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Re: Dreamers SF-LA night train? What freight are you talking about on the Coastline? LMAO?
Author: BOB2
Date: 03-27-2024 - 08:47
jaded Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> david vartanoff Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The "Spirit" was canceled by Deukmejian on
> > ideological grounds. FWIW, I just came back
> from
> > SLO--and I would rather have gotten a midnight
> or
> > 1:AM train getting me home around dawn rather
> than
> > the 3P to 9P CS. Propfit? Better to subsidize
> > rail than widen freeways is myvote. YMMV
>
> What makes you think you would get home by dawn
> with this new service. UP will prioritize their
> freights and you will arrive when UP dispatchers
> are ready. Makes you wonder how much these new
> operators know about Union Pacific's current
> operating practices and Amtrak's woeful on time
> performance.
What makes you think there is any freight on the Coastline to interfrere with anythng? And what on-time issues on LOSSAN are you talking about? Is this just more pure nonsense from the nattoring nabob's of negatism who seem to hate trains?
No, BOB2 has not studied overnight services on the Coastline, but have spent a few years on LOSSAN planning. And, I wish we would see the level of frieght services on the Coastline that we planned the capital improvements to accomodate with the expanded LOSSAN services.
Of course, we've watched Nimby's successfully cancel the Raymer to Chatsworth double tracking project, making half hourly service the Cal State Northridge and Chatsworth by ML impossible, and adding unnecessary delays to existing intercity and commute services, on the Coastline. But a night train from LA to the Bay Area would be little impacted by that failure.
I have ridden the overnight Coast trains, like Lark, and even the old "Medfly" (aka the "Coast Ghost"). I took the "Spirit" several times in the 80's, to a CRC rail conference, and UTU State Legislative Committeee meetings in Sacramento and Oakland, and arrived "on time".
The economics of the revival of the overnight sleeper market in Europe is about hotel prices, and the services are not the compartment coach fold down overnight trains we may have taken on our Eurail passes, in our misspent youth... These are high end, high quality services, at premium prices, which are combining the cost of transport with the high costs of business quality hotel service in Europe (which are pricey...).
How that model would work on the Coast is anyone's guess. Those who hate trains don't really care. And those who like trains, are right to be skeptical, given the history and nature of previous efforts. Of course some of these folks are the same ones who made the same dumb claims about Brightline.
If these folks are willing to put up money to do the due diligence and UP can offer them some kind of access to make it a viable business proposition, I say more power to them. But, of course, I not one of those who comes to post on AP, because I hate trains... I like trains, and the benefits which an affordable efficient first world rail passenger rail system could provide in California...
-------------------------------------------------------
> david vartanoff Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The "Spirit" was canceled by Deukmejian on
> > ideological grounds. FWIW, I just came back
> from
> > SLO--and I would rather have gotten a midnight
> or
> > 1:AM train getting me home around dawn rather
> than
> > the 3P to 9P CS. Propfit? Better to subsidize
> > rail than widen freeways is myvote. YMMV
>
> What makes you think you would get home by dawn
> with this new service. UP will prioritize their
> freights and you will arrive when UP dispatchers
> are ready. Makes you wonder how much these new
> operators know about Union Pacific's current
> operating practices and Amtrak's woeful on time
> performance.
What makes you think there is any freight on the Coastline to interfrere with anythng? And what on-time issues on LOSSAN are you talking about? Is this just more pure nonsense from the nattoring nabob's of negatism who seem to hate trains?
No, BOB2 has not studied overnight services on the Coastline, but have spent a few years on LOSSAN planning. And, I wish we would see the level of frieght services on the Coastline that we planned the capital improvements to accomodate with the expanded LOSSAN services.
Of course, we've watched Nimby's successfully cancel the Raymer to Chatsworth double tracking project, making half hourly service the Cal State Northridge and Chatsworth by ML impossible, and adding unnecessary delays to existing intercity and commute services, on the Coastline. But a night train from LA to the Bay Area would be little impacted by that failure.
I have ridden the overnight Coast trains, like Lark, and even the old "Medfly" (aka the "Coast Ghost"). I took the "Spirit" several times in the 80's, to a CRC rail conference, and UTU State Legislative Committeee meetings in Sacramento and Oakland, and arrived "on time".
The economics of the revival of the overnight sleeper market in Europe is about hotel prices, and the services are not the compartment coach fold down overnight trains we may have taken on our Eurail passes, in our misspent youth... These are high end, high quality services, at premium prices, which are combining the cost of transport with the high costs of business quality hotel service in Europe (which are pricey...).
How that model would work on the Coast is anyone's guess. Those who hate trains don't really care. And those who like trains, are right to be skeptical, given the history and nature of previous efforts. Of course some of these folks are the same ones who made the same dumb claims about Brightline.
If these folks are willing to put up money to do the due diligence and UP can offer them some kind of access to make it a viable business proposition, I say more power to them. But, of course, I not one of those who comes to post on AP, because I hate trains... I like trains, and the benefits which an affordable efficient first world rail passenger rail system could provide in California...
