I don’t know where you get your figures, Mr. Smith. But why is it okay for the huge subsidies that the airline industries which are about 15 billion or more dollars but ,yet God forbid, Amtrak should receive nothing. I suppose you couldn’t care less about those who can’t or don’t want to fly or drive for that matter.
Paul Nadolski, I really like your comment but in al reality, I rather suspect that when Republicans hear any good news about Amtrak, they just put their hands over their ears and just yell out their illogical, idealogical, demogogic nonsense so they don’t have to hear what’s oviously an inconvenient truth to them!
Our states need tourist dollars…not highways that are too congested for the traveling public…Gov. Scott of Florida never learned this.
Can you imagine the passenger train system this country would have if Amtrak had gotten its measly 2 billion dollars each year. Yes, measly. For the federal government, that is measly.
It shows that the american puplic is tried of being treated like cattle at the nations airports or forced to drive on very dangerious highways. Congress says that it wants to cut wastful spending,but when it is time to get home fast or have a roadway named after them the moneys comes fast and with no questions asked. tell your congress person trains are going to be the future AGAIN!
SOME WHO SAYS THEY NEED LESS MONEY BECAUSE THEY ARE CARRYING MORE PASSENGERS NEED TO TAKE 'ECONOMICS 101…SAYING THAT== ARE YOU SAYING WE NEED LESS HIGHWAYS BECAUSE WE ARE BUILDING MORE CARS???
The saying that it cheaper to fly AMTRAK passengers, WHAT ABOUT THE ONES OF US WHO DO NOT WANT TO FLY. . COME ON OBUMA AND OTHER POLITICIANS, GET REAL
The respective comments of Mr. GUSE from ILLINOIS and Mr. DOMASHEVSKY from ILLINOIS frequently (always?) are at the opposite ends of the opinion spectrum, particularly regarding Amtrak. If and when they decide to “duke it out” in person, please provide sufficient advance notice so the rest of us have time to travel to the place selected for what would undoubtedly be a festive occasion.
AMTRAK is an investment. To be successful, there is a need for capital to buy enough equipment to move to the point where a profit can be made. But, you have to pay the upfront cost to cover rail, cars, engines, etc. Other counties have high speed rail and it works. If there were a long term look and big funding - believe that at some point, AMTRAK would turn the corner to profit.
There would also be real advantages for to everyone. People that aren’t driving means less cars on the road. And, with improved rail, possible less trucks. Remember when AMTRAK was getting into the package express business. Anyway, I though that was a good idea - but, unfortunately, the freight railroads didn’t and with current laws they control a lot of the day to day when and were AMTRAK can go. But, better rail could mean faster freight and maybe one day the package express idea could come back or movement of mail.
We invest in roads - need to make the same or greater investment in AMTRAK.
Amtrak needs more money for cars in addition to the Diners and Sleepers on order. My family and I did a 4200 mile Amtrak trip in June (Minnesota to Florida and back, 6 days total on the train). All 6 trains were full (someone gets off and someone filled that seat before we left the station). I only saw one station wear no one go on or off, a College town in West Virginia two weeks after school was out. More coaches would allow an extra 50 to 80 passenger fares per mile with one or two more employee costs. As the airlines have been raising their fares Amtrak has also. Plus Amtrak uses a graduated fare scale (first 25% most discounted to last 25% are full fare). All modes are subsidized, we only hear about Amtrak. We pay the airlines to fly 19 passenger planes to medium sized cities to preserve service under the EAS (essential air service) program. If it’s necessary then I’m ok with it but don’t act like killing Amtrak will fix all of our budget woes.
It’s easy to get more passengers if you add more trains to more places. Amtrak did just that this year with the new train to Norfolk. But unless Amtrak keeps improving its operating ratio, the (whatever you want to call them) in congress are going to come after them with the axe.
It makes me wonder at what level of the combination length of train/number of passengers/revenue from ticket sales and other services and possibly other factors any given train could turn a profit. If you look at this in theory, you have something to work for in practice. For example, one train each way between Washington DC and Boston, full or nearly full each day, how much would the flat cost of operating that train be, including all costs for the train itself and all infrastructure that train would need including track and stations? Divide that cost by the number of passengers the train is capable of carrying, and there is your ticket price. Next, can you find enough passengers willing to pay that price to fill the train every day? If you can, your train will at least break even. Next, if you can’t find enough paying passengers, can you get additional revenue from other sources and/or reducing your costs by spread your costs among other users of the same infrastructure? If Amtrak can accomplish this, then Amtrak would suddenly be free of the whims of (whatever you want to call them) in congress constantly getting their political aspirations in the way and instead be protected by the same freedoms the government is supposed to defend for all of us: the right to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness, and other things equally important, such as the right of people to conduct business to provide for themselves and their families, some of whom might just decide to operate a passenger rail line.
If Amtrak can’t accomplish this goal, then the question government should be asking is, is paying for this system worth the cost in terms of public benefit (a huge subjective question) or is paying for this system che
keep amtrak going at all cost !!!
Well, well, well, Guse has finally outed himself. I guess we all should have figured him for an Ayn Rand disciple. His post on this topic is gibberish, as usual.
Alternately, the main thread I see running through the otherwise-intelligent discussion here is the accurate observation that Republicans, rather than being motivated by pragmatism, are driven entirely by ideology. No surprise there. Too bad politics will prevent us from ever being able to develop Amtrak to its rightful and fully-functional form.
Mr. Ensinger of Tennessee, Have you ever heard of the axiom that the funding that Amtrak is receiving is, in reality, a bargain compared to other modes of travel. Yet you and Goosie are quick to rag on Amtrak’s subsidies. Check out the subsidies air and highways receive which are way much higher. Just the fact that Amtrak is enjoying an unprecedented increase in ridership is a clear indication that Amtrak is worthwhile.
Amtrak’s top problem is a chronic shortage of rolling stock. Even an order for a thousand new cars would allow them to expand the system and bring the levels of frequency of service where it should be on the current system. That would be a lot cheaper than building a thousand more miles of highways, let alone repair them.
Lets wake up and smell the diesel. Rider’s of rail travel speak for themselves with ticket sales at an all time high for Amtrak maybe people are tired of being robbed and groped by TSA agents at airports, long lines, delays, cancellations and accidents. Lawmakers must take a serious look and start investing in our rail system.
Lets wake up and smell the diesel. Rider’s of rail travel speak for themselves with ticket sales at an all time high for Amtrak maybe people are tired of being robbed and groped by TSA agents at airports, long lines, delays, cancellations and accidents. Lawmakers must take a serious look and start investing in our rail system.