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Re: Massive cuts to Amtrak-but it's okay when it their "free" ride.. but Amtrak LD sucks a lot, and maybe there are better operating models .
Author: BOB2
Date: 06-12-2019 - 20:10
Once of the things that binds the left and the right, is their right to free @#$%& when other folks pay for it...like those "free" freeways or having to actually pay for that "free" parking.
As I noted, we spend about 3% of the surface transportation "gross domestic product" (GDP) budget on all transit including Amtrak, and get about 3% of the total trips, we spend about 96% of the rest on our "free" freeways, our "free parking", and our "free" gasoline, tires, front end alignments (from our truck damaged roads), and the like... The free parts are the public parts I want you to pay for, so I can use them... There's no such thing as a free ride...
Our intercity long distance services outside of a few exceptions, are poorly run, use a lot of resources and while nice to have, are not a reliable on useful system for most intercity or rural users as they are currently run.
If the courts are unwilling to enforce reasonable accommodation on the freight RR's the long distance services are not going to get any better, it is a matter of economics to the freight RR's, and this is not making them enough reimbursement to matter.
There are some corridors and carriers that carry significant numbers, but also benefit (like the Starlate) from "cross platform" marketing and sharing space with several of the short distance corridors, there are some examples of this with the NEC and a few out of Chicago. Thus, there are some opportunities to rethinking our long distance IC model, and where we should be putting the resources.
.
These are opportunities for integrating those services with those corridors, and running those trains more efficiently. I'd look to establish a day train (Daylight up the Coast already planned and if I was dictator up to 6 daily would go "though" from LOSSAN north to the Bay Area/Sacto). And, I really think about breaking the Starlate into a day train from San Jose to Portland, via Davis, up the west side of the Valley, and if they improve the tunnel clearances and a decent running time, look at running it via the Ashland Roseburg line on a "friendlier" and potentially more reliable set of operating RR's.
I'd look at keeping a slot on the UP, but, making it a daylight Redding to Sacramento service aimed at place like Roseville and Chico and other potential stops better served by daylight service on the east side of the Sacramento Valley, with a Capitol Corridor "short distance" extension.
Joe Cullum had asked me about the issues with a potential "long distance" JPA, and a multistate agreement, might be needed to pull something like this off. But, by cutting lengths, and keeping to more manageable distances, you will be better able to improve on-time performance, and better serve some of both the local travel and tourism markets, with a nice view of Mount Shasta---hey we could call that train the Shasta Daylight...?
I've actually take the Starlate quite a few times, way more times to the Bay Area or Sac than to Seattle, though, because it's way cheaper and easier just to fly up. And, Portland to Seattle should really have hourly daylight service.
And, if we put a steam engine pushed by a diesel, to power it, we would probably make all of the crazies on Altamont howl at the moon in fevered rage over the sheer travesty of it all, but we could probably charge folks a lot more money to ride behind it....Bj
As I noted, we spend about 3% of the surface transportation "gross domestic product" (GDP) budget on all transit including Amtrak, and get about 3% of the total trips, we spend about 96% of the rest on our "free" freeways, our "free parking", and our "free" gasoline, tires, front end alignments (from our truck damaged roads), and the like... The free parts are the public parts I want you to pay for, so I can use them... There's no such thing as a free ride...
Our intercity long distance services outside of a few exceptions, are poorly run, use a lot of resources and while nice to have, are not a reliable on useful system for most intercity or rural users as they are currently run.
If the courts are unwilling to enforce reasonable accommodation on the freight RR's the long distance services are not going to get any better, it is a matter of economics to the freight RR's, and this is not making them enough reimbursement to matter.
There are some corridors and carriers that carry significant numbers, but also benefit (like the Starlate) from "cross platform" marketing and sharing space with several of the short distance corridors, there are some examples of this with the NEC and a few out of Chicago. Thus, there are some opportunities to rethinking our long distance IC model, and where we should be putting the resources.
.
These are opportunities for integrating those services with those corridors, and running those trains more efficiently. I'd look to establish a day train (Daylight up the Coast already planned and if I was dictator up to 6 daily would go "though" from LOSSAN north to the Bay Area/Sacto). And, I really think about breaking the Starlate into a day train from San Jose to Portland, via Davis, up the west side of the Valley, and if they improve the tunnel clearances and a decent running time, look at running it via the Ashland Roseburg line on a "friendlier" and potentially more reliable set of operating RR's.
I'd look at keeping a slot on the UP, but, making it a daylight Redding to Sacramento service aimed at place like Roseville and Chico and other potential stops better served by daylight service on the east side of the Sacramento Valley, with a Capitol Corridor "short distance" extension.
Joe Cullum had asked me about the issues with a potential "long distance" JPA, and a multistate agreement, might be needed to pull something like this off. But, by cutting lengths, and keeping to more manageable distances, you will be better able to improve on-time performance, and better serve some of both the local travel and tourism markets, with a nice view of Mount Shasta---hey we could call that train the Shasta Daylight...?
I've actually take the Starlate quite a few times, way more times to the Bay Area or Sac than to Seattle, though, because it's way cheaper and easier just to fly up. And, Portland to Seattle should really have hourly daylight service.
And, if we put a steam engine pushed by a diesel, to power it, we would probably make all of the crazies on Altamont howl at the moon in fevered rage over the sheer travesty of it all, but we could probably charge folks a lot more money to ride behind it....Bj
