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Get rid or rethink Amtrak
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[quote]QUOTE: <i>Originally posted by RudyRockvilleMD</i> <br /><br />All of the long distance, intercity passenger trains should be discontinued because their schedules are frequently slow and inconvenient so they are rarely suitable for business travelers. Their ridership has been <br />declining between fiscal years 1991 and 2001 - the last year for which I have figures - and they incur substantial losses. According to an article in the March 19, 2001 US News and World Report and a General Accounting <br />Office (now General Accountability Office) audit for fiscal year 2001 many of these trains continue to incur substantial losses per passenger. Although Amtrak’s ridership reached record levels - 25 million passengers - <br />(That is about equal to the number of passengers who pass through the three Washington, DC airports in one year) my guess is most of the ridership increase is in short-to-medium haul services - the Northeast Corridor, the <br />Empire Corridor or the West Coast. Some of the long distance passenger services might be converted into privately operated ‘land cruise trains,” and the Auto Train is a possible candidate. <br />[/quote] <br /> <br />I respectfully disagree and the public's ridership of Amtrak - REPEATING - NOW AT RECORD LEVELS - shows the weakness in that argument. <br /> <br />It doesn't matter that the three Washington airports handle the same amount of passenger Amtrak handles. Amtrak, by design, has never been given the resources it deserves. Most cities such as Denver and Dallas, have only one train a day. <br /> <br />railfans should know, trains aren't planes. <br /> <br />Imagine a single airplane trying to serve all the markets the Southwest Chief serves between Chicago, Kansas City, Albuquerque, Flagstaff (Grand Canyon) and LA. <br /> <br />Imagine one plane taking off and landing at all those cities plus Topeka, Lawrence, Dodge City, Garden CIty, Lamar, LaJunta, Trinidad, Raton, etc. <br /> <br />Train travel isn't just getting from point A to point B. Amtrak's LD ridership is greater in its intermediate cities - such as from Topeka to Flagstaff - than CHI to LA, though some ride the entire route of course. <br /> <br />Since automobiles handle 85% of U.S. transportation, should we then not fund air service, since a vast majority of people prefer driving? <br /> <br />We shouldn't also fund waterway improvements or port construction since the 4 million people that take cruises every year pales compared to train and bus ridership. Right? <br /> <br />Your assertion that LD trains shouldn't run because they're slow (due to freight RRs mostly) and not suited for business travel is also off the mark. <br /> <br />Most travel in the U.S. over 100 miles is personal, not business. Therefore, business travel, while important, should not be the determining factor. <br /> <br />Business travelers receive so many subsidies in terms of airport construction, security costs, the FAA, etc. <br /> <br />LD trains are also NOT LAND CRUISES. This is another myth that has been repeated ad infinitum. <br /> <br />Visit any major terminal and look for yourself how many travelers are there for a cruise. You'll see lots of college students, disabled, elderly and others. <br /> <br />That data you quoted is also very old. Judging a service by its market share only points to its potential and need for improvement, such as more equipment and routes, not fewer. More trains = more ridership. Almost everywhere new train service has been added, it has resulted in higher ridership levels. With more riders, you have less costs and therefore a more efficient system. <br /> <br />Amtrak's critics want to trim they system to disjointed corridors that also have high costs. THose corridors will require more subsidies as well since each of those trains won't be able to share station costs, such as CHI and STL, with the other LD trains. <br /> <br />
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