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Re: Restored Amtrak Service To Vegas? Don't Hold Your Breath!
Author: George Andrews
Date: 06-28-2010 - 12:58
My -- Someone woke up grouchy today !!! A few thoughts to consider:
1) Amtrak equipment sitting in Beech Grove is not in service, or it wouldn't be there. Many of the cars have suffered wreck damage and have been there for years account Amtrak DOESN'T HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX THEM.
2) I don't think anyone ( except Congress ) expects Amtrak to be a profit center; but it is realistic to expect it to cover as much of its' costs as possible.
3) The Los Angeles - Salt Lake City route was not a part of Amtrak's original system; Trains # 35 & 36 were added in 1977. EwePee was accommodating at the time; more recently they have seen other RR's extort track improvement monies from various passenger rail entities in exchange for new or increased service levels. The argument can be made that BNSF HAD BETTER be operating passenger trains on time, due to all the track & signal improvements the passenger RR's have funded. Think LOSSAN & VBC - SEA - PDX corridors. ( Yes I know LOSSAN isn't really BNSF any more, however it was when many early improvements were made.) Can't blame EwePee for trying.
4) Amtrak's own feasibility study released earlier this year attaches very high dollar amounts to restarting this service, as well as Trains # 9 & 10 and # 25 & 26. ALL NEW equipment would be required, per Amtrak's own study. ( The current equipment is aging rapidly as it is.) EwePee isn't the only one with Pie - in - the - Sky ideas.
5) The statement " At 03:00 AM, when there's little traffic on the Interstates,..." was quite funny to me personally. However the statement is at least 20 years out of date in regards to any of the California corridors listed, as well as Portland - Seattle - Vancouver BC. The truck traffic on these corridors at night is at least the equal to auto traffic during the day. Interstate 15 from the Devore Wye to Stateline was a bottleneck for years, day & night, until a 3rd &/or 4th lane was added North of Victorville recently.
6) The issues of Positive Train Control, its' implementation & expense, will continue for some time to come. The freight RR's argue that it was mandated, but NOT funded, by Congress after a passenger RR screwed up in Chatsworth and serves to protect passenger trains; therefore passenger RR's have to pay for it. The passenger RR's argue that the freight RR's own the track, for the most part, and will also receive benefit from it thru closer train spacing; therefore the freight RR's should pay for it, or at least share the costs. After all, would you pay to install a GPS system in an automobile you don't own & barely use ???
1) Amtrak equipment sitting in Beech Grove is not in service, or it wouldn't be there. Many of the cars have suffered wreck damage and have been there for years account Amtrak DOESN'T HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX THEM.
2) I don't think anyone ( except Congress ) expects Amtrak to be a profit center; but it is realistic to expect it to cover as much of its' costs as possible.
3) The Los Angeles - Salt Lake City route was not a part of Amtrak's original system; Trains # 35 & 36 were added in 1977. EwePee was accommodating at the time; more recently they have seen other RR's extort track improvement monies from various passenger rail entities in exchange for new or increased service levels. The argument can be made that BNSF HAD BETTER be operating passenger trains on time, due to all the track & signal improvements the passenger RR's have funded. Think LOSSAN & VBC - SEA - PDX corridors. ( Yes I know LOSSAN isn't really BNSF any more, however it was when many early improvements were made.) Can't blame EwePee for trying.
4) Amtrak's own feasibility study released earlier this year attaches very high dollar amounts to restarting this service, as well as Trains # 9 & 10 and # 25 & 26. ALL NEW equipment would be required, per Amtrak's own study. ( The current equipment is aging rapidly as it is.) EwePee isn't the only one with Pie - in - the - Sky ideas.
5) The statement " At 03:00 AM, when there's little traffic on the Interstates,..." was quite funny to me personally. However the statement is at least 20 years out of date in regards to any of the California corridors listed, as well as Portland - Seattle - Vancouver BC. The truck traffic on these corridors at night is at least the equal to auto traffic during the day. Interstate 15 from the Devore Wye to Stateline was a bottleneck for years, day & night, until a 3rd &/or 4th lane was added North of Victorville recently.
6) The issues of Positive Train Control, its' implementation & expense, will continue for some time to come. The freight RR's argue that it was mandated, but NOT funded, by Congress after a passenger RR screwed up in Chatsworth and serves to protect passenger trains; therefore passenger RR's have to pay for it. The passenger RR's argue that the freight RR's own the track, for the most part, and will also receive benefit from it thru closer train spacing; therefore the freight RR's should pay for it, or at least share the costs. After all, would you pay to install a GPS system in an automobile you don't own & barely use ???
