Posted on 04/19/2010 5:26:14 AM PDT by Willie Green
Edited on 04/19/2010 5:27:46 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
ALBANY -- Gov. Paterson's high-speed rail effort ground to a screeching halt last week after the program's chief quit in disgust amid claims of lies and chaos, The Post has learned.
High-speed rail director Ann Purdue announced her resignation Tuesday in the wake of clashes with the administration over a sudden policy shift that "poisoned" critical talks with CSX, the railroad that owns much of New York's passenger track, one Department of Transportation insider said.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Seems to me that a "high speed rail director" pushing for lower speed trains should have been fired for corrupt incompetence anyway.
Private companies can’t make any money on passenger rail and government is too incompetent to do it. Not looking good for passenger rails.
CSX should not be permitted monopoly ownership of the track and right-of-way.
THEY are the ones holding back efficient passenger service.
Wow, all that money to gain 11 mph increase in speed (i.e, 79 mph to 90 mph). Heres to more hope and change. Would not be surprised that Patterson deep sixed the project because there were insufficient kickbacks to the right people. SOP for NY State. That being said, saving the State to onus of coming up with the funds necessary to finish the project is probably a good thing given the economic illness that is NY State. What they should be doing is reducing costs to operate in NY versus adding cost layers to remain (adding layers of cost creates the truth of “If you can make here, you can make anywhere”, this is true, but left out is how much more money you can pocket “anywhere” as opposed to NY). Imagine, two troglodyte ideas in one story; hair brained choo-choos and NY corruption.
CSX has always been notorious for vehemently defending turf, and holding it’s customers hostage.
CSX does a great job and there’s no justification for stealing CSX’s property and turning it over to the government. CSX is far from a monopoly on NYS rails.
The New York Central Railroad once had a world class passenger system from NYC to Buffalo along the Hudson and Mohawk river valleys.
When the the NY State Thruway was built in the 50’s, the NYC railroad Passenger service could not compete and eventually discontinued service.
Furthermore, Rail freight works great but rail is inefficient at moving people unless it is a VERY urban area.
Upstate NY cities are slowly emptying out negating the need for rail.
Besides, most of us would rather pay the ridiculous high tolls on the thruway then sit in a soviet style passenger train stuck in Syracuse while it waits for a freight train to pass.
Have the vaunted NY state political class, unions build their own road, buy rights of way, and put CSX out of business with the modern, efficient, cost effective services we have all grown to know and love with New York state government.
NY is a screwed up State. We have driven out most industry and new business due to unions, Albany, and NY City’s stranglehold on state politics. Upstate is turning into Appalachia and NY City exists due to Wall Street.
Did CSX build the rails and purchase the land?
Your zeal for spreading the wealth is showing, FRiend.
Spoken like a true Socialist. Just confiscate their property and turn it over to the Government for the 'public good'. Right Comrade?
Spoken like a true Socialist. Just confiscate their property and turn it over to the Government for the 'public good'. Right Comrade?I'm not going to embrace libertarian fascism just because some bipolar polidiot, who should know better, tries to smear me with the "socialist" label.
The airlines don't own our air corridors and airports.
The trucking companies don't own our roads and highways.
The ship/boat/barge companies don't own our navigable rivers, locks&dams and canals.
The freight railroads should NOT be permitted to own the rails and RR right-of-way.
Truth is not a frequent companion of Willie in these foaming rail fan threads.
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