The ability of Amtrak this Thanksgiving to haul passengers was severly taxed due to lack of equipment. After checking several Amtrak documents some conclusions may be somewhat apparent. We will start with the 2011 – 2015 5 year plan dated Sep 2010. Amtrak states that only the economic downturn has prevented chronic seating capacity problems.
1. Amtrak has 1450 pass cars and states 50 car / year needed so (1450/50 = 29 years desired economic life of cars).
2.
Baggage cars. Must have state-of-the-art 125 MPH baggage cars.
…and AEM7 cabbages! (at least they are lighter than F40s…)
No additional seat-miles in the plan? These guys are just playing with a big trainset… (well, at least theirs runs better than mine) [:)]
If you have AEM7 cabbages, doesn’t that solve the 125 MPF baggage-car problem, or are there not enough old AEM7 DC’s to go around to cover the Florida trains and other LD trains interoperating on the NEC?
With the present equipment (including rebuilds) there is no way to increase seat miles very much if at all.
IMHO this plan is all about the possible no growth option looking AMTRAK in the face. Statements all over the reports seem to imply that all planning is based on not receiving any new revenue seats from manufacturers. That includes the new single level Baggage, baggage dorms, diners, & sleepers. If Amtrak does not get these cars they will loose their $29.1M non-refundable deposit.
However the reports anticipate a higher load factor. To accomplish higher load factors with the same number of train miles; my conclusion is that somehow Amtrak will cut some cars short of a train’s O&D? Best examples would be Crescent cars go WASH - ATL, and some Florida train cars go WASH/PHL - Orlando?
Western trains Cal Z cut cars at Denver and RENO.
That would require some extra switching costs especially ATL and ORL? Other trains do not seem to fit that profile? Some of the cars on those rains are lightly loaded now between those stations and destinations. Have ridden Crescent south of ATL and last 2 or 3 coaches are often shut off from passengers!
Now if AMTRAK can confirm these orders and the pending orders for Bi-Level cars they may revise these 2 reports? I have no idea.
We in the advocacy community must face the dismal prospect that Amtrak will get no additional funding snd may b