Changing Amtrak's culture

[Save Our Trains Michigan]

WASHINGTON - Traditionally I've supported Amtrak, though, at times, I've questioned my own reasoning for doing so.

My misgivings always prompt me to ask questions like: How many more highway lanes can we widen? How many airport runways can we construct?

When you think long term, it's clear that to sustain our quality of life and economic growth, America needs a complete package of transportation options - roads, ports, runways and full-service rails, too. That's why I've introduced a sweeping Amtrak reform bill aimed not just at keeping Amtrak trains running another year but at improving rail passenger service and fundamentally changing Amtrak's culture.

After talks with management, labor, interested members of Congress and virtually every group associated with Amtrak, the Senate Surface Transportation Committee, which I chair, introduced a bipartisan reform bill. The Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act has three themes.

Meridian Star

 

[MrFSS]

The bill also promotes a greater role for the private sector, allowing private companies to bid on Amtrak routes. This allows states to become more involved in passenger rail, especially in areas that need more commuter service options.

Are there private companies that are interested in doing this? Wouldn't the omly company that would have the expertise to operate a railroad be one of the freight companies? I don't believe any of them would be interested, especially when Senator Lott acknowledges that no passenger system in the world makes a profit! Or, is he saying it would be Amtrak, just run by a private company. I guess we need to see the bill.

 

[Trogdor]

I guess we need to see the bill.

And you can. Just go to http://thomas.loc.gov and search for S 1516.

 

[GG-1]

Aloha

RMadison Think the link is broken.

 

[AmtrakWPK]

try: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c109...p/~mdbsVu7gLW::

 

[MrFSS]

That one doesn't seem to work, either.

 

[AmtrakWPK]

That web site is one of the worst-designed and implemented ones I've had the misfortune of trying to use. OK. I got all kinds of errors from it in trying to find that bill.

Try going to this page:

http://thomas.loc.gov/home/c109query.html

and enter S.1516

in the blank under "BILL NUMBER", and then go over to the right and click on SEARCH.

 

[GG-1]

That web site is one of the worst-designed and implemented ones I've had the misfortune of trying to use. OK. I got all kinds of errors from it in trying to find that bill.

Aloha

What can we expect from a government site. Just tried it an got message "not available yet" Oh Well

 

[Guest]

The bill also promotes a greater role for the private sector, allowing private companies to bid on Amtrak routes. This allows states to become more involved in passenger rail, especially in areas that need more commuter service options.

WHy can't they bid on an high speed rail route between Tampa and Orlando, Florida and Atlanta, Atlanta and chicago, or Dallas to Houston??

Why are we limiting private companies to compete with the government on routes that exist versus routes we need to get going?

Maybe Mr. Lott can help me out here.

 

[guest_jeffw]

Sorry, last post was from myself. Didn't realize the forum just puts "Guest" in if you forget to enter your name.

 

[trainboy325]

The only private company that is "remotely" interested in running a long distance train is Norfolk Southern to operate the Southern Crescent. They still own the original equipment and remember that the only reason why Amtrak got the Crescent in the first place is because Southern president Graham Claytor was offered the Amtrak CEO post and he wanted to keep the train under his personal belt since it was "his baby" to quote from his published journal. I wouldn't be surprised to see them come out the woods and make a "real" offer to operate it like before if they get the chance.

I do know that NS is actively seeking a North Carolina contract for T&E operations of the Piedmont and get NCDOT employees or contractors for OBS and ticketing at all stations and get away from Amtrak that has to deal with very expensive labor contracts and rules associated with running its short-distance rail system. I know that a lot of passenger railroad people dismissed by Amtrak (because they truly care about passenger trains) over the years are on the state's payroll to make such a thing happen if changes, like those listed in the Lott admendment, get signed by the President. We'll see what happens. <_<

 

[sechs]

I had always given to the impression that N&W had forced Southern to give up its passenger line in the merger.

 

[trainboy325]

That's most likely the main reasons for giving up the Crescent. I just know that Graham Claytor wanted the Crescent under his control when he assumed the presidency of Amtrak. It's interesting how quickly though how the train lost its first class service under Claytor's Amtrak when he worked and spent so much to keep it a fantasic train in the difficult times of the 1970s. It was the cost of keeping the train that N&W was scared of when the merger was negotiated and how it would be an anchor holding down profits to the new company's bottom line.

However, the new management at NS is very much open to an active transportation department. It seems that the old Southern mentality is taking control over the N&W bureaucracy that's been retiring over the last few years. All I can say that a NS Southern Crescent has to be better than what Amtrak plans to do with it in the coming months. Amtrak will kill what little first class clientele is left, especially the ATL, LYH and CVS business travelers that love the Crescent and ride the train because it gets to WAS at a decent hour and has first class amenities like sleepers and diners.

 

[AmtrakLoverAndHater]

SEC. 101. AUTHORIZATION FOR AMTRAK CAPITAL AND OPERATING EXPENSES AND STATE CAPITAL GRANTS.
     (a) OPERATING GRANTS- There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Transportation for the use of Amtrak for operating costs the following amounts:

           (1) For fiscal year 2006, $580,000,000.

           (2) For fiscal year 2007, $590,000,000.

           (3) For fiscal year 2008, $600,000,000.

           (4) For fiscal year 2009, $575,000,000.

           (5) For fiscal year 2010, $535,000,000.

           (6) For fiscal year 2011, $455,000,000.

     (B) CAPITAL GRANTS- There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Transportation for the use of Amtrak to bring the Northeast Corridor as defined in section 24102(a) to a state-of-good-repair, for capital expenses of the national railroad passenger transportation system, and for purposes of making capital grants to states under section 301 of this Act, the following amounts:

           (1) For fiscal year 2006, $813,000,000.

           (2) For fiscal year 2007, $910,000,000.

           (3) For fiscal year 2008, $1,071,000,000.

           (4) For fiscal year 2009, $1,096,000,000.

           (5) For fiscal year 2010, $1,191,000,000.

           (6) For fiscal year 2011, $1,231,000,000.

Somehow I get the impression that most of the Capital dollars will stay in the NEC.