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Re: When there was a real Coast Line
Author: BOB2
Date: 07-04-2009 - 22:14
No doubt the Coast line is a shadow of former freight activity. Poor service even to the captive customer's who would like to use the services along the line, from ports facilities, to petroleum, to local traffic has been a problem. The lack of quality local freight service is the hall mark of UP's aquisitions of the SP, as manifested on the Coast Line.
At one time we took Kruschev to San Francisco from Los Angeles on the line, in only a third more time than a passenger from LA to SLO today????? So the quality of passenger service on the line today is nothing to brag about either.
The State and Regional agencies would dearly like to make improvements for passenger services on the Coast Line, and have ARRA stimulus monies available, for signiificant signal, track, and capacity improvements, but have had difficult times getting UP on-board.
We would, hindsight being perfect, have all been better off with Neil Peterson's (not so crazy?) plan to buy the Coast Line outright from the SP, when Phil Anschutz wanted to sell it, and upgrade it to hourly 6 hours passenger service from LA to SF. Freight service could have been contracted out, and many shippers retained.
Alas, the UP has apparently relented and agreed to support some of the proposed ARRA improvements to the Coast Line...... Maybe a plan to serve the lines frieght customers more effectively will be next? The adventure continues, we shall see?
At one time we took Kruschev to San Francisco from Los Angeles on the line, in only a third more time than a passenger from LA to SLO today????? So the quality of passenger service on the line today is nothing to brag about either.
The State and Regional agencies would dearly like to make improvements for passenger services on the Coast Line, and have ARRA stimulus monies available, for signiificant signal, track, and capacity improvements, but have had difficult times getting UP on-board.
We would, hindsight being perfect, have all been better off with Neil Peterson's (not so crazy?) plan to buy the Coast Line outright from the SP, when Phil Anschutz wanted to sell it, and upgrade it to hourly 6 hours passenger service from LA to SF. Freight service could have been contracted out, and many shippers retained.
Alas, the UP has apparently relented and agreed to support some of the proposed ARRA improvements to the Coast Line...... Maybe a plan to serve the lines frieght customers more effectively will be next? The adventure continues, we shall see?
