This question is an equal blend of ignorance and curiousity. Thoseof us who have been on this block long enough where there at the twilight of private passenger service. The death knell for many a passenger run was the loss of a mail contract. This delivery of the mails was taken over, at that time, to primarily trucks. Now we have two quasi governmental agencies in a non cooperative stance with some unknown portion of the mail going by truck. I am aware of the use of air to expedite some classes of mail-however I couldnt help but think that Amtrak could use the income. Is there some legalistic or logistical barrier to this?
More goverment employees to man the mail cars,or at least to meet them for deliveries.
The USPS did try Amtrak, and found their service sorely wanting. (They were very angry over the treatment the “Lake Shore Limited” got from Conrail! It has gotten worse with CSX, NS? well…[xx(])The “reliability” issue has actually managed to get worse for Amtrak, lately.Which is hard for some to accept, but there are problems that Amtrak is in no position to fix, right now.
When did the Lakeshore have its contract dropped? So capacity, priority and dispatching on owner roads are the barrier. Capacity rears its ugly head again.
USPS having service complaints HA HA HA HA HAW HAW HAW HAW GASP GARGLE HE HE he he he…
First Class, Priority and Express mail between hubs will go by air, unless truck service is faster. Lower classes go by truck and maybe truck/rail intermodal service, but it is by the cheapest service money can buy. Amtrak set up the “Kentucky” Cardinal (Chicago to Jeffersonville, Ind) and got a contract to haul low class mail. On a couple of ocassions, I saw three boxes switched out at Indianapolis for Jville. When the contract was up for rebid, a trucker got the business.
Have you ever checked out the trucks hauling mail? Does POS come to mind?
…I wonder how effecient the truck service with USPS mail would be if speed limits were 100% adhered to…?
Amtrak wanted to have the USPS pay for HEP Wiring which would allow the cars to run up in front. But they didn’t want to pay for it, so YOUR FIRED Amtrak they went.
It’s all about price. FedEx got the first class long haul contract and trucks carried the short haul first class. Trucks carry everything else.
No more USPS employees would be required if Amtrak carried the mail because those are the same people who go to the airport to pick up the containers when FedEx lands.
Just to be clear, what they do now is cheaper than what they did before.
Dale
I believe Amtrak tried USPS and express freight but found that it wasn’t worth the expense and trouble for either. As mentioned above, most of their network they have no control over and it was difficult to switch in/out the extra cars due to delays and lack of space to work with in terminals. Baltimore and DC have a severe problem with lack of space for layover/storage of commuter equipment - no place for anything else. I’m sure most everybody has similar problems.
RH
The amount of money that Amtrak is/would make hauling the class of mail that can withstand Amtrak’s slow schedules amounts to SQUAT!! Amtrak doesn’t make enough money on mail contracts to cover their effort. It amounts to a waste of time that adds time to schedules and more inconveinance for Amtrak passengers. It’s not really Amtrak’s fault. Today’s world is much faster than the 1950’s or 1960’s when RPO’s were still manually sorting a few sacks of mail and dumping them on the platform of every small rural town. Speed and automation (technology) killed the RPO, not Amtrak. Todays automated postal system has a gazillion pieces of mail zig-zagging accross this country. Rail for a majority of the mail is longer compatable becasue shipping by rail doesn’t offer the speed or the flexibility that is needed. I work for a direct mail company. The clients can be very demanding. Mail date in the midwest to in-mailbox on the west coast can be as little as three days. Can’t to it? The marketing company will find a mailing house that can. Most mail goes by truck, both private LCL shipping companies or the USPS.
So, to answer Wally’s questions, yes Amtrak could use the money, but the “legalistic or logistical barrier” is that SPEED KILLS!
CC
When the Railroads operated passenger trains, the on-time preformance was a matter of corporate pride, and a marketing tool. Schedules meant something.
Some five or six years ago Fed-Ex bid on, and got a contract to haul first class mail. I would guess by this time, that contract has been expanded, and is worth some major bucks now. You are right, the mail does move on trucks, inter-city and between BMC’s [Bulk Mail Centers]. THe contractor’s performance is the key to getting and keeping contracts with USPS. Ultimately, as with everything in business it comes down to performance for bucks spent Trucks carry everything else. [Even Fded0Ex uses trucks on Priori
Don’t make me laugh[(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][:-,]
…Sometimes it’s hard to think about comparing costs for example: Watching a container train passing with perhaps 200 containers in tow and to think it would be taking 200 drivers to haul that same load via trucks…!
Good old FedEx. Recent transit on an important document (Happy Mothers Day Grandma) via US Mail from Cincinnati to Delavan, WI>>> Seventh morning delivery!!!