Fire Richard Anderson Campaign?

[Chey]

Yeah, that part really did surprise me. We can't afford to take a sleeper more than two or three times a year - it's something you save for and splurge on. Whatever. People can derive pretty much whatever numbers they want to see from surveys and studies.

Same - I have to make sacrifices to be able to afford it but for me there is no other way. I don't come close to that income bracket!

 

[jis]

Without some idea of what the Median is, an Average does not convey as much information as many ascribe to it though.

 

[railiner]

I met Brian Gallagher a couple of years ago, aboard the Autumn Express...he impressed me as a great, down-to-earth kind of guy, but I can't say if he would fit all the requirements of being the CEO.

One thing for sure...special trains would continue on....

Anyone know what he is doing now?

He's currently an engineer again out of Albany. And I might add one of the ones with better train handling skills.

.

It always pays to keep your union dues current...no matter how far you may go in management...

 

[Seaboard92]

A basic reason for a sleeper for me is that I am traveling alone. I do not want to sit (or sleep) next to a total stranger all night. At best, I would feel uncomfortable; at worst, afraid if the person acted odd. The other reason is that the bathrooms in coach after a few hours are disgusting.

Looking again at the chart, I don't know where they think that sleeper passengers make an average of $102,000 a year. For many of us, taking a sleeper is something we have saved up for. I can travel by train because I do not spend money on a car, smartphone, TV, designer clothes, or much else, and I save up for my trips.

Someone making that much money probably would not be taking Amtrak LD. They would be in Prestige Class on the Canadian, or they would take a repositioning cruise from one coast to the other, or they would fly first-class wherever they wanted to.

Back to the Fire Anderson signs--I did see them as we came toward North Philadelphia (my SEPTA train was crawling along because of Amtrak signal problems, so I had plenty of time to take them in). I know nothing about the person who put them up, but I'm not sure where they are is the best place for them to be taken seriously. The building doesn't look all that fancy, and it is in an unattractive area. But the worst part is that there were four really sad-looking train cars that had graffiti all over them and looked like they had been abandoned. I do give the person credit for trying, but don't think they are any threat to Anderson--it is certainly silly if he gets his legal team to fight them--it's not like it's running every few minutes on the new electronic billboards on Market Street where a lot of people would notice.

I actually know the character of the person who did it. Quite a few of us call him the puppet master because he's the one who runs the PV industry. In the past when Amtrak had threatened ending the industry in the past. He talked them out of it and was able to get us a reasonable tariff. So a good portion of the industry is indebted to him and does as he wishes. And he doesn't tend to like those of us who blaze our own trails.

He's done some great things like his Liberty Limited excursion train that carried troops from Bethesda and Walter Reed to the Army Navy game in Philadelphia. He also has maintained three passenger cars and two historic E 8 locomotives. One of his cars carried Senator Robert F Kennedy's body after his assassination.

The equipment you see outside the facility isn't for rebuild. It's actually all for parts to maintain the other cars and locomotives. So none of that junk will ever run but all of them have pieces to maintain the other cars.

Personally I am not a super large fan of him because of the stuff he has done to my friends in the industry he doesn't like. And for some of his antics. Even though I don't like him I do respect him and he's always been nice to me.

Now do I think this was a good move for the industry no. I think Gardner and Anderson will see this as a threat and they will take action against us for it. So we shall see what our next punishment from those two idiots are. They've already taken away open vestibules and open platforms because some railroad executives from P&W and Metro North rode a PV open platform on the back of a Regional.

So it'll be interesting to see what the retaliation will be from those two. Even though I think Bennet has some serious power on the hill so he might be able to accomplish his goal of a federal charter insurance program so we can cut Amtrak out of the charter equation. And just charter direct from freight railroads. It's obvious to me that both Anderson and Gardner do not care who they anger and run off.

The current list of groups Anderson and Gardner have attacked.

-AAA

-Veterans

-students

-labor

-PV owners

-charter operators

-long distance passengers on the LSL, CL

-all passengers with the new refund policy.

-sleeper passengers

Did I forget anyone?

 

[Ryan]

As a veteran, I didn’t feel attacked in the least when he ended the for pay discount system that allowed a private group to sell Amtrak discounts that didn’t share that revenue with Amtrak.

I believe that they’re working on a real veteran’s discount that doesn’t require me to pay a random third party to qualify for. If that comes to pass, it’s a net win.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I don’t feel like I’ve been attacked and I’m in a few of those categories.

 

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

I don’t feel like I’ve been attacked and I’m in a few of those categories.

Attacked is a strong word. If you no longer receive a 10% discount on railfare, I would hardly think that qualifies as an attack (maybe an attack on your wallet, and that's assuming you choose to travel). The LSL/CL meals at most are an attack on their stomachs.

 

[cirdan]

The numbers are all pulled out of no where or at best skewed. Income, birthdate, reason for travel arent asked to the masses. Id be interested to know how many people get or fill out the emailed trip review surveys. The 84 percent coach riders stat make it sound like no one rides in the sleepers and is hugely skewed. Gives Anderson misleading ammunition to break up the LD trains. Of course if your only riding 2-8 hours most people will ride in coach. A better stat would be coach brings in _%revenue and sleepers bring in _% revenue. Or trips over 12 hours coach %vs sleepers %.

I guess you could make similarl statements about airlines, comparing business class to economy passengers. But most airlines are not exactly in a hurry to abolish business class.

I don't think Amtrak will be either.

 

[MikefromCrete]

I'm not sure what the fuss is about on some of these numbers. It makes sense to me that 84 percent of passengers ride in coach. Most trains have more coaches than sleepers, there are more seats in coaches and passengers traveling short distances usually travel by coach. It seems logical to me. As to income, sleeping car passengers probably have higher incomes. It's not an argument about eliminating sleepers. I imagine these statistics have been common throughout the history of railroad passenger service.

 

[cpotisch]

I'm not sure what the fuss is about on some of these numbers. It makes sense to me that 84 percent of passengers ride in coach. Most trains have more coaches than sleepers, there are more seats in coaches and passengers traveling short distances usually travel by coach. It seems logical to me. As to income, sleeping car passengers probably have higher incomes. It's not an argument about eliminating sleepers. I imagine these statistics have been common throughout the history of railroad passenger service.

I do agree about the sleepers. I don't think there are any trains with as many sleepers as coaches. A Superliner sleeper can carry 44 passengers with normal occupancy, whereas a Superliner coach can carry 78 passengers. Likewise a Viewliner sleeper can carry 30 passengers, while an Amfleet II carries 59. So on the Silver Meteor, which usually runs with three sleepers and five coaches, coach consists of 76.6% of the train's capacity.

So I really don't think that 84% sounds far fetched at all.

 

[railiner]

As a veteran, I didn’t feel attacked in the least when he ended the for pay discount system that allowed a private group to sell Amtrak discounts that didn’t share that revenue with Amtrak.

I believe that they’re working on a real veteran’s discount that doesn’t require me to pay a random third party to qualify for. If that comes to pass, it’s a net win.

First, thanks for your service....

And did you get yourself one of these yet? https://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=3979

It is for veteran's that didn't serve long enough to get a retiree ID card...

 

[Chey]

And did you get yourself one of these yet? https://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=3979

It is for veteran's that didn't serve long enough to get a retiree ID card...

Thanks for that link - my spouse had no idea and will be filling out the app for it.

 

[railiner]

And did you get yourself one of these yet? https://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=3979

It is for veteran's that didn't serve long enough to get a retiree ID card...

Thanks for that link - my spouse had no idea and will be filling out the app for it.

You're very welcome...and thank him for his service...

 

[TiBike]

Replacing old school affinity group discounts with targeted promotions, like I've been seeing in my email, isn't an attack on anyone. Modernising food service or trying to improve on time performance isn't an attack on passengers in general either. Some might not like the changes, but on the whole it looks to me like a net gain.

 

[neroden]

Personally, I don't think it will do much good. This is particularly true since he is following PRIIA's mandate.

No, he's not following PRIIA -- he's flagrantly ignoring its requirements.

Where's the FRA reporting on short-term and long-term avoidable costs by train route? Required in 2008! I'd like to see it. It would prove what a bunch of lies he's been telling about the various trains.

 

[neroden]

If they truly think that 92 percent of both coach and sleeper passengers are not traveling on business, and that most of us are over 50, then say goodbye to the trains for sure, except for the northeast. My impression is that Amtrak does not care about older passengers or leisure passengers--it just wants young and rich, traveling for business.

The vast majority of travel, EVEN ON THE NEC, is not "for business". It includes visiting family, going to college and back, taking regular holidays, etc.

 

[neroden]

It's been noted before that even sold out sleeper cars in the consist of a LD train cost more to operate than the revenue they generate.

It's been proven flat out that that's false on the Lake Shore Limited, actually. The sleeper cars produce more revenue than their costs. In fact, on the LSL, they are almost certainly more profitable than the coach cars.
But feel free to keep spreading lies.

 

[neroden]

I'm wondering why people haven't turned their attention and wrath on the Board Of Directors.

Because the Board of Directors is the same one which retained Boardman and hired Moorman. Looks like Anderson is doing a snow-job on them. Certainly, campaigns to fire Anderson should be *directed* at the Board of Directors, particularly pointing out Anderson's serial dishonesty in Amtrak public statements.

 

[TinCan782]

Thanks for that link - my spouse had no idea and will be filling out the app for it.

Also, some states will add a Veteran designation (with proof) to their driver license or ID card. I just applied last week here in Calif (at the same time that I applied for a "RealID").

 

[SANSR]

I want to nominate Ryan as the next CEO. (Just as long as he will promise me a cab ride of my choosing...........................)

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

Going past North Philadelphia on train 98. Saw the billboard for Save Amtrak Fire Anderson were cover up by grey tarps.

Wondering what has changed?

 

[GBNorman]

Thanks for that link - my spouse had no idea and will be filling out the app for it.

Also, some states will add a Veteran designation (with proof) to their driver license or ID card. I just applied last week here in Calif (at the same time that I applied for a "RealID").

Illinois is one such state. To have your license so endorsed, you must first go to an Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, and have a copy of your 214 "authenticated". Then go to Driver's Services with that and otherwise follow the normal renewal process.

 

[Seaboard92]

Going past North Philadelphia on train 98. Saw the billboard for Save Amtrak Fire Anderson were cover up by grey tarps.

Wondering what has changed?

Probably a strongly worded letter threatening legal action. That and probably threatening the prevent him from using his cars. I'm sure Bennet will do something again. And what I think the next move will be spectacular.

 

[jis]

Going past North Philadelphia on train 98. Saw the billboard for Save Amtrak Fire Anderson were cover up by grey tarps.

Wondering what has changed?

Probably a strongly worded letter threatening legal action. That and probably threatening the prevent him from using his cars. I'm sure Bennet will do something again. And what I think the next move will be spectacular.

The eternal dream of all of us railfans. Yet to be seen how it all turns out ...

 

[tommylicious]

Is there an official Fire Anderson campaign? Where and how do I sign up?