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Re: The selected contractor would be operating under Amtrak's operating "rights"
Author: Dr Zarkoff
Date: 08-06-2017 - 19:06
> These trains proposed for bidding out to private "operators" would still operate on the host RR's, as a "contractor" and/or "agent" of Amtrak's legal authority, under Amtrak operating "rights".
This whole business of Amtrak "spinning off" three LD routes goes back almost 10 years.
> Which isn't saying much, if it is over a privately owned host RR, given the court decisions of late, the attitude of the STB, and the failure of Congress to intervene, with legislation giving clearer "rights" for Amtrak to operate under.
When Amtrak was set up, it was given statutorial rights to certain routes, and as far as I know this aspect hasn't changed. That Supreme Court decision you seem to be referring to has little to do with Amtrak's "rights" to certain routes, just the establishment of the metrics for the incentive payments.
> It should be noted that the short distance "regional corridor agencies like the Capitols and LOSSAN already do a variation on that theme, when the "took over" those services from Amtrak.
These are "state funded inter-city trains" for which Amtrak is merely the contract operator. Intra-city trains (commuter trains like Metrolink and the PCS) are another ball of wax.
This whole business of Amtrak "spinning off" three LD routes goes back almost 10 years.
> Which isn't saying much, if it is over a privately owned host RR, given the court decisions of late, the attitude of the STB, and the failure of Congress to intervene, with legislation giving clearer "rights" for Amtrak to operate under.
When Amtrak was set up, it was given statutorial rights to certain routes, and as far as I know this aspect hasn't changed. That Supreme Court decision you seem to be referring to has little to do with Amtrak's "rights" to certain routes, just the establishment of the metrics for the incentive payments.
> It should be noted that the short distance "regional corridor agencies like the Capitols and LOSSAN already do a variation on that theme, when the "took over" those services from Amtrak.
These are "state funded inter-city trains" for which Amtrak is merely the contract operator. Intra-city trains (commuter trains like Metrolink and the PCS) are another ball of wax.
