Not sure that RoW and running trains, passenger and freight are vertical. In any case, separation allows freight lines to concentrate on what they do best, passenger lines to do likewise and track maintenance to have a separate concentration.
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
ACYIt's not an exact science.
Right. It's a statistical science.
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
ACYIt's a matter of looking at the options available to the passengers, then guessing how many might choose which option. It means guessing how many Catholics are riding on a Friday in Lent, even though nobody asked them their religion (or how observant they are) when they made their reservations; how many are sensitive to glutens; how many just happen to be in the mood for chicken today even though they chose beef yesterday. If any statistician can predict that EXACTLY, then my hat's off to him.
CMStPnP ACYIt's a matter of looking at the options available to the passengers, then guessing how many might choose which option. It means guessing how many Catholics are riding on a Friday in Lent, even though nobody asked them their religion (or how observant they are) when they made their reservations; how many are sensitive to glutens; how many just happen to be in the mood for chicken today even though they chose beef yesterday. If any statistician can predict that EXACTLY, then my hat's off to him. Just wanted to let you know that American Airlines changed their First Class tray service within the last few months. Passengers can now select the meals all the way from ticket purchase to the time they are sitting at their seat. American encourages them with Emails to select their tray meals prior to plane check-in so they have the selection on board before the plane departs.
Considering the society we live in today, I am surprised that American isn't getting a backlash from their customers considering such a request as an invasion of their privacy.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
ACYGood one, Balt!
And speaking of 'good one', let me be the first to applaud that new sig you have. Not only is it a vast improvement on its predecessor, it's often something of a good commentary in itself!
As much as I hate to find myself on the side of the usual food-service (and sleeping-car) bashers on this forum, in the case of the Florida commissary I can't disagree. Truly, this is something a private business would not have tolerated for a single month, let alone for (how many?) years and years. It's an example of inertia by a government agency, Amtrak, at its worst.
Elsewhere, Amtrak has sharpened up noticeably to this rider in recent years. (And I don't mean by getting rid of wine-tastings and other niceties.) Why so slow to reform the most obvious reproach to its otherwise exemplary AT?
Statistics are created from raw data by persons that want to prove their point. The same thing can be said about 'Cost Accounting'. In any business organization that does more than one thing - and in todays world what business only has a single product - there are many costs to the organization that must be aportioned to the various product lines. The rules for allocating these costs to the various product lines are not set in stone - they are manipulated by the organization to prove the point of view that the organization wants. Additionally corporate politics directly affect the direct costs of a product line by the kind of emphasis the politics place on the product - spare no expense or don't invest in equipment to improve the product and reduce direct costs - and every point of political conflict in between.
We have no idea of all the decisions that go into the 'costs' that any organization publishes, nor really what agenda they have stated their 'costs' to prove.
Cost, politics and Amtrak are so entwined no one on the outside, and few on the inside, have any real idea of what is the truth.
Cutting through all the distractions, a few, clear facts must be emphasized. The costs of the commissary at Sanford are not inflated by some devious corporate folks at Amtrak through cost accounting. They are the actual charges Amtrak pays to an outside contractor to provide food services for one train, the A-T and the A-T portion of the Lorton/Ivy City facility. And they are the categorized data, not statistics, that the IG auditors determined, not Amtrak.
Now ACY is saying the Sanford commissary also provides bed linens. However, we do not know where those charges are found, but they would not explain the nearly 10X discrepancy. Frankly, as an employee of Amtrak, I would think his comments would reflect some dismay at what appears to be a serious problem, rather than rationalizations.
Following up on BaltACD's charges about cost accounting, i would ask what is he implying? That corporate Amtrak is having the A-T carry a disproportionate amount of the Ivy City overhead? For what snarky purpose? To discredit the A-T?
We have already seen that he distrusts statistical analysis. Now cost accounting is dismissed as well. What's next? Mathematics?
Not to discredit the A-T spcifically, but use its credit to help operations with less credit. Someething does seem very fishy, and getting what the real explanaition is might help in restructuring food service to both preserve quality and also reduce costs.
But possibly the simple exlanation is that commisary costs for Auto Train includee many items that are not food costs, while for other trains, they are food costs only.
I distrust agenda's - and the numbers that are being used to 'prove' the agenda. Numbers, statistics, cost accountings are created from a agenda. No published number should ever be taken at face value - those that are publishing the number have a agenda that they are pushing. Know the agenda and explore what they are truly representing with the number.
If it wasn't possible to manipulate numbers we would not have had Bernie Madoff, Enron, the 2008-2009 financial collapse and resulting banking bailouts as well as the manufacturing bailouts. If only the numbers being published actually represent what we are being told they represent we would be in the perfect world of total transperancy...ie. Utopia. We are a long way from Utopia!
One thing to remember about 'published numbers' - even numbers that are published in official financial statements and have been certified as meeting all the rules that apply to accounting statements - there are myriad of options in how the rules may be properly applied - each ending up with a different final answer.
Investors such as Carl Icahn, Ackman and hundreds if not thousands of others - dig through those statements and dig out investment opportunities that have been hidden in plain sight in the statements by deconstructing how the numbers came into being and what the REAL conditions are that give them the edge over people who accept the numbers and the agenda that published them.
And remember the old rule of thumb: 47% of all statistics are made up on the spot.
RIDEWITHMEHENRY is the name for our almost monthly day of riding trains and transit in either the NYCity or Philadelphia areas including all commuter lines, Amtrak, subways, light rail and trolleys, bus and ferries when warranted. No fees, just let us know you want to join the ride and pay your fares. Ask to be on our email list or find us on FB as RIDEWITHMEHENRY (all caps) to get descriptions of each outing.
schlimm Cutting through all the distractions, a few, clear facts must be emphasized. The costs of the commissary at Sanford are not inflated by some devious corporate folks at Amtrak through cost accounting. They are the actual charges Amtrak pays to an outside contractor to provide food services for one train, the A-T and the A-T portion of the Lorton/Ivy City facility. And they are the categorized data, not statistics, that the IG auditors determined, not Amtrak. Now ACY is saying the Sanford commissary also provides bed linens. However, we do not know where those charges are found, but they would not explain the nearly 10X discrepancy.
Now ACY is saying the Sanford commissary also provides bed linens. However, we do not know where those charges are found, but they would not explain the nearly 10X discrepancy.
Speaking of linens, any idea when those will be refreshed? I noticed on trains I have ridden they are no longer white. Easy to see with an LED flashlight but not so easy to see with the Amtrak on board lighting. Maybe originally they were off white in color........not sure.
Also, it is news to me that Amtrak uses fitted sheets in the Suplerliner Sleeper I thought they used two flat sheets or at least it seemed they did on the last trip I took.
PS: Linen service can be contracted out there are hundreds of dry cleaning / laundry places that would love to have the business and would bid on it. Still no need to staff a commissary.
Frankly, as an employee of Amtrak, I would think his comments would reflect some dismay at what appears to be a serious problem, rather than rationalizations.
He answered this before, I think we have more influence as riders of Amtrak than he does as a Amtrak employee. I don't look at his comments here as being "official" comments rather he is just opining in his off hours. If it was me and I was onboard service on the train...........I really would not care what anyone said in this Forum about quality of service.
One does not have to be a Carl Icahn to smell something rotten with the A-T commissary costs. Sam1 used to know who to write to at Amtrak concerning their reports. Too bad no longer participating.
schlimm One does not have to be a Carl Icahn to smell something rotten with the A-T commissary costs. Sam1 used to know who to write to at Amtrak concerning their reports. Too bad no longer participating.
So write to Borardman. He is the President.
ACYCMStPnP: Thank you for coming to my defense. Does anybody here really think I'm the architect of all this? Everybody please refrain from shooting the messenger. Now I'm going back to work tomorrow.
ACY
Here is an article about waiting passengers at Lorton. You might mention it to the northbound passengers as well. Get Amtrak to list it as a possible item before train departure at Lorton.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/mayor-offers-amtrak-auto-train-passengers-whirlwind-tours-of-occoquan/2014/03/07/7a6c5898-a624-11e3-a5fa-55f0c77bf39c_story.html?wprss=rss_local
blue streak 1 ACY Here is an article about waiting passengers at Lorton. You might mention it to the northbound passengers as well. Get Amtrak to list it as a possible item before train departure at Lorton. http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/mayor-offers-amtrak-auto-train-passengers-whirlwind-tours-of-occoquan/2014/03/07/7a6c5898-a624-11e3-a5fa-55f0c77bf39c_story.html?wprss=rss_local
Entrepenureship - find the market and exploit it! Bravo!
When Carl Icahn took over TWA back in the 1980's one of the first things he did was to cut the quality of the food served on the airline. However, I received an e-mail from a friend who told me about the wonderful breakfast she had in COACH flying from Minneapolis to San Francisco in March of 2014. Sun Country Airlines wants to fill seats and to do so they will serve breakfast, amazing. Food service is important to the traveling public. Sun Country competes with Delta on this route and Delta serves only a beverage in coach.
If you want to kill the Long Distance trains, just downgrade food service to bare bones Congress. I felt that when I purchase a sleeping car ticket; I am purchasing a vacation not just buying a ticket from point A to Point B. I am paying for that food as part of my ticket.
Other parts of the world are realizing that passenger trains do work. Matt Van Hattem article of competition for state owned railway passenger service in Europe was a fantastic read; Congress should get on board for Amtrak competition. We will lose out to the rest of the world if we fail to act. It isn't the 1970's anymore!!
Oh so true, ARICAT! Congress is both Amtrak's best friend and worst enemy because of the funding processes in place. Boardman is trying at least to tell them long term planning is needed, thus long term financing, too, Not to the end of any given Congressman's term but for 10 or more years. They are all scared of not being elected or getting stoned by their opponents.
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