Amtrak's in house maintainance cant even keep the trains clean.
The entire bilevel/superliner replacement fleet will be the same, meaning zero redundancy for them. How is that much different?A common fleet also means there's zero redundancy if some issue affects a common part.
Maybe Amtrak should just outsource everything?Amtrak's in house maintainance cant even keep the trains clean.
The problem is they'd pick Motel 6 and Taco Bell.Maybe Amtrak should just outsource everything?
Some hotel chain to run sleepers, ala The Pullman company…
Restaurant chain to run diners ala The Fred Harvey Company…
Etcetera…
Back in the old days, although almost all of the railroads outsourced the sleeping car service to Pullman, but only (as far as I know), the Santa Fe outsourced meals to a company like Fred Harvey. It may have been because Pullman was originally a monopoly, both manufacturing the sleeping cars and providing the hotel service, whereas nobody did the same for dining cars.Maybe Amtrak should just outsource everything?
Some hotel chain to run sleepers, ala The Pullman company…
Restaurant chain to run diners ala The Fred Harvey Company…
Etcetera…
There isn't much they can do if Amtrak doesn't provide working car washers.Amtrak's in house maintenance cant even keep the trains clean.
I doubt they could offer cafe service for the same price that the current contractor is offering it.I don’t even like them outsourcing the cafe service on the Downeaster. There’s no reason why they could not offer the same menu, if that’s what the Downeaster sponsors want…
Why is that? Is the contractor paying its workers sub-standard wages?I doubt they could offer cafe service for the same price that the current contractor is offering it.
I do know the workers get paid more like waitstaff wages, rather than the union scale wages paid to Amtrak attendants.Why is that? Is the contractor paying its workers sub-standard wages?
Amtrak doesn’t like to do that. That’s a major reason Talgo hasn’t been considered. The Talgo’s require a service contract. I would speculate that if a service contract is included, you are no longer able to defer maintenance when budgets are tight.If I recall correctly, Brightline included a service contract in their venture coach order. If I understand correctly, then this is why Brightline has not had the same problems with venture cars as Amtrak has had in Chicago.
In my humble opinion, I believe that Amtrak needs to include a servicing contract regardless of the vendor in all future equipment purchases.
I would disagree with the last part. You have far more control when you’re doing the work in-house. You lose a lot of control when it’s contracted out. Contractors just don’t happily pay when there are disputes. Those findings are hotly contested, and usually, there are allegations of failures on both sides. I’m not opposed to the service contracts. They probably violate outsourcing provisions in collective bargaining agreements as well, but I don’t think keeping the work in-house is bad. Once it’s contracted out, Amtrak will have lost its own skilled workforce and would be forced to contract that work forever and future contractors would have Amtrak over a barrel. Contracting out is usually a bad solution for something you need all the time or something you need organic capability for.I think costs are not the only factor. Every generation of equipment is becoming more advanced and sophisticated with more hi-tech. Finding people with the skills to do maintenance becomes more and more of an issue. It's not just Amtrak, but all across multiple industries and utilities, there is a tendency to de-skill and rely on the manufacturers (or specialist contractors) to maintain vital equipment.
Also, if an external contractor fails to meet contractually agreed levels of reliability or availability, penalty payments are incurred. This gives the customer some level of protection. If your in-house maintenance department fails to deliver, there is not much you can do.
That’s interesting…does Talgo require all of its customers to purchase service contracts? And if so, for how long? It would seem to me, that this is more like a lease, than a purchase of new equipment. I would also imagine that they would lose some sales, as a result.Amtrak doesn’t like to do that. That’s a major reason Talgo hasn’t been considered. The Talgo’s require a service contract. I would speculate that if a service contract is included, you are no longer able to defer maintenance when budgets are tight.
Interesting points and I don't disagree with them, in theory. But, in practice? Knowing how low Amtrak's maintenance capabilities have sunk in recent years? I'd ask, "How's that working for ya?" Do we really think that Amtrak can bootstrap itself back to a credible maintenance program? I dunno.I would speculate that if a service contract is included, you are no longer able to defer maintenance when budgets are tight.
... You have far more control when you’re doing the work in-house. You lose a lot of control when it’s contracted out. ...but I don’t think keeping the work in-house is bad. Once it’s contracted out, Amtrak will have lost its own skilled workforce and would be forced to contract that work forever and future contractors would have Amtrak over a barrel. Contracting out is usually a bad solution for something you need all the time or something you need organic capability for.
A single supplier increases costs because of decreased competition. The railroads always spread their orders around while standardizing components. Being wedded to one supplier isn’t good.Why? There's a lot to be said for homogeneity and having a single point of contact for maintenance issues.
I don't know about all, but for Talgo's other customers, this is definitely typical. I think the justification lies in Talgo equipment being fundamentally different from conventional trains, with workshop crews often not being qualified to handle them, or so Talgo's claim.That’s interesting…does Talgo require all of its customers to purchase service contracts? And if so, for how long? It would seem to me, that this is more like a lease, than a purchase of new equipment. I would also imagine that they would lose some sales, as a result.
Following what happened in the long drawn out saga of Amtrak acquiring Venture based equipment, wherein they finally decided to go with maintenance contract for the Airos, and now IDOT is negotiating to add their stuff to that contract, it seems likely that Amtrak would go with maintenance contracts with the manufacturer for the bi-level equipment too at least for a period of 5 years or more. As for how staff will be handled, typically floor staff are contracted by the operator to the manufacturer/ maintenance contractor to the extent it can be worked out protecting benefits etc. We will know more about that detail as time goes on.I don't know about all, but for Talgo's other customers, this is definitely typical. I think the justification lies in Talgo equipment being fundamentally different from conventional trains, with workshop crews often not being qualified to handle them, or so Talgo's claim.
The logic behind this may well be, that typically teething troubles caused by minor design flaws will occur in the early years of the equipment's lifetime and need to be rectified as part of the manufacturer's guarantee obligations. With maintenance work and guarantee work often being difficult to keep separate, it may just be more efficient if one party handles both at the same time.it seems likely that Amtrak would go with maintenance contracts with the manufacturer for the bi-level equipment too at least for a period of 5 years or more.
Frankly, I pulled the five year out of a hat to allude to exactly the issue that you raise. Brightline's contract is for all practical purposes, for the useful life of the equipment. They apparently have no intention of setting up an internal department to handle heavy overhauls. They do have staff for light maintenance and FRA inspections and such. Both staff are colocated at their two maintenance facilities.The logic behind this may well be, that typically teething troubles caused by minor design flaws will occur in the early years of the equipment's lifetime and need to be rectified as part of the manufacturer's guarantee obligations. With maintenance work and guarantee work often being difficult to keep separate, it may just be more efficient if one party handles both at the same time.
The trouble may come, however, when the five years are over and responsibility has to be transferred to different teams, with the inevitable loss of continuity and experience. Unless of course, there is some provision that staff can be transferred to Amtrak.
The Airo contract is only $7.3 Billion.I know the infrastructure bill provided $66 billion for Amtrak and I believe a large chunk of that has provided funding for the Airo fleet. But is the LD fleet replacement also fully funded? I ask because I’ve read that if Congress and White Hose are a clean sweep for republicans, there will be an effort to roll back some of the Biden funding bills.
No. They all have the usual language “appropriated to be available until expended”.Thanks, is there any time limit on how soon those funds have to be spent?
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