If you were CEO

[F40PHR231]

It's January 16th, you're the CEO of Amtrak that is in its current state as it is, and you've just got $2 billion.

What are you going to do with it?

Operations? :unsure:

Capital?

Luxurious cruise?

Expansion? :huh:

Repair?

New Mercedes? B)

Lets keep it down to the very first thing you would do.

 

[seajay]

I would supply each train with plenty of free chocolate chip cookies! That's my symbolic gesture to show that I'm going to do everything in my power to to make train the travel the most comfortable and efficient method of intercity travel in the country.

seajay

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Repair first, then operations or capital(in either order) and last but not least expansion.

I think, under Gunn, that repair is happening.

 

[gswager]

I would build more cars- dining, sleeper, coach, lounge, etc..

Most of them are getting too old and costly to maintain, even with hard to find parts.

It would be awesome if Amtrak owns the long distance track all by themselves, running 150+ mph without any traffic. Zzzzoooommm. What was that?

:lol:

 

[Amfleet]

1. Repair every piece of equipment sitting in Beech Grove, most of which include Superliners.

2. Completely clean out interiors and fix anything in need of repair for the whole fleet.

3. Make sure all passenger cars go into Phase IVb (VI) paint scheme.

4. Order 75 single level sleeping cars and 25 dining cars (Viewliners or other design).

5. Begin making improvements along the NEC between NYC and WAS. This includes catenary replacement and major work in the Baltimore tunnels.

6. Not as important, but put the First Class back into First Class. This means giving passengers a toiletry kit, free wine pack with glasses, and white linen table cloths and flowers on the fold down tables.

To bad it's just a dream (for now)! B)

 

[Viewliner]

1. Repair the Superliners (and other cars) in Beech Grove

2. Make the minor repairs, (Fixing seats for example) existing fleet (Where needed)

3. Use/Get Money for new rail cars, Viewliners beginning with additional Sleepers, Then Diners to replace the non-TMI Rebuilds, and enough for the Broadway Limited (You know what I mean) and Silver Palm, Move on to Viewliner Baggage Dorms (Might improve crew morale), Coaches, Lounges, and finally deluxe Sleepers for Silver Service. Plus a surplus for future derailments, and expansion

4. Expand the System Beginning with Daily Cardinal Service, Daily Sunset Limited to Miami, etc. And adding a Floridian (Chi-Orl-Mia via Atlanta), then a Fourth Silver Service Train (Silver Comet (?) to run via FEC, with TPA Section Splitting off in Orlando and Running the Silver Star's route through the Carolinas). Extending (at least) one Silver Service Train to Boston, with 4 Sleepers Minimum (Silver Meteor most likely).

5. Improve the system especially the NEC so the Acela can run 150 throughout the line.

6. Making Viewliner 2300 a company car, so I could use it in a consist, along with Beech Grove. I like the Idea of riding with passengers, but also would like to be able to go outside to the platform of 10001.

7. Study Candidate projects, like extending electrification.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Viewliner, you sure you want that fourth Silver service train to be Silver Comet instead of Silver Palm?

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Viewliner, maybe I mis-read you....you did say Silver Palm in the first reference but Silver Comet in the second.

In any case everybody's ideas are excellent. I liked Amfleet's mention of bringing back first class service to the sleepers. I used to really look forward to the little wine and cheese knick knacks, etc. For what we pay to travel first class, we need all the extras we can get............ ....

 

[Amfleet]

I think he meant adding a 4th Silver Service train and restoring the Silver Palm.

You mentioned having a minimum of 4 sleepers per train. That may be a little exsesive. If your adding a 4th train 2-3 should be able to cover that, plus you have to take into consideration if the diner and lounge can handle that plus coach. During vaction times (winter breaks etc.) and surplus sleeper could be put on the end of the train.

 

[Viewliner]

Sorry, I should've been more clear, on a Silver Service Trains running to Boston there should be a 4 Sleeper Minimum, based on the current scheduling it would include the Silver Meteor, which leaves would leave aroud 3 or 4 pm without having to adjust its schedule.

Maybe the Silver Comet, Could be scheduled so it could leave/arrive Boston a decent hour as well.

Like lets say 1 p.m. from Boston, 4 p.m. (approx) New York, 8 p.m. Washington, and the follow the Silver Star's Route till Jacksonville, where one section would be separated for Tampa via Orlando, the other for the FEC to Miami. The three Silver Service trains (Silver Meteor, Silver Palm, Silver Star) would remain as is with their routes and schedules. The Silver Comet would be a 4th train, which would allow Boston Passengers to travel virtually everywhere the current Silver Service trains do, without having to change trains.

Based on what you said Amfleet, maybe Amtrak Should buy some Viewliner Table cars with the diners to solve seating issues, and place it between the Diner and Lounge, or get a FC Lounge to handle the overflow. I think a table car might be more effective though.

 

[Amfleet]

With the 4th Silver Service train idea, I would fill that large gap between the Silver Star dep. at 11am and the Silver Meteor at 7pm. Maybe a 2-3pm dep. from NYC. Regarding the dining car thing, how bout my crew/table car idea?

 

[Viewliner]

It could work, if you think there'd be enough seating for Four Sleepers and Four or more coaches worth of passengers (give or take) and are willing to sacrifice your streamliner design for a Viewliner.

So I guess the Silver Comet would be a 11 a.m. or 12 noon departure out of Boston, It would also provide more convenient schedules for some stations further south than the other schedule I had.

So what does everyone think about my Ideas?

 

[Amfleet]

I realy enjoy the Viewliner design, but the reason I drew up the Streamliner was because the Coaches, Diners, and Lounges don't really need the upper windows (which can drive up the price because of glass). One other draw back in the Viewliners is space. In the sleepers currently there is no luggage rack and there is very lttle space for air conditioning and from what Miami Joe was mentioning was creating for a lot of problems. Also, the proto diner was ver limited on space and had a poor design. Other factor with the Viewliners is the second window will allow more sunlight to flow throgh, raising up the temp, driving up the AC. This could cause problems. However, I respect your idea for a Viewliner fleet.

In the long run, if a new fleet is purchased, Gunn (or current president) may fly for something european.

 

[tp49]

If I were CEO I can sum up where my spending would be in two words infrastructure and planning. Only when you have a solid infrastructure can you then focus on expansion, etc. Otherwise you'll be spreading your resources way too thin which causes massive headaches in the long run. Without sound planning anything else you try to accomplish will be haphazard.

 

[Amtrak Watcher]

I would set asside about $100 million for a multi-year, comprehensive and sustained education program for Congress and its staffers on the realities and economics of American infrastructure - especially its railroads.

 

[tubaallen]

I would set asside about $100 million for a multi-year, comprehensive and sustained education program for Congress and its staffers on the realities and economics of American infrastructure - especially its railroads.

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[EmpireBuilderFan]

1. Fix everything that needs to be repaired, regardless if it's Superliner, Viewliner, or anything else. Get all equipment on the road.

2. All existing trains would become daily routes.

3. Restore Broadway Limited and Silver Palm

4. Rebuild NEC so Acela Express can do 150 MPH over longer distances

5. Begin planning to build dedicated corridors as specified in the High-Speed Rail proposals, creating true high speed rail (150+ MPH)

6. Work with Talgo to see what they could do for new long-distance equipment

 

[Viewliner]

Add to my list:

1. Bring us back to the Arrow and a slightly different version of Phase III, which the logo would be applied to where it says Amtrak on it.

2. Work towards getting a connection between BOS and BON, and possibly run the Twilight Shoreliner and a couple of Regionals (NortheastDirect) Directly to/from Portland.

EmpireBuilderFan, I'm glad we're both on the same page about some of these Ideas

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

And on the Twilight Shoreliner I would not only want a sleeper all the way south from Portland, but also restore the old set-out sleeper from New York south which used to run.

 

[Viewliner]

And on the Twilight Shoreliner I would not only want a sleeper all the way south from Portland, but also restore the old set-out sleeper from New York south which used to run.

Maybe put a diner on each train as well.

 

[Amfleet]

I would not change back to the arrow. We would start causing to much confusion. Plus, the wave does not look that bad and is more up to date. The arrow is definetly "'70's".

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Yes, definately put the diner back on.

But as to the arrow, I have heard that it sometimes causes confusion for motorists trying to find the Amtrak station....they go in the direction of the arrow, thinking that is the direction of the station. Now that seems silly to us, but we are used to it....other people are not.

 

[Viewliner]

So Just Write Amtrak Station on the sign with no logo, but I'm talking just on the trains and stations.

 

[Amfleet]

Warrington made the mistake of introducing a new logo, but did think about replacing all the signs with the old logo. Instead the wave was just appearing on Amtrak publications, but no where else. It was a wise decision for Gunn to start applying it onto the equipment.

I was skeptical of the new logo for awhile, but I have grown to like it and it looks nice against the new Phase VI paint.

 

[Amfleet]

So Just Write Amtrak Station on the sign with no logo, but I'm talking just on the trains and stations.

You really wan't the wave logo to be applied where ever it should be needed. Highway signs, stations, trains, etc. Just putting "Amtrak Station" will be more unnoticable to motorists.