Passenger Trains > Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Amtrak Cuts Are Shortsighted

"Amtrak should look to the future and not allow the coronavirus to impact service to many communities in middle America"

https://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/editorials/2020/07/05/Amtrak-cuts-shortsighted/stories/202007010011

 

Correct, especially considering that the long hauls have consistently done better than the short haul trains throughout this mess.

Amtrak is still running just 2 Amfleet II coaches on 50/51 only selling 50% capacity, so it is sold out with just 59 passengers. I've noticed this every recent trip I've looked up, especially Washington to Charlottesville where the train turns over with around 40 to 50 off, and a like number on. Then lets off largely until Indianapolis where it often hits the 59 coach passenger mark again.

This is being done on purpose to make the long hauls look worse. Turning away passengers should be the last thing Amtrak wants.

Posted from Android

We need every major newspaper in every city that Amtrak serves to write such editorials.  The narrative has to be established that Amtrak management is way off-based.  

cabsignaldrop Wrote:
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> Correct, especially considering that the long
> hauls have consistently done better than the short
> haul trains throughout this mess.
>
> Amtrak is still running just 2 Amfleet II coaches
> on 50/51 only selling 50% capacity, so it is sold
> out with just 59 passengers. I've noticed this
> every recent trip I've looked up, especially
> Washington to Charlottesville where the train
> turns over with around 40 to 50 off, and a like
> number on. Then lets off largely until
> Indianapolis where it often hits the 59 coach
> passenger mark again.
>
> This is being done on purpose to make the long
> hauls look worse. Turning away passengers should
> be the last thing Amtrak wants.
>
> Posted from Android

This train will sell out with three Amfleet 2's if selling 50% capacity due to the multiple turnover enroute and the varied traffic it handles on a day to day basis. The sleeper also gets sold out frequently, and people will use it for the day-trip as well. 

MEKoch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We need every major newspaper in every city that
> Amtrak serves to write such editorials.  The
> narrative has to be established that Amtrak
> management is way off-based.  

Major newspaper, what's that? 

Instead of "parking the Viewliner sleepers" (new ones on the property plus the ones pulled from service or upcoming planned service cuts) and even some of the Superliner Sleeper equipment (Trans Dorm/Sleepers), can Amtrak market and sell them as day rooms to get more revenue in? And perhaps its not just LD routes, but the long-distance day trains (e.g. Pennsylvanian, Maple Leaf, Palmetto, etc.). You could even divide into a slumber coach rate (w/ or w/o meal included); but if demand is there, why bother.

Not sure if Amtrak would want to meet the marketing challenge or satisfy the demand. Would some people who have to travel feel "safer" in a "private day room" than travelling in coach?

Amtrak's stripped out the labor costs pretty well at this point and could retain the higher-end revenue IF demand is there.  



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/05/20 14:21 by jp1822.

jp1822 Wrote:
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> Instead of "parking the Viewliner sleepers" (new
> ones on the property plus the ones pulled from
> service or upcoming planned service cuts) and even
> some of the Superliner Sleeper equipment (Trans
> Dorm/Sleepers), can Amtrak market and sell them as
> day rooms to get more revenue in? And perhaps its
> not just LD routes, but the long-distance day
> trains (e.g. Pennsylvanian, Maple Leaf, Palmetto,
> etc.). You could even divide into a slumber coach
> rate (w/ or w/o meal included); but if demand is
> there, why bother.
>
> Not sure if Amtrak would want to meet the
> marketing challenge or satisfy the demand. Would
> some people who have to travel feel "safer" in a
> "private day room" than travelling in coach?
>
> Amtrak's stripped out the labor costs pretty well
> at this point and could retain the higher-end
> revenue IF demand is there.  
Great idea!  The system is gamed against increasing ridership to prove the value of keeping the trains running daily!

does anybody know how much money amtrak expects to save from these cuts?

66

Amtrak says $150 million.  I do not believe them for a minute. Doing so in the mid-1990's actually cut revenue more than cost, just from the inefficiency of it.

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
. Doing so in the mid-1990's actually
> cut revenue more than cost, just from the
> inefficiency of it.

The revenue picture is quite a bit different in the current COVID world.  

i think covid-19 (mutations or other diseases), a DECIMATED economy, and OTHER issues will decrease amtrak's demand/revenues for at least a few years.

it is unfortunate that in this current environment, a lot of businesses and/or modes of transportation might sustain cuts..........

66  
  

Typhoon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> joemvcnj Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> . Doing so in the mid-1990's actually
> > cut revenue more than cost, just from the
> > inefficiency of it.
>
> The revenue picture is quite a bit different in
> the current COVID world.  

Does not change the fact that it is inefficient use of resources. 50 to 67% of train set and crews are needed for 43% of the service. As I said, revenue declines more than variable cost, and fixed costs do not decline at all. The yards and stations are still there. With 50% cap on seated capacity, 22% of capacity is left running. Demand is growing and is already in excess of that, and expected to be in October. It is budget negative.

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goneon66 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> i think covid-19 (mutations or other diseases), a
> DECIMATED economy, and OTHER issues will decrease
> amtrak's demand/revenues for at least a few
> years.
>
> it is unfortunate that in this current
> environment, a lot of businesses and/or modes of
> transportation might sustain cuts..........
>
> 66  
>   

The unique advantage trains have over other modes is that they can much more easily adjust capacity without decreasing frequency.  Given that the once daily frequency that most LD trains operate at is thought to be the minimum needed to provide a meaningful transportation service, reduction of number of cars would seem the better option.  While this doesn’t necessarily cut expenses drastically, Amtrak’s costs are met by a combination of revenue and subsidy, so frequencies could be maintained by a temporary increase in Federal support.  After all, Congress mandates that Amtrak operate LD trains in order to provide meaningful service, so they would every reason to make sure this continues.

Dave

That Infastructure bill passes Flynn and co. won't have any excuses to try to dismantle Amtrak, the 90s proved that, same in 79!

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