Hoosier State Going from IPH Back to Amtrak

[KnightRail]

Will the Hoosier State be used to deadhead equipment to and from Beech Grove, after going back to Amtrak?

Tonight's run should confirm that in the affirmative.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

One thinks Indiana has to show the people of Indiana were it spends its funds. It might be a while, but it will show up.

As far as a FOIA just don't see the point. A congressional inquiry just to make sure that Amtrak not supporting a less than 750 mile route, would do too. But I am going to wait to see Indiana published there budget numbers. So much less work.

 

[jis]

I suspect the Congress might have a few more pressing matters on its hand to worry too much about inquiring after Amtrak for a while. Afterall, there is no Mica to keep the fires burning on that one. Waiting for Indiana to disclose is the best approach methinks.

 

[Anderson]

My guess is that it's a promotional item of some sort.

Also, the "cost" for the dome is likely negligible (an extra car's fuel cost and some minimal depreciation). Moreover, as far as I can tell there is some wiggle room in the law about state contracts (hence the deal PA got, for example)...and I suspect that Amtrak is probably kissing up a bit for obvious reasons. There is nothing saying that if IP comes back with a worked-out contract that can meet the state's parameters, Amtrak might not get thrown right back off the route.

 

[John Bredin]

As much as we all love trains and train travel... and I would hate to see ANY service get cut ... I have yet to see someone on the forum actually present an argument to justify a state paying a $100-130 per passenger subsidy for train service that is: A) Just 190 miles long... B) Almost all of the route parallels an interstate highway... C) Dinks along taking 1 hour and 10 minutes to go just 30 miles from Dyer to Chicago switching between a half dozen freight railroads... D) Takes almost 2 hours longer than driving... E) Takes 1 hour and 30 minutes longer than the bus... F) Mainly provides service for people to LEAVE your state (Indiana) and spend money in another (Illinois) for a day trip... G) Doesn't really encourage tourism to your state (no one from Chicago is going to arrive in Indy at Midnight and turn around and come back at 6am the next day)... H) Operates at ungodly hours... etc, etc.

Michigan pays for two trains for which many of these things are true. The Pere Marquette is A, B, C*, D (about an hour longer), and F. The Blue Water is B, C*, F, and H (for the eastern end of the line). *C=in Indiana west of Porter, when an otherwise-fast train can labor through traffic and long red lights worse than any city driving.

Apparently, Michigan considers its citizens being able to easily reach Chicago, the hub of the Midwest not just for train travel, to be a feature and not a bug, even though it entails "Mainly provid[ing] service for people to LEAVE your state and spend money in another (Illinois) for a day trip."

As to G, while Chicago-area residents aren't going to use such a schedule for a day trip, I know people use the Pere Marquette in the summer beach season to leave Chicago Friday night and return to Chicago Monday morning.

 

[ParanoidAndroid]

I'm not sure the day trip Hoosier State will work. If 850 leaves CHI at 7:45am, it'll get to IND at 1:30pm at best, and the return will have to leave around 6pm (CHI at 10:05pm) leaving only 4.5 hrs in IND. This can help Purdue's students though.

 

[Thirdrail7]

I am curious -- maybe someone more in the know than I can answer --

Is INDOT paying Amtrak for the dome car to be on the train? Or is Amtrak doing it for free in an attempt to kiss up to INDOT and maybe get the permanent contract back beyond June 30?

I believe it is promotional but 'm not sure if your term is accurate. Why would Amtrak need to kiss up to someone? After all, they still have the operational portion of the train. Now, they have to divert cars that were busy elsewhere to cover the service. Sure, the costs are covered but those cars weren't exactly sitting idle.

I suspect it is about cooperation and working with your partners. Do you remember when the SEPTA Silverliner V fleet was benched last year? Did you call it "kissing up" to Penn.Dot and SEPTA when Amtrak provided them with a set of Amfleets and 4 ACS-64s?

PS: SEPTA still has an ACS-64s, months later.

 

[jis]

http://wbaa.org/post/acrimony-past-amtrak-indot-cooperate-improve-hoosier-state-train#stream/0

The current contract between Amtrak and InDOT is till June 30th. Some of the extras maybe only till March 30th. Not clear which ones. Perhaps the Dome Car is one of those extras.

 

[A Voice]

http://wbaa.org/post/acrimony-past-amtrak-indot-cooperate-improve-hoosier-state-train#stream/0

The current contract between Amtrak and InDOT is till June 30th. Some of the extras maybe only till March 30th. Not clear which ones. Perhaps the Dome Car is one of those extras.

Thanks for the link. In my opinion, this little quote speaks volumes, and not just about the Hoosier State:

INDOT spokesman Will Wingfield says relations improved in September when former Amtrak President and CEO Joe Boardman retired

 

[jis]

Came across this article on IPH from several years back. Thei financial trials and travails apparently are nothing new:

http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/article/zz/20130803/NEWS/130807647