Passenger Trains > Will the National Network finally be redrawn soon?

When this health emergency abates and people want to travel again will the routes finally be redrawn to allow short haul intercity service between more densely populated areas of the country?

Now seems to be the perfect time to place in motion effective change especially with this stimulus bill package arriving.

Unless they just want to keep the same business model of the past half century in place? 

Remember routes less then 750 miles are not Amtrak funded routes, up to local agencies to fund and manage.  Amtrak is the contract operator..

The purpose of the $2 trillion stimulus is to maintain business survival so that it can resume as it was at the appropriate time, not in this context to draw fantasy maps with fantasy corridors that neither the states nor Class I's are in any position to support.

Posted from Android

Please remember - outside of the NEC - any changes to Amtrak services is completely in the hands of the Freight Railroads
(This includes adding train, or even changing the schedules of existing train).

And I remember Anderson recently quoted as saying the Freight Railroads have done all they could to kill amtrak.

So, it is highly unlikely Anderson (or Flynn) can use this opportunity to re-design service (other than to not re-start select trains--like the Cardinal, for example)

Well stated, Joe!

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> The purpose of the $2 trillion stimulus is to
> maintain business survival so that it can resume
> as it was at the appropriate time, not in this
> context to draw fantasy maps with fantasy
> corridors that neither the states nor Class I's
> are in any position to support.
>
> Posted from Android

I agree, Joe made a good point because everyone knows once a routes gone, it's gone for good!

Posted from Android

ProAmtrak Wrote:
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> I agree, Joe made a good point because everyone
> knows once a routes gone, it's gone for good!
>
> Posted from Android

Well, not totally.  The Gulf Coast train is making at least a partial comeback, thanks to the states involved [barely].

sums007 Wrote:
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>
> Well, not totally.  The Gulf Coast train is
> making at least a partial comeback, thanks to the
> states involved .

And that has taken 15 years and counting.  Remember also that Amtrak's discontinuance was probably illegal. The route was legally "suspended", and no 180 day notice, even though the track has long since been put back. Station buildings missing ? Since when has that ever mattered. So it is never the time to allow Amtrak to take advantage of a situation and redraw train maps or permanently alter operations, especially with the management and board that is there now.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/26/20 03:58 by joemvcnj.

Seems like the stetes involved here were never active enough. They must have had the attitude "Amtrak is in control".

The current system structure should remain the same augmented by better service on existing routes and new services.

Such new services should include round trips:
- Linking Seattle, MSP and Chicago via Southern Montana, giving MSP - MKE - CUS a second frequency.
- Denver - COS - Pueblo - Trinidad - Amarillo - Dallas - Houston.
- San Antonio - DFW - OKC - KCY - OMA
- CUS - Indy - Louisville - Nashville - Atlanta - Macon - Waycross - Savannah - Jacksonville - FEC to Miami.
- KCY - StLouis - Effingham - Terre Haute - Indy - Columbus - Pittsburgh - PHL - NYC.
- Daily connecting bus service SLC - Pocatello - Boise - PDX

NYC4096 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The current system structure should remain the
> same augmented by better service on existing
> routes and new services.
>
> Such new services should include round trips:
> - Linking Seattle, MSP and Chicago via Southern
> Montana, giving MSP - MKE - CUS a second
> frequency.
> - Denver - COS - Pueblo - Trinidad - Amarillo -
> Dallas - Houston.
> - San Antonio - DFW - OKC - KCY - OMA
> - CUS - Indy - Louisville - Nashville - Atlanta -
> Macon - Waycross - Savannah - Jacksonville - FEC
> to Miami.
> - KCY - StLouis - Effingham - Terre Haute - Indy -
> Columbus - Pittsburgh - PHL - NYC.
> - Daily connecting bus service SLC - Pocatello -
> Boise - PDX

Agree.  But: dream on.

Agree also. I have stated before that the lack of north-south routes west of the Mississippi seriously limit the ability to generate ridership in this area. Twin Cities-KCY-D/FW. Denver-COS-Amarillo-D/FW-Houston. Bring back the Desert Wind and Pioneer and then you have connections that people can use. Also these have to be trains that can card 80-110 MPH running to be competitive and be reliable.
The Class Ones would fall over with laughter and WTH your gonna get equipment and start up money IDK 😐. The sad thing is that without these routes you will always be SERIOUSLY hamstrung on the western LDs. PS. Omaha-KCY and MSP-Duluth as well as something serving Madison Wisc would have potential also but now that’s just crazy talk.😆

Posted from iPhone