Overmod Just for grins -- what is the average amount of Federal subsidy per logged rider on LD trains?
The average operating subsidy per long-distance passenger in FY17 was $106 based on total revenues or $113 based on ticket revenues. It would be slightly higher if depreciation, interest, and miscellaneous items were included, but Amtrak does not say what percentage of these items are allocable to the long-distance trains or any of its trains.
The average subsidy per passenger mile for the long-distance trains in FY17 was 19 cents on total revenues or 20 cents on ticket revenues.
Assuming 75 percent of Amtrak’s depreciation, interest, and miscellaneous expenses are allocable to the NEC, with the remainder split evenly between the long-distance and state supported trains, the average subsidy per passenger mile for the long-distance trains would have been 23 cents.
In FY17 the average operating subsidy per passenger mile for the Sunset Limited was 45 cents. So, a passenger riding from New Orleans to LAX would have received indirectly a subsidy of $897.75. From Benson, AZ to LAX the typical operating subsidy would have been $248.40. Benson is supposedly one of those communities that depends more heavily on Amtrak’s long-distance trains than the end points or larger intermediate communities.
According to Amtrak’s Service Line Plans FY18 – FY23, the cost recovery ratio for the long-distance trains was 52 percent in FY17 compared to 160 percent for the NEC.
Crossing the Huey Long Bridge, entering or leaving New Orlealns helps teach Geography. Ditto crossing the Mississippi on the CZ, SWC. or TE. Dito going up the Hudson on Empire Service or LSL or ADarondak. And along Lake Champlain on the latter. The Barenness of the desert stretches seen in daylight on the SSL.
But most of all, there are people who need the service if their mobility is not to be impaired.
daveklepperBut most of all, there are people who need the service if their mobility is not to be impaired.
Amtrak went before Congress and testified they carry a lot of impaired people on their rural routes. I have to confess I have not seen any and I would pity anyone that gets stuck in the Amtrak lower level handicapped room as it typically smells like an open sewer. Though it is the largest room on the Superliner sleeping car. Just do not understand how Amtrak does not see that odor as an issue. Replace the worn rubber gaskets or use an automatic timed aeresol if you have to that neutralizes the smell but damn......do something about it.
CMStPnP daveklepper But most of all, there are people who need the service if their mobility is not to be impaired. Amtrak went before Congress and testified they carry a lot of impaired people on their rural routes. I have to confess I have not seen any and I would pity anyone that gets stuck in the Amtrak lower level handicapped room as it typically smells like an open sewer. Though it is the largest room on the Superliner sleeping car. Just do not understand how Amtrak does not see that odor as an issue. Replace the worn rubber gaskets or use an automatic timed aeresol if you have to that neutralizes the smell but damn......do something about it.
daveklepper But most of all, there are people who need the service if their mobility is not to be impaired.
Johnny
A few commnents: my parents, who are near 90 decided to go to California. They flew out with my sister to help them. They took Amtrak back and used one of the lower level handicap accessible rooms. They HATED flying, and enjoyed their return trip.
I will not fly unless I have to get somewhere fast. My wife is handicapped and we travel by truck and travel trailer. Getting her through the flying process is hard on her and isn't so easy for me either. We have not tried Amtrak for years, it rarely goes where we go.
All that said, Amtrak as it currently exists does not seem to be a well run operation and is not a good use of tax dollars, and I hate having to admit that. I think there is a place for rail based transportation, and a place for subsidizing transportation for those who need it, but we are not getting it done now.
PR
But it did serve your parents' needs, and we should work to improve it so that it will serve yours as well.
And also see Malcolm Kent's blog on visiting Big Bend National Park regarding geographical lessons.
DeggestyThis is interesting; I have ridden in a room H on the California Zephyr several times, and I never noticed such an odor. Is it a problem peculiar to the Sunset; are other trains afflicted with it?
I read somewhere based in Emeryville, CA Amtrak has a bathroom cleaning crew that rides along with the Zephyr. Don't ask me why that is or why their only base is in Emeryville, CA. Another bizarre Amtrak factoid.
This is actually the Texas Eagle and the restroom smell is an issue when I ride it on the Holidays the last 2-3 times I have ridden it. Doesn't matter which direction I ride. In this specific case on the Southbound run the Sleeper was delivered to the Texas Eagle in Chicago with dirty restrooms.
It had been an issue on a Northbound Texas Eagle train that originated in LA because they did not empty the retention tanks (wherever they do that prior to Dallas......my hypothesis is San Antonio). So yes one of the pitfalls of the Texas Eagle is the smelly restrooms, sometimes the restroom is clean other than the toilet bowl but that is enough to stink up the restroom and part of the downstairs.
How does customer service respond to your complaint?
Other than the Texas Eagle and the Sunset, is it a problem on other Superliner trains?
OvermodJust for grins -- what is the average amount of Federal subsidy per logged rider on LD trains? Would many of them rather have that money in their pocket instead of 'helping' get them the overpriced accommodations?
Wow your really optimistic about government spending going away when the train is discontinued (heh-heh). Have some news for you though......the subsidy does not end when the passenger train is discontinued. In most cases they just move the subsidy over to a bus (see link below) to cover the rural area. Federal Bus subsidies to rural areas are increasing year over year.
https://onyourmarktransportation.com/rural-bus-funding/
The Federal Bus Subsidy does not necessarily fix the mobility issue because some people that can ride trains cannot ride buses because they are too fat, clausterphobic, etc. Not that I would ever argue for trains as a solution for mobility challenged individuals as I think that is rather expensive as a solution.
Though I do not agree with the opinion LD trains have seen their last days. Both liesure time as the result of automation AND retirements due to the baby boom retiring are increasing. Both those items have been a boon to the Cruise ship industry and for the Rocky Mountaineer in Western Canada. I think you could potentially launch similar service in some scenic routes of the United States with better accomodations, marketing and more ancillary packages than Amtrak offers. Throughout the civilized world there are private LD passenger rail operators even in some of Africa's poorest countries, all you need to do is Google or maybe start a new thread on them. They all use the land cruise model though.
daveklepperHow does customer service respond to your complaint? Other than the Texas Eagle and the Sunset, is it a problem on other Superliner trains?
Well I kind of want to ride the Empire Builder out West but the main issue holding me back is the restroom issue. Now don't get me wrong, I can tolerate some pretty nasty outhouses and you know how the toilet thing works when your in the Army......they hand you a shovel and roll of toilet paper. However, when I am paying a first class rail fare, really should get better than that.
When I tell them about the ordor which they can also smell themselves they said they will inform the conductor and the conductor will inform maintenence at our next extended stop (if it happens to be St. Louis). Maintenence does nothing usually. It's like that old LIFE CEREAL Commercial with the Mikey character "I'm not going to touch it.........you touch it.... I'm not touching it, I don't get paid enough for that".
What I would also like to know and I am curious about is why the CZ merits a special crew to keep the toilets clean. If I had to guess it is probably a specific state they traverse that has stricter compliance guidelines.
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