Here is a quick summary of the proposed Amtrak appropriations for 2014 (taken from NARP supplied figures):
This may be picky, but the FY2013 allocations in the table are incorrect, although the total of $1,344 million is correct . . .
In the final FY13 budget document dated May 2013 (yes, 8 months into the FY), the amounts are: Operating subsidy = $422 million, Capital grants = $642 million, ADA = $47 million, NEC Gateway = $14 million, debt service = $199 million. So the FY14 jump in General Capital or Grants is not quite as large.
. . .
Edit: PS. The $20 million for NEC planning is the from Maglev development program funded in a 2005 bill Public Law 109-59, Sec. 1307. Found the bill which authorized $15 million each in FY06 and FY07, $30 million in FY08 and FY09. This may indeed be Schumer (well his staff and others) scouring the budget to find money for NEC Gateway engineering.
Either way it looks good, considering how much worse
if the haters had their way.
Grave-robbing Maglev development, I'm cool with that, too.
Guess there was only $20 in the accounts left unsquandered.
LOL.
Anyway, it sure helps in planning to have a budget.
On capital equipment needs, going by Boardman's remarks in
his Railway Age interview, in a month or two we'll see a RFP
on the new-and-improved Acelas. With any luck that will move
to selection of a builder and a contract, to finalize the costs.
But I expect Amtrak has heard a range of figures already,
and Boardman could probably predict today within $100 million,
plus or minus, what these new trans sets will cost.
So there's a budget, and the biggest new order in the fiscal
year is almost in hand.
So I'm thinking we're much closer to seeing what's next. The order
for NextGen diesels for the Midwest and West Coast corridors
has to move fast, because that's Stimulus money with a Sept 30,
2017 deadline. But at least it is funded.
Small and cheap then is the option for more Viewliners from CAF,
to be financed out of loose change remaining after more urgent
matters are well taken care of. So I'm thinking we're getting
pretty close to that desired point.
Not sure there's a hurry to order the NextGen diesels for LD service,
because they will likely come from the same assembly plant as the
corridor locomotives, and it will be busy for a couple of years ahead.
Same for the new additions to/replacements for the Superliners.
Again I'm assuming the builder of the bi-level corridor coaches will
win the order for the LD version -- tho bidding will be open and another
builder could muscle in. But if it's gonna be Nippon Sharyo, then
I'd say they are booked into 2018, or later. But maybe another
assembly line could be added.
That gets me to new single-level cars. Aren't we back to CAF making
more Viewliners -- and even Viewliner coaches? Even a lot more?
I'm thinking that the fastest way we'll see more bi-level equipment
added to the long distance trains is to convert the
Capitol Limited
and the
City of New Orleans to all single-level cars, and move their
bi-level cars out West, until a new line building bi-level LD cars starts
putting them out the door. I know this thought pains some folks, but
there you are.
It's hard to predict, especially about the future, but the Cardinal and
the Sunset Limited are far and away the biggest problem trains in the
LD network, with loss per passenger figures that make the haters drool.
But taking these three-day-a-week trains daily, which would slash their
per-passenger losses, would require a good bit of added equipment.
The fastest way to get the needed cars will be from the CAF plant making
Viewliners. Paying for that's gonna take some serious scrounging, but
now it's looking a lot more possible to do.