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It would have been great if the Viewliner 2 had been produced properly and wasn't still suffering from equipment availability issues related to manufacturing defects. There were options for substantial additional cars, but it was evidently by 2020 that purchasing further VL2 was a really bad...

Electrification of the entire Ski Train route is a hard sell, since most daily users on the route aren't dual mode or electric. If Class 1 railroads start adding that capability (for example if California mandates mainline electrification and West Coast class 1s begin adding pantographs on...

If there was a spot to park it overnight I think they would be running longer consists. As is they sometimes cut the baggage car for another coach.

The Carolinian is up massively - surely with ridership *that* strong there's more impetus to get the new Charlotte overnight facilities active and run a longer consist, possibly also to expand from a six car Airo to an eight car.

They're not part of the Siemens monoculture that's been growing and they haven't recently fumbled/helped fumble a major Amtrak contract (Viewliner 2 and Avelia come to mind as "maybe you should deliver someone else's trains as promised before we try you again" programs). That puts them in...

The holdup issue of "have an accurate virtual model of the NEC" is not unique to the Avelia 2 level 2 certification. Other certification requirements certainly are difficult.

Or Alstom's software development team, which is the apparent culprit behind their failure to build a representative computer model. The NEC may be complicated, but that certainly doesn't stop other Bombardier, Siemens, and Alstom products from using it daily, or being built in compliance.

The rebuilding on the Old Fort section is likely to be very significant for any future Ashville to Raleigh service. Whether it'll be a faster line on largely new track or slower line with even worse geometry suitable only for slow service, or sold off to NC without repairs...

A crucial feature IMO is the ability for passengers to swap their accomodations whenever they feel like it without involving an attendant. It makes a 40+ pod car viable with a single attendant, and the seats are desirable on daylight segments as well as overnights. The Chicago to Minneapolis...

Their "seat pods" are interesting - getting a marginally space efficient herringbone layout (trains aren't wide enough to be really efficient with 1+1 seating) but adding that second level in, presumably as a different, non-accessable ticket, seems like a great way to fit 2+2 passengers into at...

I have a suspicion that the VL2 fleet has recently been pulling focus and shop resources away from the VL1 reactivations.

Might want to double check what locomotives the Cascades are getting. I believe it's two diesels, with no APV to make them either battery diesel electrics or electric diesel electrics. There's some noise made that the battery APV sets (NOT the Cascades sets) will be able to store and release...

And they provide a critical transportation service, economic stimulus to the communities they serve, and relieve pressure on the nation's road system. All of those are reasonable things to pay for. The myth that all rail transit should be entirely user subsidized, in a way that air...

They've been alive, well, and well received on the Piedmont for decades. I'll grant you that a three hour and chance timetable and a seven hour timetable are substantially different, but it is possible to do a vending cafe well.

Airo is relevant because an APV derived solution is IMO the most likely way to get dual mode diesel + electric Long Distance equipment. If the APVs work out on Airo, when Amtrak expands the Single Level LD fleet they're likely to ask about adding dual mode capability. It's relevant on the...

Whether or not it's intentional, the tire kicking aspect of the Floridian could be critical. Getting many states involved in "keeping" their Chicago to Florida connection, assuming ridership is decent, could be invaluable in adding more equipment onto the LD order. I can see a world where the...

The APV handling the multi frequency part is Vectron derived. It's a non-issue. The Airo consists will be able to use modern 60hz on any new branch, and getting a 25hz and 60hz capable EMU or locomotive for commuter and regional operations is not a significant additional expense with modern...

I don't think Virginia would be able to support moving the Amtrak electrification changeover South from DC without dual mode equipment. Take a hypothetical Fredericksburg line electrification project, ignoring the freight track clearance issue. If Amtrak doesn't have a yard with some...

Does NS value the Asheville to Salisbury link enough to rebuild the Old Fort loops? That line has been relatively quiet over the last few years...

We're pretty much clear of the mothballed Superliner issue. The Superliner fleet sidelined now are more recent wreck repairs, axle count cars, cars leased to California, etc - still issues, and shop capacity probably isn't back where it needs to be yet, but they are mostly clear of the...