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Amtrak hires consultant to look into Chicago terminal operations
Maybe this is a step in the right direction. For some reason employee morale is really low in Chicago. I recall a news story within the last 5 years that a noose had been hung someplace on the property. Whatever they do there is going to be a need for a open discussion that clears the air. I don’t think there has been an honest effort by amtrak to improve employer/employee relationships. There is no place for a noose on the property of any company in 20??.
If you don’t believe me you can google the story. Iirc it was on nbc.
If you have to go outside the company for this help, perhaps it’s time to for a reduction in force within the company.!!!
There’s nothing that can be done, it’s physically impossible, unless Amtrak builds a new station at the corner of Roosevelt and Clark for South and Westbound trains. That lot is empty AND there used to be a railroad terminal there. But in the end its about $ and cooperation from the host railroads which is a task in itself.
You will not fix Amtrak in Chicago until you fix Chicago. CREATE project P1 is complete but still waiting are P2-P6.
Sad that Amtrak does not have the in-house expertise to figure it out. They need real-life railroaders at the top, not political hacks. More money down the dumper.
Lots of irony in the Chicago situation. Consider the fact that all Chicago stations were built as terminals, Union included. The only reason there is a thru track on the east side of Union next to the river is that for some reason, which I do not remember, the Pennsy ran a line or had trackage rights on the Milwaukee going West for some distance to serve customers. In fact, there still may be a cantelever with Pennsy-style position light array about a mile or so West of Union Station…perhaps someone can comment. So, equipment moves, equipment allocations, etc. were no problem in the past as each road had its own yard close by the many stub end stations, and they all were that. Today Amtrak has no wiggle room and except for what must be considered a fluke, would not have a thru track of any kind in Chicago. Amtrak has no problem getting out of Chicago going North; it is the other directions that will continue to present difficulties.
The consultant should argue for a South Loop HST station. This would take advantage of the IC’s lakefront line with NO rail nor road crossings for nearly 30 miles. This could be dedicated links east to Indiana and Michigan trains too. It is the ONLY HST deep into the heart of the city. Even using the SCAL is viable with a non-backup move.
David Gunn would have said, “Let’s figure it out ourselves instead of hiring another consultant at big cost.”
And yet another “Expert Consultant” hired at what cost? Probably over a million for starters. That firm will soak-up a lot of overtime, and drive the end cost up even higher, meanwhile, Amtrak has their OWN EXPERTS already on their payroll… Why not just ask the EMPLOYEES??? Has it come to the point that management will not even consider the input of the blue-collar workers that are on site-on the job EVERY DAY??? If you ask me, Too many colleges hand out too many “Degrees” to total idiots. We shouldn’t be paying some “Expert” that has the total railroad experience of his “Thomas-the Train” set when he was a child as his “Credentials”.
Just sayin’
Todd Cline.