Amtrak Deserves Equal Treatment & Funding Source

[Anonymous]

I think the battle over funding for Amtrak could best be resolved by allotting a penny a gallon of the gasoline tax that we pay annually into what should be a transportation trust fund that covers all modes; highway, rail, air, and water. For far too long Amtrak has had to allow equipment that could be repaired and returned to service sit idle at its Beech Grove shops while the Bush Administration and the Republicans try to find ways to screw the railroad over every which way but loose, such as by allotting them less funding than what David Gunn himself feels is needed to operate the railroad and get the equipment back into good working order. Some of the trains that run chronically late would not be doing so if the freight railroads over which most of these trains operate were held to a reasonable standard in expediting Amtrak trains over the road. Such trains as the Sunset Limited, Lakeshore Limited, Capitol Limited, California Zephyr, Southwest Chief, Empire Builder and others are frequently delayed by interference from manifest freights and are frequently stuck in sidings to let freights go by. The freight railroads should start treating Amtrak like a valued customer, which the passenger railroad is just as they would any shipper, regardless of what he has to ship. The timekeeping needs to be better enforced. Late trains do not encourage repeat business and I think David Gunn would do well to hold a summit with each of the freight railroad's top executives to try to work something out where the railroads can keep both passenger and freight trains on time. If the Chicago and North Western Railroad could do it with its Falcon pig trains and commuter trains, so can the rest of them. All they have to do is try. It can be done. We need more passenger trains to more places, not fewer. As for the airlines, I think those now in bankruptcy do deserve to go out of business since the airlines, by the shoddy treatment of their passengers brought their troubles on themselves and do NOT deserve to be bailed out. If the administration can bail out the airlines, why not Amtrak. It is time to treat Amtrak as a vital part of our transportation network, not like the parasite George W. Bush and his bunch think it is. The true parasites are the airlines, none of which could make it without the subsidies they have been handed hand over fist for the past 50 years.

[Anonymous]

I think the battle over funding for Amtrak could best be resolved by allotting a penny a gallon of the gasoline tax that we pay annually into what should be a transportation trust fund that covers all modes; highway, rail, air, and water. For far too long Amtrak has had to allow equipment that could be repaired and returned to service sit idle at its Beech Grove shops while the Bush Administration and the Republicans try to find ways to screw the railroad over every which way but loose, such as by allotting them less funding than what David Gunn himself feels is needed to operate the railroad and get the equipment back into good working order. Some of the trains that run chronically late would not be doing so if the freight railroads over which most of these trains operate were held to a reasonable standard in expediting Amtrak trains over the road. Such trains as the Sunset Limited, Lakeshore Limited, Capitol Limited, California Zephyr, Southwest Chief, Empire Builder and others are frequently delayed by interference from manifest freights and are frequently stuck in sidings to let freights go by. The freight railroads should start treating Amtrak like a valued customer, which the passenger railroad is just as they would any shipper, regardless of what he has to ship. The timekeeping needs to be better enforced. Late trains do not encourage repeat business and I think David Gunn would do well to hold a summit with each of the freight railroad's top executives to try to work something out where the railroads can keep both passenger and freight trains on time. If the Chicago and North Western Railroad could do it with its Falcon pig trains and commuter trains, so can the rest of them. All they have to do is try. It can be done. We need more passenger trains to more places, not fewer. As for the airlines, I think those now in bankruptcy do deserve to go out of business since the airlines, by the shoddy treatment of their passengers brought their troubles on themselves and do NOT deserve to be bailed out. If the administration can bail out the airlines, why not Amtrak. It is time to treat Amtrak as a vital part of our transportation network, not like the parasite George W. Bush and his bunch think it is. The true parasites are the airlines, none of which could make it without the subsidies they have been handed hand over fist for the past 50 years.

[RudyRockvilleMD]

The fact is few people travel by train compared to other modes of transportation so why should those who don't use it pay for it? Airline passengers pay a tax on their tickets into an airway trust fund, and motorists pay a 24.4 cents per gallon tax into the highway trust fund; these are user charges. How much user charges do railroad passengers pay? Zero, Zip Nada! At one time there was a tax on railroad tickets which was later eliminated altogether. Perhaps had the passenger railroad ticket tax been continued, and turned into a passenger rail trust fund it might have been used to fund capital costs or support necessary routes.

We need some passenger rail service, but not the long distance train. Further, Amtrak is not a valued customer because rail passenger business is not profitable while freight is. Some airlines such as Southwest and Jet Blue are profitable, and when the economy improves other airlines may return to profitability

[RudyRockvilleMD]

The fact is few people travel by train compared to other modes of transportation so why should those who don't use it pay for it? Airline passengers pay a tax on their tickets into an airway trust fund, and motorists pay a 24.4 cents per gallon tax into the highway trust fund; these are user charges. How much user charges do railroad passengers pay? Zero, Zip Nada! At one time there was a tax on railroad tickets which was later eliminated altogether. Perhaps had the passenger railroad ticket tax been continued, and turned into a passenger rail trust fund it might have been used to fund capital costs or support necessary routes.

We need some passenger rail service, but not the long distance train. Further, Amtrak is not a valued customer because rail passenger business is not profitable while freight is. Some airlines such as Southwest and Jet Blue are profitable, and when the economy improves other airlines may return to profitability

[Anonymous]

rangerjim94, While those Amtrac trains were sitting idle due to lack of funds to repair them, Amtrac was buying brand new cars to haul frieght. Amtrac has fleeced the taxpayer's for to long with no results of any success. It's time to try something different. At least the airlines try to make a profit. Amtrac act's as if the customers are there to serve them. If Amtrac is an example of passenger rail service, than passenger rail service is truly dead.
TIMOTHY ARGUBRIGHT
BUFFALO GROVE ILL.
P.S. I rode Amtrac 4 times last year. NEVER AGAIN!!!

[Anonymous]

rangerjim94, While those Amtrac trains were sitting idle due to lack of funds to repair them, Amtrac was buying brand new cars to haul frieght. Amtrac has fleeced the taxpayer's for to long with no results of any success. It's time to try something different. At least the airlines try to make a profit. Amtrac act's as if the customers are there to serve them. If Amtrac is an example of passenger rail service, than passenger rail service is truly dead.
TIMOTHY ARGUBRIGHT
BUFFALO GROVE ILL.
P.S. I rode Amtrac 4 times last year. NEVER AGAIN!!!

[Modelcar]

....Of course we do know that Amtrak spending money to purchase "freight cars" was an effort to improve the bottom line....and why wouldn't Amtrak traveling over a freight railroads tracks be profitable....They are paying them to be allowed to do so.

I vote for rangerjim's scenario of payment to fund Amtrak and the ideas to make it function....The one cent would help fund another means of transport and in the met. areas, surely that would make a difference on the highways that are reaching their limit of capacity much of the time.

[Modelcar]

....Of course we do know that Amtrak spending money to purchase "freight cars" was an effort to improve the bottom line....and why wouldn't Amtrak traveling over a freight railroads tracks be profitable....They are paying them to be allowed to do so.

I vote for rangerjim's scenario of payment to fund Amtrak and the ideas to make it function....The one cent would help fund another means of transport and in the met. areas, surely that would make a difference on the highways that are reaching their limit of capacity much of the time.

[Anonymous]

I AM ALL FOR RAIL TRANSPORTATION!!!!! But I am totaly against Amtrak. In my opion Amtrak is a poorly organized, poorly managed, poorly trained, politically run money pit that keeps eating money faster than you can print it. The real answer; disolve Amtrak, than start from square one. A Mr. Don Clark on another thread has written a very interesting post on what I believe might work. BUT DO NOT CALL IT AMTRAK, IT WOULD TRULY FAIL.
TIM A

[Anonymous]

I AM ALL FOR RAIL TRANSPORTATION!!!!! But I am totaly against Amtrak. In my opion Amtrak is a poorly organized, poorly managed, poorly trained, politically run money pit that keeps eating money faster than you can print it. The real answer; disolve Amtrak, than start from square one. A Mr. Don Clark on another thread has written a very interesting post on what I believe might work. BUT DO NOT CALL IT AMTRAK, IT WOULD TRULY FAIL.
TIM A

[Modelcar]

.....If you disolve Amtrak...you will have NO rail transport in this country....No one will stick their political head out to do so. It will be gone...Finished..!

A fraction of money goes to rail transport as compared to all forms of moving people in this country. Of course we all need to have Amtrak work better....Mr. Gunn is the one now trying to do that. If he can get the proper funding perhaps he is the one who can turn the operation around and make something work.

[Modelcar]

.....If you disolve Amtrak...you will have NO rail transport in this country....No one will stick their political head out to do so. It will be gone...Finished..!

A fraction of money goes to rail transport as compared to all forms of moving people in this country. Of course we all need to have Amtrak work better....Mr. Gunn is the one now trying to do that. If he can get the proper funding perhaps he is the one who can turn the operation around and make something work.

[RudyRockvilleMD]

Part of Amtrak's financial problem has been they have wasted money. Consider the Chicago - Janesville service, consider what was spent to come up with a meaningless name like Acela to brand their Northeast Corridor services; these are some of the things I can think of now. Consider they have a high-speed capable train which is not truly high speed, and can only run at its top rated speed for 18 miles on their own track no less

[RudyRockvilleMD]

Part of Amtrak's financial problem has been they have wasted money. Consider the Chicago - Janesville service, consider what was spent to come up with a meaningless name like Acela to brand their Northeast Corridor services; these are some of the things I can think of now. Consider they have a high-speed capable train which is not truly high speed, and can only run at its top rated speed for 18 miles on their own track no less

[Anonymous]

TIM i couldn't agree with you more, I AM ALSO for RAIL transoprtation, But not Amtrash.. they will not get one Red cent from me.. no sir..

[Anonymous]

TIM i couldn't agree with you more, I AM ALSO for RAIL transoprtation, But not Amtrash.. they will not get one Red cent from me.. no sir..

[Modelcar]

.....Mr Gunn has recently stated refurbishing the NEC is something that needs to be done now....Tracks and electric overhead structures. One can't run high speed equipment on delayed maintenance track and etc....And someone new or some priviate concern can't either. Simply, the job needs to be done to allow full potential for the new high speed units.

I agree that was nutty spending money to come up with the silly name..Acela...It is meaningless to most people.

[Modelcar]

.....Mr Gunn has recently stated refurbishing the NEC is something that needs to be done now....Tracks and electric overhead structures. One can't run high speed equipment on delayed maintenance track and etc....And someone new or some priviate concern can't either. Simply, the job needs to be done to allow full potential for the new high speed units.

I agree that was nutty spending money to come up with the silly name..Acela...It is meaningless to most people.

[Anonymous]

My .02 Amtrak needs serious reformation and realistic funding. Any body who thinks that the airlines and highway transport industries haven't or aren't receiving huge subsidies is living in talk radio dreamland or just not looking at the real picture. If I didn't own a car would the government be justified in using my taxes to build highways? Yes and it is just as warranted in JUDICIOUSLY investing in rail passenger service as well. It's an investment in the future of your country, an idea that the rest of the world evidently understands better then we do. Viable rail service can be as vital to modern society as any mile of crowded highway or bloated airline. NOW, all you modern industrialized countries that have gotton that way without govenrment spending on transportation infrastructure raise your hands! Hmmm, I don't see anyone, do you?

Now- has Amtrak been poorly managed? -sadly, yes of course. Does congress and the administration have culpability? -always has. Should we privatise intercity rail?
( wew that's worked so well in Britain)- only if we mandate minimum service standards, reward good performance and fund what is needed to create and maintain the needed physical plant. BUT please spare us the half-baked mandates and the two-faced demands for "accountability" from congress. It's like Saddam Hussein lecturing the Israelis on their human rights violations.

[Anonymous]

My .02 Amtrak needs serious reformation and realistic funding. Any body who thinks that the airlines and highway transport industries haven't or aren't receiving huge subsidies is living in talk radio dreamland or just not looking at the real picture. If I didn't own a car would the government be justified in using my taxes to build highways? Yes and it is just as warranted in JUDICIOUSLY investing in rail passenger service as well. It's an investment in the future of your country, an idea that the rest of the world evidently understands better then we do. Viable rail service can be as vital to modern society as any mile of crowded highway or bloated airline. NOW, all you modern industrialized countries that have gotton that way without govenrment spending on transportation infrastructure raise your hands! Hmmm, I don't see anyone, do you?

Now- has Amtrak been poorly managed? -sadly, yes of course. Does congress and the administration have culpability? -always has. Should we privatise intercity rail?
( wew that's worked so well in Britain)- only if we mandate minimum service standards, reward good performance and fund what is needed to create and maintain the needed physical plant. BUT please spare us the half-baked mandates and the two-faced demands for "accountability" from congress. It's like Saddam Hussein lecturing the Israelis on their human rights violations.

[Anonymous]

i am a retired conductor for a railroad with 31 years of service when i go on vacation i always take the train because it is a viable form of transportation that does not requiring wearing a seat belt or pressurised carbins and trains would be hard to hijack sinc trains are run under the juristiction of the dispatcher controlling train movements. if we lose passenger ,the blame will fall on washington and our pals in congresss who never rode a train would like to see it happen.evidently president bush and member of congress don't know beans about railroading. railroads built this countr y and they carried the burdens of delivering goods from the factories to the docks during ww2.

[Anonymous]

i am a retired conductor for a railroad with 31 years of service when i go on vacation i always take the train because it is a viable form of transportation that does not requiring wearing a seat belt or pressurised carbins and trains would be hard to hijack sinc trains are run under the juristiction of the dispatcher controlling train movements. if we lose passenger ,the blame will fall on washington and our pals in congresss who never rode a train would like to see it happen.evidently president bush and member of congress don't know beans about railroading. railroads built this countr y and they carried the burdens of delivering goods from the factories to the docks during ww2.

[Anonymous]

Rangerj, I understand your deep concern over Amtrak funding. However, our public debt is in the TRILLIONS of dollars, with more on the way. Private debt in the US is higher than it has ever been in any country at any time. All debt is repaid either by the debtor or some one. But it is repaid. There are lots of swell programs out there screaming for adequate funding. Rangerj, in a nutshell, we are bankrupt; we just don't know it yet. When the big blowout occurs, there won't be any time for Amtrak or money for Headstart or much of anything else. This isn't a Dem or Rep thing...they all have contributed to the public debt because they found they could buy votes. The rest of us have contributed to the p.d. because we found out that electing a certain creature to office resulted in receiving "goodies" from the Gov't.

[Anonymous]

Rangerj, I understand your deep concern over Amtrak funding. However, our public debt is in the TRILLIONS of dollars, with more on the way. Private debt in the US is higher than it has ever been in any country at any time. All debt is repaid either by the debtor or some one. But it is repaid. There are lots of swell programs out there screaming for adequate funding. Rangerj, in a nutshell, we are bankrupt; we just don't know it yet. When the big blowout occurs, there won't be any time for Amtrak or money for Headstart or much of anything else. This isn't a Dem or Rep thing...they all have contributed to the public debt because they found they could buy votes. The rest of us have contributed to the p.d. because we found out that electing a certain creature to office resulted in receiving "goodies" from the Gov't.

[Anonymous]

People keep posting that Amtrak should be run as a business, expecting profits. Yet, the same people refuse to give Amtrak the authority to issue bonds, sell stock, etc., etc. Sorry to say, but Amtrak is not being operated as a private corporation, never has. It is a government service. I know of no government services that earn a profit. Not healthcare, not education, not our armed forces. Nano....Zip.....

Does your local school district expect their school buses to run a profit? NO!

Does your local school district earn a profit? NO!

Does your Fire Department run a profit? NO!

Does your Police Department run a profit? NO!

Then, why does Amtrak have to run a profit? You'll be hard pressed to find any passenger railroad earning a profit.

It is this expectation of profit that is a bad idea.

And get this? There is a reason why the Postal Service puts its advertising dollars into Lance Armstrong's racing team. Yep! The Postal Service makes money selling stamps. The Postal Service loses money moving the mail....

[Anonymous]

People keep posting that Amtrak should be run as a business, expecting profits. Yet, the same people refuse to give Amtrak the authority to issue bonds, sell stock, etc., etc. Sorry to say, but Amtrak is not being operated as a private corporation, never has. It is a government service. I know of no government services that earn a profit. Not healthcare, not education, not our armed forces. Nano....Zip.....

Does your local school district expect their school buses to run a profit? NO!

Does your local school district earn a profit? NO!

Does your Fire Department run a profit? NO!

Does your Police Department run a profit? NO!

Then, why does Amtrak have to run a profit? You'll be hard pressed to find any passenger railroad earning a profit.

It is this expectation of profit that is a bad idea.

And get this? There is a reason why the Postal Service puts its advertising dollars into Lance Armstrong's racing team. Yep! The Postal Service makes money selling stamps. The Postal Service loses money moving the mail....