Passenger Trains > Longer Long Distance consists

Apparently as part of a June 1 Amtrak ramp-up, consists on several long distance trains have increased.  Southwest Chief gained one full sleeper and one coach.  Capitol Limited, likewise.  Empire Builder Seattle section gained one full sleeper, and is now at its "normal" pre-COVID length.

The Empire Builder that wrecked in Montana had 65 passengers...about double what the train had been carrying during the prior two months.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/02/20 10:12 by GenePoon.

I guess they are still just selling 50% of coach seating?

Posted from Android

Yes I'm not really surprised. People want to get moving again, there's a limit to "stay at home". It will also be good for the statistics to show that travel, including rail is important and passengers will return.
Though more may work and buy from home they may not be content to vacation in their own home.

PRSL-recall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yes I'm not really surprised. People want to get
> moving again, there's a limit to "stay at home".

Apparently Delta Air isn't as optimistic. They are currently working with their pilots' union on how to furlough 2400 pilots.

Everyone wants to get "moving" yet almost 1000 people are dying everyday from COVID-19. 

So the rest of us are suppose to stay home because people are still dying daily? Wait, how many live in the U.S. total?   Ten  people got shot in Chicago last weekend. So lets not go there. How many car deaths are there per day? Better not drive.  If you look at the stats, sadly the majority of deaths are in care homes, prisons, and plants with close worker proximity such as meat packing faculties. The curve has been flattened and hospitals are no longer in danger of being overwhelmed. Your chances of getting this are small. And chances for not even knowing you have it or recovery very high. But if you are scared to go don't. Stay home. But if I hear one more ad about safe at home I'm going to be sick...and not from the virus. But please stop fear mongering which is keeping the economy from a  V shape rebound. People need to work and the transportation and tourist industry needs our support. Good that the consists are increasing. Now we need decent food to return on the at least the western trains so a trip of more than one night can be accomplished without a stop over for a real meal. 

If folks are at risk please stay home and be safe. I'm tired of people getting nice pension checks and social security checks telling those of us with small businesses to stay home and don't worry about feeding the family and paying bills
We have had to lay off our employees and we've lost 5 years of earnings so far. The fake news has got to stop and time for business to start running- of course in a safe manner
Joe

Delta looking at furloughing up to 2400 pilots. You might have to fly United.

andersonb109 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So the rest of us are suppose to stay home because
> people are still dying daily? Wait, how many live
> in the U.S. total?   Ten  people got shot in
> Chicago last weekend. So lets not go there. How
> many car deaths are there per day? Better not
> drive.  If you look at the stats, sadly the
> majority of deaths are in care homes, prisons, and
> plants with close worker proximity such as meat
> packing faculties. The curve has been flattened
> and hospitals are no longer in danger of being
> overwhelmed. Your chances of getting this are
> small. And chances for not even knowing you have
> it or recovery very high. But if you are scared to
> go don't. Stay home. But if I hear one more ad
> about safe at home I'm going to be sick...and not
> from the virus. But please stop fear mongering
> which is keeping the economy from a  V shape
> rebound. People need to work and the
> transportation and tourist industry needs our
> support. Good that the consists are increasing.
> Now we need decent food to return on the at least
> the western trains so a trip of more than one
> night can be accomplished without a stop over for
> a real meal. 

Really, and who are these well off pensioners and social security collectors? 

Trainatic Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If folks are at risk please stay home and be safe.
> I'm tired of people getting nice pension checks
> and social security checks telling those of us
> with small businesses to stay home and don't worry
> about feeding the family and paying bills
> We have had to lay off our employees and we've
> lost 5 years of earnings so far. The fake news
> has got to stop and time for business to start
> running- of course in a safe manner
> Joe

The interesting dynamic going forward will be to see what percentage of the nearly 50 % of the population that is in the high risk category show a willingness to go out into public settings involving lots of strangers and where social distancing is not adhered to. My WAG is that the majority will not want that risk until there's widespread availability of a proven vaccine sometime in 2021??

   How this plays out will determine what happens from now until the vaccine is available.

   A good friend just worked a trip on # 3 and reports that out of Chicago they had 11 customers total in sleepers and 43 in coach and that west of KC there was " practically no one". 

    Ross Rowland 

Ross, serious questions:
1. Do you have any financial interest in a business that would benefit from a vaccine?  You mention vaccine in almost every post you write.
2. Will the long-term reduced economic activity that you advocate put any pressure on putting food on your table?
3. What's your proposal to deal with the large number of unemployed and financially struggling due to the government's coronavirus-related measures?
I am not pushing a political agenda, as you also allude to in most of your posts.
Tom

andersonb109 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So the rest of us are suppose to stay home because
> people are still dying daily? Wait, how many live
> in the U.S. total?   Ten  people got shot in
> Chicago last weekend. So lets not go there. How
> many car deaths are there per day? Better not
> drive.  If you look at the stats, sadly the
> majority of deaths are in care homes, prisons, and
> plants with close worker proximity such as meat
> packing faculties. The curve has been flattened
> and hospitals are no longer in danger of being
> overwhelmed. Your chances of getting this are
> small. And chances for not even knowing you have
> it or recovery very high. But if you are scared to
> go don't. Stay home. But if I hear one more ad
> about safe at home I'm going to be sick...and not
> from the virus. But please stop fear mongering
> which is keeping the economy from a  V shape
> rebound. People need to work and the
> transportation and tourist industry needs our
> support. Good that the consists are increasing.

Hey, we agree on something.

Now that is progress.

;-)

 

MM171 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> PRSL-recall Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Yes I'm not really surprised. People want to
> get
> > moving again, there's a limit to "stay at
> home".
>
> Apparently Delta Air isn't as optimistic. They are
> currently working with their pilots' union on how
> to furlough 2400 pilots.

United and others are planning to furlough and recommend early retirement.

NYC4096 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> United and others are planning to furlough and
> recommend early retirement.

I wonder if all of a sudden, the Air Force no longer has a pilot retention or recruitment problem?

NYC4096 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> MM171 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > PRSL-recall Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Yes I'm not really surprised. People want to
> > get
> > > moving again, there's a limit to "stay at
> > home".
> >
> > Apparently Delta Air isn't as optimistic. They
> are
> > currently working with their pilots' union on
> how
> > to furlough 2400 pilots.
>
> United and others are planning to furlough and
> recommend early retirement.

International flying has taken a real hit.

SP4360 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Really, and who are these well off pensioners and
> social security collectors? 
>
>
Primarily government employees.

Posted from Android

Like Congress, ok, Ill give you that.

P Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SP4360 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Really, and who are these well off pensioners
> and
> > social security collectors? 
> >
> >
> Primarily government employees.
>
> Posted from Android

RRTom here's my reply to your questions:

   1. No, I have no investments in any company involved in vaccine development. As we as a nation remain way short of the ability to rapid results test by the millions and contact trace those who test positive we will continue to be flying blind until there's a proven, safe widespread available vaccine. Despite the happy talk from DC, that's the fact of life in America today. 

   2. I am not " advocating" and specific type economic activity but rather just reflecting on my best guess as to how the American people are likely to behave based upon the realities of the pandemic. Obviously it's only my best guesses. My wife and I are blessed to live in a sparsely populated community that has an extremely low Covid 19 count and we are both able to work from home. As to food on our table we do visit our local market weekly ( where strict social distancing and other CDC measures are strictly adhered to) and so far it has been amply supplied. As she & I are both in the high risk portion of our population we intend to stay close to home ( as do all of our close friends) until we can get vaccinated. 

   3. If my WAG is proven correct that we will not begin to approach getting back to " new normal" until mid 2021 ( assumes a proven, effective vaccine becomes widely available 1st. Q, 2021) then the federal gav't. will need to continue putting relief capital into the system to substitute for the lack of normal economic activity. How much will be totally dependent upon how sluggish the economy remains. That will have to be addressed every 2/3 months based upon the facts at issue then. 
       History teaches us that a disruption of this magnitude takes a long time to fully recover from. the recession of 2008-09 took nearly 10 years to fully recover from. This one is twice as severe in terms of unemployment AND it has had a far greater reach globally that 08-09 so I would guess we're in for a very long haul. 

    IMHO-Ross Rowland 

ts1457 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> NYC4096 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > United and others are planning to furlough and
> > recommend early retirement.
>
> I wonder if all of a sudden, the Air Force no
> longer has a pilot retention or recruitment
> problem?

Yes, they still do because they're still doing lots of deployments. The US military has been "at war" for over 25 years now.

SP4360 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Really, and who are these well off pensioners and
> social security collectors? 
>
> Trainatic Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > If folks are at risk please stay home and be
> safe.
> > I'm tired of people getting nice pension checks
> > and social security checks telling those of us
> > with small businesses to stay home and don't
> worry
> > about feeding the family and paying bills
> > We have had to lay off our employees and we've
> > lost 5 years of earnings so far. The fake news
> > has got to stop and time for business to start
> > running- of course in a safe manner
> > Joe

Very interesting- I have alot of friends and family who have had little or no impact financially throughout this pandemic. They are retired teachers, retired factory workers, retired govt workers, etc, etc
Funny thing is they always offer sympathy but haven't had one mention helping those who have been impacted. With the stimulus money they received, they are actually to the good. Just stating the facts from my experience here where I live.
Joe