Amtrak exploring Atlanta to Nashville Route (Dallas, Washington: homes, neighborhoods, live)

[pat565]

Originally Posted by 2nd trick op

As an aside, individual states are free to operate their own passenger trains (and qualify for Federal subsidies), Some have, but Tennessee and Georgia are not among them.

What states have?

[MattCW]

North Carolina, California, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Texas, Oregon/Washington, Pennsylvania, New York, Maine.

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by brown_dog_us

Google says Delta will get you there and back for $97 in 1 hour and 12 mins. This train will never make it.

Plus check-in, security, and bag claim waits. That will easily add an hour or two.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by toll_booth

Plus check-in, security, and bag claim waits. That will easily add an hour or two.

Wouldn't you have to deal with that with a train, too?


Not arguing, I'm also in favor of a train.

[westender]

Originally Posted by MattCW

North Carolina, California, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Texas, Oregon/Washington, Pennsylvania, New York, Maine.

Plus Connecticut (the state subsidizes the Springfield, Mass.-New Haven line, which connects with the Amtrak main line; and the state operates with its own equipment the Shoreline East line, from New London/ Groton to New Haven, again with connections to Amtrak). I think Massachusetts and perhaps New Hampshire contribute some funding also, both for the Downeaster to Maine (stops in Haverhill) and the Springfield stub.

Florida has the privately funded and operated Brightline (a delightful ride btw) which currently operates between downtown Miami and downtown West Palm Beach, soon to be extended to the Orlando airport. Plus the state funds and operates the Tri-Rail which operates as commuter rail from West Palm Beach to Miami Gardens and then west to the Miami airport, running mostly about two blocks west of the Brightline on dedicated tracks. The Brightline runs on the FEC-Flagler freight tracks. Freight operates at night; the Brightline operates during daylight hours.

[westender]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Wouldn't you have to deal with that with a train, too?


Not arguing, I'm also in favor of a train.

There is no security requirement for train travel. Show up (you can often "print" a ticket on your phone) even as the train is waiting in the station, climb aboard, and bon voyage.

Some localities have implemented security (the NYC subways), but it is not nationally mandated.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by JMatl

You haven't been keeping up, they may turn the corner to profitability this year. They have always been hamstrung by ridiculous Government meddling since their inception, much like the State of Georgia has always treated MARTA.

I know you're anti-rail, but you're pushing a false Wendall Cox narrative here.

https://usa.streetsblog.org/2019/11/...nes-and-roads/

An excerpt from the linked article: And Amtrak is poised to continue growing after it posted it best operating performance in history, losing about $29.8 million out of a total operating budget of $3.3 billion — or 82.6 percent less in losses than the previous year, the company said.

You are believing propaganda. Those numbers don't include depreciation which is included in their audited financials. It also doesn't consider significant deferred maintenance building up.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/o...mtraks-big-lie

"...Amtrak accomplished this using a simple yet apparently effective technique: It's called lying.

Amtrak's accounting system is so full of lies that even the pro-passenger train Rail Passengers Association calls it "fatally flawed, misleading, and wrong."

The first lie is that Amtrak counts taxpayer subsidies from the states as "passenger revenues." According to Amtrak's unaudited report, 17 state legislatures gave Amtrak a total of $234 million in 2019. The taxpayers in those states were never allowed to vote on these subsidies, and the vast majority don't ride Amtrak. These subsidies are no more "passenger revenues" than the subsidies given to Amtrak by Congress. Deducting these subsidies from revenues immediately increases Amtrak's 2019 losses to $264 million.

An even bigger lie is Amtrak's failure to report depreciation in its operating costs. Ignoring depreciation is an old railroad accounting trick aimed at misleading investors by boosting apparent profits....

In 2019, depreciation amounted to $868 million, increasing total losses to $1.13 billion — 38 times as much as claimed.

Even with federal capital subsidies, Amtrak is deferring maintenance like crazy. Amtrak passenger cars have expected lifespans of 25 years, yet the average car in its fleet is well over 30 years old. The Boston-to-Washington corridor, which Amtrak has often claimed to be profitable, has a $38 billion maintenance backlog...."

[JMatl]

Originally Posted by bu2

You are believing propaganda. Those numbers don't include depreciation which is included in their audited financials. It also doesn't consider significant deferred maintenance building up.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/o...mtraks-big-lie

"...Amtrak accomplished this using a simple yet apparently effective technique: It's called lying.

Amtrak's accounting system is so full of lies that even the pro-passenger train Rail Passengers Association calls it "fatally flawed, misleading, and wrong."

The first lie is that Amtrak counts taxpayer subsidies from the states as "passenger revenues." According to Amtrak's unaudited report, 17 state legislatures gave Amtrak a total of $234 million in 2019. The taxpayers in those states were never allowed to vote on these subsidies, and the vast majority don't ride Amtrak. These subsidies are no more "passenger revenues" than the subsidies given to Amtrak by Congress. Deducting these subsidies from revenues immediately increases Amtrak's 2019 losses to $264 million.

An even bigger lie is Amtrak's failure to report depreciation in its operating costs. Ignoring depreciation is an old railroad accounting trick aimed at misleading investors by boosting apparent profits....

In 2019, depreciation amounted to $868 million, increasing total losses to $1.13 billion — 38 times as much as claimed.

Even with federal capital subsidies, Amtrak is deferring maintenance like crazy. Amtrak passenger cars have expected lifespans of 25 years, yet the average car in its fleet is well over 30 years old. The Boston-to-Washington corridor, which Amtrak has often claimed to be profitable, has a $38 billion maintenance backlog...."

Still parroting Wendell Cox and the Oil Industry I see.

Congress is to blame for all of this. They have been starving them since their inception, they were set up to fail from the beginning. Yet ridership continues to grow....

[Forhall]

Originally Posted by toll_booth

Plus check-in, security, and bag claim waits. That will easily add an hour or two.

Correct. Nothing beats train travel done correctly. In Japan, I arrived for my pre-booked Shinkansen trip about 15 mins before departure. I was in a large comfortable seat with views of the Japanese countryside zooming by. I was free to walk around, go to the "cafe cart" for snacks and vending machines, use a full size bathroom, etc. I had WiFi and outlets. There are almost never delays and you arrive right on time - hop off with your bags and you're free to go. No taxi, no waiting for bags, no walking through an airport and no getting a car/taxi to the city since most airports are far outside major cities and most train stations are right in the city center.

Trains are far superior for short to medium distance.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by JMatl

Still parroting Wendell Cox and the Oil Industry I see.

Congress is to blame for all of this. They have been starving them since their inception, they were set up to fail from the beginning. Yet ridership continues to grow....

I see you have trouble with facts getting in the way of your preconceived notions.

Most of Amtrak makes zero sense.

Rail just to have rail makes zero sense.

There are places where it does make sense. Atlanta-Nashville is the right distance, but I don't know if it has the population. And this proposal doesn't have the speed to make it competitive.