The consensus I keep hearing from people is that corridors are what is important. In my view both corridors and long distance trains should be part of the plan. LD trains continue because they cross multiple states and thus many states want them. Federal funding for corridors is limited because it would only benefit a small number of states. In my view focus should be on both and effort towards a quantum leap system of some sorts should be done which in my view would get far more support.
If Amtrak was fast, frequent, and on time, in the areas it serves then other areas would desire the service.
One train a day is not useful transportation. 79 mph or even slower is too slow for distances much over 100 miles.
Amtrak…or any passenger or freight railroad…should not be running trains but should be providing service.
Oh, I get it! April Fools, right?!? May the 6th? Really?
What is so funny about what he said? It’s an opinion; you can disagree with it if you want, but that’s no cause to mock it.
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LD trains that cross, and implicitly serve, multiple states are best Federally funded (and where necessary, subsidized from Federal-level funds). In part Congress has its authority for this under the commerce clause.
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We have already seen that strictly-intrastate service – corridor trains or otherwise – is something that devolves on the state involved to finance, whether or not ‘Amtrak’ operates the trains, coordinates operation, etc. There is some implicit subsidy when Amtrak provides equipment to run those trains that has not been pro rata compensated by the state, or state revenues, but that is a matter to be dealt with between the state agencies and Amtrak, or ‘fought out’ between state and Federal politicians.
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Corridor services, explicitly including the Northeast Corridor, that span multiple states can be disproportionately subsidized by the states that most benefit from them. What BNSF is saying is that there’s a place for Federal ‘development money’ to subsidize massive capital improvement, or vastly expensive new spine
A quantum leap solution would be a nationwide Maglev or a nationwide rail system. In my view the government could spend R&D money towards maglev tech and gradually implement it. The R&D could be done by the military since it has defense value.
You have to consider his body of work as a whole.
That’s not what he’s saying. Read some of the older threads of his. I’ve “butted” and rebutted again and again. There is no two-way communication. His world view of passenger trains remains unswayed by facts.
That is what I am saying.
Well, since I’ve tried the “argue on points” approach more than a few times, even to the point of asking simple questions to try to start a discussion based on his statements, I decided to try cage rattling. I doubt it will work any better.
You’ll get no objection from me regarding much of his previous ‘body of work’, even before we get into the definition of borderline trolling.
But it is possible that he has in fact learned something, or at least thought about some of what has been discussed.
I am sure he will cheerfully come in and ‘rebut’ my interpretation if it is wrong. And that, if his explanation is wack, you can then deliver the April Fool’s comment directly to the point(s) he makes, or fails in. I think the issue for me, in this particular circumstance, is that a pre-emptive attack, regardless of how often BNSF may have tried to cause issues, is not a particularly good approach itself. (Or, in other words, wait for the actual sin before castigating the sinner… ;-} )
You are right, of course…though you probably went over the line with somewhat thinly veiled “borderline trolling” comment.
Did you hear there was a NYC Hudson discovered under a sunken in Lake Erie just west of Buffalo?
oltmannd just doesn’t like me. I was simply pointing out that the Acela doesn’t make money and that the costs of LD trains are exaggerated. The Acela really doesn’t make money contrary to the talking points. Can you blame me for using that Info it did come from trains magazine so I thought it was reliable.
It looks to me like Amtrak shares your view. Historically Amtrak has maintained both corridor trains and long distance trains. Today, of course, current legislation burdens states with the obligation to maintain there own corridor trains. I suspect some states will shoulder the burden and other states will not. We’ll have to see how it works out.
Can you how Amtrak supports the assertion that a “quantum leap” for LD routes is needed? I hear Amtrak say “The western LD routes are staying. Now, lets talk about the NEC!” That’s support for a status quo for LD trains. Not a call for new investment.
What did I miss?
I was talking about the “dual focus” part of the post rather than the “quantum leap” part.
More evidence of the quality body of work in question. Perhaps the best approach is to not respond directly to such posts (if at all), since responding only reinforces the behavior.
Well, I made myself laugh. I would have laughed just at the thought, though. No more “bait and switch” for me…(trolling for trolls?)
But how can you be sure we’re talking trolls, and not ogres? I mean, as has been pointed out on other threads (and in poems) there is a difference. Maybe the difference is that ogres aren’t given as much free reign on the forum? [:-^]
Funny, Murphy, I was thinking some ogres are given much more free rein [the origin of the term relates to horses] or even carte blanche!!