Hello all,
Check out this story:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/05/02/hurricane.plan.ap/index.html
Seems to open up all sorts of questions and issues. For one, does this mean the Feds will support Amtrak into the future?
Regards,
Michael
No.
Wouldnt that be something…
Gulf Coast Mayor: “Theres a big hurricane a comin’, let’s get all these people to the train station!”
Aid: “Then what, Mr Mayor? Bush killed Amtrak, so there’s no trains left!”
“Oh [censored] !”
I’m also wondering if they would store a bunch of equipment on hand during hurricane season (June 1 to end of November), or try to move it into place each time a storm takes aim. Might be tricky to get enough trains diverted to the target location in time to load everyone up…
That would not be a problem. During Katrina, Amtrak, CN, and BNSF (at least) were ready to move everything with wheels to New Orleans, and could have gotten a lot of equipment there in 24 hours. And they offered to do it (the evidence is there, buried in the record). Trouble is, they were turned down by the city as not being needed…
Next time? Well… if Amtrak survives, sure.
Well it does seem to be a very logical and feasable idea. Maybe even use the boxcars with shackes to carry people [:P] I tihnk that you could use boxcars and other enclosed rolling stock to move masses of people. It wouldnt be that hard rig up some lights and some seating for the people on thier trip.
DONT go there, please!!![:p]
I wonder if there might be a better idea than converting freight stock. How about if museums and shortlines were asked to join a national stock register of passenger equipment? This would have details of usable (ie meeting interchange standards) cars that could be brought together in such a crisis. The advantage being that they’d already have seats, etc and there would be less risk of injury (thinking about the potential lawsuits from people who might be injured riding in a converted boxcar - the fact that they’re escaping from a hurricane wouldn’t matter to some people!)
I can just see and hear the screams from the civil rights people about moving the minority population out of the city on cattle trains and third class Jim Crow cars. Plessey versus Fergusson all over again again.
And the insurance companies getting involved in the liability issue?
If they’re serious about using rail, they (New Orleans or Louisiana) should acquire new equipment, and put it in storage ready for use like fire trucks. Also wise coordination with the railroads with well-maintained ROW, and proper facilities at locations where trains would evacuate to. my 2 cents.
Make them sign a waiver that says they are riding at their own risk and if injured, they cannot sue. Ya just gotta cover all your bases in a situation like this.
Amtrak really doesn’t need the help of museums. Gunn offered to help but the city turned him down and Minetta did get involved at all until it was much too late. A well run Amtrak can have trains moved from the Chicago area to New Orleans in a day’s time, and on they can borrow equipment from METRA.
But this underscores what I have been saying about why the subsidy for Amtrak makes for a stronger USA.
1.signing a waiver does not stop a lawsuit.
2. Little (none?) museum equipment is certified.
3.Amtrak doesn’t have equipment now-storing equipment is not possible.
4.Who knows how long - if ever- another one like Katrina will hit?
This use does open the possibility of another funding source for Amtrak - local and federal emergency preparedness funds.
dd
This is pointless… We all know the UP or CN are going to stick the Amtrak train in the first siding.
Metra equipment? It took 13 years just to get to Elburn, IL.
[;)]
CC
Very interesting concept : Hurricane coming ? just have some trains handy to haul all these people out of town, great idea ! Wait, this might just work ! OH-OH we forgot ONE thing here, just how do we get all the people TO the train? well, back to the drawing board.