Posted on 08/11/2018 10:50:54 AM PDT by Publius
In the interest of full disclosure, I edited this piece with Dr. Runte (“RUNT-ee”). I’ve known Al for a decade. He was a professor of history at the University of Washington before they pushed him out for refusing to be politically correct. He’s the author of books on the national parks and the role the railroads played in creating and nurturing them. The two books mentioned in this article are among those he has written.
I long suspected that the creation of Amtrak was a policy mistake. In 2001, I began working on paradigms by which Amtrak could be zeroed out and the passenger trains returned to the freight railroads in such a way that they could make a profit. I came up with four proposals over 17 years. The second proposal had enough promise that a former chairman of the Federal Railroad Administration permitted me to present it at a symposium in 2005 at the Rayburn Building in DC – only to have it crushed by the Norfolk Southern and the United Transportation Union.
Al disposed of my fourth proposal, based on outsourcing, last year, saying, “The unions will never allow your outsourced train to leave the station.” So I encouraged Al to write this article.
This is made all the more depressing when you see how glorious the trains and railway systems are in other countries, even those which are supposedly a lot more behind than ours in other ways.
And most depressing if you live in Los Angeles and the infrastructure of EVERYTHING is going to *beep* and the streets are becoming de-facto open-air refugee camps with all the homelessness that’s quadrupled.
the empire builder runs through the least populated part of Montana. For years advocates have called for it to run the southern route Billings-Bozeman-Helena-Missoula but to deaf ears
thats what happens when the government tries to run a railroad...
As the more recently built urban areas densify, rail is showing what it can do to move people around efficiently.
Great post and a great read, especially the historical details that got us where we are today. The bologna being served up as prime rib by the current AMTK leadership is even more appalling than the story allows in the allegory of the German traveler. Throw in the dining service cuts (boxed lunch anyone??) and the entire house of cards collapses of its own weight. Special thanks for exposing the total BS on the NEC being “profitable” as so much humbug.
From the article: “A train to Grand Canyon? Actually, we deserve three — one every morning, afternoon, and evening. And that’s another thing about Amtrak — often its only train arrives in the dead of night.”
I’ve looked at a few train trips. Problem is there is only one train. You want to see the scenery? How do you do that when the train travels through there at night? How about leaving the train when it gets into a town in the evening, spend the night in a hotel, get on another train in the morning to continue the journey? Can’t do that. All the trains are on the same schedule.
Another thing. Would love to take a train from Alabama to Fort Lauderdale. Sure, you can do it if you want to go through DC. Makes for a very long trip.
All good fun, but the minute they dumped everything west of Chicago, Amtrak ceases to be a national system funded for everyone. Change it into a system where the whole country funds Transportation infrastructure for the Northeast Corridor, and Western senators and Congressmen have zero reason to vote for it.
This one item tells you everything you need to know about the demise of the passenger railroad industry. It's a dying industry that is being propped up by a disappearing group of aging passionate advocates.
The author misses the point completely. Congress isn't killing intercity passenger rail. The airline industry already did that. Amtrak's last hope is to take advantage of the dysfunction in the airline industry and focus its efforts on capturing passengers who are sick of airline travel -- especially for intermediate-length trips between major cities.
Does this involve the Autotrain?
Except the Soviet-era metro...is quite stunning. It's like one of their most tangible achievements!
Ironically, it's one of few Amtrak trains that shows a consistent profit.
As a railfan, I’d love to see more passenger trains. I know FReepers will hate it, but when Tampa has worse train service than Burlington VT, something’s wrong. I’d love to see the Sunset Limited to Orlando. A Chicago to Florida train. A New York to Maine train and New York to St. Louis train.
I love train travel, but it is so limited as far as destinations are concerned.
We recently took a vacation in New Orleans. My mother and sister came by train because my mother does not want to fly ever again. We would like to treat my mother to a trip to Yellowstone, but there seems to be no train service there.
There is no cost savings of taking the train vs. flying. I suppose there would be if we traveled coach, but that would be very uncomfortable for a trip lasting several days.
I would like to see Amtrak restructured so that it can be profitable. I also would like to see the dining service stay. The chefs on board are awesome.
Under cost-plus-7-percent, each passenger train makes a profit, and the more passenger trains you run, the more profit you make.
That may be how all the routes you desire can come back.
Well, just as long as they don’t use a wood burner in one of the longer tunnels that are meant for Diesel...
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