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<p>[quote user="Paul Milenkovic"]</p> <p>[quote user="CSSHEGEWISCH"]</p> <p>Sam1 seems to want to overlook the fact that Amtrak is first and foremost a political creation, and as such is often constrained in any attempts to operate as a for-profit business. The existence of the long-distance trains is the price that Amtrak has to pay in order to receive appropriations for the NEC and other corridor-like operations. </p> <p>[/quote]</p> <p>And who is driving the politics? NARP? People such as us? Yes, Amtrak is dictated to by Congress, and Congress, on matters of passenger trains is influenced by who?</p> <p>I don't see it as a "false dichotomy" of discontinuing long-distance trains. I see it as a question of what gets priority? What gets first claim on new equipment purchases and other resources? [/quote]</p> <p><span>"Unfortunately, with the new equipment on order, nothing is likely to change. <strong>The politicos who authorized the new cars will insist that Amtrak continue to run the Crescent and other long distance trains. </strong>They probably believe that reducing the Crescent's annual loss from $46.1 million to $44.6 million a smart business decision."</span></p> <p><span>That's what Sam1 said. I recognize that Amtrak is a political entity controlled by Washington politicos. But a bad business decision is a bad business decision no matter who is running the organization.</span></p> <p><span>Not only was it raw politics that saved the Texas Eagle, the same political pressure was used to change it to a daily train, add a stop at Mineola, and institute the Hearland Flyer. The senator who pushed for the Eagle and Flyer has never been on a train, to the best of my knowledge, except as a publicity stunt. </span></p> <p><span>Frank and Jesse had the decency, when robbing a bank, to wave guns under the noses of the people being robbed. Most of them probably figured out quickly that it was going to be a bad hair day. Many politicians, however, ram through legislation in the middle of the night, frequently attached to another bill to mask their intent, and steal the wealth of their constituents without their even know it. That's how the Texas Eagle was saved.</span></p> <p><span><br /></span></p>
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