What would you do if you were hired to put Amtrak back on track?

Question

In some parts of the country Amtrak is doing very well, but in others it is in pretty bad shape. With the current fuel crises hitting auto and air travel, this should be a golden opportunity for good rail service.

How would you waken this sleeping giant and get passengers back on the rails again?

Answer 1

Rearrange schedules for better business travel,   ie  night runs so a businessperson could sleep on the train,  make a meeting in the morning.

Excursion runs out west,   ie   mystery trains,  

Pay more attention to travel patterns,   ie   Dallas to Denver for ski trip currently means going through Illinios

Better promotion,   lower fares  to increase traffic

Vacation package deals

Answer 2

I'm qualified for a lot of projects, but not this one.

Answer 3

that would be a hard job, mainly because freight traffic is so high

Answer 4

lI think we need to think in contemporary terms and wonder how we can morph this sleeping giant into a Transformer.  It is possible that too many band-aides have been put on old problems within this industry.  Wages have been on par with what the auto industry shot itself in the foot with...as mentioned schedules cover very little ground on scenic routes (unlike Europe and Asia.)  Stations are not easily accessible to sight seeing passengers let alone connecting passengers.

Often mentioned is that Amtrak has to privatize which would infuse wonderful growth ideas and begin to realize how to re-invent itself in modern times.  It troubles me to think of all the beautiful Gothic structures that were torn down when train stations were thought to be in the way.  There is a major role the rail system can play in today's times with the cost of fuel up for shipping and travel.  Good question...too bad they don't allow pets or my next trip east would be by rail.

Answer 5

Good question, and I am not politician so all I can give you are some opinions based on mostly freight experience.

First off, there needs to be more money, I realize this sounds like some sort of public blackmail or socialism but it is a fact, that any form of efficient cost effective public transportation needs to be publicly subsidized, passenger rail travel cannot be profitable and affordable.

Ridership is up in every sector, almost 40% where I Iive so people WILL ride if they have a chance, we have already proved this.

There needs to be accountability, and in a government subsidized entity I realize this very oxymoronic but if public funds are wasted the guilty parties need to be absolutely positively made accountable.

We need more routes, and coordination within the routes so travel is convenient.

The easiest way to do this would be to get out timetables form the 1940s and 50s and modify them.

We had great rail travel then, there were mail cars on each passenger train and that was one of the main ways the trains were paid for, hauling mail.

You are totally absolutely correct that this is the time to bring about meaningful upgrades in our transportation system.

It really only needs one thing: for our elected representatives to be made aware of the need and desire for an affective public transportation system. They usually dont think past the next election and dont normally have the best interests of the citizenry in mind beyond the next four years.

There are many many people in Europe that dont even own cars, not because they cant, but because they have viable alternatives in excellent public transportation and do not need to.

Answer 6

One thing I'd try and do is put Amtrak stops near as possible to other transportation, and try and encourage companies like U-Haul, Greyhound, Penske, and Ryder to locate nearby as well.  If this puts everyone at the airports, fine.  If there is another option, that should be used in every instance where the airport isn't downtown.   (But there should be airport shuttle service)

More routes, and better integration with local mass-transit.  If that means building some extra lines to go nearer to transit hubs, so be it.  

HIGH-SPEED-RAIL.  Make sure people know it's everything they wish air travel was.  (Cheaper, and because of the efforts at integration with other modes of transit, faster, safer even with less rigorous security)

It may seem uneconomical at first, because not enough people are using it now.  But they're not using it now because it isn't extensive enough to meet people's needs.  ANY kind of network...communication, transportation, whatever...is pretty much all or nothing.  The bigger it gets the more useful it is, and the smaller it is the less useful it is.

Answer 7

well in my neck of the woods and back home.... if i did this, i would have to put up new train stations again. most that i am aware of are being use for 'city purposes'. so that would have to be first. then i would have easy access to train tickets. maybe a ticket tron thing close to the waiting area. i would ride train over bus any day. thats alot of work to get amtrak back running again.

Answer 8

what would i do? i would create high-speed rail lines across this nation...amtrak is too conservative, they need to take more risks and try stuff.

Answer 9

Auto train everywhere. At any service location, cars, motor homes should be able to loaded and unloaded. That way, a family can load their car or motor home in say, St.Paul, ride the train to Spokane, off load, drive around for a week and ride the train back.

Secondly, the train needs to actually go to major cities like Madison WI, not "near them". Or Amtrak needs to have it's own shuttle to address this issue.

Third, Coach passengers should have access to showers and bathing facilities. There should be a washroom car where , for a fee, a coach passenger can clean up.

Get rid of those stupid paper bags for garbage. The cars have built in trash receptacles. Use them!

Swivel Superliner coach seats need to be able to be turned easily, quickly and at the request of passengers.

Place an extra train somewhere in the middle of long routes so if a train gets too late, the substitute train can be started to pick up the schedule on time

When a train is running late, running out of food is totally unacceptable. Call in an order to a local grocery store along the line and have them meet the train with plenty of snack car items.

Add more frequent regional service between major cities like Minneapolis and Chicago. There should be 3 trains daily in each direction.

Upgrade the track in St.Paul so the train isn't in 10mph yard limits so long.

Double decker Superliner 1st class club car observation lounge at the end of the train.

Answer 10

Two words: privatization and deregulation. I believe that Amtrak suffers because of its business structure, not enabling it to make the decisions necessary to be profitable. By giving Amtrak more corporate freedom to respond to changes in the customer market, they can do what is necessary to get back on... trak.

Answer 11

I agree with everything Ian F said.  Integration, economy and comfort are the principles which will make rail great.  It already has the advantage of being much more energy efficient than road or air travel; now it just has to be fast, comfortable, affordable and integrated with other forms of transport.

I also think that if you were going to revitalize rail you should take a serious look at railway stations.  Airports and railway stations are attrocious places for the average traveller.  Make the experience of getting to and from the station and on and off the train more pleasant.

In Toronto I could take a bus from my house to the train, the train to an airport shuttle to the ferry to Toronto Island and then fly to Ottawa and take a taxi or shuttle to downtown & be door to door in about 2-1/2 hours compared to a 4 hr drive or the misery of contending with Pearson International Airport.

One major drawback is the price of upgrading and modernizing.  I took CN Rail for one short trip and the railcars were old, dirty, the paint was peeling off the walls and it felt the train would fall off the track in a few places.  I also would have to take the train that goes from Toronto to New York to stop at my preferred stop and that train is usually sold out days in advance.

Answer 12

Bravo to Rango... his idea of taking out the schedules from the 1930's thru 1940's is BRILLIANT !!  With the improved signalling / communications systems we have it's a GREAT starting point.

NEXT, take Amtrak out from under the Federal Government, then offer SHARES in US-RAIL (the "new" Amtrak)... to draw in capital, and also offer stock-options to long-time engineers, conductors, employees.

THEN I'd make US-Rail ONLY provide "high-speed" service along a FEW LONG CORRIDORS... example, I-95, I-5, I-80, and I-70.  We go North and South / East and West from COAST to COAST.  IF our service works, OTHER company's will form where NEEDED to provide regional service. (example, "US-RAIL" stops in Stockton, and then ACE (Altamont Commuter Express) feeds to the San Francisco Bay Area)

Okay, on with the question... I'd lobby like HECK with Congress to do several things in the automotive world:

1)  Make a driver's license a PRIVILIGE (like Europe) where a license costs $1500 or more (with reduced prices for contractors, and certain others).

2)  Place a tax on Auto-gas to help fund the railway infrastructure.

3) ONLY purchase materials / equipment in the USA.  NO foreign labor, no illegals... get those US plants back to work.  Sure, license good products from Japan or Europe, but build it here.

Then ADVERTISE !!!

Answer 13

get it privatly owned. the big railroads like norfolk southern, burlington northern santa fe, union pacific, canadian national, etc. do not really like passenger service and seeing that they own most of the rail you would have hard time getting them to stop moving their freight out of the way of a passenger train. no money in moving passengers. freights are priority on the rails. people themselves made transportation the way it is now. every idiot wanted a car in the 20's and 30's so thousands of rail lines started closing. now that they are gone and the land sold off it is about impossible to put them back. even if land could be purchased it would be unaffordable. i watched the downfall of the c.n.s.& m ry. now everybody wishes it was there again. well DUUUUUH!!! they didn't want to ride it in the 50's and 60's. why would they want it now? funny, i knew this would happen in january 1963! apparently people only have hindsight.