Rail supporters get back on track with Amtrak victory

[Dover]

Source: The Hill

Rail supporters won a rare victory this week after a year spent mostly in retreat when the House backed off a push to privatize a major component of Amtrak service.

Republicans have worked to dismantle President Obama’s vision for a nationwide network of railways since they swept into power last November.

This week, however, the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.), said he would no longer push to privatize Amtrak service in its most profitable region, the northeast.

Transportation advocates, many of whom are in the labor movement, staunchly opposed the proposal. They argued it would effectively end the longtime national passenger rail service.


Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/transportation-report/railroads/193189-rail-supporters-get-back-on-track-with-amtrak-victory

[pinto]

1. Kick. (Rail supporter here.)

:kick:

[tavalon]

23. Me too

That said, I've been so disappointed in this administration that their backpedaling didn't surprise me.

[abq e streeter]

2. Me too. This is a piece of good news.

[BlueToTheBone]

3. What a victory! If worked properly, it would be a wonderful

means of public transportation.

[and-justice-for-all]

4. I support High Speed Rail...I have been on it in Europe.

Amsterdam to Berlin and then back to Amsterdam

[Big_Mike]

11. The only problem with High Speed Rail is that you need

population densities and travel distances like those of the north east corridor to make it pay economically. Acela should be the model for the dense population centers extending from New England across to PA and down to the Mid-Atlantic. Beyond there, the population density just does not support it.

Riding the train across Europe was a joy. But keep in mind that West Germany (my experience in the mid-80s) was the size of Oregon. France was maybe the area of California. Spain about the same, but the Spaniards are losing their asses on the routes across the interior of Spain. Just not enough demand.

Now we are building, for better or worse, HSR in California. Cited cost to sell the project was $10B. Then it went to $34B. Now it's $100B, and I don't see an end. According to the $100B business case, they will have 14K riders daily through Merced! Merced's population is 70K. I would expect such numbers from Bernie Madoff, not the Cal HSR Authority. Despite all the well wishing in the world, the numbers are not there.

I work in the Rail industry. We would love to supply the equipment for this. But no one thinks it will ever turn a profit, or be anything other than a huge boondoggle.

[lib2DaBone]

12. If Israel (or the United States ) attack Iran.. oil will go to $2,000 a barrel...

Iran will shut down the Straight of Hormuz.. the price of oil will skyrocket.. along with the U.S. Dollar.. which is EXACTLY what Wall Street and the puppets in Congress want.

BUT.. how many people will be Able to afford $20 a gallon gas.... or a $2,000 airline ticket?

Just then.. people may "Miraculously" see rail as an alternative.

[and-justice-for-all]

20. mag lift high speed rail....nt

[FarCenter]

25. At that point, what you really need is electrified freight rail

Since you will not be able to get food from farm to market by diesel-fueled trucks.

[and-justice-for-all]

19. I do not agree...nt

[paulk]

28. a devastating rebuttal...

not

[AlbertCat]

21. you need population densities and travel distances

So the big empty square states out west don't get any. Big deal. They're all red states anyway. They hate the idea...right? :eyes: There's no reason the whole eastern seaboard.... including NC, SC, GA and FL shouldn't have decent rail. Besides, if you build it, they will come. If rail were available, and decent, it would get used. Especially since it's so awful to fly these days. If rail only got as many handouts as the airlines get....

[LanternWaste]

30. I don't think the intended purpose ...

I don't think the intended purpose of national infrastructure is to turn a profit but rather to serve the people.

[elleng]

5. Fortunately, as usual w anti-Amtrak proposals,

there are usually enough congresscritters w necessary service in their areas to prevent huge negative effects on passenger rail service.
Different story entirely for proposed high-speed rail, whose constituents not yet (if ever) amalgamated, and such systems will be very costly.

[Kolesar]

27. that was insightful...eom

[elleng]

29. Thanks. An observation from someone (me)

much of whose professional career was directly involved w regulating railroads (freight, but nonetheless keep up with passenger issues.)

[onehandle]

6. Trains Rock! nt

[peacebird]

7. Excellent! We LOVE Amtrak! We're taking it from Va to Seattle next month

To visit the in laws. Sleeper car and kicking back - it will be awesome!

[lib2DaBone]

8. Airlines are taking 600,000 seats out of Service this Holiday season

Airlines are also raising fares an average of $40 per ticket. They want every seat full and every plane jammed to the max to realize profit.

I understand profit.

But a lot of Americans don't have a $40 dollar cushion in their budget.. after all, you must remember.. our elected officials sent all our jobs to CHINA. So workers have no money.

I see these disgruntled airline travelers going over to AMTRAK. But you must remember also, that AMTRAK is running on rail tracks that were installed in 1940.. and the Republicans WILL NOT allow any improvement... because they are controlled by the Oil Companies, who want you using $4 a gallon gas.

The Oil Companies DO NOT want you riding the train.. they want you pumping gas into your SUV.

So, Yes. Rail service sucks.. but why? Because our Congress and the Lobbyists have agreed to MAKE IT SUCK!

[PSPS]

9. There's always this...

[demosincebirth]

10. I love Amtrak, but I hate it's on-time record between Seattle - Los Angeles and

Houston - Chicago. I have some horror stories about Amtrak. But, I still love trains.

[RufusTFirefly]

14. In many ways, the bad rap against Amtrak is self-fulfilling

As a former Amtrak president once told Congress after they cut back on the system's funding: "First you starve us. Then you yell at us for being too skinny."

[demosincebirth]

24. The problem is that they don't have priority on the rails.

[JanMichael]

26. Bingo. They have to share lines with slow moving freight trains.

They also have to rely on those same freight companies to repair broken signals which can take forever.

[liberal N proud]

13. The republicans want to privatize everything!

[Auntie Bush]

15. So they can pocket the profits themselves and raise the rates.

We the consumer loses again!

[dotymed]

16. I am sooo sick of privatization.

Just because America has capitalism doesn't mean that individuals should profit off of everything. OTOH, I would rather have Amtrak privatized than healthcare.

Many things are just plain good for the people and shouldn't have to make someone wealthy in order to be viable. Fuck the love of money. Bring back fair taxation of the wealthy. Many wealthy people agree, that's where you will find who the true patriots of this nation are, the wealthy of a few decades ago were mostly patriots who were proud that they contributed so much to make America great. They were the people who donated huge National Parks as a part of their legacy, rather than strings attached donations aimed at destroying public education in America.

Lets start in the other direction, let's start nationalizing things to benefit the majority.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

17. "dismantle President Obama’s vision ....."

....for a nationwide network of railways since they swept into power" That could have been about just about everything Obama has tried to do which I personally support whole heartedly. I'm actually more angry with the voters who didn't turn out in 2010. The waste of energy, time and money is due to apathy or figuring the privatizers will ever give up. They won't. They may fall back to wait out a downturn, but it's the end game.

[CBHagman]

18. Another rail fan here.

Wish there were more options in rail service too. We need to move forwards, innovate, and not assume cars and planes are the only ways to go.

[PavePusher]

22. I'd love to do rail travel....

from Tucson to Salt Lake. But it takes 4-5 days and involves going as far east or west as I need to go north, or more. If I'm going to take that long, I'll go by car, be able to go to more interesting places en route, at my convenience and comfort, and far lower cost. Going by train actually costs almost double what SouthWest Air does, and SW only takes a total of 6 hours door to door.

I'd also like to do Tuscon to New Hampshire. Same problems of cost and time. And again, I can fly to Manchester airport in less than 12 hours.

[librechik]

31. just completed a lovely round trip between Chicago and New Orleans on the legendary

City of New oleans passenger train. Service was great, scenery spectacular, price minuscule even with sleeping accommodations.

I recommend.