What Would You Do If You Ran Amtrak???

[amtrakadirondack]

Here's what i would do: If I ran Amtrak, I would discontinue the Portland to Chicago Empire Builder and have passengers that are going to Chicago take a Cascade train to Seattle, discontinue the Chicago to the Los Angeles part of the Texas Eagle, discontinue the Pennsylvanian, discontinue the Heartland flyer, and I would make the Silver Star, Silver Meteor, and Palmetto into one train with Viewliner sleepers, special bedroom cars with just upper and lower bunks for people who don’t mind having an open room with a heavy drape for the night, business class, and coach class and name it “The Platinum”. I would also make the Lake Shore Limited into one train and have it go to New York, and for passengers bound for Boston, take an express train to Boston, and for the Auto Train, I would extend it to New York, and for the passengers in Lorton, I would have there cars ready in the enclosed auto carriers, and have the Auto Train pick up the enclosed auto carriers at Lorton, and I would extend the Downeaster to Augusta and Bangor, ME. I would create a train from New York to Halifax, Nova Scotia and call it the Nova Scotia Explorer and have it go through Maine and into Nova Scotia, with sleepers and coach cars. I would also create a train from Sacramento to Eureka, California and call it the Californian, with business class and coach class (it would also connect with the Skunk Train in Willits, CA). I would extend the Cascades to The Dalles, OR, Astoria, OR, Tillamook, OR, Coos Bay, OR, and an over night Cascades train with a sleeping car, from Seattle to Dunsmuir, CA connecting with the Coast Starlight in Dunsmuir, CA and traveling on to Los Angeles. I would also create a short train from Seattle to Issaquah, WA and call it the Northwest Star. I would also have a special service that would travel routes that were discontinued, and the train would travel the route for one month then the next route would start, the trains would have the consist when it did when it was discontinued (So if they were Heritage cars, then break-out the those oldie moldy cars!, if they were Superliners, then hook’em up! If they, well I think you get the idea). The train would travel three times each week both ways and have the name of that route. That’s how I would run Amtrak.

 

[Amfleet]

Ahh, what are you doing to Amtrak!!! No, no, don't discontinue anything. Those trains make good passenger revenue and multiple departures like on the Silver Service. Passengers on't want to be forced to one departure to leave a destination. The Pensylvanian was already cut back to Pittsburgh. The Boston section of the Lake Shore Limited does sell out during the summer and is popular with the exception of a lacked Dining Car. Can't bring the Auto Train to New York as Superliners, let alone the Auto Carriers, can fit through tunnels in Baltimore and New York. Yes it would be nice if the Downeaster were extended a bit more northward, but I would rather see Guilford raise the speeds from 60mph to 79mph. Then you service out west just seems confusing with a bunch of short and connecting trains. Passengers want to stay on one train and have as few connections as possible.

Now if I were to run Amtrak and Bush just gave Amtrak $10 billion...

1. Resinstate the Floridian

2. Extend the Sunset Limited to Miami and make it a daily trian.

3. Make the Cardinal a daily train.

4. Put a Dining Car and Sleeping Car back on the Palmetto and rename Silver Palm.

5. Extend the Silver Meteor to Boston

6. Reinstate on new Silver Service train over the FEC and have it go to Boston

7. Replace the Lake Shore Limited from New York to Chicago with a new premier service train (first class parlor, ect) and call it the 21st Century Limited

8. Put a Dining Car and Lounge plus another sleeper on the Three Rivers and rename the Broadway Limited

9. A new New York to Texas train and call it the Southern Crescent.

10. Start service between Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

11. Bring back the Desert Wind and Pioneer.

12. Order Superliner III's and rebuild the entire existing Superliner fleet to match.

13. Scrap on the old single-level long distance equipment with a newly designed Viewliner fleet.

14. Referbish all Amfleet cars into a simple Coach Class (2-2 seating), Business Class (2-1 seating), and Dinette layout.

15. New Talgo trains for high-speed midwest service.

16. Better food service in Lounges and Cafes and a more widely ranged rotational Dining Car menu (but not an individual menu on each train)

17. More amenities for Coach and Sleeping Car passengers.

18. Special/select premier trains with a First Class parlor car.

19. ...can you think of anything else...

 

[carknocker51]

You have my vote...

 

[Steve4031]

15. New Talgo trains for high-speed midwest service

Now your talking!!!!!!!.

 

[Steve4031]

19. ...can you think of anything else...

You forgot dome cars for crying out loud!!!

We need those on at least the Coast Starlight route, the Empirebuilder route, and the California Zephyr route. Then use the extra superliners for additional frequencies on the other routes.

 

[Viewliner]

I posted this the other day, which basically sums up my ideas:

Definitely the Floridian, I feel it has potential, provided you run Daily Service.  From what I've heard, even the worst delays were better than the Capitol Limited/Silver Service connection today.  I think it should Run: Chicago-Indy-Louisville(The people deserve decent service after fixing up the rail station)-Nashville-Atlanta-Jacksonville-Orlando(Split into TPA section, and MIA Section), and then to TPA/MIA.  Would help increase service in Florida.  
I think the Sunset Limited also should get an extension to Miami, as it could work well (Should also be made daily).

I agree about the Desert Wind and the Pioneer, those trains should be revived and made daily.  Would help compliment the planned (Eventual) LA-LV Talgo, also provide service between CHI-LV again.  The Pioneer would also be a good route.  What would be really good is if there were a way (enough equipment, etc.) to run the train Through to NY (Direct NYP-LV-LA Service)

Montrealer also sounds good.

I'd add a fourth Silver Service train, the Silver Comet (not historically accurate, but fits in with Silver Service), which would run via the FEC, and leave the Three existing trains on their current routes (restore the Silver Palm too), rather than screwing around with sections (not to mention loss of MIA-ORL service).  I would probably add a JAX-TPA (via ORL) section to the Silver Comet, to increase service to TPA.

Here's how it would come together:

1.  Repair all "repairable" Superliners, restore the Cardinal to Superliner Equipment.

2.  Restore the Silver Palm, complete with Sleeper and Diner.

3.  Order: Viewliner Equipment  (First! Use to add sleepers to existing routes, replace all other non-Viewliner equipment on Single Level trains, and add new service), then Superliner III equipment (Use to Make Cardinal and Sunset Limited Daily, plus enough to support New Routes)

4.  Add New Routes, including an extension of the Silver Meteor to Boston, which there is definitely a market for, providing Direct BOS-ORL-MIA Service.  Also give the Three Rivers an Diner (and New equipment), rename to Broadway Limited.

I also like Amfleet's other ideas, I could see #9 either as a second frequency and/or Crescent Star splitting off Crescent as was intially proposed. I might also try adding Auto Train Stops in Philly and West Palm Beach to expand the market.

 

[Amfleet]

I might also try adding Auto Train Stops in Philly and West Palm Beach to expand the market.

It would be possible to put a terminal in the Palm Beach area, but I think the 3 hour drive from Sanford will be better than a six hour train ride. Many people take the Auto Train to skip the bulk of I-95 through the Carolinas and Georgia. You could not however extend it to Philly because of the low-clearance tunnels in Baltimore and the catenary. It may be possible to run it up the CSX sub-division off the NEC and have a terminal there. This would allow passengers to miss the road work in DC which seems to cause havic to many.

 

[Viewliner]

Yes, I guess that would work, I just meant an extension a little further north. Wouldn't it take less than that though if it were to operate non stop between SFA and WPB? If not, I'm sure there would still be those who would rather avoid the driving.

 

[Amfleet]

Wouldn't it take less than that though if it were to operate non stop between SFA and WPB?

If the Auto Train arrived in Sanford at around 8:00 all the passengers would have to detrain and the auto carriers detached from the consist. That would take about 30 minutes. So the AT would continue south probably around 8:45. Not making any stops would shave about 30 minutes of the schedule with passengers arriving in Palm Beach around 1:00-1:30.

 

[AlanB]

Besides a few of the other problems you've mentioned, tunnels etc. There is another huge problem with extending the AT in either direction. You now need two more complete consists, as it will no longer be possible to turn today's southbound train into tomorrow's northbound train.

That's a heck of a lot of equipment for an extension that may not bring all that much more business for Amtrak.

 

[Amfleet]

It always the biggest things we(I) tend to over look! B)

 

[Viewliner]

It always the biggest things we(I) tend to over look! B)

Yes, guess I forgot about it too (guess why there are always people to brief (advise) those in higher positions). So that change wouldn't happen until Superliner III's, and I guess Auto Carriers too, can be purchased.

 

[Amfleet]

Even then however, the extra trainsets still may not be worth the passenger revenue.

 

[Viewliner]

Even then however, the extra trainsets still may not be worth the passenger revenue.

Ok, I'd suggest a Section, but that would be kind of complicated, unless its just extended to WPB.

 

[Viewliner]

Oh, I almost forgot, I'd begin re-issuing Travel Planners Annually!

 

[AlanB]

Well if I ran Amtrak, I'd do the smart thing. I'd ride it every day!

I certainly wouldn't be cutting any routes. I'd add at least one more frequency to the Silver Service, in addition to restoring the Palm. You'd see the Sunset and the Cardinal go to daily service. You'd see the Kentucky Cardinal essentially extended to Florida and renamed.

You'd see the Pioneer and the Desert Wind restored as individual trains, not branches of existing trains. Most LD routes would now see two trains per day along the current routes. You'd see an Auto Train from the Chicago area to Florida.

Finally you would see Amtrak paying the freight companies a fair amount for the passage on their tracks. However, if the freight company screwed up and delayed an Amtrak train for anything other than a derailment or major equipment failure on a freight train, then they would loose all payments due them during that month. Not just the payment for that run or that route, but every payment due for every route carried on that RR during that month. There would be no excuses, either run my trains on time, or prove to me why you couldn’t avoid the delay.

But hey that's just me.

 

[jccollins]

20. Extend several of the Capitol Corridor trains from the Bay Area, CA to Reno/Sparks, NV.

 

[Viewliner]

Alan, like your proposals glad to see we all have a set of general changes. I like your attitude as far as the way you put it. B)

 

[Allen Dee]

10. Start service between Las Vegas and Los Angeles.11. Bring back the Desert Wind and Pioneer.

19. ...can you think of anything else...

10 and 11 would be very great moves for me.

19. Start the Coast Daylight, San Diego to San Francisco service. Also replace the Los Angeles-Bakersfield Thruway buses with trains.

Wishful thinking, but I doubt any of this will happen anytime soon.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Just reading over Amfleet's suggestions quickly, I love them.I will probably read the more closely later..I'm .just in the office for a few minutes.

I wanted to expand upon a point I made with Viewliner the other day in which I finally agreed that, yes, another NY=-FLA-train could be called the Silver Comet. I had been balking since, as he pointed out himself, it was historically inaccurate, as the Comet went NY-ATL-BHM.

But something just hit me since then. My very own Crescent is historically inaccurate, even more so the Piedmont.Just never though about tthat way.

Historically the Cresent and the Piedmont Limited ran NYC-WAS-ATL-Montgomery,Mobile, NOL.(no BHM).

The train which ran NY-WAS-ATL-BHM,Meridian, NOL was then called the Southerner.

So, today's Crescent is actually on the route of the former Southernor. And of course the Piedmont of today is even more off-route than that!

Another example, historically the overnight streamliner from CHI to NOL was the Panama Limited. The City fo New Orleans was the name for the very fast all coach day train between those points.(very different from the kind of train described in the song of that name) Some point after Amtrak took over the mayor of New Orleans demanded that the name of the train be changed from Panama Limited to City of New Orleans.

And there are others..........

Point being, we have many slight (and some not so slight) variances in routes for various train names. So, in light of that, The Silver Comet going to Florida should not cause me to have to undergo too much therapy!

:

 

[frank]

What would I do if I ran Amtrak?

I'd grab a couple of newer engines and place a newly refurbished, at taxpayer's cost, one bedroom sleeper car. It would be 80' long, and house a king sized bed 10' by 79'. The extra foot would be for the shower/toilet area common on Amtrak deluxe bedrooms.

I'd pull a diner, just for my room service.

I'd select the destinations in route, changing on a whim. Here today, there tomorrow. Gone the next.

I'd have a one seat dome car.

I'd be allowed to engineer the lead locomotive on full moon nights across the Sweetgrass Plains of North Dakota with a severe thunderstorm off a little to the south.

I'd never have to pass through coach.

I'd make a pact with Via Rail to accept my train on their tracks at any time.

The same with South America.

All of this would be continiously funded by a Congressional funding pact.

I don't ask for much.

Frank

ps. Did I mention picking the menus?

 

[amtrakadirondack]

9. A new New York to Texas train and call it the Southern Crescent.

Amtrak was planning on doing that until the buget got low, Amtrak was planning to call it the Crescent Star, to bad they weren't able to start it up, for no at least. <_< <_< <_< <_< <_<

 

[amtrakadirondack]

What would I do if I ran Amtrak?
I'd grab a couple of newer engines and place a newly refurbished, at taxpayer's cost, one bedroom sleeper car. It would be 80' long, and house a king sized bed 10' by 79'. The extra foot would be for the shower/toilet area common on Amtrak deluxe bedrooms.

I'd pull a diner, just for my room service.

I'd select the destinations in route, changing on a whim. Here today, there tomorrow. Gone the next.

I'd have a one seat dome car.

I'd be allowed to engineer the lead locomotive on full moon nights across the Sweetgrass Plains of North Dakota with a severe thunderstorm off a little to the south.

I'd never have to pass through coach.

I'd make a pact with Via Rail to accept my train on their tracks at any time.

The same with South America.

All of this would be continiously funded by a Congressional funding pact.

I don't ask for much.

Frank

ps. Did I mention picking the menus?

What I meant when I started this section was if you were president of Amtrak and had to control it budget wise, not be able to have a private train. <_<

 

[Arkarch]

I'll add (with some regional focus)...

Put in a proper Coast Starlight that actually ran at night - at least from LA to Emeryville. Keep the Coast "Daylight" - and its fine to run up to Seattle as usual. I could never justify burning two full days there and back when I lived on the coast and needed to visit the other city. Flew or drove every time. Give me a night berth and I'll be happy!

It would be nice to have a high-speed LA - Vegas route. But it needs to be marketed - and it needs to make sense with typical schedules. The train must have an early evening departure from LA / Anaheim, and it must leave mid-morning from Vegas going back.

Where possible, I'd dump the UP-hosted lines and get them on BNSF in the west - on a railroad that actually tries (relative to UP).

Get the Sunset to an every day schedule. Running it three days a week is almost as bad as not running it at all. Just try to plan a trip that involves the Sunset and you'll understand.

Run proper Amtrak Connecting Buses. Greyhound is not an option. Period.

It would have been nice to have a train that ran from Chicago to Atlanta. Chicago to Louisville was a start.. and I know there may not be any good trackage through that part of the country - but geez, everytime I tried to plan a trip that got me from LA to Knoxville, it was like trying to tie a shoe with my arm twisted behind my back. I could get to Chicago - then drive/fly; go further to Memphis and drive just as far; or go on to Washington and drive just as far; or doing something totally absurd and get to Atlanta the back way and drive half as far. But no matter, getting there was just ugly. A train from Chicago that got to Nashville, or Atlanta, would have made me so happy.

Does anybody actually use the Autotrain? If they do - great. Otherwise.

Most importantly, make schedules that work with people's schedules. And if that means doubling up routes that are promising (such as LA - SF), so be it. Buy the equipment. People work on their schedules, and when Amtrak can't deliver - the opportunity is lost. The airlines dont run one flight a day to major destinations, and neither should Amtrak.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Yes, a train from Chicago to Atlanta to Florida is one of the items most highly wished for on this forum. I am an ex-Chattanoogan, now living in Atlanta, so it is high priority with me!There are huge problems with the track, as you noted, and that plagued the Floridian to its dying day(in 1979).

You mention Auto train---I do not speak from personal experience but my impression is that it is extremely successful, one of Amtrak's biggest success stories. Well-maintained, etc. Am I right? Anybody care to comment? Doesn't Auto-train do quite well?