Will Amtrak add more cars to their trains?

Question

I have noticed lately that more Amtrak trains are booked to capacity, so will they add more coaches and sleepers?

Answer 1

Only if Congress gives them money and Bush doesn't veto it.

Answer 2

John-

Anytime during Holiday seasons it is an issue with Amtrak.  I have been riding Amtrak for many years, and anytime I know I am going to use their services, I have always purchased my tickets well in advance.

This is the 4th of July weekend coming very soon, so the travel plans are already getting made.  Because I knew I was traveling over this particular holiday, I had these tickets lined up 6 months in advance.

I have had this issue before during Christmas and Thanksgiving too.  

I hope that helps you for the future.

Answer 3

They can't.  It'd take a year to get funding, another year to let the contracts, and years more for them to get built.

They have a pile of wreck-damaged cars sitting around Beech Grove and Wilmington, but no money to fix them up.  

Schwarzenegger just paid Amtrak $2.5M to overhaul two damaged Superliners, those are assigned (obviously) to California trains.

Answer 4

amtrak has added some capacity by adding some trains and by adding extra coaches on some trains, especially in Illinois and California, but elsewhere too.

the big  BIG  problem is a lack of equipment.  amtrak doesnt have spare rail cars just sitting around.  most of what they have is running, and stuff in the shops are being repaired.  there are some cars (especially those that had been in crashes) that could be rehabbed, but it costs money, which is what amtrak doesnt have.

amtrak could also buy new rail cars, but again, lots and lots of money.  each rail car costs at least 1 million (for coach, specialty cars like sleepers and diners are 1.5-2.5 M $ apiece).  again, government, whether federal or states, have to make the choice to invest in rail, and for the past 30 years it has been very minimal.

that being said, a few states are trying to help out by purchasing equipment and leasing it to amtrak.  but only a few states even pay for rail operations, rail infrastructure, or rail equipment.  most states only pay for highways and will not invest a dime in rail or air ops.

best states for buying equipment is California (they even have "California Cars", a special type), but other states like michigan, north carolina, new york, washington and oregon, illinois have all paid for some equipment over the years too.

Answer 5

that would be nice,

they have really raised there prices lately, it's now alomost as much to fly thesedays as to take the trian,

and it costs a shitload to fly these days,

what choice do you have when gas is $4.24 per gallon.

Answer 6

They'd be foolish NOT to add capacity.

Assume you have 100 seats on the train, and it cost $10 to buy a ticket. You usually have 22 people riding. You're making $220. (I've simplified the numbers to keep this easy.)

Then suddenly ridership goes up, and you are averaging 82 riders per trip. Now you are making $820 per trip. Life is cool!

Ridership goes up again, now there are 106 people who want to ride the train. You're making  $1000 per trip.... and leaving behind some people who want to ride. So you *rent* a smaller car, because you aren't sure how long this train riding craze is going to last. That way, if ridership drops and you don't need them anymore, you aren't stuck with extra cars (and their cost). You just send them back and stop paying rent.

But we're proving that we'll pay $4.00 a gallon for gas... we're raising h*** about it, but in the end we pay it. And as long as we buy it at that price, it will be sold at that price. So AMTRAK can go ahead and buy those extra cars, we'll be using them!

Answer 7

Well, that's unfortunately the problem, capacity is becoming more limited as demand increases but Amtrak is not receiving the funding to properly meet the demand, and Bush is threatening to veto the latest increase in funding approved by Congress.  While Bush is part of the short-term problem, politicians in general (since the Nixon Administration set up Amtrak in 1971) haven't worked out a proper funding policy for Amtrak so it can meet long-term demand that is inevitably coming as gas prices rise (heck, Amtrak just broke record ridership numbers in 2007).  So, if you're interested in Amtrak  and want to see more options for rail travel I would suggest writing to your local congressman/woman and complaining.