Edit post

Edit your reply below.

Post Body
Enter your post below.
[quote user="Sawtooth500"]Then is the blog post "Ode to an Unsung Train" incorrect?[/quote] Yep!  Financial data for Amtrak's trains can be found in the Monthly Performance reports, which can be located on Amtrak's website under Inside Amtrak.  The year end data is found in the September reports.  Amtrak's fiscal year ends on September 30th.  I have been tracking (no pun intended) Amtrak's financial performance for nearly six years.  The long distance trains have never covered their operating or variable costs let alone their capital costs during this period.  In fact, I don't believe that they have covered their operating costs since Amtrak's formation in 1971.  Several years ago, if I remember correctly, the Auto Train was able to reduce its operating loss to four cents per passenger mile.  But its financial performance has worsened since then, although part of the negative variance is due to an accounting change. In FY09 the long distance trains generated 24.5 per cent of the company's operating revenues whilst accounting for 38.7% of the operating costs, and they racked up 72 per cent of the operating losses.  If Amtrak could rid itself of the long distance trains, it might be able, with some fare adjustments and cost control measures, to cover all of its operating costs.  Unfortunately, Amtrak is a political animal.  Accordingly, it cannot drop the long distance trains, although that would be the prudent thing to do. And if Amtrak was operated like a business that is exactly what management would do.
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