.

The bills are still far apart from what I heard Thursday, and the latest iteration passed by the House cuts $600M of funding for law enforcement but included $1200 checks for illegal aliens... You know that's a non-starter in the Senate.
 #1553834  by GWoodle
 
First trains to go Monday Oct 5 2020:

California Zephyr
Train #5 (Westbound) departs Chicago: Monday/Wednesday/Saturday
Train #6 (Eastbound) departs Emeryville, CA: Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday
Capitol Limited
Train #29 (Westbound) departs Washington, DC: Wednesday/Friday/Sunday
Train #30 (Eastbound) departs Chicago: Monday/Thursday/Saturday

City of New Orleans
Train #58 (Northbound) departs New Orleans: Wednesday/Friday/Sunday
Train #59 (Southbound) departs Chicago: Monday/Thursday/Saturday

Crescent
Train #19 (Southbound) departs New York: Tuesday/Friday/Sunday
Train #20 (Northbound) departs New Orleans: Tuesday/Thursday/Sunday
 #1553899  by JimBoylan
 
United States Constitution, Article 1, section 7, clause 2: “If any bill shall not be returned by the President within ten days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the same shall be a law, in like manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by their adjournment prevent its return, in which case it shall not be a law.”
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