Would a shortline or regional benefit from having Amtrak service over it’s lines? I’m not questioning whether new services should be added - but if a Class 1 owned line were to be sold to a shortline operator, could this new road benefit from the Amtrak service? It seems that Amtrak is a pain-in-the-rear for the Class 1’s, as they can only slow down their priority trains. But Amtrak does pay rent for their use of the tracks, correct? If one considers FRA Class III trackage, which allows freights to run at 40mph and passenger to run at 60 mph, this is a plausible combination for speeds to be found on a decently maintained line of a regional railroad.
NECR, PAR, and VRS all have Amtrak trains on their routes. And it appears that NECR and VRS have good relations with Amtrak. What is it that keeps trains on shortlines (other than gov’t demand)?
Maybe this question has been asked or answered before, but there are soooo many threads if you search for Amtrak that I decided it would be easiest to just ask my question here. Thanks in advance!
The Buckingham Branch took over a CSX line which hosts the Cardinal for 126 miles, while the Vermonter rides on 236 miles of the New England Central. Others include the Pan Am Railway (101 miles), Clarendon and Pittsford (26 miles) and Minnesota Commercial (2 miles).
Methinks it would depend significantly on the impact having Amtrak running over your line has on your line.
The traffic issue is one thing, and very obvious. Unless it’s a very busy shortline, however, I’m sure that adjustments to normal schedules (such as they are on shortlines) could be made to provide clear passage to Amtrak trains.
I should think the bigger impact would be in track maintenance. Your average shortline probably doesn’t need to keep their track up to the same standards as would be required by Amtrak.
I have no idea what the difference would be, cost-wise, but it could certainly be a factor.
Amtrak pays very little for the use of the railroad’s track, marginal cost if i remember correctly. No railroader who can count wants Amtrak trains. Chicago Missouri & Western did and look where it got them.
As I last heard it described, Amtrak also pays the host railroad a bonus for every one of their trains that arrives early/on-time (give or take a certain fudge factor).
Amtrak was the least of CM&W’s problems. It was an ill-advised attempt by Venango River Corp. to expand South Shore beyond its existing line. They wound up overpaying IC for what was basically a middle with no ends (IC kept the terminal trackage in the Chicago and St. Louis areas) and not much on-line traffic.
A little cash flow is also nice and many short lines have up and down cash flows- might like that Amtrak check every month. If I recall the SP was living on regular Amtrak checks at one point. Or so the story goes.
The on time bonus is about all ATK pays and it is a pittance compared to the delay costs ATK imposes on the freight system, let along paying for the slot. No sane railroader wants ATK, they are free riders!