The fare buckets on the NEC are getting to be unbearable.... commuting between NYP to PHL is becoming ridiculous....Its now 40$ OW, 80$ RT for the 14-day Advanced ticket what used to be 25-30$ back when I started commuting. Monthly Tickets and 10-Trip will probably soon rise in the near term.
How many times are they going to hike the fares on the NEC
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amamba
Engineer
I believe they have to raise the price of the 10 rides and monthlies every time the regular tickets rise. Something about those congress critters making some legislation about the discounts on multi-ride tickets.
ETA: Although the monthly between Boston and Providence still remains at $378. I did notice that acela tickets went up about $2 or $3 last month between NYP - BOS. I believe low bucket is now $109 (was $99 2 years ago I think).
ETA: Although the monthly between Boston and Providence still remains at $378. I did notice that acela tickets went up about $2 or $3 last month between NYP - BOS. I believe low bucket is now $109 (was $99 2 years ago I think).
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NYP-PHL monthly went from $1314 to $1350 and ten-ride is now $600 (not sure exactly what it was before, but high $500s). Monthly was $1278 in early 2012, and I think even less in late 2011. Gone up roughly $100/mo in 18 months.
I noticed the Acela buckets went up, as well - low bucket is $99 (I think it was $97 before) and high bucket is $167 (used to be $162, I think).
(Still a lot more pleasant than driving, though!)
I noticed the Acela buckets went up, as well - low bucket is $99 (I think it was $97 before) and high bucket is $167 (used to be $162, I think).
(Still a lot more pleasant than driving, though!)
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G
Guest
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Amtrak is not suppose to be social welfare agency. I hope Amtrak continues to move fares up, as the market can bare, until it reaches the break-even point (and maybe a bit beyond that).
the_traveler
Engineer
I agree! I'd much rather pay $xxx than have to put up with the traffic driving. And why do people complain when Amtrak fares rise (as in this case PHL-NYP) , but you don't hear the same complaints if they raise the tolls on the NJ Turnpike, GW Bridge, Lincoln Tunnel, Holland Tunnel, etc...? :huh:
jis
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Well, naturally people don't complain on an Amtrak board like AU when those other tolls and fares rise. But trust me they complain quite loudly and way more than when Amtrak fares rise, since there really are way more of them users of those bridges and commuter trains than there are users of Amtrak on the NEC, even though that may be hard to believe for some.
the_traveler
Engineer
More people drive than tàke Amtrak? :huh: Say it ain't so!
Ryan
Court Jester
Yep - tolls just went up here in Maryland and the complaining about it is pretty epic.
Strangely, people think that roads just spring forth from the magical road fairy and maintain themselves or something.
Strangely, people think that roads just spring forth from the magical road fairy and maintain themselves or something.
Doesn't mean they need to price gouge us either...Just because a bunch of over-payed CEO can utilize the Acela at an unlimited expense doesn't mean the entire NEC needs to be taken for a ride (pun intended). Amtrak is still a form of PublicTransportation let us not forget.
the_traveler
Engineer
So are highways. So are airlines. Etc...
I remember not to long ago when you could easily find coast to coast flights for $99 each way, gas for under $1 a gallon and local city bus rides for $1 each too!
I remember not to long ago when you could easily find coast to coast flights for $99 each way, gas for under $1 a gallon and local city bus rides for $1 each too!
You're dating yourself Dave and, unfortunately, since I remember those days too, I'm dating myself. Hmm, want to go out on a double date?
Acela150
Super Buff
Isn't this the same guy that says he never buys monthly passes, but buys the 25% off fares in advance?
jis
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However, since Amtrak has been told by its true paymasters in no uncertain terms that it is their objective to charge as high a fare as the market will bear, maximizing net revenues, it would be foolish of Amtrak to charge less if they can maximize their revenues at this fare level compared to any other.
I just heard a presentation last weekend at the NJ-ARP meeting from a reliable source who spends a lot of time talking to Congresspeople involved in transportation funding from both sides of the aisle, and I learned that even the Dems are now coming around to believe that the current Amtrak funding model is not sustainable and needs to be changed. So I would expect to see some very significant change in the way business is done in the next several years. I'd suggest all brace themselves for such. OTOH the positive thing I heard is that the Reps are quite resigned to allocating some funding for Amtrak. It is just that they wish the per passenger mile subsidy for Amtrak to be similar to for other transport modes for the Amtrak the train operating company. For this reason it appears that a consensus may be developing to hive off Amtrak Capital operations, i.e. all owned tracks, maintenance and operations thereof (not train operations) as a separate entity. So stay tuned.
the_traveler
Engineer
I have to date myself, because nobody else wants to!You're dating yourself Dave
Yep, and your point.....Monthly passes are of no value unless you commute ~20 days a month. I commute in the neighborhood of 10-15 days a month.
jis
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The most important measure for Amtrak is whether they are maximizing revenue. So far each change has been more or less net positive. But they are getting darned close to a point where that won't be the case anymore.
That fairy needs to visit Michigan.
The state considered turning I-94 into a toll road since it's in horrible condition (lots of truck traffic and Detroit <---> Chicago traffic), but OH. EM. GEE. They abandoned the idea after everyone turned into a rabid honey badger about it.
That's the right question to ask! And, yes, many of the trains I take (like lennyj I commute NYP-PHL, although I do so 20ish days a month on a monthly pass) are packed - with no ability to add more trains (and maybe no ability to add more cars?), raising prices just makes sense for Amtrak.
Remembering $1 per gallon gasoline? I remember when members of Congress said that increasing the price of gasoline to $1 per gallon would cause a revolution in America and people would simply stop driving. Now they say that about $5 per gallon gasoline.
And I can remember purchasing gasoline for my car at 29.9 CENTS per gallon.
And I can remember purchasing gasoline for my car at 29.9 CENTS per gallon.
amamba
Engineer
Haven't you been hearing people complain about the new tolls to Aquidneck island?! It's all I ever hear anyone complain about these days....
Alexandria Nick
Lead Service Attendant
Hardly "gouging." Gouging is charging $10 a gallon for gas in a blizzard. A $5 fare hike is responding to the market.
If you want to call Amtrak public transportation, NYP to PHL is about 95 miles so $49, that's 52 cents a mile. That's about how much DC Metro is, per mile, on the subway. I haven't priced NYC-Philly flights ever and don't want to, but I'm pretty sure its running a couple dollars for that and is still technically public transportation.
G
Guest
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I remember when gas pumps couldn't be set to any price higher than $0.999 (no one envisioned ever needing greater). When prices rose above $1.00, the pumps did "half pricing" and you had to pay double the amount shown.
Amtrak will continue to raise fares until they succeed at legally extorting every last nickel from the rail passengers. If you are lucky and happen to find a train where the passenger traffic is light you might find a more reasonable fare but if the train is full "expect to pay through the nose" for your ride on a 50 year old rain, that btw, was paid off years ago. Amtrak is supposed to be supported by our taxes and supplemented with fare revenue. When they start pricing themselves out of the market then we might see some reasonable fares otherwise its ram, jam and thank you man/ma'am
jis
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Could you point to any text in any piece of legislation that created Amtrak or any subsequent amendment to regulations created by RPSA that says what you claim? I am just curious.
Only thing I can find is the phrase "for profit corporation" or something to that effect? How were they supposed make the profits? by getting sufficient support from our taxes or by raising fares so as to minimize support from taxes?
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