Great job KJP!  Hopefully Ohio can elect politicians that think more about improving Ohio than in protecting their turf in random out of the way towns.  I don’t have a problem with serious transportation projects like the Fort to Port. Cooperation with other states is a massive win-win, unless its a random highway over the Ohio river that is footed mainly by Ohioans.

Great job KJP!  Hopefully Ohio can elect politicians that think more about improving Ohio than in protecting their turf in random out of the way towns.  I don’t have a problem with serious transportation projects like the Fort to Port. Cooperation with other states is a massive win-win, unless its a random highway over the Ohio river that is footed mainly by Ohioans.

 

Speaking of which, with primaries coming up, who is the All Aboard Ohio endorsed candidate?

 

Speaking of which, with primaries coming up, who is the All Aboard Ohio endorsed candidate?

 

AAO is an educational organization and not allowed to endorse candidates. We can ask candidates questions and post their answers for members and friends to decide for themselves who they like. And we can only spend about 17 percent of our annual budget on lobbying for the passage of specific legislation.

 

Speaking of which, with primaries coming up, who is the All Aboard Ohio endorsed candidate?

 

AAO is an educational organization and not allowed to endorse candidates. We can ask candidates questions and post their answers for members and friends to decide for themselves who they like. And we can only spend about 17 percent of our annual budget on lobbying for the passage of specific legislation.

 

If you take off your AAO hat and are just KJP[/member] who should I vote for? 

You're probably good with Cordray or DeWine. I think Cordray will want to undo what Kasich did to 3C, but with something he can get approved by the legislature. And DeWine has always voted for Amtrak funding when he was a Congressman or Senator and is accessible. But I'm very concerned about his choice of lieutenant governor. John Husted came out hard against 3C, including with such extremist, irresponsible hyberbole that 3C will "bankrupt" Ohio.

KJP quoted throughout:

 

Could Ohio replicate Florida's high-speed rail system?

ByDavid Patch | BLADE STAFF WRITER

Published on April 16, 2018

 

A Brightline train awaits departure March 28, 2018 from the West Palm Beach station, which has architectural cues matching those of the much larger MiamiCentral terminal complex.

 

...Mr. Prendergast said the strongest possibilities for passenger-rail development in Ohio relate to two proposed corridors: Columbus-Fort Wayne-Chicago and Cleveland-Toledo-Detroit.

 

The former could come into focus if CSX Transportation, which has been on a cost-cutting binge over the past year and has stated an interest in selling off marginal routes, could be persuaded to sell necessary track for such a service, he said.

 

The latter, Mr. Prendergast said, could be developed as an extension of Michigan’s ongoing project.

 

CSX, Norfolk Southern, and Canadian National have roughly parallel routes between metro Detroit and Toledo, so if some form of consolidation could be arranged in that corridor, one line could become available for passenger trains, he proposed.

 

Between Toledo and Cleveland, however, a new corridor specific for passenger trains is likely to be needed for any higher-speed operations, because the existing main line owned by Norfolk Southern is a heavy freight-train route. Mr. Prendergast said that might be an opportunity for the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission to get involved, “now that it has the legal authority to do things other than highways along the highway corridor.

 

http://www.toledoblade.com/Nation/2018/04/16/Could-Ohio-replicate-Florida-s-high-speed-rail-system.html

The first item from Amtrak's media center is very disappointing news coming out of Amtrak, but not surprising considering that Amtrak is now run by a former airline executive. Question is, what will happen with all the new Viewliner diners that Amtrak acquired? Will they be used for this new food service concept? The second item is temporary and follows the news that the Cardinal will be shortened, with Washington DC being its temporary eastern terminus during Penn Station infrastructure work. Unfortunately, ridership will be negatively affected from these service interruptions. KJP

 

________________________

 

New And Contemporary Dining Soon On Two Amtrak Routes

| April 19, 2018

 

WASHINGTON – Amtrak will offer contemporary and fresh dining choices for sleeping car customers, instead of traditional dining car service, embarking aboard its Capitol Limited and Lake Shore Limited trains starting June 1.

 

Sleeping car customerswill choose meals delivered to their Bedrooms or Roomettes – or eaten in a private café or lounge car – and entrees such as:

 

Lunch & Dinner: Chilled beef tenderloin, Vegan wrap, Chicken Caesar salad, or Turkey club sandwich.

Breakfast: Assorted breakfast breads with butter, cream cheese and strawberry jam; Greek yogurt and sliced seasonal fresh fruit plate.

These meals will continue to be included in the sleeping car fare and are delivered to the trains just prior to origination, eliminating on-board preparation. Customers will also be offered unlimited soft beverages, a complimentary serving of beer, wine or a mixed-drink and an amenity kit.  A Kosher meal continues to be available withadvance notice.

 

“Our plan is to provide new and fresh food choices in a contemporary way for these overnight trains,” said Bob Dorsch, Vice President of the Amtrak Long Distance Service Line. “Our continued success depends on increasing customer satisfaction while becoming more efficient.”

 

Dorsch said this enhancement will continue to be refined and we look forward to hearing from our customers.

 

TheCapitol Limited(Trains 29 & 30) operates daily between Washington, D.C., and Chicago, via Pittsburgh and Cleveland. TheLake Shore Limited(Trains 48 & 49) typically operates daily between Chicago and New York, with a secti on to and from Boston (Trains 448 & 449).

 

 

 

Amtrak Announces Summer Infrastructure Renewal Work

| April 10, 2018

 

Critical work to benefit New York State, improve reliability for LIRR, NJT and Amtrak customers

 

NEW YORK – Amtrak will continue its Infrastructure Renewal program at New York Penn Station during Summer 2018 by performing critical reconstruction of three major railroad infrastructure assets in New York City: The Empire Tunnel and the Spuyten Duyvil Bridge, which provides train access between Upstate New York and New York Penn Station, as well as renewal work on Track 19 in New York Penn Station, which will help provide commuters with more reliable service. The total cost of the projects is estimated between $45 and $50 million, which will keep this imp ortant infrastructure in a state of good repair for Amtrak and benefit New York State with an upgraded, state-of-the art railroad.

 

Due to the work on the Empire Connection and Spuyten Duyvil Bridge, Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Adirondack, and Maple Leaf trains will all be rerouted from New York Penn Station to Grand Central Terminal between Saturday, May 26, and Tuesday, Sept. 4. The Lake Shore Limited will only operate between Boston and Chicago, with New York City and Hudson Valley customers connecting from Empire Service trains at Albany-Rensselaer.

The first item from Amtrak's media center is very disappointing news coming out of Amtrak, but not surprising considering that Amtrak is now run by a former airline executive. Question is, what will happen with all the new Viewliner diners that Amtrak acquired? Will they be used for this new food service concept? The second item is temporary and follows the news that the Cardinal will be shortened, with Washington DC being its temporary eastern terminus during Penn Station infrastructure work. Unfortunately, ridership will be negatively affected from these service interruptions. KJP

 

________________________

 

New And Contemporary Dining Soon On Two Amtrak Routes

| April 19, 2018

 

WASHINGTON – Amtrak will offer contemporary and fresh dining choices for sleeping car customers, instead of traditional dining car service, embarking aboard its Capitol Limited and Lake Shore Limited trains starting June 1.

 

Sleeping car customerswill choose meals delivered to their Bedrooms or Roomettes – or eaten in a private café or lounge car – and entrees such as:

 

Lunch & Dinner: Chilled beef tenderloin, Vegan wrap, Chicken Caesar salad, or Turkey club sandwich.

Breakfast: Assorted breakfast breads with butter, cream cheese and strawberry jam; Greek yogurt and sliced seasonal fresh fruit plate.

These meals will continue to be included in the sleeping car fare and are delivered to the trains just prior to origination, eliminating on-board preparation. Customers will also be offered unlimited soft beverages, a complimentary serving of beer, wine or a mixed-drink and an amenity kit.  A Kosher meal continues to be available withadvance notice.

 

“Our plan is to provide new and fresh food choices in a contemporary way for these overnight trains,” said Bob Dorsch, Vice President of the Amtrak Long Distance Service Line. “Our continued success depends on increasing customer satisfaction while becoming more efficient.”

 

Dorsch said this enhancement will continue to be refined and we look forward to hearing from our customers.

 

TheCapitol Limited(Trains 29 & 30) operates daily between Washington, D.C., and Chicago, via Pittsburgh and Cleveland. TheLake Shore Limited(Trains 48 & 49) typically operates daily between Chicago and New York, with a secti on to and from Boston (Trains 448 & 449).

 

 

 

Amtrak Announces Summer Infrastructure Renewal Work

| April 10, 2018

 

Critical work to benefit New York State, improve reliability for LIRR, NJT and Amtrak customers

 

NEW YORK – Amtrak will continue its Infrastructure Renewal program at New York Penn Station during Summer 2018 by performing critical reconstruction of three major railroad infrastructure assets in New York City: The Empire Tunnel and the Spuyten Duyvil Bridge, which provides train access between Upstate New York and New York Penn Station, as well as renewal work on Track 19 in New York Penn Station, which will help provide commuters with more reliable service. The total cost of the projects is estimated between $45 and $50 million, which will keep this imp ortant infrastructure in a state of good repair for Amtrak and benefit New York State with an upgraded, state-of-the art railroad.

 

Due to the work on the Empire Connection and Spuyten Duyvil Bridge, Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Adirondack, and Maple Leaf trains will all be rerouted from New York Penn Station to Grand Central Terminal between Saturday, May 26, and Tuesday, Sept. 4. The Lake Shore Limited will only operate between Boston and Chicago, with New York City and Hudson Valley customers connecting from Empire Service trains at Albany-Rensselaer.

 

So is that the end of the dining car as we know it?  That's my favorite part of taking the train.

Not sure. Amtrak just ordered and received 25 new dining cars from the manufacturer CAF. There are other eastern long-distance trains that still have their dining car service and can use these cars, but not all of them. And of course the western long-hauls and the Auto Train will have dining service on their Superliner cars. The Capitol Limited also uses the Superliners. I suspect these trains were targeted for reduced food service because they are among the shortest-distance trains with diners and can't get full use of them. The eastbound Lake Shore diner serves only breakfast and lunch because it leaves Chicago too late to serve dinner.

 

I suspect that when Amtrak orders new trains later this year, the Lake Shore and Capitol will be replaced by higher-speed DMU trains that will allow further cost cutting which hopefully could allow for a second train on both routes.

What good would higher speed trains do on these routes?  Isn't the speed limited by the track, not the engine?

Trains equipped with tilt mechanisms typically allow that train to negotiate curves 30 percent faster. That could save significant time on a route like the Capitol Limited between Washington DC and Pittsburgh or the Lake Shore Ltd between Albany and Boston. Even routes with lots of straight track could see their to speeds raised from 70 or 79 to 90 mph as Positive Train Control is made operational. Then one of the next biggest expenses to achieving consistent 90 mph speeds will be lengthening actuators for flashers and gates at grade crossings. This typically costs about $50,000 per crossing and there is an average of one grade crossing for every route-mile of railroad in the Midwest-Northeast. You can use highway money for grade crossing improvements.

Between Martinsburg and Connellsville, the track is rated for 30 MPH or 40 MPH for a majority of the route.  I was under the impression that this would apply to any type of train.  Would a modern trainset be allowed to exceed that speed limit?

Straight stretches are are traveled at up to 79 mph, especially just north of Cumberland. But I saw many sections of 50 and 60 mph on my GPS speedometer two weeks ago.  And passenger trains are usually given a limit that is about 10 to 20 mph higher than the limit for freight trains. There are many, many curves -- so many that the rail line between Washington DC and Pittsburgh is 299 miles long (takes 8 hours). In the 1950s, the Baltimore & Ohio RR scheduled a train using the predecessor of the modern DMU, the Budd Rail Diesel Car, to cover WDC-PIT in 6 hours. Driving on I-70 is 245 miles (takes 4 hours), even though a small-scale map suggests both rail line and highway are of equal length. The detail is very different. Track quality (ballast, ties, rails, hardware and signals) are well maintained. The curves are not significantly banked for higher speeds, however, because heavy freight trains will quickly wear out the tracks of they operate at higher speeds. Freight railroads compete more on low cost than high speed. So a passenger train will have to adjust to a track infrastructure designed for heavy freight trains. That's why tilt trains make the most sense on routes like this.

An outstanding editorial....

 

 

Editorial: Why doesn't Amtrak consider economic development?

20 hrs ago

The Deschutes Brewery may not be coming to Roanoke on its original timeline.

 

Amtrak is putting the brakes on the 611 steam train excursions.

 

Is everything we held near and dear in Roanoke coming undone? What’s next? Will the Black Dog Salvage be called in to haul away the Mill Mountain Star for s crap metal? Will we wake up to find that Virginia Tech’s football team has been moved to Las Vegas?

 

Time for a chill pill, everybody. The Deschutes news is a lot more nuanced than it seems. That’s not the economic news we should worry about today. Instead, let’s turn our attention — and, perhaps, our civic energy — to the 611.

 

Amtrak recently announcedthat it will no longer operate “special trains” such as the occasional excursions sponsored by the Virginia Museum of Transportation — some, but not all of them, with the famed 611 steam engine.

 

Here’s why this matters.

 

MORE:

http://www.roanoke.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-why-doesn-t-amtrak-consider-economic-development/article_25defa46-2e5b-5315-bc5c-6a069784d170.html

 

An outstanding editorial....

 

http://www.roanoke.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-why-doesn-t-amtrak-consider-economic-development/article_25defa46-2e5b-5315-bc5c-6a069784d170.html

 

Editorial: Why doesn't Amtrak consider economic development?

20 hrs ago

 

***

 

An analogy: When the Virginia Department of Transportation considers whether to build a road, one of the many factors it takes into account is the economic development potential. Why shouldn’t Amtrak do the same?

 

If the 611 had no economic impact for the Roanoke Valley, then yes, it is hard to make the case why Amtrak should make way for it. But because it does have a significant impact, then Amtrak’s decision to discontinue charters isn’t just a disappointment. It means the passenger train service has chosen to go against the economic interests of one of its communities. Maybe that’s not historically how Amtrak has looked at these charters, but perhaps it should?

 

That is an excellent article, but the conclusion fails to note that Republicans do not require roads to pay for themselves.

 

If this community sees an economic benefit from Amtrak's service, they could rally to elect representatives who support Amtrak funding, or they could raise money (taxes) and subsidize the service.

True. And I shouldn't have posted the whole thing, per board posting rules. Fixed it.

Friends, Amtrak employees at the Cincinnati station were notified last night that the station will become unstaffed probably in the 1st week of June. This is a very disturbing announcement for a number of reasons....

 

1. The station is a two-level facility with the permanent waiting room above busy freight tracks used by Amtrak's Cardinal. Passengers may not be aware of when the late-night Cardinal trains will arrive/depart.

 

2. The station will no longer have checked baggage services without station employees present.

 

3. The station is near a rough part of town, creating real and perceived security issues of not having employees present that will likely scare away passengers.

 

4. Without station employees, passengers needing assistance with physical disabilities, changing or buying tickets, etc. will no longer have these services.

 

The station is currently open and staffed from 11 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. every night. The station is on the route of Amtak's thrice-weekly Cardinal, but has an eastbound or westbound train serving it every night of the week except Tuesday. Right now, the Amtrak station is in a temporary facility with very limited parking and temporary accessways to the existing trackside platform during the restoration of Cincinnati Union Terminal (CUT), with work due to be completed by the end of this year.

 

All Aboard Ohio has a number of questions...

 

Will a station caretaker will be hired and be on site to assist passengers at train times?

 

If not, how will passengers be notified of arriving/departing trains, which cannot be seen from the waiting room?

 

Will CUT Museum Center security will be present and visible to passengers overnight each night?

 

If not, how will security for Amtrak passengers be handled?

 

Are other staffed stations along the Cardinal route facing similar cutbacks?

 

The only plausible outcome of this unfortunate change is the destruction of ridership at Cincinnati and for the Cardinal. I urge all of you in Cincinnati, SW Ohio, SE Indiana, and northern Kentucky to contact Amtrak and their local/state/federal elected officials to protest this destructive decision.

 

Contact the Amtrak Board of Directors at:

 

https://www.amtrak.com/board-of-directors

Instead, the Cincinnati Amtrak station will reportedly get a "Caretaker Plus," someone there 24 hours a day...just not an Amtrak employee. Baggage handling will be done online: book your bags online & conductor will help load it on to the train for you. This is part of nationwide cuts in station staffing.

 

It appears that Cleveland and Toledo will continue to be staffed. Apparently Amtrak has a minimum requirement of boardings for stations to retain their staffing. With the Cardinal running only three days per week in each direction, the 2017 boardings at Cincinnati were 11,382. Sandusky, which is served by four trains each night, boarded 10,009 Amtrak passengers in 2017! BTW Toledo boarded 56,275 and Cleveland 53,528.

During the renovations of Cincinnati Union Terminal Museum Center, Amtrak passengers must travel a convoluted path (in red) to reach the trackside platform.

 

http://allaboardohio.org/2018/05/02/cincinnati-to-lose-its-amtrak-station-staff/

Cincinnati to lose its Amtrak station staff!

kjprendergast on May 2, 2018

 

Effective June 1, 2018, Amtrak plans to eliminate the two ticket agent positions at its Cincinnati station. This would mean no ticket sales, checked baggage service or other security associated with a staffed station in the overnight hours that Amtrak serves one of Ohio’s largest cities.

 

Instead, Cincinnati will lose its two ticket agents in favor of what the company calls “Caretaker Plus.” While this caretaker will supposedly be on site 24 hours a day, it will be a minimum-wage, untrained, non-Amtrak contract worker. Passengers will book their bags online, then carry them trackside for the conductor to load it on to the train for you – if they are not busy with other matters.

 

All Aboard Ohio believes Amtrak made this decision without considering all of the facts. We have presented them in this one-page flier for you to download, print/e-mail to share as you wish: http://allaboardohio.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Amtrak-Cincinnati-destaffing-factsheet.pdf

 

Amtrak in April chose to de-staff 15 stations nationwide with 40 or fewer daily passengers: Charleston, WV; Cincinnati, OH; Fort Madison, IA; Garden City, KS; Hammond, LA; Havre, MT; La Junta, CO; Lamy, NM; Marshall, TX; Meridian, MS; Ottumwa, IA; Shelby, MT; Texarkana, AR; Topeka, KS; and Tuscaloosa, AL.

 

Cincinnati is unlike any other city in this list. It is a major metro area with 2 million people. Cincinnati’s station was used by 11,382 passengers in 2017, or 36.4 passengers for the 313 days the station was open in 2017. Why did Cincinnati fall below Amtrak’s 40 passengers per day threshold?

 

Cincinnati Union Terminal (CUT), home to the Museum Center, has been under a $200+ million renovation since early 2017. This has forced the Amtrak station to temporarily relocate to 1251 Kenner Street. This is a difficult-to-find site on the north side of the massive CUT complex. During construction, there is very little parking and passengers with luggage or in wheelchairs must travel a long, convoluted path to reach the trackside loading platform. See graphics in our one-page flier.

 

Not only is the CUT Museum Center temporarily closed. A perception by some in the community is that Amtrak service also has temporarily stopped. At best, most know it is even less convenient to use during CUT’s renovations. To illustrate this, there were 12,481 passengers who used the Cincinnati Amtrak station in 2016, or 40 passengers per day. In 2015, it was used even more – by 12,503 passengers. Amtrak’s inconvenient service to Cincinnati is the primary reason why so few use it.

 

We at All Aboard Ohio believe that Cincinnati’s usage was and is being artificially depressed by the ongoing CUT renovations. The renovations are due to be concluded by Fall 2018. All Aboard Ohio asks the community to join us in urging Amtrak to retain Cincinnati station agents until the completion of CUT’s renovations and beyond, when a joint effort by Amtrak and the community should market the return of Amtrak station facilities to its beautiful and newly renovated home inside CUT.

 

PLEASE CONTACT:

 

Mr. Richard H. Anderson

President & CEO

Amtrak

60 Massachusetts Ave NE

Washington, DC, 20002

[email protected]

202-906-3960

 

Senator Robert Portman

312 Walnut St., Room 3425

Cincinnati, OH 45202

513-684-3265

 

Senator Sherrod Brown

425 Walnut St., Room 2310

Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

513-684-1021

 

###

Amtrak will no longer staff train station at Union Terminal

https://www.wcpo.com/news/insider/amtrak-will-no-longer-staff-train-station-at-union-terminal

City could help keep Amtrak station staffed

 

 

The city of Cincinnati has said it will provide staffing for the Amtrak station at Union Terminal following an announcement that the company would eliminate all of its local full-time employees.

 

“The city administration is glad to assist in these efforts should that be the desire of the mayor and city council,” acting city manager Patrick Duhaney wrote in a May 3 memo.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/05/07/city-could-help-keep-amtrak-station-staffed.html

That's not what the memo says. Any kind of assistance, most likely in partnership with others, will require the approval of the council and mayor. Considering the mayor and city manager are at odds with each other over many things, this assistance is not a sure thing

Not again! What are the mayor and city manager at odds with each other about?

Not again! What are the mayor and city manager at odds with each other about?

 

Each other.

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2018/03/19/cincinnati-charter-why-stuck-mayor-and-city-manager-who-cant-stand-each-other/438438002/

Not again! What are the mayor and city manager at odds with each other about?

 

Each other.

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2018/03/19/cincinnati-charter-why-stuck-mayor-and-city-manager-who-cant-stand-each-other/438438002/

 

He resigned a few weeks ago.

It's become apparent that the new boss of Amtrak is intent on destroying the National System...

 

Former Amtrak president questions motives of current management

By Bob Johnston | May 8, 2018

 

ROME, N.Y. – “I’ve seen enough. I’ve heard enough,” explains former Amtrak President Joseph Boardman.

 

...For me the Southwest Chief has really become the battleground for the National System. I might be wrong, but I don't think so. City pairs could be fine but a connected National System on the surface of the United States is and should continue to be our national policy. And if it is changed it should be informed by both hearings and explanations to Congress.

 

I am concerned that the Amtrak Board has begun to set their policy based on what we might call a "Hedge Hog" as opposed to a "Hedge Fund" approach. Meaning that the Board sees an opportunity to "Hog" all the Federal Assistance to complete the Gateway Plan; Procure new city-pair "Train Sets" operating off the NEC to the Southern big cities like Charlotte NC and Atlanta and others; And shortening more routes in order to transfer more cost to the States while abandoning the National purpose of Amtrak.

 

Worse yet its being done without a "Public Policy" process. Amtrak is not really a "private business", it is a "State Owned Enterprise" and it needs an open and transparent process that only Congress seems to be able to give State and National rail stakeholders under this new " Hedgehog" strategy.

 

For me its: The Raton Pass vs. The Gateway Tunnel you can't have one without the other.

 

MORE:

http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2018/05/08-former-amtrak-president-questions-motives-of-current-management#.WvKLje1L3TR.facebook

I saw this story being passed around a few days ago and it made me chuckle, then it made me cry.  All these countries that we bombed, rebuilt and still pay to defend have it so much better when it comes to rail transportation.

 

Apology after Japanese train departs 20 seconds early

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-42009839

FYI -- the Lake Shore Ltd that serves the Ohio cities of Bryan, Toledo, Sandusky, Elyria and Cleveland will not split at Albany, with one section to New York and the other to Boston. Instead, the whole train will go to Boston. New York-bound travelers will transfer to other Empire Corridor trains at Albany. Cool picture below along the Harlem River, BTW.....

 

@Amtrak

Beginning this Saturday, 5/26, select trains will be temporarily rerouted to Grand Central Terminal due to the ongoing infrastructure renewal work in and around New York Penn Station. Check your train's schedule here: http://bit.ly/2kkVyMM  #NYPrenewal

 

FYI -- the Lake Shore Ltd that serves the Ohio cities of Bryan, Toledo, Sandusky, Elyria and Cleveland will not split at Albany, with one section to New York and the other to Boston. Instead, the whole train will go to Boston. New York-bound travelers will transfer to other Empire Corridor trains at Albany. Cool picture below along the Harlem River, BTW.....

 

Nasty connection in Albany; they should extend the Pennsylvanian to Cleveland for the duration.  (Duration of the project? No, of the century.)

 

Nasty connection in Albany; they should extend the Pennsylvanian to Cleveland for the duration.  (Duration of the project? No, of the century.)

 

The connection isn't that bad -- Albany is a terrific new station that was just expanded. Problem is, a couple of hundred people getting off the Lake Shore and trying to squeeze into an Empire Corridor train is going to be very difficult.

 

And, under federal law, Amtrak can't extend the Pennsylvanian unless Ohio pays the ongoing operating subsidy or, by some miracle, it will require no subsidy.

^ I was mostly joking; but, you're right, a walk-around in Albany might not be a bad thing. 

 

 

^ I was mostly joking; but, you're right, a walk-around in Albany might not be a bad thing. 

 

 

 

Unfortunately, the station is across the river in Rensselaer. There's been some talk about an aerial gondola to go across the river to Albany. But these would have to be some high-capacity gondolas to handle a couple hundred passengers arriving at one time from New York City or western NY.

Portman, Brown try to save Cincinnati’s Amtrak office

 

Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Akron, and Rob Portman, R-Terrace Park, are demanding that Amtrak rethink a decision to close its office at Cincinnati’s Union Terminal on June 5.

 

The decision, which Amtrak has said is based on using taxpayer dollars in the most efficient way, would leave passengers without baggage check, ticket purchasing and other passenger assistance services they need. The Union Terminal Amtrak station is staffed with two employees.

 

More below:

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/05/31/portman-brown-try-to-save-cincinnati-s-amtrak.html

Too bad Amtrak has removed dining car service from the Lake Shore Limited and the Capital Limited.  The Toledo Blade said it was to save $3 million a year. A lesson from the airlines, I guess: the passengers will tolerate an unbelievable amount of adversarial treatment.

 

Oops, forgot the citation:  http://www.toledoblade.com/business/2018/05/31/Union-calls-for-Amtrak-to-restore-full-dining-car-service.html?#utm_medium=email&utm_source=ccl-morningroundup&utm_campaign=ccl-morningroundup-20180601&cci_test=morning

Amtrak provides hot meals to first class passengers on Acela Express. They can provide them to first class passengers on the Capitol and Lake Shore too, without having chefs actually cook the meals.

Americans need passenger rail that serves entire nation — not just the East and West coasts

http://thehill.com/opinion/technology/395423-americans-need-passenger-rail-that-serves-entire-nation-not-just-the-east

 

Amtrak Updates Contemporary Dining on Select Overnight Trains

SCOTT LAIRD  JULY 18, 2018

 

Amtrak has introduced hot meal options for sleeping car passengers on two overnight trains operating between Chicago and the East.

 

Beginning in June, traditional dining car service on the Lake Shore Limited and Capitol Limited trains was replaced with a choice of cold pre-loaded meals for sleeping car passengers. Passengers booked in sleeper accommodations would also enjoy unlimited soft drinks, an airline-style amenity kit, and the first round of beer, wine, or liquor on the house.

 

MORE:

https://www.travelpulse.com/news/car-rental-and-rail/amtrak-updates-contemporary-dining-on-select-overnight-trains.html

Friends,

 

Today, through the initiative of All Aboard Ohio and with the support of the Rail Passengers Association, Ohio Senators Sherrod Brown (D) and Robert Portman ® filed an amendment to the Transportation-Housing Urban Development (T-HUD) appropriations bill which seeks to address Amtrak’s decision to remove ticket agents from stations that average fewer than 40 passengers a day.

 

Please ask your U.S. Senators to support the Brown-Portman Amtrak amendment to the T-HUD bill, which is is on the floor now! Please call them tonight or tomorrow at the latest via the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or use e-mail:

https://www.senate.gov/

 

The common-sense, bipartisan amendment makes sure that Americans in rural and urban communities – that have at least 25 passengers a day, on average – have access to Amtrak station agents. These agents provide an important service for rail passengers – helping communities with limited internet access purchase tickets, managing the checked-bag services, and providing support to seniors and disabled passengers.

 

Per Amtrak records, the Brown/Portman amendment would reopen these stations:

- Cincinnati, OH

- Hammond, LA

- Havre, MT

- Lamy, NM

- Ottumwa, IA

- Shelby, MT

- Tuscaloosa, AL

- Charleston, WV

- Marshall, TX

- Meridian, MS

- Topeka, KS

 

This bipartisan amendment would restore staff to these frequently traveled stations, including the Amtrak station in Cincinnati, Ohio -- the most populous metro area in the USA to lose station staffing. There, ridership dipped below 40 passengers per day due to major renovations to Cincinnati Union Terminal, a temporary relocation of the Amtrak station facility to an out-of-the-way location, and confusion by many prospective travelers who thought rail service was discontinued during renovations.

 

Thanks to All Aboard Ohio Board Member Derek Bauman, Executive Director Ken Prendergast, Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber of Commerce staff, plus Hamilton County Commissioners Todd Portune and Denise Driehaus have been instrumental in this effort!

 

Thank you for contacting your US Senators as soon as possible!

 

END

 

How is Cincinnati lumped in with those other towns? Is the frequency/schedule really that bad they have that low of ridership?

Yes. Cincinnati has six trains per week. All between the hours of 1 am to 3 am, when on time. Results in 11,000 passengers per year.

 

Sandusky, with four trains per night (between the hours of 12 midnight and 6 am), has 10,000 boardings per year.

Yes. Cincinnati has six trains per week. All between the hours of 1 am to 3 am, when on time. Results in 11,000 passengers per year.

 

Sandusky, with four trains per night (between the hours of 12 midnight and 6 am), has 10,000 boardings per year.

 

Cincinnati metro has more residents than the entirety of West Virginia, which has about 6 stops, and enjoys daytime arrivals and departures. 

 

 

I was in and out of Penn Station (NYC) last weekend and the modernization progress is becoming visible. The arriving platform and immediate upper corridor were  bright and cheery.  Next, I hope, comes  some new signage ... Getting from Amtrak to the LIRR and reverse is still a challenge. Despite making the transfer 3-4 times a year, I'm still never 100% sure what I'm doing.

 

I'm always amazed by what a smooth and efficient operation the LIRR is.

How is Cincinnati lumped in with those other towns? Is the frequency/schedule really that bad they have that low of ridership?

 

It's because of the horrible service. If I could use it to go to Chicago on a more frequently scheduled train that didn't leave in the middle of the night I would. As it stands, I'll never use it. When I lived in the Northeast train travel was my primary way of getting around the region.

What's worse is that, if Cincinnati (and Charleston, WV) continues to have no station agent, ridership will fall further. Same if Amtrak keeps the eastern terminus at Washington DC (supposed to return to New York City when the Penn Station trackwork is done, but I have my doubts). If these are intended to weaken this route, and if Amtrak enforces without justification its arbitrary PTC requirement, then it wouldn't operate over the Buckingham Branch between Clifton Forge and Orange in Virginia. If Amtrak tries to cover this segment with connecting buses as Amtrak wants to do with the Southwest Chief between Dodge City-Albuquerque, then the Cardinal will die. That will make the provision of daily, daytime service much harder to provide because, when train service goes away, the stations rot away, the trained crews get reassigned, the track and rail traffic conditions ultimately change and everything has to be reactivated again to accommodate passenger trains. You go from a position of having a foot in the door to being locked out.

If there were three Cardinal trains in each direction every day, ridership would soar.  They would need to run larger trains than they do currently.  As-is, Cincinnati and Indianapolis -- the largest cities between Chicago and Washington -- get screwed with lousy service times. 

If there were three Cardinal trains in each direction every day, ridership would soar.  They would need to run larger trains than they do currently.  As-is, Cincinnati and Indianapolis -- the largest cities between Chicago and Washington -- get screwed with lousy service times.

 

Indy at least has daily service (not to mention the timing, while not ideal, is much better than for Cincy). St. Louis has several trains to Chicago daily, with incremental speed upgrades coming every few years. St. Louis is almost exactly the same distance from Chicago as Cincinnati, and doesn't have an Indy-sized city/metro between.

A press release.....

 

https://www.railpassengers.org/happening-now/news/releases/amtraks-route-accounting-fatally-flawed-misleading-wrong/

 

Amtrak’s Route Accounting: Fatally Flawed, Misleading & Wrong

August 23, 2018

 

The Rail Passengers Association (RPA) strongly believes that the ongoing debate concerning the future shape of Amtrak's national network has been distorted by its use of fully allocated costs rather than avoidable costs as required by statute. The adverse outcome of using fully allocated costs is the widespread and incorrect perception that Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor is financially self-sufficient and that Amtrak’s need for taxpayer funding results entirely from its operation of passenger trains in the rest of the nation – the National Network, which consists of state supported regional and federally supported long distance routes.

 

In our companion White Paper, RPA explains why fully allocated costing combined with Amtrak’s catastrophically flawed route accounting system grossly misrepresents – and exaggerates – the public cost of providing passenger trains as a mobility choice for the entire nation. Faulty route accounting has, in turn, led to the popular misconception that the abandonment of long-distance trains will eliminate Amtrak’s need for taxpayer funding. Nothing could be further from the truth. The funding needed for the Northeast Corridor dwarfs that of what’s needed for the rest of the nation. RPA’s white paper explains the history of Amtrak’s route accounting methodology and demonstrates that if Amtrak applied the more economically sound avoidable costing methodology to assess the performance of its various routes, Amtrak’s leadership team would not be working to replace the current national network with disconnected groups of short distance regional trains serving only a small number of major metropolitan areas.

 

The Rail Passengers Association asks Congress to require Amtrak immediately to halt all route, schedule and frequency reductions as well as recent on-board service modifications; then require Amtrak’s leadership team to explain to, and gain the approval of, the Congress, the states and stakeholders of its vision of the passenger train system and service they envision for the future. Cover, concealment and stealth tactics are appropriate for a military operation but not for a Government Sponsored Enterprise whose purpose is to provide passenger train service to the nation.

 

For more than 13 years, Congress and other federal agencies have called for more accurate, precise and transparent reporting of Amtrak’s component routes. Numerous arms of government including the Federal Railroad Administration, the USDOT Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the General Accounting Office have all found Amtrak’s route accounting system deficient and not compliant with federal statute requiring disclosure of avoidable costs. The end result has been a false framing of Northeast Corridor services as "profitable" and the rest of the system as "unprofitable." Neither can exist without federal taxpayer support.

 

Congress should demand that Amtrak comply with the already in place laws, regulations and Congressional mandates and make public the financial performance of each individual route employing the avoidable cost methodology. In the interim, Congress should require Amtrak to refrain from any further route and on-board service until it reveals its plans for the future system and the economic analysis underlying it to public scrutiny, analysis and agreement. Congress must assert oversight of Amtrak -- a Government Sponsored Enterprise – and not allow Amtrak to operate by stealth and deception. “Sunlight is the best disinfectant.”

 

Amtrak’s Route Accounting - Executive Summary

Amtrak's Route Accounting: Fatally Flawed (Full Paper)

BREAKING NEWS....

 

Trains Mgazine newswire (http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2018/08/27-amtrak-says-it-will-not-run-trains-on-routes-without-ptc ) reports that the Amtrak Board has directed that it will no longer operate ANY passenger trains in non-Positive Train Control (PTC) signal territory effective the end of the year.

 

Among Ohio trains, this involves the Cardinal on the Buckingham Branch in Virginia. It is also possible the Lake Shore Limited may not operate east of Cleveland as CSX-owned tracks in the 5-miles between downtown Cleveland and Collinwood lack PTC signals. Also affected is the Vermonter trains east of Whitehall, NY, the SW Chief over Raton Pass, the Texas Chief over a portion of UP south of St. Louis, the California Zephyr west of Grand Junction, The City of New Orleansover a short strecth of CN, and the Donwneasters east of Haverhill, Mass.

 

PLEASE contact your Congressperson NOW! Tell them this is an overreaction by Amtrak's board, which is intent on killing long-distance trains that are the only public transportation to many smaller towns in USA. Many of these affected segments have very little rail traffic and may be eligible for a waiver from the Federal Rail Administration to continue to operate safely.

 

HOUSE: https://www.house.gov/

SENATE: https://www.senate.gov/

 

Thank you

Open letter to Richard Anderson

https://www.railwayage.com/passenger/open-letter-to-richard-anderson/

Amtrak Statement Refutes Trains' PTC Article

August 28, 2018

 

In response to Rail Passengers Association's release calling for clarity on reporting by Trains' Bob Johnston that alleged Amtrak would discontinue service on eight PTC-exempt routes, Amtrak issued a statement denying the validity of these claims:

 

The Trains.com story is inaccurate. Mr. Gardner did not say what the magazine purports to report – without a direct quote. The posted story was not based on first-hand knowledge of what was said at the meeting. Amtrak was not given an opportunity to confirm or deny the second-hand information prior to posting – and certainly would have denied the report as we are doing now.

 

Our position on Positive Train Control (PTC) is unchanged from Congressional testimony posted on Amtrak.com and video from that same hearing earlier this year.

 

To put it briefly: Where PTC is not implemented and operational, it is expected that nearly all carriers will qualify for an alternative PTC implementation schedule under law.

 

For those carriers and routes operating under an extension or under an FRA-approved exemption, Amtrak is performing risk analyses and developing strategies for enhancing safety on a route-by-route basis to ensure that there is a single level of safety across the Amtrak network.

 

For those very limited routes where a host may not achieve an alternative schedule by year’s end, Amtrak will suspend service and may seek alternative modes of service until such routes come into compliance.

 

Rail Passengers is heartened at Amtrak's quick response to refute this news story. We look forward to providing updates on the route analyses as they become available to the public.

 

SOURCE:

https://www.railpassengers.org/happening-now/news/releases/amtrak-statement-refutes-trains-ptc-article/