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AMTRAK Railway Age article
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<p>[quote user="CMStPnP"]</p> <p>[quote user="blue streak 1"]</p> <p>Fairly good article about Texas Eagle and athe general financial condition of AMTRAK.</p> <p>One thing mentioned that we have not considered is that AMTRAK is meeting 85% of its operating costs ( not allocated ). All other forms of public transit --- Commuter rail, heavy rail type subway, light rail, buses including brt, etc ------- all have a lower rate. I'll let you see what figures are present.</p> <p><a href="http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/blogs/lyndon-henry/amtraks-texas-eagle-highlights-passenger-train-success.html?channel">http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/blogs/lyndon-henry/amtraks-texas-eagle-highlights-passenger-train-success.html?channel</a>=</p> <p></p> <p>[/quote]</p> <p></p> <p>Your going to see Amtrak close the gap further on the Loss as we approach 2017. You can thank Congress for finally smartening up there and looking carefully at Northeast Operations. Apparently Amtrak was not charging the many commuter railroads that use it's tracks the going costs of using the tracks nor were they apportioning Amtrak Capital Projects that benefit the commutter lines. I fully anticipate that Amtrak hits 90% or better coverage by 2017 if it starts to really apportion the Northeast Corridor costs appropriately among all the beneficiaries.</p> <p>Also, I think Amtrak should start charging fees and issuing non-refundable tickets similar to what the airlines do. It's just silly to issue a ticket to someone and allow them to change it to another train without a fee within a few hours of train departure. They don't have to go overboard on this stuff like some airlines do but I think they need to look at fees in specific areas. Probably hike Sleeper rates a little as well. [/quote]</p> <p>What is the basis for the claim that Amtrak has not been charging the commuter operators and presumably the freight carriers the fully allocated cost of using its rights-of-way? </p> <p>Also, how do we know whether Amtrak is paying a commensurable rate for its use of those portions of the NEC owned by other government agencies or for its use of the freight carriers and other roads that handle its long distance and short corridor passenger trains?</p> <p>How many Amtrak passengers change their reservations within a few hours of reservations? If the number is relatively small, the marginal income may not be worth the negative marketing and image impact on the customers.</p> <p>Without access to Amtrak's accounting records, as well as those of the hoist railroads, it would be difficult to support the claims that Amtrak is getting what it is due or paying what it should.</p> <p>Presumably you mean 90 per cent of its operating expense coverage as opposed to 90 per cent of its fully allocated expenses. Clearly, it has a way to go since it only covers 79 per cent of its operating expenses as of the end of FY11 as per Amtrak's National Fact Sheet, Monthly Operating Reports, and FY11 Financial Statements.</p> <p></p> <p></p>
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