Let's Just Give Passenger Rail Back.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by piouslion

Good to hear you weigh in LC, the sound of factual reason is always a welcome sound in the forum .. Pious

Thanks PL. Occasionally I have to try to use reason. Sometimes a scalpel is the best weapon against an opponent with a blunt object...

LC

[StillGrande]

Can we argue about getting stagecoaches and the Pony Express back next?

Railroads were cutting back passenger service even in the 20's. No one held a gun to their heads and made them give it up (Southern and I believe D&RGW held on to theirs a while after Amtrack).

When it gets too rediculous, gas cars will be replaced with something else. People are too used to being able to just go to ever go back to having to wait for service, be it trains, planes, buses, whatever. People don't fly as much now not because they are afraid of terrorists, but because it is now faster to drive the shorter runs. I'd take Amtrack, but there is no safe place to leave my car that would not cost as much or more than my ticket for the duration.

If breaking Amtrack into parts and letting private enterprize give it a shot is the answer, I am all for it. I am still not convinced that all the LDTs are necessary or worth the effort. The airlines will never let a more modest high speed line be built. Just look at what happened to the Texas TGV attempt. Southwest spent the bucks to scare the people who might live near the line and squashed it.

[Anonymous]

Perhaps a play from the J.P. Morgan playbook is in order. Where is the money to be made? How is the money to be paid? and What is in it for the vested interests that are assumeing the risk for such an endevor? Passenger rail sure, but it has to make money, run on time dependbly, make money, have good and polite staff, make money, have a good business base,make money, have a reasonabe chance for life,make money, have good equipment that is well maintained, make money, have schedules that are in reason for patrons, make money, that are safe, make money, go to places that people need to go to on a regular basis, make money. I think that about says it.

[csxengineer98]

sp jim...
so what your saying is that your "inside" information about the "lies" of amtrak is nothing more then then hearsay of a friend of yours that worked for the railroad..and retired in 1986....wow..... im realy impressed.....nothing on paper that we call can read....no articals..no studies...just hearsay..... man..if you belive all the hearsay that anyone tells you are one gulable person...
csx engineer

[Anonymous]

Actually, Southwest lobbied to block the state of Texas from issuing bonds for a transportation project. At that time the Texas DOT by law paid as it went on transportation projects, nevermind that every airport in Texas was built by issuing bonds.... The two old turnpikes (North Texas Tollway and the DFW turnpike) at that time were not associated with the Texas DOT, but were independent commissions. However, the Trans Texas Corridors plans of the Texas DOT are based upon the issuing of bonds, for highways, and railroads..... the law has been changed. Most of the new controlled access highways in Texas are now being built and being planned as turnpikes..... even new lanes alongside old freeways.....

Some of us, especially the current governor, hope this new law of issuing bonds by the Texas DOT will eventually be the catalyst to build HSR in Texas.....at least for the Texas triangle....or the Texas T..... What is needed is as strong a national will as much as a state will to do so.....i.e., the matching of national funds for intercity rail projects instead of just intracity......

In my opinion this is what the Amtrak funding discussion is all about....the future of rail passenger service in America..... Some prefer the status quo with some improvements, some prefer its elimination, and some of us see the future of a true HSR network in America.....Some say let private enterprise do it, some say the government should pick up the tab, and some say a mix of the two......

[StillGrande]

Would Amtrack be able to issue bonds for upgrades? It would seem to be the feds borrowing from the feds to eventually pay back the feds. Maybe a system would be better able to apply for loans, grants, and external funding. It also would not be forced to serve a station because a bigwig congressman controlled the funding bucks (directly at least).

[Junctionfan]

I think private investment into 40% of the company might be good if they get extra tax deductions because Amtrak tends to stink profit wise.

What do others think about this idea (preferable those who can correct me if I'm wrong)?