Amtrak moving forward to stop all, most LDT

[Amtrakfflyer]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/amtrak-plan-to-expand-ridership-could-sidetrack-storied-trains-11550664000?mod=breakingnews

Article  in today’s WSJ. Could see this coming a mile away. Management doesn’t care about any decries from Congress. Move the skewed  facts and lies to the public now. All the new routes would be under 750 miles and state supported. Blahh. All hands on deck.

 

[cirdan]

article is behind a paywall, unfortunately.

 

[tricia]

Behind a pay wall, and I'm unwilling to give money to WSJ. Without violating copyright with extensive quotes, can you tell us what sources were used for this article?

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

Basically Anderson’s plans for 18 months ago. All corridors under 750 mi. Article catch phrase is “swapping sleepers for corridor coaches”. We’re back to worse case scenario and it’s dated February 20.2019.

 

[jis]

This is the issue that will hopefully get resolved this way or that in the Reauthorization Bill. Anderson may be hoping it will go his way. It hopefully won't, if the current actions of Congress is any indication.

It would be worth watching out for stronger language requiring the maintenance of a national network keeping the current network substantially unchanged and growing from that base.

The Congressional testimony that Anderson gave makes a lot of sense as a strategic ploy to get Congress to fund what it wants adequately or let it be dismantled if they won't fund it. For someone like him who neither needs, nor particularly cares about retaining his position, it is an eminently reasonable transactional move. All who disagree with his push need to up their game and make sure that he fails.

 

[GBNorman]

Anyone recall the Warrington Y2K "Network Growth Strategy"?  Sure looks like a "dust off" of same, except this time instead of being focused around the "Mixed Train Daily", it is around ostensible Corridors operated over Class I's.

"So they think they're just like that start running more trains over our railroad" is the consensus I would think in Richmond, Norfolk, Omaha, and Ft. Worth?

 

[frequentflyer]

This is the issue that will hopefully get resolved this way or that in the Reauthorization Bill. Anderson may be hoping it will go his way. It hopefully won't, if the current actions of Congress is any indication.

It would be worth watching out for stronger language requiring the maintenance of a national network keeping the current network substantially unchanged and growing from that base.

The Congressional testimony that Anderson gave makes a lot of sense as a strategic ploy to get Congress to fund what it wants adequately or let it be dismantled if they won't fund it. For someone like him who neither needs, nor particularly cares about retaining his position, it is an eminently reasonable transactional move. All who disagree with his push need to up their game and make sure that he fails.

I think it shows that Anderson is learning the political game. If Congress wants LD trains, then step up to the plate and pay for the new equipment and costs to run them.

 

[cirdan]

I think that nobody is disputing that corridor trains are a good thing.

But is there even a single instance of a corridor train that cannot be run because of an LD train?

The whole thing just doesn't pass the Lithmus test.

What would the foks at Delta have said if Anderson had told them, we need to eliminate the free coffee from business class there is clearly a demand for baggae handling.

 

[jis]

It would at least be interesting watching what trackage charges they have to agree to and whether they can make a gainful business of it overall, at least.

At present, there is no known instance of a Corridor train outside the NE Corridor that even Amtrak with its goofy accounting claims to make money overall. Also by PRIIA, Amtrak really needs involvement only to exercise the access rights to freight tracks. We know how that goes when it comes to gaining additional access.

So either way, whether it is Corridor trains or LD trains, Amtrak has to get funding from the feds and possibly some states. With money comes shackles. It is not like tney can just go and do whatever the heck the like with the money given to them.

So all in all at least it will provide entertainment, if you are into such.

 

[Ryan]

Is there a link to the testimony that is referred to in the article?  I'd rather read what Anderson actually said than read someone else's take on it.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I've read the title and opening post several times but I still have no clue what the OP is talking about.

 

[jis]

I think it shows that Anderson is learning the political game. If Congress wants LD trains, then step up to the plate and pay for the new equipment and costs to run them.

Either way Congress or someone else will have to step up and pay for the new equipment, since random mid distance train on random corridors are not going to generate enough money to reasonably pay for the equipment necessary to run them, nor the development of the necessary ancillary infrastructure needed. Unless PRIIA is changed states will have to be the ones that get to pay if they are willing. If not I guess there is an opportunity to become a bus line for cheap? :lol:

 

[jis]

Is there a link to the testimony that is referred to in the article?  I'd rather read what Anderson actually said than read someone else's take on it.

https://transportation.house.gov/imo/media/doc/Anderson Testimony.pdf

 

[StanJazz]

The news story is on MSN for free.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/amtrak-plan-to-expand-ridership-could-sidetrack-storied-trains/ar-BBTQFFM

 

[PRR 60]

Previously attached PDF of the WSJ article removed as violation of rules. Link to MSN version is fine.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Trains should not be looked at as competition with flying vs. driving etc. Trains provide a unique transportation service that links small towns and larger cities in a way that other transit services do not.

We do need more corridors, but linking those corridors with long distance trains just makes sense.  We have such a bare bones system as it is.

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

What alarms me more then anything is Amtrak/Anderson/the board are still going ahead with this proposal in spite of the Senates 94-6 vote, the simular vote in the House, the SWC pushback and all the pro national network nuggets put in the final 2019 funding bill. 

They just don’t seem to care at all and think they are above the law (makers) of the land. 

My calls to my congressional members today have changed from “support Amtrak’s national network” to “Amtrak’s board and management need to be replaced to save Amtrak’s national network”.  Calls to local offices today went well staffers are aware of Amtrak management. Please call and email it takes the same amount of time as a post here.

 

[jis]

Well, they are always free to propose whatever they wish for the reauthorization and for each appropriation.Historically they have a very poor track record of getting all that they want. They are often lucky get 30% of their wishes in toto. They do get the money these days but with string that they do not like attached.

We'll just have to wait until the proverbial fat lady sings on the authorization. And yes, call and email your Senators and House Reps and make sure they understand which part of Amtrak's dreams need to be denied completely.

 

[Ryan]

https://transportation.house.gov/imo/media/doc/Anderson Testimony.pdf

Many thanks.  Pretty solid testimony, I think, and not the doom and gloom pushed out by those that haven't taken the time to read it.  He clearly lays out what it will take to continue on the present path and tells Congress that it's up to them to actually fund it.  Most clearly stated here:

a key topic for the next Federal reauthorization of Amtrak is the future of the Long Distance routes that use this equipment. Congress will need to make decisions about the long-term prospects of these routes and provide sufficient associated funding levels so that Amtrak can procure appropriate types and quantities of this custom rolling stock.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

Custom rolling stock.  How many railcars do you need to order before it’s not a custom order?

 

[mlanoue]

Many thanks.  Pretty solid testimony, I think, and not the doom and gloom pushed out by those that haven't taken the time to read it.  He clearly lays out what it will take to continue on the present path and tells Congress that it's up to them to actually fund it.  Most clearly stated here:

Agreed.  A lot of what he says in there is true and makes sense.  Not sure why there seems to be such an insistence with him that we can t have both LD and Corridors. They complement each other.

 

[keelhauled]

It's all just pretty words that don't amount to much unless they have a plan to manage access to trackage and to convince state governments to scrounge up the subsidies required, or a way to remove the PRRIA funding requirements entirely.

 

[frequentflyer]

https://transportation.house.gov/imo/media/doc/Anderson Testimony.pdf

A good grasp on the equipment situation. I get the vibe from reading the Amfleet replacements, Anderson is intrigued by EMUs/DMUs. More so than Charger/Sprinter bookending some Viaggora cars.

 

[user 14106]

I think what Amtrak is really after here is predictable multi-year funding rather than having to come back to beg at the trough every year. We'll see what their "proposal" is on their vision of the reauthorization. I'm sure there will be some suggested cuts or reductions in the long distance network. Given some previous comments by Anderson it may not elimination of all LD routes - I could see him proposing keeping maybe ONE of the western trains intact as a flagship luxury land cruise route in a similar manner to how VIA has the Canadian but likely eliminating or cutting up the others. Some changes from the current routes may make sense....Congress may also be open to some changes if they are done in a way where you aren't removing service to cities. For example one could argue it might make sense to break up the Crescent into two routes. A more reliable NY-Atlanta route would probably result in ridership gains. 

 

[user 14106]

A good grasp on the equipment situation. I get the vibe from reading the Amfleet replacements, Anderson is intrigued by EMUs/DMUs. More so than Charger/Sprinter bookending some Viaggora cars.

I guess the only thing with EMUs is that you basically obsolete the relatively new Sprinters.....I guess the Sprinters would still be there for some of the LD trains that operate on the corridor.