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There were changes to allow privatized operators and no takers. I don’t recall the details. I believe that Amtrak still had to franchise it. The dispatching issue is vastly overblown. It is interesting that the Sunset Limited has been running largely on time since the STB filing. There isn’t a...

Railroads were completely free to join Amtrak or not as they wished. But once they joined, they gave up their obligation and right to operate regularly scheduled, inter-city passemger trains. They can still run commuter trains, specials and extras, but they cannot run regularly scheduled...

There is no mechanism for a railroad to pull out of Amtrak. Even if UP said, for some bizarre reason, that they wanted out of Amtrak, they couldn’t get out without a federal, legislative fix. The Amtrak law says railroads can operate specials and extras, but cannot operate regularly scheduled...

There’s one fundamental problem with the Hyperloop; it doesn’t work and isn’t ever going to work. It was a pipe dream to suck funding away from workable transportation solutions like rail and rapid transit.

The current money awarded as the Corridor ID will provide an accurate cost estimate of the Picacho Jct to Buckeye segment. This might sound like a lot of money, but it pales in comparison to greenfield rail development or highway projects. A major freeway interchange can easily cost a billion...

Tipping goes back to the railroad days. In fact, the origin of tipping in general is largely linked to black workers being dependent on tips for their livelihood. Tipping Pullman porters was typical so this isn’t some new phenomena. I tip and it’s a tradition of long standing. Tipping in general...

There are enough Superliners for daily Sunset service. The inefficiencies in tri-weekly mean you almost have enough already.

Part of my comment got cut out so I’ll finish my thought. Amtrak has two grants pending before the FRA; one for a daily Sunset and the other to get the Sunset back through Phoenix. UP isn’t opposed with conditions. It’s easier to dispatch a daily train than a three day a week. There are many...

Some insights from boots on the ground here in AZ. First, since the STB filing, the Sunset’s ontime performance appears to have improved. The situation is the best it’s been in years. There is speculation on here that’s thin on facts, so let me fill in the details. Fisret

I agree. Shades are pretty unnecessary on day trains with the right glass.

The bus people can never figure that out. In fact, there are many people that don’t travel because they don’t have a car, can’t drive, or don’t want the hassle. There was a postwar railroad executive who said the railroads weren’t worried about airline or highway competition because there would...

The Wellton line is the traditional route of the Sunset. It runs west from Phoenix to Wellton where it joins the Sunset Route. Service is suspended, but it’s not abandoned and the tracks are still there. They would be replaced, but it could be a very fast line. We’ll get something up on our...

The cost of restoring service through Phoenix on the Sunset Route isn’t an expensive option. The Peavine is tough railroad. The easiest and cheapest alternative is the Wellton Line. It’s still there, the costs of upgrading it are known. That’s the imminent plan. Amtrak has applied for grants...

Remember too though that the Crescent-Star is coming from Atlanta to Fort Worth. Fort Worth to El Paso via Midland is also likely coming. The Heartland Flyer is going to head north to Newton, Kansas City and potentially north from there to Minneapolis. My point is that through cars on the Texas...

Go to the All Aboard Arizona website and see our input into the long distance study. I just want to put a plug in for the All Aboard Arizona website. Lots of good info there. Mark your calendar for November 4th when we’ll have or Passenger Rail Summit in Phoenix. Please come! It will be a great...

I was a little kid, and my dad took me to 3rd & Townsend station in San Francisco to take a little SP train trip. The agent did everything he could to discourage us including talking about derailments and how it wasn’t safe. What a nasty railroad.

A fun fact is that Tucson to LA is one of Amtrak’s busiest segments, and that’s with tri-weekly service!

I travel a lot too and find Amtrak employees to be really kind and authentic. I like their style. I remember the snarling railroad crews from the late railroad/early Amtrak years. People forget that, but I haven’t. Having been screamed at for nothing by a BN conductor. It was really bad back in...

Milwaukee Road dining cars were second to none, and the Milwaukee Road was a very friendly railroad. And the electrification was something no other railroad (except GN through the Cascade Tunnel) had.

Maybe I’m not understanding your comparison to Amtrak, but Amtrak is very affordable and accessible as pure transportation, and quite a nice trip actually. The coaches are comfy and the cafe car food has improved dramatically. The Canadian is tough to use for transportation though many do, I’m...