Amtrak: fixing a broken system: a guide

[trainaddict]

I have been widely attacked on this blog and even received personal attacks in my inbox from people on this site, but I am still here, and I will not go away as long as I feel I need to fight injustice wherever it lurks, without regard to politics, race, creed, or deed.

Granted I have only ridden "the beast" as I call it (ie amtrace) once, but in that time I learned a lot, and here is what I think would fix part of a system I think we can all agree is broken from the inside out and needs to be purged:

1) better heat in stations--the two I was in were drafty. Modern stations without drafts should be constructed for the comfort of people who have to play the waiting game.

2) no delays--the train I took arrived 5 hours late, and as I result I couldn't see a family member. It turns out that amtrak doesn't even own its track although they rarely admit it. Rather it leases it from private companies. I think each train system should have ITS OWN track, not rely on the 'good will' of other private companies. Therefore, amtrak should build all of its own track, maintain it in a professional way, and not have to be at the mercy of its masters. Why they would have the idea of sharing track is beyond me. It's almost like trying to get a hotel room but being told to leave the bed in the middle of the night because someone else has to use it. Awkward to say the least.

3) more frequent trains--in many cases there is only one train a day. People have places to go, and their schedules can't always be met with this infrequent service. That is why people don't want to take the service (along with rudeness from some employees). For example, the train i took from Virginia to atlanta is once a day. They should have one every hour (24 daily) so that people can leave when they want.

4) more routes--the US of A is a big country, maybe the biggest to ever exist in North America, and Amtrak claims to be the best form of transit in this country. How is that possible when they only travel to several locations? Think about planes--they go everywhere you need to go and they go there FAST. I would estimate that there would need to be at least 11 more routes to cover all the cities i might want to visit. For example, there should be a route starting in Seattle, then going diagonally through Idaho, Utah, CO, Arizona, and into Texas (for example Seattle to Dallas) and then headed diagonally up through Arkansas, TN, Kentucky, West Virginia, and into the northeast (for example Dallas to New York). It would be called the Victory Route, because the route looks like the letter V.

5) Speaking of TX, another route would just go STRAIGHT UP from TX to ND. That land is totally flat for the most part so the trains could go really fast, maybe 500 MPH. It would be called The Orient Express because you would have to quickly orient to your surroundings when they kept changing.

This is just a start. I'll write more when I figure them out. Glad to hear your reactions (please NO MORE personal attacks).

 

[AlanB]

I have been widely attacked on this blog and even received personal attacks in my inbox from people on this site, but I am still here, and I will not go away as long as I feel I need to fight injustice wherever it lurks, without regard to politics, race, creed, or deed.

Part of the reason you've been "attacked" is your refusal to acknowledge the fact that this forum is not owned and operated by Amtrak. You would do yourself a big favor if you would acknowledge that you now understand this fact.

It turns out that amtrak doesn't even own its track although they rarely admit it.

Pick up an Amtrak timetable at a station. Inside you'll find that Amtrak lists every route and which freight company, or multiple companies, own the tracks that they are using.

Otherwise, I think that many here would agree with much of the rest of what you've written this time. We'd all love to see more service to places not currently served. And we'd all love to see multiple trains running on the routes that currently do exist with only 1 run per day.

Alas, all of that requires better funding from the Fed.

 

[Ryan]

1) Amtrak also doesn't own a lot of the stations they use.

2) Amtrak admits all over the place that it doesn't own most of the track it runs over. Where do you expect them to get the money to build thousands of miles of track?

3) That'd be great. Again, it would cost money. Are you paying?

4) See #3.

5) See #4.

You haven't been personally attacked. Being told that you're wrong isn't a a personal attack when you're actually wrong.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

BLOG: A blog is like an online diary than anybody can read and leave comments on. Although there are a lot people who use blogs for this purpose, most people who do make blogs usually discuss events or issues that have affected them. There are multitudes of blogs that discuss about politics, religion, and current events. Some blogs become very popular that some people are already following what the owner would say next.

FORUM (which is what Amtrak Unlimited is): A forum was once called a bulletin board due to the manner in which users say what they say. Each user’s comment can be placed in the thread that he wants it in and the thread appears to be a conversation, albeit a very long one, that could last a up to a few months or even years. Forums are usually niche specific so that likeminded people gather around the forums that they are most drawn to. There are forums that talk about computer technology, about motorcycles, even pets. There is probably a forum for every niche that there is. A forum needs to have a moderator who would be responsible for keeping the peace and ensuring that everyone follows the rules; especially because forums can often spark verbal fights called flame wars due to the very heated arguments.

http://www.differencebetween.net/technology/difference-between-forum-and-blog/

 

[domefoamer]

I just have to smile when I read the original post. I get a vision of the passenger train network circa 1946, dense and frequent, only with Wi-Fi ...AND 500 Mph trains! Since it's flat, that should be easy to accomplish. Maybe that's why such speeds have never been achieved by trains; they couldn't find a place flat enough!

Not to be hostile. My wish list extends in your direction, just not so far. I suggest you spend some happy hours here studying the economic, political and practical limitations of passenger trains. Watch the gradual construction of that new, dedicated high speed rail line through California. You might plant a tree and watch it grow, to measure the pace of progress on that scale of project.

 

[MikefromCrete]

Glad to know you're so knowledgeable after only one trip.

 

[roomette]

It's sad when people can't see the comedy genius that is, the OP. :lol:

Well done ma'am!

 

[amamba]

I think many of us would love true high speed rail in this country and more frequent train service.

 

[user 1215]

Trainaddict comes about the time Anthony leaves. Coincidence???

I gotta admit - the thinking is intriguing. The logic is not. If nothing else, Trainaddict is a dreamer. Amazing that s/he is addicted after just one ride and it was a poor experience at that.

Dude - points 4 & 5 made me laugh out loud! Of the three non-island countries in North America, the US of A is geographically the 2nd largest country, beat out by 100,000 sq miles by Canada and putting Mexico into 3rd place. However, a much greater percentage of the lower 48 is populated than Canada. So, though your facts are completly wrong, your premise is OK - we are a large country, and rail service is essential.

That being said, keep in mind that the majority of the population of the US of A is East of a line roughly from San Antonio, Fort Worth, OKC, Wichita, St. Louis, and Chicago plus a sliver of land from Oregon to California. There is a huge expanse that takes up about 1/3 of the US of A by the Rocky Mountains and the desserts of the Southwest. Though populated, the people are spread out far and wide with the exception of some populated city centers.

With the introduction of the Interstate Highway System and the desire for most people to have the convenience and privacy of personal vehicles, the long distance train has essentially become obsolete in a mass-country-wide-transit sort of way. Though perhaps not as ecologically efficient, economically it has been preferred to move the most folks around long distances by busses or aircraft.

It is a shame that with the support the Government gave to the private railroad companies in imminent domain powers and financial aid that the companies fail to return the favor with excellent passenger service. But the truth of the matter is that today the railroad companies own the tracks, they determined that passengers didn't make them enough money and so in 1971 Amtrak was invented.

The High Speed Rail discussions that are going along now are focusing on corridors of high population. There just simply isn't enough money to spend on 500 MPH passenger corridors from Dallas to North Dakota where there is little to no return on that investment. There just simply isn't the demand for enough people willing to pay to get from Dallas to ND that fast who don't already fly.

Bill Gates and Warren Buffet have more money to play with than the US Government. Find one of their forums and demand they build passenger trains criss crossing the country and lemme know what they say. In fact, they could spend the money to upgrade all the railroad tracks in the whole country to 200 MPH for passengers and freight and get all new equipment for passengers to ride in. But they won't because their billions will just disappear away into oblivion with no recovery. The government already does that with your and my money. Business men are smarter than to let that happen to theirs.

 

[skeptic]

"A Guide" implies more of a how-to than the original post. Sure, we'd all like to see more trains, etc. But how is this post a "guide"? With no practical solutions offerred, it is merely a wish-list. And a poorly informed one at that.

And this is not a personal attack, it is stating obvious facts.

 

[rrdude]

One ALMOST doesn't want to post a reply to the OP's questions, but then, that would be "wrong", b/c most of us who frequent this forum are either industry or self-educated to the realities of Amtrak's very existence, and "If I had a magic wand", I too would agree with virtually everything that the OP wanted/demanded/wished-for.

We never truly know the age/education background/experience, etc., of posters, unless they are know public figures, have established their creds within this forum, or meet them in person. So while it's EZ, (and tempting) to want to rant back at someone who posts questions/answers like the OP did, we must keep in mind, they are just looking at the situation for the first time, and often expressing quite obvious fixes, to the mess that is Amtrak.

How realistic those "fixes" are, is quite another topic

 

[the_traveler]

Speaking of Warren Buffet, he either owns or is a very major stockholder of BNSF. If that railroad is having capacity problems (ie: the EB), how successful a national railroad could they operate? :huh: And Amtrak was formed in 1971 because the railroads themselves wanted to get out of the passenger transportation business because they were losing money.

And your idea of Amtrak building their own tracks just for their trains does not make sense at all. Where will the land needed come from? :huh: Are you also saying that they must also build their own stations in NYC, PHL, BAL, WAS, CHI, LAX, etc...? Should LIRR, NJT, MARC, VRE, METRA, MetroLink, etc... build their own stations also? They share the same stations as Amtrak.

And airports just using JFK airport in NYC as an example. Should American, US Air, United, Delta, British Airways, Air France, Quantas, South African Airlines, El Al, Aeroflot, etc... build their own airports just for their planes ? And for roads in Manhattan (NYC), should there be millions of highways for the millions of residents and their cars alone. Should the highways be built atop easy other or next to each other? Oh yeah, you have to build your own highway to get to work or to the store.

See how dumb that idea is?

 

[John Bobinyec]

The OP wants to create Amtopia.

jb

 

[jerichowhiskey]

Except isn't that what HSR will have to be in order to bypass slower freight trains? We will have to find the land sooner or later for separate ROW.

 

[NW cannonball]

I have been widely attacked on this blog and even received personal attacks in my inbox from people on this site, but I am still here, and I will not go away as long as I feel I need to fight injustice wherever it lurks, without regard to politics, race, creed, or deed.

Granted I have only ridden "the beast" as I call it (ie amtrace) once, but in that time I learned a lot, and here is what I think would fix part of a system I think we can all agree is broken from the inside out and needs to be purged:

1) better heat in stations--the two I was in were drafty. Modern stations without drafts should be constructed for the comfort of people who have to play the waiting game.

2) no delays--the train I took arrived 5 hours late, and as I result I couldn't see a family member. It turns out that amtrak doesn't even own its track although they rarely admit it. Rather it leases it from private companies. I think each train system should have ITS OWN track, not rely on the 'good will' of other private companies. Therefore, amtrak should build all of its own track, maintain it in a professional way, and not have to be at the mercy of its masters. Why they would have the idea of sharing track is beyond me. It's almost like trying to get a hotel room but being told to leave the bed in the middle of the night because someone else has to use it. Awkward to say the least.

3) more frequent trains--in many cases there is only one train a day. People have places to go, and their schedules can't always be met with this infrequent service. That is why people don't want to take the service (along with rudeness from some employees). For example, the train i took from Virginia to atlanta is once a day. They should have one every hour (24 daily) so that people can leave when they want.

4) more routes--the US of A is a big country, maybe the biggest to ever exist in North America, and Amtrak claims to be the best form of transit in this country. How is that possible when they only travel to several locations? Think about planes--they go everywhere you need to go and they go there FAST. I would estimate that there would need to be at least 11 more routes to cover all the cities i might want to visit. For example, there should be a route starting in Seattle, then going diagonally through Idaho, Utah, CO, Arizona, and into Texas (for example Seattle to Dallas) and then headed diagonally up through Arkansas, TN, Kentucky, West Virginia, and into the northeast (for example Dallas to New York). It would be called the Victory Route, because the route looks like the letter V.

5) Speaking of TX, another route would just go STRAIGHT UP from TX to ND. That land is totally flat for the most part so the trains could go really fast, maybe 500 MPH. It would be called The Orient Express because you would have to quickly orient to your surroundings when they kept changing.

This is just a start. I'll write more when I figure them out. Glad to hear your reactions (please NO MORE personal attacks).

"widely attacked"

false

Specific issues -- possibly

 

[jphjaxfl]

One trip on Amtrak does not make one an expert on running a passenger railroad or stating the experience of that trip is a norm. I have taken many many trips on Amtrak over the last nearly 43 years and many before that. The majority have been positive. Oh yes, I have experienced 12 hour delays due to bad tracks and freight congestion. We have to remember that Amtrak was set up to fail. Most politicians expected it to be gone in 5 years, 10 at the most. Amtrak has managed to survive almost 43 years. Without it, passenger train service except for commuter trains and possibly the NEC would be long gone!

 

[caravanman]

This is surely someone in training (or Entraining!) for April Fools day??

Let's have trains every 5 minutes, who wants to wait a whole hour, and surely the Disorient Express would be a better name for a 500mph train?

Please try to think your ideas through more, trainaddict, you don't want folk to think your fight against injustice wherever it lurks, without regard to politics, race, creed, or deed is not fully thought out, or do you not care?

Sir, I wish you all the best in your single handed fight against the forces of rationality.

Ed

 

[tim49424]

Sir, I wish you all the best in your single handed fight against the forces of rationality.

I wish you this too, trainaddict, also good luck in setting some sort of record on this board for starting the most locked threads in the least amount of time. :wacko:

 

[Old MM]

Hi trainaddict,

Yes, you will get attacked here occaisonally, even though the people doing so won't own up to it. If you feel attacked, it's for a reason, and I understand where you are coming from. People will insult you, either directly or indirectly, and then claim they are just "disagreeing" with you. Also, for whatever reason, there seems to be a higher than average proportion of users here that see only one right answer (theirs) and will fully assert their own right to disagree, but not yours. The thing is you can't "win" that battle. Since this is still the best information source on all things Amtrak, I visit when interested in reading about Amtrak. So...advice.... if you're determined to stick it out, practice self-censorship and limit your remarks to a degree that will insulate you or at least mitigate the attacks. Think of this as an excellent information source more than a "community". Turning back to your original post, I would never think less of you because you have ideas, or because you've had one train journey instead of 50. The infrastructure leaves a lot to be desired, no question about it. However the solutions aren't as easy to come up with, and any improvements require funding. Still, ideas that may be impractical still hold possibility that could spur innovation. Also, if remarks like yours help raise awareness, that could eventually influence future directions. Maybe there aren't enough people writing their elected representatives to ask for more and better rail service. At the very least, there is nothing wrong with dreaming.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Uh, MM, maybe you should go read all of trainaddicts posts from his/her very first one a few weeks ago then maybe you'll understand the comments people are making.

 

[Ryan]

Think of this as an excellent information source more than a "community".

This is absolutely a community.

It's a shame that you've decided to not be a part of it because people have dared to hold a differing opinion than you.

 

[the_traveler]

MM - The reason for the "disagreements" is that in trainaddict's first post, s/he would not accept that AU is not Amtrak. This despite all the posts explaining that we are not Amtrak or affiliated with Amtrak. S/he even wrote Amtrak and/or Congress saying "Amtrak employees" were not courteous. Why? :huh: Because AU has "LSA" or "Conductor" or "Engineer" by your screen name - thus we are Amtrak employees!

BTW - Since trainaddict is a "train attendant", I guess I should say hi to a fellow Amtrak employee! Since I'm an engineer, I should ask how crowded it was on today's train. I was up in the locomotive and trainaddict was back in the passenger cars with all the passengers!

 

[Old MM]

Mr. Traveler,

You have touched on something very important. To casual readers, the distinction may not be so clear. And if the distinction is not clear to trainaddict, how many other lurkers/guests might be reading and also come away with that impression? I agree that the statement "AU is not affiliated with Amtrak" should suffice and have been accepted at face value. Although it may be maddening that someone might be convinced in their mind that this is an Amtrak board and not grasp that AU is a separate entitity.... consider also that there is some murkiness present, especially given so many true experts here, not to mention there are employees and other insiders who post, and the designations you mention. It's interesting, to consider how this forum may actually be very influential in shaping people's perceptions of Amtrak itself.

 

[roomette]

No one said this is not a community.

"an excellent information source more than a "community", is what was said.

Nothing wrong with that.

 

[Ryan]

Go read the threads. They were told again and again and again and again that we weren't Amtrak.

Not being clear isn't the problem here.