Now that we have vented about what - historically - has been done wrong. Let's take a breather and think about what might be done right.
Let's think about doubling. What part of Passenger Rail and Amtrak in particular should we fund to double the current status and how efficient would that be?
It is reported that Amtrak ridership is growing in spite of stagnent numbers of routes (with the exception of new, state funded routes) and stagnent amounts of passenger cars available to the fleet.
Doubling Route Miles
This would probably result in a better than doubling of passenger miles, but would require doubling or better the amount of equipment and the service facilities that go with more equipment. It would probably require more than doubling the payroll. Would it result in double the revenue? We doubt it.
Doubling Train Frequency
This would probably result in more passenger miles. It would not require twice the equipment and probably could be done without doubling employment in on-board crews. However, it would result in higher maintenance costs.
Doubling Track Speed
A necessity if train frequency is to be doubled. Better signalling would help with this, so this would probably require double the expenditures of host railroads on track and signals.
Doubling The Amount of Equipment
This would be a first step in doubling the availability of all passenger rail and must be done no matter what the cost.
Doubling The Size of Management
A real danger if we start pouring money into the system.
We start to see how interconnected is the network that we dismantled by nationalizing the Passenger Rail system. If Congress can come up with not double the money but enough money to double the system, it's really hard to say where it should go. It should not go into administration and/or management.
©2008 - C. A. Turek - mistertrains@gmail.com
3 comments:
Doubling the number of congressional districts served (would that equal a doubling in political support for Amtrak and a doubling of it's budget?)
Doubling the resources for information technology so we can have cost savings like e-tickets, on-board wi-fi and better accounting systems.
Doubling the consist of existing trains.
A second auto-train, on another route.
Doubling the menu in the cafe.
Doubling the payments to freight railroads, via increased on-time incentives.
Doubling the number of states supporting Amtrak services.
Doubling the number of stations offering checked baggage by building cars where you can enter and exit with your bags and then check them and pick them up while in motion.
Doubling the budget of NARP and state rail advocacy groups.
Doubling their membership roles.
Doubling the number of positive news stories on rail.
Doubling the number of letters to the editor about passenger rail.
Doubling the number of communications to elected officials about amtrak.
I worked for 15 years and had people help from all across the state concerning getting rail service from St. Louis to Springfield and Branson and on the Tulsa. Last year in Missouri the highway department tried to convince the State Legislature to help get funding for Amtrak from Stylus to Branson and on. They say it will help relieve traffic on interstate 44 and help drivers have other options. Rolla, Lebanon, Springfield, Branson and many other cities could benefit from the economic development it could bring
Vice Presidential candidate Joe Biden has spent many years promoting the idea that additional routes will increase traffic in general on Amtrak. . What about those gas prices? If Biden becomes vice president he will bring more Rail Passenger Service to Missouri and the United States.
Sincerely,
Steven L. Reed
1441 South Estate Ave.
Springfield, MO 65804
stevenlloydreed@hotmail.com
417-425-4182
With all due respect to Steve Reed, Joe Biden will do crap if he becomes vice-president. The best we can hope for is he has Obama's ear when the time comes to support or sign more Passenger Rail legislation. All poor Joe will have left is a tie-breaker vote.
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