Presidential Candidates' Amtrak positions?

[Arkarch]

We all know the Bush Administration's position on Amtrak.

Frankly, I wasnt impressed by the eight years under Clinton.

So what do the current crop of Presidential Candidates think about Amtrak?

Are there any specific agendas to promote the growth of a National (not NEC) Rail Passenger system? Are there just sweet words without any commitment, or has anybody proven a real commitment?

 

[tp49]

I'm willing to bet the other major party candidates have not thought much if at all about Amtrak, sad but probably true.

 

[jccollins]

Unfortunately I don't even know who our 2004 candidates are!

With the exception of a few key corridor routes (Los Angeles to Las Vegas, chiefly) and modification of a few existing routes (put the Sunset back in Phoenix!, light corridor development from Los Angeles to Phoenix, etc), I would much rather see a plan implemented similar to Amtrak's 5-year capital improvement plan in the near-term before any major service expansions occur.

A few of MY priorities:

1. Equipment in good repair and under aggressive maintenance plan

2. Work w/ freight railroads and fed gov to develop track improvement projects that would benefit Amtrak's long-distance lines. First priority should be to double track as much of these lines used by passenger service as possible and necessary, and second to upgrade all tracks to 110mph as possible. There is no reason long-distance trains such as the Sunset shouldn't be able to average 70mph including the station stops when they could run at 90-100mph on the tracks in the desert plains. This would mean the Sunset would take just under two days for a one-way trip instead of the current three days.

3. Continue more track and speed improvement projects

4. Now, after OTP has reached 90-100% for ALL long-distance and intercity routes, now consider service expansions.

Dare to dream, huh? :unsure:

 

[New Orleans coach cleaner]

Amtrak is a very good mode of Travel for millions each year, but in order to keep passengers coming back, and get new one's on-board, Amtrak should not only clean the trains at it's starting and ending points, but also have on-board cleaners through out the trips...This would show the people boarding in a mid-point city that Amtrak really cares for the passengers and the Equipment. If I were boarding in New Orleans, I would find a very clean train to ride, but if I were boarding the same train in Memphis, enroute to Chicago The train probably needs cleaning again between New Orleans and Memphis...I love my job, and have ridden on Amtrak several times for Business, It is a very good transportation system, just more cleaners throughout the system is needed......

 

[Amfleet]

Amtrak is a very good mode of Travel for millions each year, but in order to keep passengers coming back, and get new one's on-board, Amtrak should not only clean the trains at it's starting and ending points, but also have on-board cleaners through out the trips...This would show the people boarding in a mid-point city that Amtrak really cares for the passengers and the Equipment. If I were boarding in New Orleans, I would find a very clean train to ride, but if I were boarding the same train in Memphis, enroute to Chicago The train probably needs cleaning again between New Orleans and Memphis...I love my job, and have ridden on Amtrak several times for Business, It is a very good transportation system, just more cleaners throughout the system is needed......

You're idea makes complete sense. If there were a cleaner who travelled the entire length of the trip, he or she could help Sleeping Car attendants with making up rooms in the night/morning, help clean the Diner after meals, neaten up the Lounge by picking up loose ends. Throughout the entire train the cleaner could clean bathrooms, empty trash boxes, sweep up with a floor sweep. By far there are a million things a cleaner could do enroute to help keep a neat train. Now if Amtrak only had the money to do so.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

That on-board cleaning post sounds very good, thinking of it as we are, as railfans, but the position would have to be marketed very, very carefully, otherwise it would just come across as a completely menial job with no perks,no adequate sense of rewards, etc....kind of a difficult sell, people being as they are.

I could not agree more about the need for a reasonably clean train. Nothing is worse than stepping into a beautiful superliner lounge, for example, and finding the thing trashed with junk, junk, junk.

 

[gswager]

A few of MY priorities:
2.  Work w/ freight railroads and fed gov to develop track improvement projects that would benefit Amtrak's long-distance lines.  First priority should be to double track as much of these lines used by passenger service as possible and necessary, and second to upgrade all tracks to 110mph as possible.  There is no reason long-distance trains such as the Sunset shouldn't be able to average 70mph including the station stops when they could run at 90-100mph on the tracks in the desert plains.  This would mean the Sunset would take just under two days for a one-way trip instead of the current three days.

Only long-distance train that goes above 79 mph is Southwest Chief. Its maximum speed is 90 mph covers on most of western half of its route.

 

[AlanB]

A few of MY priorities:

2.  Work w/ freight railroads and fed gov to develop track improvement projects that would benefit Amtrak's long-distance lines.  First priority should be to double track as much of these lines used by passenger service as possible and necessary, and second to upgrade all tracks to 110mph as possible.  There is no reason long-distance trains such as the Sunset shouldn't be able to average 70mph including the station stops when they could run at 90-100mph on the tracks in the desert plains.  This would mean the Sunset would take just under two days for a one-way trip instead of the current three days.

Only long-distance train that goes above 79 mph is Southwest Chief. Its maximum speed is 90 mph covers on most of western half of its route.

Actually that's not entirely correct.

The Lake Shore Limited hits 90 MPH between NY & Albany. Additionally all Silver Service trains, along with the Palmetto can hit 90 or better while running on the NEC, and finally the Three Rivers and the Pennsylvanian also can do 90 while on the NEC and between Philly & Harrisburg.

 

[jccollins]

Only long-distance train that goes above 79 mph is Southwest Chief. Its maximum speed is 90 mph covers on most of western half of its route.

You would think the Sunset Limited could qualify for 90mph running through the desert too. Most of the route is flat and straight. I guess the upgraded investment would not be worth the cost though. Still, it should average better than 39mph!