Re: News Item -- Passenger Service over Stampede Pass
Author: David Smith
Date: 10-21-2008 - 18:43
redlynx Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Getting the
> railroads to operate their own trains would
> llikely cost more than Amtrak.
How?
Will the RR's pay more for labor than Amtrak? Will that labor be dedicated soley to passenger trains as is the case now with separate Amtrak and Class I employment, or do ya think there might be some freight/passenger multitasking?
There was considerable grumbling among the Class I's when Amtrak attempted to supplement substandard passenger reveneus with some priority freight, and the inability of Amtrak and the freight railroads to play nice with this traffic eventually killed it. Obviously, if the RR's run their own passenger trains, they can combine whatever freight along with 'em as they see fit.
Reprivatizing passenger train operations will only save money by any measure.