Passenger Trains > Amtrak...time for RIP?

Amtrak just doesn't work and never has.
Another Billion dollars or 2 or 4 or 6 for it to limp along until the end of time?
Maybe its time for this failed experiment  to come to a halt.  It has gotten worse every year and there seems to be no solution.
Auction the assets and let private bidders, if any, come forward.  Possibly someone would like to take over part of it, and call it a day where no one does..
Give the private railroads first crack?  They did a much better job.
Charlie Rice

Charles Rice
Saint Louis, MO

MoPac1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Amtrak just doesn't work and never has.
> Another Billion dollars or 2 or 4 or 6 for it to
> limp along until the end of time?
> Maybe its time for this failed experiment  to
> come to a halt.  It has gotten worse every year
> and there seems to be no solution.
> Auction the assets and let private bidders, if
> any, come forward.  Possibly someone would like
> to take over part of it, and call it a day where
> no one does..
> Give the private railroads first crack?  They did
> a much better job.
> Charlie Rice

Internet troll.

 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/26/20 17:07 by pdt.

It was just a matter of time before somebody on trainorders made this post. 

It is not worth the effort of keystrokes or minutes to respond.

Macster Wrote:
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> It was just a matter of time before somebody on
> trainorders made this post. 

True. 

Maybe we shud have the 'No passenger trains" forum

I understand that Amtrak employees receive 4 to 6 years severance pay similar to New York Dock labor protection if they are permanently separated .
That would be VERY costly in shutting Amtrak down .
 

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It is not worth the effort of keystrokes or
> minutes to respond.

true

pdt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Macster Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > It was just a matter of time before somebody on
> > trainorders made this post. 
>
> True. 
>
> Maybe we shud have the 'No passenger trains" forum

I always point out that Amtrak does not equal passenger trains.
The question is Amtrak as it is organized, as it operates, as it is managed as it is name.  Has time run out.

Bob

MoPac1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Amtrak just doesn't work and never has.
> Another Billion dollars or 2 or 4 or 6 for it to
> limp along until the end of time?
> Maybe its time for this failed experiment  to
> come to a halt.  It has gotten worse every year
> and there seems to be no solution.
> Auction the assets and let private bidders, if
> any, come forward.  Possibly someone would like
> to take over part of it, and call it a day where
> no one does..
> Give the private railroads first crack?  They did
> a much better job.

How do ya figure? They couldn't writh the checks fast enough to get the passenger business off their backs when Amtrak started.
Some private business may want to try, but the railroads would probably resist transfer to some unknown quantity.
Nope. Will never happen on anything more the a local scale.
> Charlie Rice

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It is not worth the effort of keystrokes or
> minutes to respond.


Exactly

Posted from Android

Macster Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It was just a matter of time before somebody on
> trainorders made this post. 

Yup.  The prophets of doom are alive and well.

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It is not worth the effort of keystrokes or
> minutes to respond.

But you did.

MoPac1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Amtrak just doesn't work and never has.
> Another Billion dollars or 2 or 4 or 6 for it to
> limp along until the end of time?
> Maybe its time for this failed experiment  to
> come to a halt.  It has gotten worse every year
> and there seems to be no solution.
> Auction the assets and let private bidders, if
> any, come forward.  Possibly someone would like
> to take over part of it, and call it a day where
> no one does..
> Give the private railroads first crack?  They did
> a much better job.
> Charlie Rice

I wonder if Charlie is a troll, since the information about private railroads is so far out of whack with what really happened...

Somebody is trolling... === === = === JLH
 

           Yes, obviously someone has been in a time warp with no newspapers or tv for the last 50+ years. Gee whiz !

highgreengraphics Wrote:
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> Somebody is trolling... === === = === JLH

Maybe, but I think he raises a valid point. 

The only thing that keeps me from agreeing with him wholeheartedly is my concern for the welfare of the conscientous Amtrak employees who are out there working hard to make a living.  

I like to ride trains as much as the next guy, but I don't subscribe to the "passenger trains at any cost" theory, and I can't help asking myself if Amtrak's subsidy is money well spent.  I wonder if the post the other day about the billion dollars going to office renovations and company cars is very far off the mark.

Andy

Our stupid Government wastes tons of our money on a whole variety of bullcrap that no one would ever really use or remotely be interested in preserving. Why start with Amtrak and why start now?

I'm no longer in the 'I cant survive without Amtrak' crowd but I do find that Amtrak comes in handy for various parts of travel.

Jim 

UP951West Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I understand that Amtrak employees receive 4 to 6
> years severance pay similar to New York Dock labor
> protection if they are permanently separated .
> That would be VERY costly in shutting Amtrak down
> .
>  

This protection was part of the original bargain struck with Amtrak labor back in '71-  probably to gain the unions trust that the NRPC was intending to make a real go of it (my theory anyway).  Eventually that protection was dropped and was only grandfathered in for employees hired before a certain date.  I hired in 1984 and I had that protection, so to the cut-off was sometime after that- but I suspect it was not long after.  The ranks of protected employees is probably dwindling fairly quickly now.
SR

BTW:  I was an On Board Service employee- I don't really know how this applies to other crafts, T&E, Ticket Agents, etc

MoPac1 Wrote:
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> Amtrak just doesn't work and never has.

What do you mean that Amtrak "just doesn't work and never has?"

The purpose of Amtrak is to move people from point A to point B.  For over 40 years I rode Amtrak and every time I was taken from one place to another.  So please answer this question:

What didn't work??? 

You may argue that other entities may perform that function at a lower expense or provide a higher quality experience.  However, that's a very different argument than saying that Amtrak "just doesn't work and never has."



> Another Billion dollars or 2 or 4 or 6 for it to
> limp along until the end of time?
> Maybe its time for this failed experiment  to
> come to a halt.  It has gotten worse every year
> and there seems to be no solution.
> Auction the assets and let private bidders, if
> any, come forward.  Possibly someone would like
> to take over part of it, and call it a day where
> no one does..
> Give the private railroads first crack?  They did
> a much better job.

I am assuming by your screen name that you are a fan of the Missouri Pacific which operated intercity passenger trains up to the creation of Amtrak.  I'd be interested to read your explanation as to why the Missouri Pacific do not join the Rock Island, Rio Grande and Southern Railway in opting to not join Amtrak.  You do know that Missouri Pacific had to either pay and/or contribute equipment or services to join Amtrak, right?

Perhaps you could also explain why the number of intercity rail passenger miles was higher in 2017 than it was in 1970 even though the route miles over which passenger trains shrank drastically on May 1, 1971 when Amtrak was created.

> Charlie Rice



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/26/20 18:21 by RuleG.

what doesn't work?  here ya go: how about in the last 5 years the increasing number of locomotive failures, poorly maintained passenger equipment, and subsequent delays to the trains?

IF this country is going to have a national long distance passenger system, it should be well maintained and reliable.

unfortunately, i think our economic future does not bode well for amtrak's funding as a priority for massive improvement.....................

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