Fred Frailey Column: November TRAINS

[Brian_tampa]

Another complaint I have about Fred's article is his contention that the priority issue came later and was not part of the original agreement and that's what makes it improper. However, implied in an agreement to eliminate passenger service and allow Amtrak to use it's track is to not change that agreement by deciding to run trains so big that Amtrak gets the siding in any conflict. To do so makes it be an attempt to get rid of Amtrak by making passenger service so inconvenient, that Amtrak fails and thus is violation of that agreement IMHO. Amtrak wouldn't be screaming (well, whimpering) PRIORITY if the railroads played fair.

Did the original agreement that created Amtrak even mention a level of OTP for passenger trains that the freight railroads had to meet forever after? With the state of the railroad infrastructure and the lack of meaning revenue to maintain the tracks, I doubt that OTP commitments or guarantees by the freight railroads were included in the agreement.

 

[MikefromCrete]

I see Fred Frailey is scheduled to take part in the RPA's RailNation Miami event. He'll be part of a panel discussion with Boardman and Gunn, but he will be appearing via video link, so nobody in the audience will be able to throw a shoe at him.

Amtrak Executive Stephen Gardner is also scheduled to speak at the conference, so he might not be so lucky.