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Anti-Amtrak amendments advance in House
If all you knew about Amtrak and its routes’ financial performance was what Amtrak (and NARP) told you, you would do what Rep. Sessions did, too. Would you support a train that REALLY cost federal taxpayers $400 per passenger, or whatever Amtrak’s latest phony propaganda number is?
But what is really funny about Sessions’ amendment is that the Sunset Limited is NOT Amtrak’s “worst route.” Measured by actual production of intercity transport output, load factor, market share, and federal subsidy cost per passenger mile, Amtrak’s worst route is the NEC.
Typical Congressional approach of “if something isn’t working, get rid of it.” They never decide to improve anything. I believe it is up to the American people to use the same logic on the disfunctional Congress.
lets do some Facts
- @ Andrew. the NEC is Amtrak’s ONLY money maker. It is NOT the 'worst route" by far. Its the ONLY route that pays its own way and makes a small profit.
- No need to subsidize Food and beverages… Many use Vending machines on Rail now. North Carolinas Amtrak NCBYTRAIN.org has older cars, redone and are beautiful, with new engines, and Vending machines…
- @Lawrence… They do NOT want to “stop the trains” but the market isnt there to fund and drive the industry forward
- Pete, the Govt gets huge income from Gas taxes, and it costs US about 35% RED tape fee, to get that money where it needs to go. Govt is inefficient in many ways…
- Many other modes of transportation are state partnerships, and some are public/private
- There is NO reason to spend good Amtrak money thats needed on existing routes, on the high speed mess in California. Its a Non proven market with a huge upfront and huge ongoing cost, with a limited future market.
@ Michael, Mark, and Henry. I would love to see you try to cut out the fat in a spending crazy Government. NONE of you could even concede that the FOOD doesnt need to be subsidized???
Guess your vision of never ending cash is a vision you just cant get over…
The Republican members of Congress continue their inability to govern believing that if nothing happens then, nothing happens and there is not cost to anything. The toll Americans are paying for Amtrak and many other programs because of these shortsighted and inept policies is high now and will be higher later on.
When will the Republicans learn? They want to stop the trains from running, but they’ll yell like hell when they see the results of their idiocy.
I think Henry says it all for me.
These guys are probably from gerrymandered “safe” Republican districts and there is no way to remove such short-sighted persons from office. If only I had the Koch brothers money to fund campaigns against them.
What is total cost for air travel, the airport, security etc. per passenger compared to revenue? The same should be calculated for highway and water travel. I always amazed that they look at amtrak for cuts.
How about cutting all funding to the FAA and airlines and airports? I don’t fly. Why should I subsidize those that do?
Shame on you Rep. Phil Gingrey! You will not be getting my vote in the next election.
@ MO and MEL Miller… Peanuts are long gone, when was the last time you flew?? Vending machines have PROVEN themselves in NC on Amtrak trains…
@Paul Harrison… You make some good points about definitions, however , maybe its time Amtrak looked at a National food contract to help control costs for long distance trains… The service itself on board costs more than the food I am certain…( 3-5 MORE union employees) and asking for 5 bucks extra for a meal isnt too much in my mind when they charge PER pound for luggage on an aircraft.
These three amendments are horrible. They are Congress’s typical micromanagement of Amtrak that just makes things worse.
Does Amtrak need to do better? You bet! Congress needs to hold Amtrak accountable, not hamstring them with stupid “Simon Says” assignments.
NCDOTs Piedmonts use vending machines. They work!
Congress is probably the most ill informed and ill managed group that pass laws to run anything. Micromanaging by congress is what is wrong with Amtrak. It pains me to see such colossal stupidity. Cutting the food service will cause an increase in losses of the long distance trains. The service long distance trains provides to many isolated communities cannot be replaced by any other means of transportation. I will bet that the members of congress proposing the cuts have never ridden any of the long distance trains and has not seen the service to such communities. Furthermore, I don’t believe anyone in congress has a concept of what the functions of a coordinated rail transportation network means to the country.
Congress is probably the most ill informed and ill managed group that pass laws to run anything. Micromanaging by congress is what is wrong with Amtrak. It pains me to see such colossal stupidity. Cutting the food service will cause an increase in losses of the long distance trains. The service long distance trains provides to many isolated communities cannot be replaced by any other means of transportation. I will bet that the members of congress proposing the cuts have never ridden any of the long distance trains and has not seen the service to such communities. Furthermore, I don’t believe anyone in congress has a concept of what the functions of a coordinated rail transportation network means to the country.
I wonder how much money is lost at the congressional lunch counter or bank. My guess it’s more heavily subsidized than Amtrak.
Charity Navigator
@BRUCE BELL - Perhaps you can start by telling us what constitutes “subsidized”. Congress’s idiotic view of it is that it’s subsidized if the amount of money people spend in the dining car is lower than what it costs to provide.
I shouldn’t need to tell you that’s a dumb definition, as there are plenty of people who will not ride the train - at least, not for a journey taking hours - unless there’s food available. The likelihood is that cutting food service will increase losses, due to a lack of patronage. That’s why railroads have always tried to keep some kind of adequate food service available, be it stopping the train for an hour at a Harvey House, or on-board restaurants and cafeterias. All of these cost more than the railroad receives directly from food sales. But passengers have to eat. They expect to eat. Passengers will not buy tickets unless they can.
This is Congress regulating what it doesn’t understand. It has never had any business micromanaging the food service, Amtrak wouldn’t be providing it if it wasn’t necessary. And if it didn’t, ultimately, pay for itself.