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[quote user="blue streak 1"] [quote user="Phoebe Vet"]What is different about the NEC?"  What is different is the trains are fast, frequent, and pretty much on time.  Most of the rest of the system is slow, one train a day or even fewer, and seldom on time.  On the NEC, the trains move more people than the airlines and buses combined[/quote] Phoebe: I will agree with your conclusions of the NEC. Probably the corridor would have even more passengers if there was enough capacity on every train for last minute travelers to get a seat. Whenever I check on certain trains there are never any available seats. Perhaps when the extra cars for the acelas and corridor trains get extra Amfleet then people will show up to get a seat. That was the idea of the Eastern shuttle and it worked fine. Other points on NEC making money. 1. The high fares on the Acela certainly helps it to be positive cash.   2. Electric Motors. Servicing certainly is less - 91 day inspections are a long way apart, can make more turns with double ended cabs, overhaul times much greater, better ROW causes less wheel truing. Fuel costs: Electricity cost less than Diesel per mile, Regenerative braking puts some power back into the grid. Can pull regular trains faster. 3. Passenger cars:: Better ROW means less wear and tear. 4. Stations:: Probably the originations and destinations costs per passenger (would like each station have that as a national metric for people like  Sam to analyze). I woould think that NYP has a very low cost because AMTRAK does not use any more space there as say PHL.I imagine many readers can come up with their own examples.  5. TAXES:: Do not know if the diesel fuel is subject to any taxes. Does not have to pay property taxes on ROW, stations, and ancillary structures that are part of the contracting RRs contract costs. 6. The public transportation feed is better in the NEC. Another area that is close is California and we can see the results are coming closer to the NEC. The Carolinian is also coming close by great effort by the NC DOT. 7.  Certain LD trains get short hauled because of the lack of another train to take the locals (examples = Cresent Charlottesville - WASH, Florida trains RIC - WASH not as bad because not during rush hours, Lake shore fortunally bracketed by ALB - NYP trains. 8.  Speeds are a definite problem. One that will take years to fix ( Class 6 track, PTC, etc)   [/quote] The NEC does not make money.  It does, however, from time to time cover its operating costs and contributes something to the capital costs, i.e. interest, depreciation, other charges, etc.  During FY08 the NEC's trains (Acela, regionals, and special movements) covered their operating costs.  However, for the first five months of FY09, only the Acela operations covered their operating costs.  The regional and special movement trains were not able to do so. A business has to cover all of its costs to say that it has made money.  Actually, it has to cover its operating or variable costs, as well as the fixed costs, and provide a return to the investors to say that it has made money.  Amtrak does not do that anywhere.  Nor do any other passenger rail operations outside of a few tourist lines.
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