Passenger Trains > New Cancellations

Looks like a new round of cancellations has begun.  Snow expected in Texas, Arkansas, and other areas of the south.  Texas Eagle service is out for late week.  May be others as well.  Looks like 58 and 59 slashed for late week.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/07/25 18:31 by regalstream1516.

With regards to our passenger rail options and reliability, America has gone backward to become a 2nd World country.  We are not "World Class" by any means.  And in some service areas, we're 3rd World status.

I wish our government had chosen long ago to maintain the passenger rail we had, at the stations we had, but helped subsidize it for the private RR's.  We'd have a better, more extensive system now.

coach Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> With regards to our passenger rail options and
> reliability, America has gone backward to become a
> 2nd World country.  We are not "World Class" by
> any means.  And in some service areas, we're 3rd
> World status.
>
> I wish our government had chosen long ago to
> maintain the passenger rail we had, at the
> stations we had, but helped subsidize it for the
> private RR's.  We'd have a better, more extensive
> system now.

Indeed we would. It was one of the biggest transportation policy mistakes the nation has ever made. In other recent threads, I'm fending off some who want to shut Amtrak down completely because it is not as good as it should be. I want no such thing. But that said, it would have been far better if the passenger railroads had been subsidized to maintain service and gradually improve it than to have to resort to what became Amtrak.

Some of the carriers wanted to do that. The Pennsy put forth a proposal along those lines, including some rationalization of service between Chicago and the east coast from several railroads to just one or two to help keep service alive at a good level. But for some reason, they pulled back from their support, and the idea died when no one else picked it up and ran with it. How one could wish to turn back the hands of time on that, knowing all that we know now of all that came instead.

MC

ironmtn Wrote:
> But that said, it would have been
> far better if the passenger railroads had been
> subsidized to maintain service and gradually
> improve it than to have to resort to what became
> Amtrak.  Some of the carriers wanted to do that. 
Interesting - That is exactly what the 1969 National Governors
Conference proposed. Actually, the "subsidy" would have been
a tax credit for maintaining a certain level of service per DOT.
(Source: "Journey To Amtrak")

Before Airline Boy took over as CEO I remember seeing posts about late trains that still got through, now it's more whimps in leadrship than what it used to be!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/09/25 18:11 by ProAmtrak.

Passenger trains are far from the only area where the U.S. is no longer first class.