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2005 Amtrak Funding-Bad News and Good News

2005 Amtrak Funding-Bad News and Good News

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Anonymous

Member since
April 2003
305,205 posts

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, September 15, 2004 11:43 AM

/quote]
/quote]they are seeing growth on trains becouse their are less trains.... amtrak is elimiating trains....so yea..the growth will show in ridership becouse of less trains..and more people on the ones left... so is it "real" growth..or just a way to cook the books to make ridership numbers on trains grow?
csx engineer

There haven't been that many trains axed. The Louisville-Indianapolis train, which didn't have great ridership, thanks to the crappy condition of the private rail line - something so-called railfans forget to state when bashing the KY Cardinal- , wouldn't account for a passenger in terms of shifting the heavy use of the Southwest Chief or California Zephyr.

The books aren't being cooked. Take it from someone who has travelled on the LD trains lately: The trains are well patronized. We need more of them to more places. That's the reason ridership isn't at all what it could be.

Interestingly, Amtrak had a much larger route structure in the late 70s, before a half dozen trains were aced purely for political ($$) reasons. There were additoinal trains to Texas, Seattle, CHI-Florida, PGH-St. Louis, Denver-Portland, Salt Lake- LA.

Still, ridership now is the highest its ever been.

Think how much larger Amtrak ridership would be if Congress gave it the resources to buy new equipment and run more trains to more place, giving the travelling public real choices that are needed. I hear Dallas to Denver is one of the most requested routes from potential customers calling the 800#.

The reason there's no Texas to Colorado service: Congress only gives Amtrak scraps and what it does promise to give, it has often broken its word and reduced funding.
That's no way to run a railroad.

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Anonymous

Member since
April 2003
305,205 posts

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, September 17, 2004 10:22 PM

QUOTE: The demand for intercity rail passenger transportation is limited.

You'd be amazed what a 1.3 Trillion dollar investment by the government will do for "demand." Any limitations on rail passenger demand have to do with the lack of investment and funding, not with a lack of desire or willingness to take the train. You're confusing cause and effect. Even with a smaller network and fewer trains, Amtrak is carrying more people than ever despite all of its handicaps. Passenger rail in this country truly is a case of "build it, and they will come." We just have to get to the building part. In the meantime, we should continue to have what rail passenger service we have, and if they're unwilling to build the high speed network we SHOULD have, then at least Amtrak should be supported adequately in order to expand its capacity and utility instead of keeping it on the ridiculous starvation budget that it's been on since 1971.

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conrailman

Member since
December 2001
From: NS Main Line at MP12 Blairsville,Pa
830 posts

Posted by conrailman on Saturday, September 18, 2004 12:10 AM

To: csxengneer 98.
Why Can't Amtrak be like Over Sea, Where They Spend from 5 to 20 billions a year on they Trains system where amtrak just gets barely 1 billion a year from Congress. If Amtrak was like Over Seas Train System, Where the U.S. spends Least 2 or 3 Billions year on Amtrak System. We would have a World Class System Too.[:D][8D]

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Anonymous

Member since
April 2003
305,205 posts

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, September 18, 2004 12:44 AM

while we are on the subject of the highway funding bill, did any of you know that one version of the bill is going to allow states to place tolls on any existing highway? i would say that 90% of the public has no idea that we are about to pay more taxes (in the form of tolls) on highways that we have already paid for.

if you dont want to be taxed again for using highways, be sure to contact your senator or representative and tell them to go with the house version of the highway bill, not the senate version. if it's not already too late.......