As the airline industry in America is rapidly dying, isn't it time to invest in public railroad transport?

Question

It has been reported that the cost of fuel has forced Delta and Northwest airlines to merge in an effort to save both failing companies. A lot of the areas served by these airlines have no railroad system. Why not? Pretty soon, it will be too expensive to drive to these places. (If the boring drive doesn't send you to sleep). Why isn't there a better railroad system for the whole of the country?

Answer 1

Yes, but it would also be in everyone's best interest to begin demanding testing and implementation of fuel cell techonolgy.  Train engines can take up and over 2000 gallons of diesel a fuel a shot.  So don't think the airlines are the only ones hurting!

Answer 2

IT's time to invest in drilling in Alaska so our gas prices would finally go down and we wouldn't be owned by the oil countries. WE are going to be so screwed by October, because they just raise the prices on us, and double the price of barrels. They don't have to do that. We HAVE to drill.

Buy coats!!!

Answer 3

Why don't we have a better passenger rail system?  To be completely honest I have no idea (sarcasm), ask your local congressman/woman.  Actually, I think the people have spoken for some time now (a recent Harris Poll found nearly 70% of citizens think we should have a better rail system) but getting the government to act is another thing.

Ever since Amtrak was created in 1976 (under the Nixon Administration), unfortunately, it has been meant to fail.  What has kept it going is the overwhelming support of the people, and Congress, to keep it going, albeit just enough to survive year-to-year.  

So, to make a long story short, if we could get a unified Washington to back a dedicated, high-speed, passenger rail system (preferably with its own routes instead of using the private freight rail system) it would work wonders in this country to reduce congestion, fuel usage, and in the process cut down on emissions (but, unfortunately, none of the upcoming Presidential nominees have said a word about developing such).  Per-fuel-mile nothing is more efficient at moving people or freight than railroads...

Answer 4

Because the railroads got very independent many years ago and the trucking industry was much more responsive to shippers needs. Thus the railroads have fallen into disrepair from lack of funds. At this point it would be cost prohibitive to try to put the rail system back into 1930s condition. Too many sections of track have been removed or just let rot in place. Amtrack cost the taxpayers a fortune every year and wasn't what I would call an expedient or even a safe way to travel.

Rail companies only want "car load" shipments, and you have to have a siding where they can shove your "car" off for you to unload or load. Only very large companies can afford to deal with this. Trucking companies will take about any size load, and deliver it faster than rail. And you don't need a siding for a truck.

Now back in the 60s it cost more to fly than now. The airlines need to pull their collective heads out of their tails and realize $89.00 from Chicago to Orlando is a loosing proposition. Get the government out of the airline business and let them sink or swim on their own. If you want to get from Chicago to Orlando in 5 hours, cough up the $650.00 and let the airlines make their profit. Why should all the taxpayers foot the bill for some to fly cheap? If you want to travel, pay the bill.

Answer 5

The US once had the best rail service in the world. With the political will The US could have good train service. I would like the US to have the can do attitude again.

Answer 6

For those who think drilling in Alaska is a reasonable solution, consider this:

it wont make an appreciable difference except to the oil executives involved, there just isnt that much oil there.

And if you think OPEC has us at their mercy now, by all means, let's use ALL of our oil as fast as we can and then see how much sympathy OPEC has for us.

At least now they realize we are not without some reserves.

As for the public transportation, yes, we do need to invest in it more.

Ridership is up in every sector of Amtrak, we have proven beyond all doubt that people WILL ride given the option. For short and intermediate trips, train trvel is a very good alternative to air. no hassle boarding, no long lines to get your baggage, the terminals are usually near the center of town eliminating a long taxi ride, the overall travel time is quite often no longer than air travel.

What we have now is a joke and a national embarassment.

Airlines are not necessarily dying but they are realizing they cant continue operating in a lot of markets that railroads can and already do.

Answer 7

No, Railroads are fun to travel on but, the  strong airlines will survive.

Answer 8

I completely agree with you.  In fact, I worked as a flight attendant not long ago but decided to bow out because it's an unstable industry at the moment and I did not want to find myself being furloughed.

Did you know United and Continental are in talks of merging?  Not to mention, many airlines are not hiring at the moment and are cutting back jobs.  Aloha and a few others have shut down completely.  It's crazy.

Answer 9

I don't know if I agree that airlines are dying.  In the mid-west Air- tran and Allegent air are expanding.

A merger of two giants doesn't mean the industry is dying airlines come and go.  

Do you travel by train now?   I just can't even imaging taking Am track,  if I want to get there quickly, then it is plane, if I don't mind the drive the car.   Gas prices are going through the roof but that still doesn't make it any more economical to take a train, they run on energy also.

Answer 10

As to the fuel issue:  there are acres of "mash" in Canada, the Northern Territories, and Alaska.  This "mash" is soil and sediment that is saturated with crude oil, only it is not processed.  As the prices climb, companies will begin finding ways to process these fields, with out drilling.  

I love railroading it.  We have taken the train in Smoky Mountains, Route 66 and the Green Mountains.  Totally affordable.

Answer 11

Yep we need a high speed rail system very badly.But til the price of oil goes even higher and America sees what 6 dollar a gallon gas does to the economy things are not going to change.I think 250 mph rail service would be rode by thousands of people.It's a nice green source of transportation compared to burning fossil fuel in cars also.The right of way for a rail system takes up very little space compared to highways.We need to wake up soon and get started on more efficient ways to get around the country because the fossil fuel IS running out and a barrel of oil is going to keep getting costlier to produce.

Nina sorry to tell you but gas prices are never going to go down.As far as drilling in Alaska that's a drop in the bucket for what America consumes in oil.The only reason they want to get their hands on that oil is because it's close to home and they wouldn't have to pay foreign countries for it.There is not enough oil there to cure any of the problems we face.Europe has been paying twice what we pay for gas for years,that's one of the reasons they  have such good rail service there.I feel we haven't seen anything yet as far as the price of gas...just wait a year or two.I think America is fixing to lose some of it's love affair with the automobile.200 dollar a barrel oil is going to be a killer for our economy.

Answer 12

In transport management there is crying need for a revolution. We need to cut down our dependency on petrol. Research should be expedited to exploit the natural sources of energy like Solar, Wind, Sea for all our energy needs including the need to drive our locomotives.

Answer 13

I think we should invest in telepathology

Answer 14

I think it would be a good idea if the USA thought seriously about reinstating light rail big time, as a major source of transport.

Up until the 1930s there was a light rail network across the USA, it consisted of tramlines linking towns and cities and was called the Interurban. Most people used it because only the rich had cars....

Then the oil companies and car companies bought it up and asset-stripped it. The rest is history...

The USA has much to be proud of in railway development, e.g. having heavy-duty diesel locomotives capable of hauling the world's heaviest trains, and being the first country in the world to complete a transcontinental rail line (Union Pacific, 1869), the PCC Streetcar which was so succsessful it became a prototype for European trams, etc..

I was chuffed (no pun intended) to read your comments about Britain but, sadly Britain is suffering from the road malady. In the 1960s a lot of rail lines were shut down with the excuse that they were uneconomic and under-used, but this was because the government had been pursuing an active policy of discouraging people to use them (trains at inconvenient times, poor connections, etc).

I don't have a car so travel regularly by train and could write a book on 'what I think is wrong with Britain's railways' but there isn't space here so I'll just say, thank you for your question and have you thought about joining the Green Party?

Answer 15

The cost of fuel is the same for all airlines.  They will all try to hold prices down until one of the others increases their price to adjust for fuel.  Then the others do it.  

Merging has more to do with routs and equipment management.

Answer 16

I can't take a raiway to Jamaica though.

You have Amtrack.

Answer 17

Yes, PLEASE!!!  Just go to Europe and hop easily on a train to anywhere.  It's so relaxing.  We desperately need this option!  There is so much we need in the way of public transportation.  We have to realize, though, that other countries have achieved this infrastructure by taxing gas at an extremely high rate.  That's why gas is up to $8/gallon in some places.  They have used this revenue to build public transportation, and, at the same time, make it so much cheaper for people to use it instead of driving.

Answer 18

First I think it's the job of the government to get out of bed with MOST of the industries... auto, aircraft, AND rain.  The millions we spend subsidizing them can't match the BILLIONS that other nations spend.

OR we nationalize the airlines and rails and BAN imports of Airbus and Bombardier and Chinese cars...

Answer 19

Supply and demand baby. That's capitalism. As long as the government doesn't subsidize some industries and tax windfall profits on others. The market will work its self out. Everything will be fine if the politicians dont mess with business.

Answer 20

I think you're absolutely correct. It's always a good time to invest in rail infrastructure though - especially in countries with large land masses.

Answer 21

NO ONLY COMMUNISTS TAKE THE TRAIN

Answer 22

Interestingly enough, I was reading an article that was stating that some airlines like Southwest are reducing their speed to save fuel, they are predicting it will saves millions of dollars traveling at a slower speed, but whether this will work in the long-term as oil prices consistently rise still brings major concerns in the airline industry.

Answer 23

let the train take the strain

Answer 24

because us americans since the turn of the century and the invention of the airplane went "la di da" and thought fuel would always be affordable and be around, that is why we never invested much in the rail-way systems such as other countries have done.

Answer 25

Nope.

Trains suck.

Answer 26

Nevermind... whaaaa for those that don't get their way!!!