PHILADELPHIA — Amtrak is suing the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority in federal court, as it seeks a dramatic increase in rent in a dispute over land SEPTA leases along the Northeast Corridor. Since 1987, SEPTA has paid $1 a y...
http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2019/06/27-amtrak-sues-septa-in-rent-dispute
Brian Schmidt, Editor, Classic Trains magazine
Did I read that right in the article, they only charge SEPTA a paltry $50 a year to use the Northeast Corridor? If that is true it explains why Amtrak cannot keep the NEC maintained without outside infusion of funds from the Federal taxpayer.
Amtrak needs to be charging market rates for all tenants here and quit subsidizing everyone and their aunt and uncle on the NEC.
CMStPnPDid I read that right in the article, they only charge SEPTA a paltry $50 a year to use the Northeast Corridor?
The NewsWire article had a "little typo". The article in the Plily Inquirer that they were referencing said $50 million.
Edit: The original article also states that Amtrak uses 6 of he SEPTA stations and pays nothing toward their maintenance.
$1.00 per year for rent of land and $50 million for upkeep of ROW.
$50 Million sounds a lot better than $50. I still wonder give than it is such a round number if it was arbitrarily decided on or if it is actually based on using a per train cost allocation formula. Note that Amtrak was almost obsessed with the weight of each Private Car it towed to understand the hp requrements and eventual locomotive charges, if an additional locomotive was required. I just wonder if their arrangements with transit agencies are allocated similarly?
While SEPTA uses its own locos, there is the track usage and also electric usage.
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