Amtrak President David Gunn Is Fired

The Washington Post ^ | November 9, 2005 | Devlin Barrett, AP

[caddie]

Okay, downtowns don't exist anymore...

Man that hurts.

What to do?

[caddie]

Then, the most efficient way to transport things and people with that liquid fuel would be by train.

[caddie]

In the narrowly constrained way you are sizing up rails... I agree, it is pretty hopeless given the way you are looking at the issue.

I am not advocating the reform of AmTrak, rather, I am advocating starting from scratch.

Funny how seventy-five years ago, my home state had an elaborate inter-urban electric rail system. Hundreds of trains a day to and from dozens of towns to Capital City.

People were much less affluent, in real terms and nominal terms, then. Somehow, the railroads flourished. I do not know what sort of subsidies the companies had, or if they had any at all (you might know this because of your background in transport) but, one way or another, the rails flourished, in my state, and all over the United States.
At that time, poorer users, less capital overall in the nation, much more primitive technology. Still the rails flourished. Why would it be impossible today?

There is no way you can fairly assert that the air transport and road transport systems are not luxuriously subsidized by the federal government. You may also agree that the rail right of way is not subsidized by the federal government, and the rail companies have to support all that infrastructure themselves. So from the get-go, the rail system is at a tremendous disadvantage to the other two forms of transport. It seems that you are pretending that this disadvantage does not exist, but, I maintain that it does exist and is the central problem with the rails.

All I am saying is, if the government were to subsidize rail travel, to the same degree that it currently subsidizes the air and road transportation systems, then, the rails would flourish.

[foreverfree]

bump

[Alter Kaker]

Amtrak has never made money in its 34-year history and an operating loss of more than $550 million was expected for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30.

If you factor in the cost of federal subsidies (like, for example, the FAA) has any airline ever turned a profit?

[Tail Gunner John]

"travel by train whenever possible"

Most people I know who have an opinion on Amtrak have never ridden a train. I discovered first class travel on Amtrak five years ago and have traveled 70% of the routes on vacation since. I find it comforting to see this part of Americana that is not accessible by air or freeway. My vacation is the train ride to my intermediate and final destinations then a flight home. I don't take a cell phone and couldn't care less if the train runs late or not. Enjoy the ride while we still can.

[CedarDave]

Enjoy the ride while we still can.

Sadly, so true.