February 21, 20241 yr Author @westerninterloper You're right. Not that many people will ride from Detroit to New Orleans. But a train isn't an airplane that keeps its doors sealed from origin to terminal. A train makes multiple stops along the way in cities big and small. So even on a route like the Lake Shore Limited that links two very large, globally prominent cities like New York and Chicago, only 10 percent of the route's 1,000 daily riders travel between those endpoint cities. A Detroit-New Orleans train will carry people from Detroit-Cincinnati, Toledo-Dayton, Columbus-Louisville, Cincinnati-Nashville, Louisville-Montgomery, Decatur-Mobile, Montgomery-New Orleans, and of course, Bowling Green, OH to Bowling Green, KY. A seat may never cool. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
February 21, 20241 yr 20 hours ago, ColDayMan said: An FRA presentation outlining the study’s findings states that the earliest possible timeline for any of the lines being up and running would be 2040. This is one of my biggest gripes about passenger rail in this country. I understand lack of equipment might be an issue right now, but the infrastructure is there. Just run the damn trains.
February 21, 20241 yr I don't like the idea of running a service from Cincinnati to Detroit via Columbus. It would make more sense to go from Cincinnati to Dayton and then straight up to Toledo and Detroit. You could change trains in Dayton for Columbus service.
February 21, 20241 yr 14 minutes ago, JaceTheAce41 said: This is one of my biggest gripes about passenger rail in this country. I understand lack of equipment might be an issue right now, but the infrastructure is there. Just run the damn trains. The infrastructure is not there for added passenger trains on existing freight railroad right of way. There will have to be an extensive investment in added capacity, track and signal upgrades, stations and maintenance facilities before the passenger trains can turn a wheel. Remember also, that these trains will be on the property of the railroads and they will have requirements to meet. They have spent the last 70 years shrinking their own infrastructure and what we have now is barely adequate for existing service, let alone more trains. It's tempting to look at lines on a map and think the trains can run immediately. That is not the case. Edited February 21, 20241 yr by neony
February 21, 20241 yr 13 minutes ago, JaceTheAce41 said: I don't like the idea of running a service from Cincinnati to Detroit via Columbus. It would make more sense to go from Cincinnati to Dayton and then straight up to Toledo and Detroit. You could change trains in Dayton for Columbus service. Agree!
February 21, 20241 yr 3 hours ago, JaceTheAce41 said: I don't like the idea of running a service from Cincinnati to Detroit via Columbus. It would make more sense to go from Cincinnati to Dayton and then straight up to Toledo and Detroit. You could change trains in Dayton for Columbus service. I disagree. The Columbus metro is 2.5x the population of Dayton. Changing trains should be happening in Columbus, not the other way around, but this LD train will still be going through Dayton, so people probably won't be transferring. Really it's missing out on potential stops at Lima and/or Sidney, while gaining Columbus in addition to either Marysville and Findlay, or Delaware and Upper Sandusky. It'll take longer for it to get from Toledo to Dayton, sure, but I think that's a fairly low increase in time, given how much ridership Columbus adds to this specific route. Going through Columbus could also help pay for improvements needed for the Midwest Connect, which is unlikely to be approved under this current round of funding. There's also no guarantee that 3C+D, or the other LD service, will happen so we have to hedge our bets by supporting any and all LD trains that go through Columbus. From a pragmatic perspective, we need as many trains as possible running through the state capital. We need as many General Assembly members as possible to see and experience passenger service so we can build political momentum for more. A lot of them may not actually take the train themselves, but they will know more people in central Ohio who will try it, they will see the developments that it induces, and hear the news reports about its success. There's also the proposal to build I-73 from Toledo to Columbus that just won't die. US-23 has been upgraded so much in the past that there's no real need to upgrade it further for freight trucks. The real issue there is congestion in Delaware county and every single passenger train between Toledo and Columbus helps address that way better than creating an other interstate in that county. EDIT: I failed to disclose my bias. I grew up in the Polaris area just down the road from the parallel CSX and NSR lines. That whole area has gotten a ton of investment in auto infrastructure but those lines never seemed to be close to capacity so it's such an obvious low hanging-fruit. But I get the frustration for a lack of rail connection directly from Dayton and Cincinnati to Detroit too. Over the last year, I've had to go up to Detroit a couple times for work and it's really annoying that the most efficient form of transportation is renting a car, even though I-75 parallels a rail line between Dayton and Lima. I've even missed the last connecting flight out of Detroit, with the only reasonable option was to take the free budget hotel room from the airline and wait until the first flight, instead of being able to take a train. Edited February 21, 20241 yr by Dev
February 21, 20241 yr Author 13 hours ago, neony said: The infrastructure is not there for added passenger trains on existing freight railroad right of way. There will have to be an extensive investment in added capacity, track and signal upgrades, stations and maintenance facilities before the passenger trains can turn a wheel. Remember also, that these trains will be on the property of the railroads and they will have requirements to meet. They have spent the last 70 years shrinking their own infrastructure and what we have now is barely adequate for existing service, let alone more trains. It's tempting to look at lines on a map and think the trains can run immediately. That is not the case. Exactly. Consider the 3C Corridor. It was mostly double-track until the passenger trains came off in the 1960s. Then the railroads single-tracked most of it, didn't maintain the curve elevations (banking) which reduced the speeds, and the stations faded away. In Cleveland, we lost the dedicated passenger right of way into Cleveland Union Terminal, as well as the station infrastructure itself. In Cincinnati, three railroad corridors (B&O, NYC and PRR) into the city were consolidated into one (NYC). While it's fortunate that this preserved access to Cincinnati Union Terminal, the remaining railroad right of way was heavily congested with freight traffic, leaving no speedy route for passenger trains. But perhaps the biggest killer was what was done to east-west train service. We had the New York Central's 100 mph Water Level Route (maintained at 85 mph with ATS after the BS 79 mph limit came into effect in 1949) between Chicago, Elkhart, Toledo, Cleveland, Buffalo, Albany and New York City. And we also had the parallel, double-tracked Michigan Central between Chicago and Porter, IN, some Chicago-NYC trains going through Michigan and Canada (now abandoned Detroit-Buffalo), the Old Road Lake Shore & Michigan Southern from Elkhart to Toledo, and from Toledo to Elyria. East of Elyria all way through New York state, the Water Level Route was four tracks. And east of Buffalo, you had the parallel, double-track West Shore Line with lots of grade-separated flying junctions with the Water Level Route. It was basically a six-track mainline from Buffalo to NYC. Now it's just two tracks with some passing sidings with just as much freight traffic. No way you could restore the New York Central's pre-1955 30-40 passenger trains a day at 85 mph here. To restore this would cost billions. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
February 21, 20241 yr ^So in yet another instance, this country's infrastructure is worse off than it was 80 years ago. What a mess.
February 22, 20241 yr Author To keep this thread on topic, I've posted some then-and-now views of major changes to New York Central Railroad's Chicago-New York City "Water Level Route" that hosted the Great Steel Fleet with 15 -20 passenger trains in each direction at up to 100 mph.... "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
February 25, 20241 yr On 2/21/2024 at 6:53 PM, w28th said: ^So in yet another instance, this country's infrastructure is worse off than it was 80 years ago. What a mess. Correct. We would be well served to reverse engineer what rail infrastructure existed in 1950.
February 26, 20241 yr This piece raises important questions about the viability of Amtrak's long-distance fleet and the way Amtrak is handling the procurement of new LD equipment. It is unlikely that the current fleet of Superliners (the bi-level cars used by the western LD trains, Auto Train, and the Capitol Limited) is going to last through the procurement period required for new cars. Amtrak is also not trying to order as close to off-the-shelf as they can, further lengthening the process. What will happen to the long-distance routes if Amtrak doesn't have enough equipment to run them all in a few years? February 26, 2024 Amtrak L-D Fleet: Five Possible Contingencies Written by Jim Tilley, President, Florida Coalition of Rail Passengers https://www.railwayage.com/passenger/intercity/amtrak-l-d-fleet-five-possible-contingencies/?RAchannel=passenger Edited February 26, 20241 yr by gildone
February 27, 20241 yr And today... The Amtrak Office of Inspector General reports about how Amtrak is cannibalizing cars for parts. It's looking increasingly unlikely that the bi-level/Superliner fleet is going to last through the procurement period for new equipment: Amtrak Inspector General report shows how parts shortages impact service By Bob Johnston | February 27, 2024 Regular cannibalization of equipment necessary to get trains out of terminals https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/amtrak-inspector-general-report-shows-how-parts-shortages-impact-service/ Edited February 27, 20241 yr by gildone
February 27, 20241 yr 3 hours ago, gildone said: And today... The Amtrak Office of Inspector General reports about how Amtrak is cannibalizing cars for parts. It's looking increasingly unlikely that the bi-level/Superliner fleet is going to last through the procurement period for new equipment: Amtrak is still short board members, and both Biden (mostly Biden, shockingly) and the Senate have failed to agree on nominees.
February 28, 20241 yr Author The second Amtrak Twin Cities train will now be called the “Borealis” and hopefully begin soon. https://www.allaboardminnesota.org/about/news/blog/ "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
February 29, 20241 yr On 2/27/2024 at 2:06 PM, Foraker said: Amtrak is still short board members, and both Biden (mostly Biden, shockingly) and the Senate have failed to agree on nominees. That's because the Administration keeps nominating board members from the northeast in violation of the law, which states that the Amtrak board must be geographically diverse.
February 29, 20241 yr 18 minutes ago, neony said: That's because the Administration keeps nominating board members from the northeast in violation of the law, which states that the Amtrak board must be geographically diverse. Yes, and it's mystifying because Biden is supposed to be such a railfan, but years are passing by while the Administration seemingly can't name qualified candidates. WTF
February 29, 20241 yr 1 hour ago, Foraker said: Yes, and it's mystifying because Biden is supposed to be such a railfan, but years are passing by while the Administration seemingly can't name qualified candidates. WTF Biden has done a lot to move passenger rail ahead, but he's from the Northeast, so there's that.
February 29, 20241 yr High Speed Rail Association's latest blog post: The Way the Nation Plans and Funds Railroads Is Really Dumb https://www.hsrail.org/blog/plan-for-big-networks-implement-in-phases/
February 29, 20241 yr 1 hour ago, Foraker said: Yes, and it's mystifying because Biden is supposed to be such a railfan, but years are passing by while the Administration seemingly can't name qualified candidates. WTF What qualifications does one need. I know a certain Cleveland-based blogger, journalist and former rail advocate that most of us would put forward....
February 29, 20241 yr 4 minutes ago, Cleburger said: What qualifications does one need. I know a certain Cleveland-based blogger, journalist and former rail advocate that most of us would put forward.... Quote At issue is that only one of the six nominees — Normal, Ill., Mayor Chris Koos — represents an area outside the Northeast, even though the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act calls for the board to reflect “the nation’s geographic diversity.” Quote Section 22202 of the IIJA legislation, passed with bipartisan support in 2021, contains Amtrak reauthorization provisions insisted upon by Tester and Republican supporters from other rural U.S. states. Among them are residency requirements for potential Amtrak board members, with two members each to represent the Northeast Corridor, state-supported routes, and long-distance routes. The goal is to adequately and fairly reflect the needs of passengers served by each of the three service lines. Two additional nominees, potentially with hands-on industry knowledge, may be chosen from any region. This means that no more than four members can represent any one category of service; the law also says selection of nominees should consider representation for labor and the disabled community. https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/senators-challenge-northeast-corridor-tilt-of-amtrak-board-nominees-analysis/ I think we would all love for KJP to have more authority over trains, in greater Cleveland, Ohio, or federally. But "much-love" doesn't seem to be Biden's metric for his nominees!
March 1, 20241 yr Author 7 hours ago, Cleburger said: What qualifications does one need. I know a certain Cleveland-based blogger, journalist and former rail advocate that most of us would put forward.... Thanks but no thanks. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 19, 20241 yr gateway is pushing forward — 👍 nj portal bridge work west side railyard tunnel box via NYguy
March 20, 20241 yr Author America first! DARPA selected us to further develop the concept of building a moon-based railroad network that would transport humans, supplies and resources for commercial ventures. Learn more: https://news.northropgrumman.com/news/releases/northrop-grumman-to-develop-concept-for-lunar-railroad "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
April 8, 20241 yr Author Missed this one. It was introduced and passed on one day last month (March 4). But they picked the wrong proposed LD train to urge its rerouting... AN EMERGENCY RESOLUTION Urging the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to ensure that Northeast Ohio is included as part of a major overhaul of passenger rail service in the United States by including Cleveland as a stop on the Detroit-New Orleans proposed route. Sponsors: Stephanie Howse-Jones, Kevin L. Bishop, Kevin Conwell, Deborah A. Gray, Blaine A. Griffin, Anthony T. Hairston, Kris Harsh, Joseph T. Jones, Brian Kazy, Danny Kelly, Rebecca Maurer, Kerry McCormack, Michael Polensek, Jasmin Santana, Charles Slife, Jenny Spencer, Richard A. Starr https://cityofcleveland.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=12729269&GUID=227C2971-FE00-46A6-B9AD-F56DB8018AE8&G=2EB18EF1-2C21-4D1D-85C9-B38100AB8FFD "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
April 13, 20241 yr AN ODE TO AMTRAK'S NORTHEAST CORRIDOR LINE The new book The Northeast Corridor traces the history of passenger trains from Boston to DC and explains why the current service is so essential — and so frustrating. After seeing ridership collapse during the Covid pandemic, Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor is now roaring back to life. Passenger counts on the high-end Acela service soared 38% in its last fiscal year (which ended in September), and overall ridership along the coastal line is above pre-pandemic levels. In November, US President Joe Biden announced more than $16 billion in much-needed infrastructure improvements; in the coming months, Amtrak is slated to introduce modernized trains, with plans to add 50% more service on the Northeast Corridor by 2038. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-04-12/how-the-northeast-corridor-became-amtrak-s-essential-rail-line?embedded-checkout=true
April 13, 20241 yr Author A terrific article with some wonderful history, a good summary on how to explain the varied rail/highway/aviation cost responsibilities, how rail excesses from the Gilded Age haunt us today, and a lesson in messaging about public sector rail investment from Claiborne Pell. Thanks. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
April 24, 20241 yr Author We're going to have some big news coming out shortly -- the outcome of work I was involved in a decade ago. I'll have a NEOtrans article on it. And yes, this probably counts as a bomb. 💣 "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
April 24, 20241 yr 1 hour ago, KJP said: We're going to have some big news coming out shortly -- the outcome of work I was involved in a decade ago. I'll have a NEOtrans article on it. And yes, this probably counts as a bomb. 💣 A bomb dropping in the Amtrak/Passenger Rail thread that was a project you worked on? Be still my heart... Edited April 24, 20241 yr by PlanCleveland
April 25, 20241 yr I know it's only been a day, but waiting for this has already turned into another version of the Cleveland 5 star hotel tower for me.
April 25, 20241 yr 27 minutes ago, PlanCleveland said: I know it's only been a day, but waiting for this has already turned into another version of the Cleveland 5 star hotel tower for me. Since Ken is taking his good old time with this article, I’ll spill the highlights. @neony learned that Amtrak has earmarked $25M in spending this year in the Great Lakes region on station updates and prep work for more expansive later efforts. Amtrak has proposed $300M in spending in the region over the next five years. (The latter would require additional future funding earmarks.) It certainly seems that Amtrak is gearing up to provide improved service on the Empire Builder / Capital Limited corridor. It’s great news! When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
April 25, 20241 yr 30 minutes ago, Boomerang_Brian said: Since Ken is taking his good old time with this article, I’ll spill the highlights. @neony learned that Amtrak has earmarked $25M in spending this year in the Great Lakes region on station updates and prep work for more expansive later efforts. Amtrak has proposed $300M in spending in the region over the next five years. (The latter would require additional future funding earmarks.) It certainly seems that Amtrak is gearing up to provide improved service on the Empire Builder / Capital Limited corridor. It’s great news! Are we to assume this money for station upgrades will be going to go towards the current lakefront station?
April 25, 20241 yr 3 minutes ago, Luke_S said: Are we to assume this money for station upgrades will be going to go towards the current lakefront station? The money is spread out across many stations and not finalized - Cleveland lakefront, Toledo, Erie, Bryan (OH- no relation, lol). There are rumors that separate funding is already lined up for Elyria station. When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
April 26, 20241 yr Author As promised but had to wait on quotes from people.... "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
April 29, 20241 yr Author Oldie but a goodie.... https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/rpa-org/pdfs/2050-High-Speed-Rail-in-America.pdf Criteria Used to Develop Corridor Score Primary Factors: Weighted 3X Regional Population (25 Mile) (RP) Employment CBD (2 Mile) (ECBD) Secondary Factors: Weighted 2X Transit Connectivity Employment (TCE) Transit Connectivity Population (TCP) City Population (10 Mile) (CP) City Employment (10 Mile) (CE) Regional Population Growth Factor (RPGF) Regional Air Market (RAM) Tertiary Factors: Weighted 1X Commuter Rail Connectivity Population (CRP) Corridor Traffic Congestion (CTC) Share of Financial Workers (SF) Share of Workers in Tourism Industry (ST) "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 11, 20241 yr Author Go Marcy! "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 11, 20241 yr 26 minutes ago, KJP said: Go Marcy! My favorite picture of Marcy from Toledo Train Day yesterday: When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
May 19, 20241 yr Author This project needs to be taken away from the county if it hasn't already. They had enough funding in hand to carry out the project but have failed for more than 20 years (I'd been involved with the county and city going back to the 1990s on this!) to do anything. Amtrak: designs for a new Elyria train station in the works A long-stalled plan to relocate the Elyria Train Station to the Lorain County Transportation Center is still underway, with design plans already in the works. The transportation center, at 40 East Ave., is in the former passenger station of the defunct New York Central Railroad system. MORE https://chroniclet.com/news/391428/amtrak-designs-for-a-new-elyria-train-station-in-the-works/ "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
June 13, 20241 yr Amtrak ridership hit an all-time high in May, according to CEO Stephen Gardner https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/watertown/transportation/2024/06/13/amtrak-ridership-hit-all-time-high-in-may Fiscal-year-to-date ridership is higher than during the same period in fiscal year 2019 Ticket revenues for the federally subsidized passenger rail system were 10% higher in the first seven months of 2024 compared with last year Gardner said Amtrak is on track to set a new all-time ridership record in 2024, breaking a record set in 2019, when 32.3 million passengers used the service When is the last time I-71 turned a profit?
June 13, 20241 yr Author 4 hours ago, Boomerang_Brian said: Amtrak ridership hit an all-time high in May, according to CEO Stephen Gardner https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/watertown/transportation/2024/06/13/amtrak-ridership-hit-all-time-high-in-may Fiscal-year-to-date ridership is higher than during the same period in fiscal year 2019 Ticket revenues for the federally subsidized passenger rail system were 10% higher in the first seven months of 2024 compared with last year Gardner said Amtrak is on track to set a new all-time ridership record in 2024, breaking a record set in 2019, when 32.3 million passengers used the service Great news. And yes, this bold text is true that it is federally subsidized. But why does the media always have to refer to it as such? You don't hear them referring to the federally subsidized aviation industry or the federally subsidized highway system? Such a double-standard makes it an easier target for budget slashers. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
June 14, 20241 yr 14 hours ago, KJP said: Great news. And yes, this bold text is true that it is federally subsidized. But why does the media always have to refer to it as such? You don't hear them referring to the federally subsidized aviation industry or the federally subsidized highway system? Such a double-standard makes it an easier target for budget slashers. Pretty much all transportation options are subsidized at some level, I just wish the subsidies were more evenly distributed. It feels like we're putting all our eggs in one basket when it comes to overly subsidizing roadways while simultaneously underfunding local public transportation and regional rail options.
June 14, 20241 yr 1 hour ago, JohnOSU99 said: Pretty much all transportation options are subsidized at some level, True, but it struck me as hilarious in its misdirection/understatement given how massively unbalanced those subsidies are in favor of roads and highways. "Here's a penny for your train, I need the other $1 million for roadways," said The Politician. "We subsidize all forms of transportation!" LOL
June 15, 2024Jun 15 Sounds like Amtrak leadership is hyping those ridership numbers to help build a case for more investment:
June 16, 2024Jun 16 good news for gateway — $16 Billion Hudson River Tunnel Project Gets Final Green Light An agreement for the federal government to pay for most of the $16 billion project means the long-delayed plan is “all systems go,” Senator Chuck Schumer of New York said. By Patrick McGeehan June 11, 2024 … The planners of the $16 billion rail tunnel project known as Gateway said they passed the “point of no return” on Tuesday when the federal government told Congress that it would provide an additional $6.88 billion to the project. The federal grant — the most ever provided to a mass-transit infrastructure project in the country — was the final piece of the funding puzzle for the long-delayed tunnel between New Jersey and Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan. It gives planners of the sprawling project the green light to hire engineering and construction companies to start boring through a cliff in North Bergen, N.J., and under the Hudson River. That work could begin as soon as this year and is scheduled to be completed in 2035, said Kris Kolluri, the chief executive of the Gateway Development Commission. more — nyt paywall — https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/11/nyregion/gateway-tunnel-amtrak-funding.html
June 16, 2024Jun 16 Author 10 years...assuming everything goes right. Daaaamn I'll be pushing 70 by the time this thing is done. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
June 17, 2024Jun 17 Author Amtrak can't wait for the Great Lakes Stations program to be funded to address this station. The ADA access is a legal obligation for the rail company. The station will be of a standardized design. The station in Alliance is a comp for what Amtrak has in mind here... Amtrak improving Bryan train station The improvements include updating the facilities to be ADA-compliant as the industry continues to make a push to encourage traveling by train. https://www.wtol.com/article/news/local/bryan-ohio-amtrak-station-improvements/512-f228116c-af57-4121-a65b-cfef95636e7b Amtrak standardized station in Alliance opened in 2011 (Great American Stations Foundation)... "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
June 18, 2024Jun 18 The FRA just uploaded the next, and final, meeting presentation slides for the long-distance study. It's 197 pages. Final report to Congress expected later this year. Here's the slide that addresses the ask to include Cleveland and Buffalo into the LD routes. Edited June 18, 2024Jun 18 by Dev Spacing
June 18, 2024Jun 18 Some numbers on the two Ohio routes in the FRA study: Also, daily Cardinal service O and M estimates: The study's initial rankings has the DFW-NYC route tied for 2nd Also FWIW, the two Ohio routes were ranked 3rd and 4th overall in the "Comments Received"
June 19, 2024Jun 19 Author I somehow ended up on ALLRAIL's email distribution list.... PRESS RELEASE In the Land of Enterprise, it’s Time for More Competition in Intercity Rail ▶Last week, a Hearing took place in Washington D.C., organized by the US House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. ▶The Committee is concerned about the lack of improvements at Amtrak - following the record levels of funding that it has received. ▶Some comparisons were made to rail in the European Union (EU), but they did not tell the whole story. Our non-profit association ALLRAIL represents independently owned passenger rail companies active around the world, many of whom do business in Europe. During the Hearing, some participants referred to high-speed rail in Europe as being a role model. ▷However, high-speed rail in Europe only became affordable for most citizens and more efficient after intramodal competition was introduced. ▷That meant: competing operators on the same route – like the examples in Italy and Czechia - leading to huge improvements. ▷Furthermore: directly awarded taxpayer funded contracts to operate passenger trains are not even permitted anymore. ▷Instead, the EU has introduced mandatory competitive tendering, to “encourage railway operators to become more responsive to customer needs, improve the quality of their services and their cost-effectiveness…(and)….to enable savings of public money”. ALLRAIL Secretary General Nick Brooks says: “To improve service and accountability, all taxpayer funded Intercity rail contracts in the US should be competitively tendered. There are many independent US operators that could provide a better service for less money”. There is no need for Amtrak to remain the preferred Intercity operator anymore. In the Land of Enterprise, it’s time for more competition in US passenger rail. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
June 19, 2024Jun 19 43 minutes ago, KJP said: ▷However, high-speed rail in Europe only became affordable for most citizens and more efficient after intramodal competition was introduced. Wasn't there also massive public investment in the infrastructure? More competition would be really good to shake up the current dynamic, but it seems like it would still have a low ceiling given how bad the vast majority of infrastructure is in the the US. Would that competition lead to more political support for increased infrastructure spending?
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