Passenger Trains > Listened to Richard Anderson on NPR this afternoon

Heard a portion of his interview on NPR this afternoon.  The parts I found interesting was his reference to Amtrak needing about $30B of investment for deferred maintenance.  He stated that the "railroads" are not investing enough money in maintenance.  That would certainly be true of his passenger railroad but, the freight railroads are investing Billions in maintenance and expansion dollars every year.

I heard that too. I've never heard him speak and didn't realize that on top of all his policies, his voice is also pretty irritating. As one might imagine, the presentation was full of issues. Above all, it was titled "Amtrak could turn a profit for the first time ever", which is comically misleading. To that point, as soon as they got past mentioning that, Anderson mentioned the $30-40 billion backlog of work. So then they say it is "operating profitability." Predicatbly, the segment had an angle that focused on the NEC and other short routes, and implied long distance trains are outmoded. This is the article linked to the radio segment, though it doesn't have all that was said in the radio segment: https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2019/11/15/amtrak-profit-train-ceo-richard-anderson

A couple other things that stuck out to me while hearing it: he was asked about safety, and "it is number #1 priority blah blah blah". Following that, he cited statistics that there were no employee or staff deaths." I suppose he was in luck that the reporting period for that must have ended before the recent tragic employee death in Chicago, which I immediately thought of as I was driving on I290 towards downtown listening to it.

This isn't in the article, but the reporter also made a clunky comment summarizing PTC. Something like it "is like automated control, and makes sure the train doesn't go too fast." At best that is a partial explanation, and to the public, "automated control" would be pretty misleading. It doesn't run the train (right?), but everyone will think that. So what does Anderson say in response? "Yes, that is exactly right, that is a great description." - which makes you wonder if he even knows what it is.

He made comments about the lack of investment in rail in the US, and the need for it as an alternative to driving, which isn't wrong (to me), but when it gets mixed in with nonsense about cutting their way to profitability. An obvious question that went unasked would have been "where were cuts made, and how did ridership react?" The answer, of course, would be they were made on long distance routes and some suffered from reduced ridership.



 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/15/19 16:06 by inCHI.

Thanks for the critique.

Radio and TV interviews are often edited to focus on key topics. Sometimes the longer version is much more interesting.

Posted from Android

I take it Airline Boy just got caught with his pants down! Claiming Amtrak will break even but saying how behind they are on maintenance that's guaranteed to hit the fan!

Posted from Android

I don't think he got caught. The reporter was very accommodating and uncritical; his questioning followed all the right talking points for Anderson.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/16/19 12:29 by inCHI.

Regarding that $30-40 Billion in deferred maintenance--

I can't be sure, because Anderson is always so dam vague - but I think this includes replacing the Hudson tunnels, the Baltimore tunnels, and the Portal bridge..

This will get you very close to $30B

Airline Boy is a fraud and a puppet.  Gardner and Stadler pull the strings.

-John

I certainly dont agree with everything he has done. but he's out there, after what seems to be a dibilitating illness,  advocating FOR amtrak.   
The main objective is to get more of the public that doesnt even know Amtrak exists, to try the train.   So hopefully there will be some good timeliness of trains,
and enjoyable experiences for newbies.

NPR interviewers, unfortunately, are all arts/journalism majors, who dont know which end of a screwdriver you are supposed to hold.  So dont expect to get any knowledgeable questions out of them.

I'm happy that he's out there trying to boost ridership.  If his objective was to sell the "new Amtrak"  to the old guard, NPR would hardly be the venue.
Look, I dont want bus bridges on LD trains.  Its a terrible idea.   But i can handle some changes.
Step one is getting the current system operating well enough that there wont be more 1st timer "never agains"
The hopefully the will be some ne services.   I dont think the sky is falling.
And what's wrong with him saying that Amtk is "breaking even".    Federal subsidies are counted as credits on a balance sheet as far as I have ever seen. 
If it will get Atmk more support, so much the better.....

 

I'd rather Amtrak break even with great service and all that Claytor did, breaking even by downgrading things and all that other crap, no way that will happen!

Posted from Android

ProAmtrak Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'd rather Amtrak break even with great service
> and all that Claytor did, breaking even by
> downgrading things and all that other crap, no way
> that will happen!
>
Unfortunately, and as many have said....its just not the 1950's anymore when it comes to travel.  Even since the Claytor Era, many of those who appreciated the linen and flowers, have gone to that great observation car in the sky. 

Sorry, but ive never ben a big Claytor fan.  He got rid of the Express freight service, rather than making it work.  Excuses are easy. Making something work is hard.
With it, went the Bway Ltd (or whetever it was called at the end)  No one ever mentions that.  The freight supported the train. U could  easily tell what potential the freight express biz had, cause the freight RR's fought it like crazy.  They lost, and Amtrak should have gone to town with the idea.   Seems like it was just undercapitalized, and never really worked out.....Pass crews switching out bob-tail express cars with their whole train..and taking 45 minutes to get it done.    I'm sure someone will yell at me all the reasons it "couldnt be done"     Elon musk figured out how to land a rockets 1st stage back on its launch pad after a launch.....but figuring out how to implement express freight RR service is impossible.  I just dont think so.

Claytor died in 1993, long before the mail and express business was developed in the late 90s. David Gunn was the one who killed the mail and express in order to try to appease the freight railroads. Funny because the mail and express Amtrak was hauling was traffic the big railroads gave up decades ago. They just didn't want Amtrak to grow, they wanted it and still want it to go away.

Posted from Android

pdt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I certainly dont agree with everything he has
> done. but he's out there, after what seems to be a
> dibilitating illness,  advocating FOR
> amtrak.   
> The main objective is to get more of the public
> that doesnt even know Amtrak exists, to try the
> train.   So hopefully there will be some good
> timeliness of trains,
> and enjoyable experiences for newbies.
>
> NPR interviewers, unfortunately, are all
> arts/journalism majors, who dont know which end of
> a screwdriver you are supposed to hold.  So dont
> expect to get any knowledgeable questions out of
> them.
>


And what are your journalist qualifications?
 

 I'd rather NPR's journalism majors (your term) report the news.  Who'd you prefer,  Fox, CNN, or some other news org. biased on one side or the other?  Whatever happened to listening/reading news from whatever source one prefers and that actually thinking and deciding what your opinion on an item might be?   Little wonder this nation is in the state it's in.  Everyone talks at, rather than to, each other.

utwazoo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>  I'd rather NPR's journalism majors (your term)
> report the news.  Who'd you prefer,  Fox, CNN,
> or some other news org. biased on one side or the
> other?  Whatever happened to listening/reading
> news from whatever source one prefers and that
> actually thinking and deciding what your opinion
> on an item might be?   Little wonder this nation
> is in the state it's in.  Everyone talks at,
> rather than to, each other.

I took his comment as he'd like to hear a transportation-type person ask questions, someone who has a basic knowledge of the subject at hand.  Not a biased pre-determined opinion, but someone who can see through the BS.

Jeremy Hobson is a veteran news interviewer for WBUR in Boston. His co anchor, Alison Hagan, is a business reporter for the Boston Globe.The

One of the traits of Here and Now is their reporters ask questions ordinary folks might ask. Not highly technical questions.

https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2019/11/15/amtrak-profit-train-ceo-richard-anderson

Posted from Android

pdt Wrote:

> Sorry, but I've never ben a big Claytor fan.  He
> got rid of the Express freight service, rather
> than making it work.  Excuses are easy. Making
> something work is hard.
> With it, went the Bway Ltd (or whetever it was
> called at the end)  No one ever mentions that. 
> The freight supported the train. U could  easily
> tell what potential the freight express biz had,
> cause the freight RR's fought it like crazy. 
> They lost, and Amtrak should have gone to town
> with the idea.   Seems like it was just
> undercapitalized, and never really worked
> out.....Pass crews switching out bob-tail express
> cars with their whole train..and taking 45 minutes
> to get it done.    I'm sure someone will yell
> at me all the reasons it "couldnt be done"    
> Elon musk figured out how to land a rockets 1st
> stage back on its launch pad after a
> launch.....but figuring out how to implement
> express freight RR service is impossible.  I just
> dont think so.

- Claytor's successors went after growth in the Mail and Express Business, particular Downs and Warrington.  
- Claytor had nothing to do with the Broadway Limited being axed. 
- M&E plans were not thought out properly, not executed properly, under capitalized, and SO much more. 

Claytor operated a more expansive network for Amtrak and was forced to use much of the equipment more creatively and efficiently. He had more hubs where the long distance trains would split off to become "corridor trains" so as to cover more ground and rally more ridership. Solutions for late trains also seemed to be solved better - and re-routes instead of buses were commonly worked out first. He was a railroader. The Viewliner Diner and Sleeper were built out as prototypes under Claytor's term, but it wasn't till after he retired from Amtrak that the first production Viewliner sleeper was delivered to Amtrak (and in much less quantities than what Claytor had envisioned, with no Viewliner Diners till just recently).     

bbrandia Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> pdt Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I certainly dont agree with everything he has
> > done. but he's out there, after what seems to be
> a
> > dibilitating illness,  advocating FOR
> > amtrak.   
> > The main objective is to get more of the public
> > that doesnt even know Amtrak exists, to try the
> > train.   So hopefully there will be some good
> > timeliness of trains,
> > and enjoyable experiences for newbies.
> >
> > NPR interviewers, unfortunately, are all
> > arts/journalism majors, who dont know which end
> of
> > a screwdriver you are supposed to hold.  So
> dont
> > expect to get any knowledgeable questions out
> of
> > them.
> >
>
>
> And what are your journalist qualifications?
>  


Journalists have to be qualified? What is this, China circa 1973?

Sorry I mixed up Claytor with Gunn. 

IIRC..Gunn was always  hatchet man.   Yet, when he came to Amtk, there was all this talk of how great he would be for Amtk.
Apparently, from what Ive read  and what actually happened, he did  nothing for amtk.   At least thats how it seems.

Can I point out something? All of the mail and express traffic is still there. The people who did it are all dead, both at Amtrak and at the railroads. I am totally sure if the contracts were done right then Amtrak could make some money.

Posted from iPhone

Cole42 Wrote:

> I took his comment as he'd like to hear a
> transportation-type person ask questions, someone
> who has a basic knowledge of the subject at
> hand.  Not a biased pre-determined opinion, but
> someone who can see through the BS.

Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding!!!      And  know the difference between a conductor and an engineer, or a box car and a coach.  Is that too technical?