Passenger Trains > How Amtrak Shot The Passenger Train

“HOW AMTRAK SHOT THE PASSENGER TRAIN”
April 22, 2018
A Culmination of Deliberate, Destructive Efforts to Kill the Long Distance Trains-Ignoring Their Financial Impact Upon the NEC

By Eliminating a Modicum of Acceptable Dining Service Extinguishes Any Rationale for Taking Long Distance Trains

https://ntbraymer.wordpress.com/

Shouldn't the title read "How Congressional Republicans shot the passenger train"?

Great analysis. But can we please stop blaming the evil Republican's for everything. Amtrak received more funding in the current budget than in any previous year. And guess who now controls Congress. By contrast, the Democrat party eliminated in one fell swoop more overnight passenger trains in 1978 than anything the Republicans have ever done.

> .... Rather than
> re-equip the Superliners, build seasonal, tourist,
> and vacation travel schedules, and equip other
> routes with the successful Pacific Parlour
> concept, Anderson heeds the Board’s verdict
> better to push the long distance routes over the
> cliff by strangulating dining services. Certainly,
> SP’s Biaggini is smiling, from wherever he
> rests.

Elimination of food and beverage losses is a Congressional mandate. Don't like it then get Congress to repeal it. The mandate was in place before Mr. Anderson ever stepped foot in Amtrak's door.

Jack

True, but I think Andersen is making it worse than need be given the resources of 2 LSA's with microwaves. It takes only a minute to nuke something for the 60 or whatever sleeper passengers, and they can add some protein to the breakfast menu. That's why I think he has an agenda other than his selective interpretation of both PRIIA and PRRIA.

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> True, but I think Andersen is making it worse than
> need be given the resources of 2 LSA's with
> microwaves. It takes only a minute to nuke
> something for the 60 or whatever sleeper
> passengers, and they can add some protein to the
> breakfast menu. That's why I think he has an
> agenda other than his selective interpretation of
> both PRIIA and PRRIA.

That's for a couple of train in the East, right?

I am waiting to see how he handles the western LDTs.

But really, the eating habits of people are so diverse now, you cannot make everyone happy.

I have never read such a detailed, cogent piece on Amtrak’s developing crisis— two words, “Spot on” ...
The comparison between Lewis and Anderson is very apropos. If it hadn’t been for the ‘73 gas crisis, Amtrak probably would’ve died then, but ridership surged and carried the fledgling outfit on. Sadly, using laws to defend a “shut-down” mentality threatens the long hauls and is another way to rationalize downgrading the service as we’ve already seen— it drove away the passengers then, and will do it now.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 04/24/18 10:37 by IC_2024.

andersonb109 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Great analysis. But can we please stop blaming the
> evil Republican's for everything. Amtrak received
> more funding in the current budget than in any
> previous year. And guess who now controls
> Congress. By contrast, the Democrat party
> eliminated in one fell swoop more overnight
> passenger trains in 1978 than anything the
> Republicans have ever done.

Amtrak also added routes under Carter. You might want to mention that next time.
Democrats have never tried to zero out the Amtrak budget. Republicans have tried multiple times.

There would have been no huge bump in the Amtrak and passenger rail funding if it was just left to the Republicans anyway. And remember, the big guy at the top threatened to veto the bill over this, and the Republican are still trying to see if theyc an rescind part of it. Notwithstanding all the Republican apologists, it is quite easy to establish that on the whole the Republicans have tried to unfund Amtrak way more often than Democrats have. But apologists will be apologists. Such is life.

ATSF3751 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> andersonb109 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Great analysis. But can we please stop blaming
> the
> > evil Republican's for everything. Amtrak
> received
> > more funding in the current budget than in any
> > previous year. And guess who now controls
> > Congress. By contrast, the Democrat party
> > eliminated in one fell swoop more overnight
> > passenger trains in 1978 than anything the
> > Republicans have ever done.
>
> Amtrak also added routes under Carter. You might
> want to mention that next time.
> Democrats have never tried to zero out the Amtrak
> budget. Republicans have tried multiple times.

Correct. Also, whenever I see "Democrat Party" I think Fox News or hate radio. We don't it the Republic Party do we? Even Herbert Hoover called it the Democratic Party in all of his writings.

All the partisan pissing and moaning solves what?  I know, it is so much fun being unhappy!

This is a good read! Better grab it now. Copies are $100+ You are going to need it. Riding is free to Democrats and Republicans. If enough people ride, Railroads will bring back the passenger trains! See how a bipartisan effort can save the nation. Hop one for America!

---

Good reading at the first post link. It's important to see the methodology used by Anderson and Amtrak's BOD to kill off the long distance passenger train step by step.

Further down is another article by the same author, M.E. Singer, from a few weeks earlier that similarly dissects how Amtrak is making both long distance and intermediate routes unpalatable to the traveler:

“WHY WE SHOULD LOATHE AMTRAK’S 47th ANNIVERSARY (1 MAY 1971)”
What They Did Not Teach in Business School and What Peter Drucker Warned Against: How Amtrak Can and Will Make Service Worse
https://ntbraymer.wordpress.com/2018/04/08/why-we-should-loathe-amtraks-47th-anniversary-1-may-1971/

Finally, there's an article, also by Singer, that shows why additional though incremental revenues are irrelevant to an organization determined to completely upend long distance and special charter trains in favor of only NEC service and possibly limited intercity trains.


“UNDERSTANDING AMTRAK’S ATTACK AGAINST PVs/CHARTER TRAINS THROUGH SUN TZU”
Why Incremental Revenues are Irrelevant to a State Organized Enterprise (SOE) Bent Upon Balkanization
https://ntbraymer.wordpress.com/2018/04/01/understanding-amtraks-attack-against-pvs-charter-trains-through-sun-tzu/

Below are a couple of telling paragraphs from the article:

Despite the common sense acknowledgment that PVs and charter trains contribute directly to local tourism economies, as well as to Amtrak’s bottom line, frankly, this is not the point of an argument based on facts and numbers. Anderson was deliberately brought in to invoke Sun Tzu’s theory “In war, the way is to avoid what is strong, and strike at what is weak.” In essence, Anderson was recruited as a sapper–to clear the mines and make the tough decisions to facilitate Amtrak’s Board appointing one of their long-standing favorites from the executive management staff. How long will Anderson last until he takes a significant hit (perhaps months?), but no matter, he is running block for Amtrak’s preferred, long term CEO cultivated in the boardroom at HQ.

To appreciate the strategy in his term as CEO, Anderson is expected to:

*Diminish dining services with Cross Country Diners and minimized menu selection.
*Eliminate any concept of first class services, e.g., Pacific Parlour, “Auto Train” F lounge and diner.
*Reduce redundancy of lounge and diners; cutback to one car.
*Prepare stage for reduction of long distance train frequencies and validate reason to kill off by claiming lack of PTC; hand-off to states to operate as segments but required to pay according to Amtrak’s full cost methodology (no matter number of frequencies).
*Without long distance routes, PVs and charters have fewer opportunities to run; prepare now for this inevitability by cutting PV movements and charters.
* Building, expanding, enhancing new sources or current revenue base is not in the interest of Amtrak outside the NEC.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/24/18 11:19 by Cumbresfan.

.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/18/18 15:36 by darkcloud.

ATSF3751 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Amtrak also added routes under Carter.

Please refresh our memories.

CA_Sou_MA_Agent Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ATSF3751 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Amtrak also added routes under Carter.
>
> Please refresh our memories.


Yes, please do. Be specific; no general statements.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/24/18 14:03 by 41bridge.

Uh the nec isn't profitable and never will be.

Posted from Android

The only thing that can accurately be claimed is that the long-distance trains contribute ridership to the NEC, both through the trains whose routes include the NEC and passengers connecting from the Capitol Limited, Pennsyvlanian, and Lake Shore Limited to NEC services. As long as one rider makes such a trip, that's not a false statement.

Regardless of whether the NEC is "profitable" under any trustworthy form of accounting, to claim that the long-distance trains "financially support" the NEC is a wishful abuse of the English language.

Responding to this:
-----------------------------------------------------
> >In essence, this will be the major theme
> throughout this analysis of “How Amtrak Shot the
> Passenger Train”–how the long distance trains
> when scrutinized in an unbiased, unfiltered
> perspective were actually relied upon to
> financially support Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor
> (NEC).<

darkcloud then Wrote:
----------------------------------------------------
> This is almost certainly wishful BS.
>
> If the LDT's were actually profitable and
> subsidizing anything, why wouldn't Anderson be
> pushing to expand them? If his goal is to
> subsidize 'The evil NEC', then wouldn't he expand
> the profitable portions of Amtrak so that there
> would be more money to subsidize with?
>



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/24/18 15:04 by toledopatch.

ATSF3751 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> Amtrak also added routes under Carter. You might
> want to mention that next time.
> Democrats have never tried to zero out the Amtrak
> budget. Republicans have tried multiple times.

But now, when they could actually zero out Amtrak, they blinked. It was in their grasp, their weapons were loaded.

My bet is the Republicans lose a pile of House seats in NJ NY PA MD which dramatically reduces the remaining Republican interest in saving Amtrak. Whether or not they keep control of the House. They will be crucified on the tax impact in those states.

If the Democrats create a NorthEast Rail Authority to own / contract the NEC rail lines, and carve it out of Amtrak, that could open a lot of unexpected outcomes.

41bridge Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> CA_Sou_MA_Agent Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > ATSF3751 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Amtrak also added routes under Carter.
> >
> > Please refresh our memories.
>
>
> Yes, please do. Be specific; no general
> statements.

Pioneer and Desert Wind are just two. There may have been more, but these two stand out for me.
These trains were dropped under Clinton, but at the time, the GOP controlled the Congress which per it's charter, puts forth the Budget. There was also some proposals by the GOP to privatize Amtrak at the time which seems to be a broken record that keeps playing over and over again.
The fact is, while some trains have been cut under Dems, history has demonstrated that the GOP is more hostile as a group to Amtrak then are the Dems.

That is probably not the narrative that many of you want to hear, but facts are a stubborn thing......



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/24/18 15:07 by ATSF3751.