That's not too out of line with the passenger operating ratios being calculated in the mid to late 1960's, especially prior to the loss of mail contracts.
CMStPnP So if Amtrak had a OR or Operating Ratio like the Freight Railroads what would it be? Somewhere well over 100. Operating Ratio = Total Operating Expense / Net Sales.
Somewhere well over 100.
Operating Ratio = Total Operating Expense / Net Sales.
It would have been 131.5 percent in 2016; 127.3 percent in 2017.
Rio Grande Valley, CFI,CFII
CandOforprogress2 So if Amtrak had a OR or Operating Ratio like the Freight Railroads what would it be? By the way I am counting the annual subsidy from Congress as revenue a purchase of service agreement like the commuter railroads.
So if Amtrak had a OR or Operating Ratio like the Freight Railroads what would it be? By the way I am counting the annual subsidy from Congress as revenue a purchase of service agreement like the commuter railroads.
One issue with the comparison. VIA Rail is younger than Amtrak and as a practice the railroad industry is horrible when it comes to disconnecting old phones when they relocate offices. I used to work at Verizon and OMG, Santa Fe and UP had tons of phone lines still active you can call and they would ring forever with nobody answering. Great for business I am sure.
You do bring up a good point. That is that Amtrak should continuously benchmark against as many relevant places they can find.
Amtrak is a railroad, a passenger carrier and a hospitality company. They need to look at industry leaders in all these fields to find best practices.
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
CandOforprogress2 I also have heard that Amtrak is one of the largest law firms in DC.
At the end of 2016 Amtrak's General Counsel Office had 143 personnel. Not all of them, of course, would have been lawyers. A significant percentage would have been personal assistants, para-legals, and secretarial persons.
CandOforprogress2 Furthermore why is it so hard to find what should be public info online on Amtraks website of employees of Amtraks back office?
Until the end of FY16 the employee numbers for Amtrak were listed in the Monthly Operating Report.
MICHAEL KLASS Don't take those listings too seroiously. Most railroad don't bother to provide a complete either a complete or accurate listing. The ORG is an anachronism that few people use for anthing more than finding rail stations and junction points. It certainly isn't a way to plan a passenger trip ro schedule a freight movement. The railroad listings are mostly useless.
Don't take those listings too seroiously. Most railroad don't bother to provide a complete either a complete or accurate listing.
The ORG is an anachronism that few people use for anthing more than finding rail stations and junction points. It certainly isn't a way to plan a passenger trip ro schedule a freight movement. The railroad listings are mostly useless.
The Pocket List of Railroad Officials is not the same as the Official Railway Guide. The Pocket List (I have a couple old ones, 1950s and 1970s vintage, and they would be hard to get into many pockets.) lists a lot more company officers than the ORG did. I don't know about current versions, but the older ones usually listed company officers down to the division level.
I do agree that a cursory glance at the Pocket List is not necessarily a fair comparison between Amtrak and VIA.
Jeff
Hunter Harrison might have made a good Amtrak President as one of the first things he did as CEO was get rid of the office cooler rats in Jacksonville FL. I also have heard that Amtrak is one of the largest law firms in DC.
My Railroad club bought a couple of sticks of rail and some parts for our caboose and as such we are now a railroad customer and from time to time we get railroad industry publications and this Pocket Guide to Railroad Officials just happened to be one of them.
I guess if we decide to go thru the nightmare of getting another cabbose and shipping in by rail and then trying to track it down as it moves from yard to yard across tghe country which often takes 6 months or longer for antique railroad equipement ...this guide might come in handy as it has been known that NHRS clubs have had to beat down doors to get stuff done.
Went through that publicication a number of years ago. At that time CSX had 146 different individuals that had 'Vice President' situated somewhere in their title.
It is amazing the people that work for a title, not money!
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Gee when you have deputys to deputys and asst. to asst. and VPs all over the place.--- Furthermore why is it so hard to find what should be public info online on Amtraks website of employees of Amtraks back office?
Page 1- Amtrak bureaucracy https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6syWxL9LzfRQXAxSVdsanVYTTZuV1JoVGVWU0I1RWVnM09Z/view?usp=sharing
Page-2 Via Rail bureaucracy- https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6syWxL9LzfRemVqTU1FUmRHYjItV19nb0ZNYTdKR25VUzZF/view?usp=sharing
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