Sam1 The rail enthusiast and frequent rider in me is thankful for the Texas Eagle, as well as the Heartland Flyer and Sunset Limited. The accountant and financial analyst in me is appalled at the losses run-up by these trains. The futurist in me would scrap the Eagle and the Limited. I would use the equipment (coaches and lounge cars) to establish improved service from Oklahoma City and Little Rock to Fort Worth and San Antonio. Passenger rail in Texas will never be a serious transport option until we have multiple offerings per day, on a relatively quick schedule, running during the hours when people want to go some place. Running the Texas Eagle, as it is, does not address the issue of better alternatives for people traveling along the I-35 and I-30 corridors.
The rail enthusiast and frequent rider in me is thankful for the Texas Eagle, as well as the Heartland Flyer and Sunset Limited. The accountant and financial analyst in me is appalled at the losses run-up by these trains. The futurist in me would scrap the Eagle and the Limited. I would use the equipment (coaches and lounge cars) to establish improved service from Oklahoma City and Little Rock to Fort Worth and San Antonio.
Passenger rail in Texas will never be a serious transport option until we have multiple offerings per day, on a relatively quick schedule, running during the hours when people want to go some place. Running the Texas Eagle, as it is, does not address the issue of better alternatives for people traveling along the I-35 and I-30 corridors.
A very succinct picture of the key issues in the broader view as well. But sticking to Texas, do you think Houston fits into that vision?
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
CJtrainguy Seeing this thread, I visited TEMPO's website, which is at best described as a hodgepodge of text and a few links. No info on who is behind TEMPO. No way to contact TEMPO, should one want to get involved, even though in the text they appear to ask people to get involved. List of meetings they've had. No way to find out when the next one is coming up or where. I am personally very thankful we have the Texas Eagle running here and hope it continues to do so. However, if there is a real effort to build grassroots support for it, TEMPO sure doesn't seem to be it.
Seeing this thread, I visited TEMPO's website, which is at best described as a hodgepodge of text and a few links. No info on who is behind TEMPO. No way to contact TEMPO, should one want to get involved, even though in the text they appear to ask people to get involved. List of meetings they've had. No way to find out when the next one is coming up or where.
I am personally very thankful we have the Texas Eagle running here and hope it continues to do so. However, if there is a real effort to build grassroots support for it, TEMPO sure doesn't seem to be it.
According to the TXARP (Texas Association of Railroad Passengers) webpage, Bill Pollard is the Chairman of TEMPO. He is an adviser to TXARP. If I remember correctly Pollard is or was a Little Rock dentist. You may be able to contact him through Henry Wulff, who is the President of TXARP. His details are listed on the TXARP webpage, which is http://www.txarp.org.
John WR In May's Trains Bob Johnston offers a fascinating look at what has happened to the Texas Eagle. In 1997, Bob reports, Amtrak had all but given up on the train. Then in Texas a grass roots organization emerged to save it: The Texas Eagle Marketing and Performance Organization. TEMPO created a website offering information about the train along with a clear map and connecting trains. It also advised Amtrak about setting fares to yield maximum revenue (within the framework of Amtrak's own policy) and generally worked with Amtrak to improve performance. The result is a 12.8 per cent increase in ridership in fiscal 2012 and a revenue increase of 7 per cent per year for the last 2 fiscal years. All of this was accomplished by volunteers (most of whom seem to be Texans) who simply value rail transportation. TEMPO is working with Amtrak to obtain better scheduling and hopes to get more and newer equipment which will boost ridership and revenue. The TEMPO website is an excellent example of what local people can do to improve the performance of trains serving their area. http://tempo-rail.org/
In May's Trains Bob Johnston offers a fascinating look at what has happened to the Texas Eagle. In 1997, Bob reports, Amtrak had all but given up on the train. Then in Texas a grass roots organization emerged to save it: The Texas Eagle Marketing and Performance Organization. TEMPO created a website offering information about the train along with a clear map and connecting trains. It also advised Amtrak about setting fares to yield maximum revenue (within the framework of Amtrak's own policy) and generally worked with Amtrak to improve performance. The result is a 12.8 per cent increase in ridership in fiscal 2012 and a revenue increase of 7 per cent per year for the last 2 fiscal years. All of this was accomplished by volunteers (most of whom seem to be Texans) who simply value rail transportation.
TEMPO is working with Amtrak to obtain better scheduling and hopes to get more and newer equipment which will boost ridership and revenue.
The TEMPO website is an excellent example of what local people can do to improve the performance of trains serving their area. http://tempo-rail.org/
I ride the Texas Eagle six to eight times a year. I usually take it from Taylor to Dallas or Taylor to San Antonio. I am reasonably familiar with the train.
In FY12 the passenger count was 337,973 compared to 299,508 in FY11 or an increase of 12,8 per cent. The sleeping car count was 38,921 vs. 36,048 or an increase of 8.0 per cent.
The FY12 revenues were $28.5 million compared to FY11 revenues of 26.6 per cent or an increase of 7.14 per cent. Sleeping car revenues increased 5.2 per cent.
The FY12 loss was $34.5 million compared to $30.1 million in FY11. This was an increase of 14.6 per cent.
The average end point to end point load factor for the Eagle was approximately 71 per cent in FY12 and FY11.
I have attended several TEMPO meetings. The sponsors don't have a clue about finance nor as far as I could tell do they care. Clearly, given the FY12 to FY11 comparison, it appears that Amtrak, perhaps with the encouragement of TEMPO, is buying ridership. Increasing ridership without a proportional increase in revenues is not an effective business strategy.
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison was the key factor in saving the Texas Eagle and having it upgraded to daily service. TEMPO likes to take the lion's share of the credit for the improvements, as well as the establishment of the Heartland Flyer, but I believe it was the influence of Senator Hutchison that was critical to the outcome. Senator Hutchison is now retired from the Senate. TEMPO is not likely to get a sympathetic hearing from the incumbent senators.
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