What is it with the Sunset East, Anyway?

[Anderson]

Ok, this has been driving me a little bit nuts, but I did want to cast about for a theory: What is it about the Sunset East that has turned it into railfan flypaper? Considering the number of parties you'd need to get involved (four states, at least two of which have sponsored corridors that were a bust) and Amtrak's overall fiscal picture (better than it might otherwise be due to PRIIA changes, as noted elsewhere), and lack of interest above the local level (the areas getting restored service not making up a key electoral constituency in any of the states in question save /possibly/ LA), this seems like a comparatively tough sell from a fiscal angle next to lots of other operations (especially in light of the equipment requirements). So...what is it about the Sunset East that keeps drawing so much attention and diverting so much energy from other projects to this particular route?

 

[cirdan]

Ok, this has been driving me a little bit nuts, but I did want to cast about for a theory: What is it about the Sunset East that has turned it into railfan flypaper? Considering the number of parties you'd need to get involved (four states, at least two of which have sponsored corridors that were a bust) and Amtrak's overall fiscal picture (better than it might otherwise be due to PRIIA changes, as noted elsewhere), and lack of interest above the local level (the areas getting restored service not making up a key electoral constituency in any of the states in question save /possibly/ LA), this seems like a comparatively tough sell from a fiscal angle next to lots of other operations (especially in light of the equipment requirements). So...what is it about the Sunset East that keeps drawing so much attention and diverting so much energy from other projects to this particular route?

I think that if Amtrak were to add new services, there would be more suitable candidates that the Sunset East.

However, what weighs for the Sunset East is that technically it is only suspended, so reintroduction should be easier than creating a new train from scratch. Amtrak still has the access rights to CSX's tracks, I guess many stations are still usable or can easily be fixed etc. If Katarina hadn't hapepned, Amtrak would probably still be running the train and so footing any deficit, extra costs etc. So asking them to put it back seems an easier deal than asking for something else to be set up where there isn't anything now.

 

[Ryan]

Agreed.

I think that there's also a moral component (I'm almost afraid to say the "M" word ) to it. If Amtrak wants to cancel a train, there is a process. Amtrak seems to have gotten away with pulling a fast one by canceling this segment by not following the process, which rubs people the wrong way. Calling something a temporary suspension due to a hurricane that blew through 7 years ago is just a stupid, lazy lie that nobody believes.

 

[Tracktwentynine]

I think bringing back service between New Orleans and Jacksonville is important because of network connectivity. I don't care whether it's the Sunset Limited or another train operating over the tracks, but bridging that gap in the network is important.

I also remember reading somewhere that a significant portion of the Sunset's passengers actually were on the suspended portion of the route.