Which Amtrak Route That You Want Discontinued

[amtrakadirondack]

If you were President Of Amtrak And Were Forced To Cut A Train, Which Train Would You Cut?

 

[jccollins]

We don't want any of the routes discontinued!!! :angry: :angry: :angry: This is a bad poll!!! :angry: :angry: :angry: Do not vote!!!

 

[AlanB]

I voted for nothing, as there are no routes that Amtrak should be discontinuing.

We need to be adding routes, not cutting!

 

[amtrakadirondack]

Dear Member and Moderator,

I'm sorry if I upset you, I was conducing this for my Amtrak news letter I send to my friends and family, sorry What i ment to say was If you were Presedent Of Amtrak And Were Forced To Cut A Train, Which Train Would You Cut? Sorry If Upset You

 

[AlanB]

Based upon the reworded context of the question, I probably would have voted to eliminate the International. I can't however change my vote in the actual poll.

I realize that you are only allowed to put up a finite amount of choices, so within your list the International would be my choice. The reason that I would pick the International is simply because, it's the one train that technically does not fully meet Amtrak's mandate. That mandate is of course to serve this country. The International of course while serving Michigan, also serves Canada.

However if I had my choice of every Amtrak route on the books, I would probably kill the Cardinal if I were forced to pick one train. My reason for this is simply that, it’s the one train that sort of duplicates another service (The Capitol) and it only runs three times a week.

I do however fervently hope that Amtrak’s President David Gunn is never confronted with such a choice.

 

[PRR 60]

Dear Member and Moderator,                                        I'm sorry if I upset you, I was conducing this for my Amtrak news letter I send to my friends and family, sorry           What i ment to say was If you were Presedent Of Amtrak And Were Forced To Cut A Train, Which Train Would You Cut? Sorry If Upset You        

Don’t be sorry. You asked a perfectly valid question (even though perhaps the wording could have said “which train would you be willing to cut if it meant saving Amtrak as a whole?).

For Amtrak to survive, and for Amtrak to gain credibility with Congress to permit it to survive, the company has to be run like a business. And businesses, real businesses, have to make decisions every day to enhance the bottom line. Amtrak will never make a profit. That is a given. But the inability to make a profit does not excuse Amtrak from conducting its operations in the most cost effective way possible. That requires that every operation must make economic and transportation sense. Amtrak has been sorely lacking in that area.

For example, lets say a presently operating train serves just 100 passengers per day, generates $3000 of revenue per day, and costs $10,000 per day to operate. Net loss is $7,000 requiring subsidy. Now, lets say that train is cut, but 2 new trains are added on other routes carrying a total of 400 new passengers, generating $15,000 in revenue, and costing $22,000 to operate. You are now serving 300 more passengers, twice as many communities, and not adding one cent to the need for Federal subsidy. You’ve doubled your service and customer base at no cost. Of course, you could have simply added the new trains without cutting the old one, but now your subsidy would need to be increased. That brings politics into the picture. Dropping the train, or requiring state assistance to cover the loss, is the only rational business decision. One train was a loser, the two new ones are winners.

Some rail fans need to face reality. It is not 1955 anymore. Not every train makes sense simply because a train ran on a similar route 40 years ago. Amtrak exists to provide transportation, not nostalgia. If that were a criteria, Amtrak would be funded by the National Park Service. Every train run by Amtrak should be justified by present day transportation need and economic parameters. That kind of scrutiny may well end some existing trains, but in the end, Amtrak and intercity passenger rail would be much better off.

 

[tp49]

I voted for the Heartland Flyer. To me this train serves no purpose and is poorly run almost as bad as the K-Card. It also has the misfortume of serving the district of a particular ignoramous congressman from Oklahoma named Istook. I watched Gunn testify on C-Span last week and Istook, the R from Texas and Anne Northrop from Louisville all annoyed me to no end. And to think we share the same party registration.

On another note, isn't the Piedmont a State Supported Train paid for by NC Dot, making it somewhat harder to kill?

 

[AlanB]

On another note, isn't the Piedmont a State Supported Train paid for by NC Dot, making it somewhat harder to kill?

The Piedmont is indeed a State Supported train, as is my choice the International. So yes killing either would indeed be very hard to do, however that wasn't part of the question, so I stand by my choice.

In fact even the Heartland Flyer currently has its own source of funding, although I believe that ends next year. So it might be ripe for termination if Oklahoma doesn't get it's act together.

 

[P40Power]

I agree I dont want any route cut what so ever, if anything I want there to be more routes added and the ones we got kept!

 

[carknocker51]

Even tho I voted , I to would rather see congress increase money so Amtrak can x-pand,& become a 21st cen. transpo company....indeed

 

[steve_relei]

I, too, am not in favor of eliminating any more train routes. Amtrak is too skeletal as it is. I like the idea of the International to and from Toronto. It brings Canadians to the United States for business and pleasure and spending money, and it allows US citizens to travel into Canada for similar reasons. Keep in mind that it is a join venture of Amtrak, VIA Rail, and the State of Michigan.

The Heartland Flyer is an attempt to bring back--or at least fill some of the void left from--the Lone Star (Texas Chief). It takes passengers from Oklahoma to Texas to connect to the Texas Eagle and the Sunset--and vise versa. The loss of the Lone Star (and the Floridian and Hiawatha) was painful and is still felt by many people, and I am glad to have this service back.

The Cardinal is cited as one of the top-10 most scenic train rides in America, and there is a lot of potential business for this train. How about Charleston (WV)? What about the other stations along the route? Why should they be happy about losing their train service?

 

[thedude]

I agree.

All of the routs are worth keeping, or else they would have been discontinued lone ago.

 

[AmtrakManagement]

okay we'll go ahead and put the heartland flyer and international on the chopping block for the next to go. Thanks for letting us know you don't like these trains - we'll save some money by getting rid of them and use it to increase salaries instead of provide the unwanted service.

 

[thedude]

okay we'll go ahead  and put the heartland flyer and international on the chopping block for the next to go.  Thanks for letting us know you don't like these trains - we'll save some money by getting rid of them and use it to increase salaries instead of provide the unwanted service.

That's not at all what has been expresed in this topic. Both of those trains get people places, and make them happy. This is only a precentage of the peoples views who ride on Amtrak.

 

[Guest_carknocker51]

Carefull what you ask for....you just mite get it!!

 

[sutton8596]

looks like the Heartland Flyer wins!

I also want more routes, not fewer. But if one route HAD to go (perhaps to add one we really want like the Floridian), I'd pick the Heartland. I think we need the International. The Chicago-Toronto link is rather important.

Just my two cents.

 

[AlanB]

Two weeks are up, last chance to vote!

 

[rail sale]

Hey don't give the heartland such grief, it might not be that many people (yet, it sure would look good pulling in to KC or Omaha someday) but it is another couple senators. Any state that's willing to fight the good fight and keep service to their residents deserves praise.

 

[gyuri_ft]

I would discontinue the route which is most traveled and loved by THAT congressmen who asks me to do this in the hope, he will get an infarct (so I can restore the route after he is gone)