Edit post

Edit your reply below.

Post Body
Enter your post below.
[quote user="kvtrains"]Any business worth its salt knows that to survive you don't operate under an outdated and unprofitable business model. That's where the trouble really lies for those yearning for the experience. To this day most of the class 1's operate using basic fundamentals developed over one hundred years ago. Yes, they have evolved and improved tremendously, and in many ways bear no resembleance to their predecessors. However, the attitude continues to be that "passenger trains" are an expensive, inconvenient hinderance to profitability.Long distance rail travel should indeed be laid to rest except for those wishing to pay unsubsidized rates for the experience. If the market is truly there then a business case can surely be made and a company or companies, class 1 or otherwise, can develop, market and operate a profitable venture to serve that market niche. As a pure mode of transportation it is a ludricous idea to think that they can operate like an airline on trips covering thousands of miles. Westjet, Southwest etc. have it right and good for them.[/quote]Most people I meet on long distance trains aren't there for the "experience," enjoyable as it may be. People on long distance trains are just trying to get somewhere in a way that is convenient for them. Even with outdated technology, unrelieble timekeeping, and inconsistent service quality, Amtrak's long hauls still tend to fill up more often than not. That suggests to me that there is a market for the service, but other factors impede development of that market. The biggest impediment to modernization is lack of capital. That was the case in the 1950s, when the railroads were trying to compete against the publicly funded highways and airports, and it is still the case today. Yes, rail travelers were lured away by the convenience of the automobile and speed of the airplane, but it didn't help that passenger trains were stuck with obsolete technology. If the railroads had the capital to upgrade right along with the highways and airports, they would be in a much stronger competitive position today. Trains probably are no longer appropriate for most transcontinental trips. But that does not mean trains are only suited to short hauls. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, almost half of all trips in the 750-1,000 mile range are still done on the ground. Amtrak's long hauls are very competitive with driving or flying in those markets, especially out west, and in fact Amtrak's "average" long distance traveler comes in close to that distance range. The beauty of a long distance train is that it can serve many different trip lengths, both below and above "average," with a single vehicle on a single run.
Tags (Optional)
Tags are keywords that get attached to your post. They are used to categorize your submission and make it easier to search for. To add tags to your post type a tag into the box below and click the "Add Tag" button.
Add Tag