If you love trains, then help them!

Congress wants to cut 1/3 of funding to Amtrak next year if this bill is passed.

NARR can better explain then I can, the Link can be found below.

Link

My voice is only so much, come on lets do this. Together. Thank You for your time.
Ok, maybe if you like trains, not love. But can you still help. Thanks

Here is how, contact your districts congress member. LINK

Let it die. See what happens. This is the same empty threat that's been crawling around for the past forty years.

simulatortrain said:

Let it die. See what happens. This is the same empty threat that's been crawling around for the past forty years.

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Perhaps, but with Senator Lautenberg gone, it could happen. He was Amtrak's biggest proponent.

simulatortrain said:

Let it die. See what happens. This is the same empty threat that's been crawling around for the past forty years.

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Ok, so if Amtrak dies who is going to take care of the rail passenger growth that we see happening, Private companies? And as I was reading to article, the government just want Amtrak to cut its long distance trains. The big five loser I believe.

simulatortrain said:

Let it die. See what happens. This is the same empty threat that's been crawling around for the past forty years.

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Quite literally, Every budget session Amtrak comes up with more cuts. But the funny things is, even when they do cut the budget, Amtrak still manages to do the job, and out preform expectation.

I have faith in the people at Amtrak. They DO know how to get the job done with limited resources.

amtrak2041864 said:

Ok, so if Amtrak dies who is going to take care of the rail passenger growth that we see happening, Private companies? And as I was reading to article, the government just want Amtrak to cut its long distance trains. The big five loser I believe.

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They will have to do it the original way, and right way. Bring back the original names, and color schemes. Passenger lines went to hell when the government took over. It may work for small areas and such, but for a nation as large as ours, we need more private lines taking charge of it.

Rock On!
~Dusten

I really do genuinely feel sorry for passenger rail over in America as it is a skeleton service unlike other places in general.

This is a cool video, I found.

rjhowie said:

I really do genuinely feel sorry for passenger rail over in America as it is a skeleton service unlike other places in general.

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We're a nation of drivers now. We want the flexibility to leave when we want and travel at our own pace. I wish it were possible to travel more effectively by rail here, especially with the horrible experience flying has become, but I don't know if it will ever happen. You're not going to get us out of our cars unless something really drastic happens. As much as I like to ride trains, there are times where it just isn't doable, schedule or access wise and I have to drive.

While I am a big proponent of Amtrak, and think they've done a good job all things considered, it may be time for it to go public, mainly because the people responsible for their existence have no need to use it themselves, therefore, with some exception, will never give it what it needs. You don't see a need for trains when you can hop into a private jet, either government owned or belonging to your favorite lobbyist, or get rock star treatment if you are "forced" to fly commercial.

The only way to deliver good service is with competition between private companies. A government run operation works just about as well as anything else they control.

jacksonbarno said:

The only way to deliver good service is with competition between private companies. A government run operation works just about as well as anything else they control.

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Until that company begins to put profit over service, then they either cut service or look to the Government for handouts to maintain service, then the Government decides to take over and provide service, then.....the wheels on the train go round and round.....

boc61 said:

We're a nation of drivers now. We want the flexibility to leave when we want and travel at our own pace. I wish it were possible to travel more effectively by rail here, especially with the horrible experience flying has become, but I don't know if it will ever happen. You're not going to get us out of our cars unless something really drastic happens. As much as I like to ride trains, there are times where it just isn't doable, schedule or access wise and I have to drive.

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Speaking from personal experience, I am growing up without the need of a car. Living in an urban environment, there really is no need. Having a car is a great handicap I think, because its limits your use of public transport which is to me getting better(service and reliability wise). If cities expanded and created more local transport systems,the US car reliance will go down because of more options(better, faster, and cheaper). This is what I think would work, a person uses their car for local city activities but use commuter trains to get to the city or local rapid transit for other events. A balanced system of transport is a must. And when cities can do that, Amtrak will need more funding because Amtrak can be that link to outside cities. and will become stronger then ever before.

For Example:
If a person lives in Long Beach, NY but I need to get to Paoli, PA. A great way to get there is Hop on the LIRR train to New York Penn station. Take the Acela Express to 30th street station in Philadelphia and then Hop on the Septa train to Thorndale. Simple. But most cities in the US, you cannot do that. Why the lack of local transit. Amtrak may close the gap but how are going to get to your final destination in the city.

So to close, until the public transport systems are up to sniff with the other cities on the Northeast, Amtrak will never get needed funding and support it needs. Because Amtrak is not a system of trains but a city to city connector. With one purpose to link the country.

Except I can do that same trip in half the time and at 1/5 the cost by car. And I'm not factoring in peak trips, taxpayer subsidy, etc. that bring that closer to 1/10th the cost., nor the problems of missed connections, etc.

Speaking from personal experience, I am growing up without the need of a car. Living in an urban environment, there really is no need.

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I grew up in an urban environment too. A 2 block walk to the bus stop and I was in New York in 20 minutes. I didn't even own a car until I was 30. But once I moved to where I live now, a car became a necessity. I can drive a couple of miles and catch a train into the city, but anywhere else, I have to drive most places. There is no bus stop 2 blocks away or a corner deli I can walk to. I take the train into the city often, if I have the time flexibility. Sometimes though, the hour drive is preferable to the 90 min/2 hr train trip. The cost probably evens out when you factor in gas/tolls/parking, but the time is the deciding factor. When you drive, the only schedule you have is your own. That's important to a lot of people, my wife included.

Don't get me wrong a car is need in situations, like living an a suburban haven but I feel as if public transport is best used in city like situations. Where the people/population are in a concentrated area. Having 600 hundred cars, going in one direction is just not going to work. A public transport option is needed. And it takes about two hours to get to Philly from New York's city center and another hour to get to Long Beach,NY(Driving). So the train is a some what faster and stress free way to travel. The Acela can handle that trip in about in a hour and 10 mins. Plus a hour on each commuter train. Were looking at an three hour trip. For about each mode of transport. But in the future if HSR rail line is built, 30mins trip time, so the train will be the faster way to travel.

Here is the thing about private passenger rail. Only One company, the Florida East Coast, is considering private passenger rail and they have already requested funds from the Government to help with construction of it. They want to connect Orlando with Miami with HSR. All the other companies do not want to even think about passenger rail because they know it is not profitable. Also, HSR on the NEC will take decades to construct. We will have to construct new infrastructure which includes upgrading bridges and tunnels, building a new system of tunnels under the Hudson to Manhattan which got rejected by Governor Christie because it will cost $15 billion, new track, new trains which have to be "Built" in the US to comply with Buy American laws, and replacing the century old PRR signals. Plus the fact that a politician can be bought nowadays to say what you want.

I think one will find that in general around the world State assistance is in fact the routine norm as it is here in my country where rail is mushrooming continually. Of course we do realise the advance of the motor car into lives and that has happened in Gt Britain too yet passenger numbers keep going up. Those who will of course argue that there is only so much money to go round but when you consider the USA spends half the total world military budget in an imperial pointlessness and still opening more bases (more recently in Africa now) just think what could be done with a smidgeon of that bill that is ruining the economy! One American friend I communicate with normally outside of rail matters said to me "But we are a big country." Yep true but so too is Russia and China and they are progressing rail rather than want to bankrupt themselves trying to run the world. In two visits to the "ex-Colonies", I travelled on Amtrak and did enjoy my trips but felt so sad that what was left was a skeleton of greatness and worth keeping. Of all the developed nations it must now be the worst as far as passenger rail is concerned and only emphasises my sadness.

One American friend I communicate with normally outside of rail matters said to me "But we are a big country." Yep true but so too is Russia and China and they are progressing rail rather than want to bankrupt themselves trying to run the world.

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They are big countries, but the ratio of car ownership per capita is far lower than here in the States. Most people need the trains for their daily lives, it's the only way they can travel great distances. Here, just about anybody can own a car, gas is plentiful and still relatively cheap so people are going to drive. Even if rail travel was improved here, most people would not give up their cars unless forced to. Owning a car has been a sort of American birthright for a long time now.

BTW, Russia can't afford to try to run the world now because they went bankrupt trying it 30 years ago. China is trying, in a different way, and just may succeed. But that's a discussion for another forum. But I do agree, we could be better suited spending more money sprucing up our own backyard.

boc61 said:

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They are big countries, but the ratio of car ownership per capita is far lower than here in the States. Most people need the trains for their daily lives, it's the only way they can travel great distances. Here, just about anybody can own a car, gas is plentiful and still relatively cheap so people are going to drive. Even if rail travel was improved here, most people would not give up their cars unless forced to. Owning a car has been a sort of American birthright for a long time now.

BTW, Russia can't afford to try to run the world now because they went bankrupt trying it 30 years ago. China is trying, in a different way, and just may succeed. But that's a discussion for another forum. But I do agree, we could be better suited spending more money sprucing up our own backyard.

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Yes, cars in America is something to stay but I feel a great example of rail at work is NJ, since I live in it and also NJ is to me developed rail transit and other forms of transit quite well. As in the case in New York, New Jersey transit system is a state wide agency. Not parts, also they are continuously expanding and improving their system. Like SNCF.

I hope it does get cut, I hate amtrak, sorry its waste of money everywhere but the NEC.