Amtrak Shutdown 5-25-06
- Thread starter N Gauger
- Start date
It's funny you posted that.What's really interesting is that every Generating Station that is on the North-East Corrider shut down.
kf4jqd
Active Member
The government can't do anything right. With the high cost of gas and airlines going bankrupt, I guess it's time to buy a bike! I did hear some railroads are actually concidering starting passenger service again! They would have to invest billions of dollars in high speed trains. But I wouldn't mind a slower EMD FAB with RIL Rocket Scheme or a Southern Crescent! That would be nice!
Andy
Andy
I'd sure love to see the Crescent back in private hands, but only if it was the Southern of old, not the new NS (Nazi Southern).... Tuxedo Green RULES! 
Michael
Michael
kf4jqd
Active Member
The Crescent IS in private hands! As we speak, it's being rebuilt by the Tennessee Vallley Railroad Muesum. It's on their website!
Andy
Andy
kf4jqd
Active Member
Power outages happen--it's interesting that when Amtrak has a problem it's the government's fault, but when a private railroad company has a problem it's just part of doing business.
Which railroads are considering restarting passenger service--do you have any sources other than "I hear so-and-so"? Amtrak has a better cost recovery rate than any other national rail service--partially because we are the only country that thinks passenger rail pays for itself--so why does it receive such grief, even from railfans?
Which railroads are considering restarting passenger service--do you have any sources other than "I hear so-and-so"? Amtrak has a better cost recovery rate than any other national rail service--partially because we are the only country that thinks passenger rail pays for itself--so why does it receive such grief, even from railfans?
jetrock,Maybe its the big lie of 1971 that many of us recall..That big lie? That Amtrak would become a profitable passenger system.
Then maybe it's time for people to stop believing the big lie. It was never true, and all the fist-shaking and hand-wringing in the world won't make it true. Perhaps this power outage is a result of all the "deferred maintenance" (a polite term for "don't fix anything, because there's no money for repairs") because of overly lean Amtrak budgets.
jetrock said:
That's the problem..You still have folks believing the big lie after 35 years and want to keep dumping money into a system that has proved it can not be profitable for the last 30 years-allowing the first 5 years for organizing etc.
Passenger Service has never really been profitable on its own.
Just as oil is becoming scarce, we're throwing away out BEST choice for city-to-city transport in an era of shrinking resources -- passenger rail. Jetliners have maybe another decade or two at most before becoming impractical.
Just as oil is becoming scarce, we're throwing away out BEST choice for city-to-city transport in an era of shrinking resources -- passenger rail. Jetliners have maybe another decade or two at most before becoming impractical.
Airlines have never been practical. If the government didn't pour massive subsidies into the airline system, subsidies big enough to fund two or three Amtraks, a ticket from L.A. to NYC would cost at least $3000.00 per person each way. By the way that was the number that was estimated for the cost of passenger airline service a few years ago before $3.00/gallon gas.screwysquirrel said: