Quote:
Originally posted by TerryH
I find it ironic that our country keeps this money pit running with huge tax dollars, then Amtrak wants to charge us huge amounts to ride the damn thing.
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Our country keeps many money pits rolling along with huge tax dollars. Amtrak is an easy target because of the problems it perpetually has with infrastructure, management and funding. The tickets are usually market rates, comparable to airfare, it's not DisneyWorld.
I used to work there and it's a bad mix of a lot of things, which I can't begin to cover all of them here. But as a start:
1. Amtrak gets 1 year funding and most capital projects often take that long just get the long lead materials. Ammtrak must maintain rolling stock, track and stations. Airlines only have to pay for their equipment. Not the sky or the airports.
2. The routes were decided long ago by the freight RRs. Amtrak inhereted them and is almost powerless the change them for market conditions or where people actually want to go.
3. Amtrak does not own it's own track or signalling outside the NorthEast corridor and are at the freight RRs mercy when off the corridor. When Amtrak trains fall behind, they fall behind the freight trains so the problems compound. Additionally, the freight RRs don't need to maintain their tracks to passenger standards.
4. Amtrak employees are locked in by railroad retirement. Employees pay more that Social Security (about 5%) and once you're there 5 years, you have a pension. THis makes it hard to leave or for Amtrak recruit new talent.
I took a lonh trip from NYC to Montreal. We ended up being 2 hours late because of some signal problem or something and an hour at the border for customs. Beautiful scenery along the hudson in the fall. People were nice. I sat behind a guy that was the mayor of some small CA town. He travelled all the way cross country on the train because he was scared to fly.