Don't assume the Press knows everything

[AmtrakWPK]

I had been looking for press coverage of the recent CSX coal-train derailment in Ocala, which had damaged the Ocala Amtrak station among other things. The Orlando stations didn't carry much about it. I found the Ocala Star Banner's web site, and they had three consecutive days of stories on the derailment and cleanup, with pix, on their web site, including a good bit of information on the damage to the Amtrak station, and repair details. Not once did they mention the fact that Amtrak rail service was about to end. So I decided, what the heck, I'd ask. I sent an email to their news editor with the information, saying I had assumed they knew about it. I did not receive a reply, but today it's their top story. So don't assume the press is smarter or automatically knows stuff that we don't. It may very well be the other way around.

 

[Superliner Diner]

It could be that Amtrak did not formally announce to the communities of Waldo, Ocala, Wildwood, and Dade City that they are losing rail service, because they will be retaining a bus connection to and from the SILVER STAR. These four stations did not have to get the 180-day notice because service will be continuing, albeit via a different mode of transportation than a train. That is unlike the poor people in the middle of Ohio and Indiana, who got their 180-notice in early September and will be losing all service come March 1. So the eventual train-off in the Midwest was better publicized because there won't be an alternative for people in places like Napannee and Akron other than driving to a station on another line.

So the Ocala station will still be in use, however it will function as a bus stop.

 

[battalion51]

The one benefit to going to bus service, is direct service to Gainesville has been achieved. This could be a big thing with the college students with the rail pass.

 

[Guest]

So the Ocala station will still be in use, however it will function as a bus stop.

That is true........two long distance bus services as well as a city bus service. One Greyhound sponsored, the other by Amtrak. But the point (if any agree with me) is our management types need to wake up! This is a railroad! We are supposed to specialize in trains not busses! Sure our bus connection services probably work well, and in some cases are more reliable. But as far as I am concerned, the vast majority of passengers want to ride the train if they are purchasing a ticket for a train trip. Why would anyone wanna buy a train ticket to ride a bus? If they want to take a bus, it seems to me they would simply go with Greyhound.

Now I will be the first to admitt that the majority of management folks I deal with at Amtrak probably do not completely agree with me the most of the time. I just sometimes feel the company which I am employed doesn't seem to realize the most important people are the passengers, instead it seems as if politics and especially politicians seem to be more important. Now I know the reason why! It's money! What else coud it be? Amtrak depends on federal subsidies to operate. And where the word "federal" comes into play then usually "political" is somewhere not far away either. I am hopeful I will see it (but I don't have my hopes up too far) when Amtrak has "trains" as its first priority when it comes to product line issues! I hate to say that, but I just feel this way. It is a good job, and overall a rewarding career, but it would be nice to have a more clear focus on the part of management control than what we have (or what it seems to me)!

 

[Amtrak OBS Employee]

The one benefit to going to bus service, is direct service to Gainesville has been achieved. This could be a big thing with the college students with the rail pass.

You do have a good point there, bat51, however I just feel Amtrak should go back to basics a little more.

drat's forgot to put my name in last post!!! :lol:

 

[Superliner Diner]

The one benefit to going to bus service, is direct service to Gainesville has been achieved. This could be a big thing with the college students with the rail pass.

For a while up until a few years ago, there was a Thruway bus connection at Palatka with both the SILVER STAR and the SILVER METEOR to/from points to the north, for Ocala and Gainesville. And one of the buses also connected with one of those trains to/from the south, so people could travel from Gainesville to Miami, for example, via Palatka.

 

[AmtrakWPK]

The Star Banner included an interview with a man that uses (well, now useD) Palmetto to visit his 90 year-old parents in Ocala. He said that he hates buses and won't use them. That's a very small sample statistically but if there's one in a random sample, there's more where that one came from. I agree it was stupid to end the rail service, but..... ??