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Trains create jobs, not so much for the train company employees, as for the train passengers.
But from an outside view I am not too optimistic about trains in the US, even where it technically/economically would make sense. Infrastructure is politicised everywhere, after all some would benefit more, others less, some would lose, but in the US it seems politicised to a ridiculous extent. To exaggerate, one party seems to want train transport, no matter the cost, while the other party wants to derail every train project no matter the cost. End result is very high cost for no gain, except political.
One approach could be to depoliticise the issue, having both parties agree on a group of engineers. economists, environmentalist and other experts researching and reporting which projects would be viable. Then from this shortlist pick the most promising project, get all stakeholders to commit, if not go down to the next one on the list until there are none, or there is a pilot project. If the project is successful, more stakeholders might commit to the other viable projects. If it is a failure, well, that's that for a generation or so.
Of course, this approach would probably fail at the "having both parties agree" stage.
In 1945, the major railroads, of which there were about 30 in North America, employed about 1.5 million people. By 1975, with payrolls down to less than half a million, about 40 % of the industry (measured in terms of track miles) was in bankruptcy, or flirting with it. Yet after major work rules reform (voluntarily agreed to by the rail unions -- this is what reduced train crews from 5 people to two and made the caboose obsolete) -- the industry, now down to six major players and about 200,000 employees, righted itself. Except for Amtrak's Corridors and Conrail's "shared assets" to maintain competition in a few urban areas, all the redundant trackage was either re-privatized or abandoned
Despite the loss of much of the coal traffic that sustained it through the lean years, there is currently no major North American railroad in danger of insolvency -- hasn't been for many years now. Yet the dreamers seek to restore the political interference and "featherbedding" that kept "firemen" on Diesel-electric locomotives for about forty years after they became redundant and, save for the "Pocahontas Region" coal-haulers, impelled every line east of Chicago and north of the Ohio and Potomac toward the bankruptcy courts and possible nationalization.
Non Compos Mentis?
All this in the name of "jobs" -- the real purpose of which is to shield low-skilled and unmotivated men from the sort of honest work to which their negative attitudes and lack of skills would otherwise limit them. It's not by accident that Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged was written about a railroad -- and in 1958.
Last edited by 2nd trick op; 04-15-2017 at 10:02 PM..
Yes, the railroads provided good jobs for those willing to work hard. But the work was (and still is) hard. Being on call, having to be out in all weather, and away from home took a toll. Today the men that might have worked on the railroads and coal mines are often not working, or even looking for work.
Nobody posting here has an opinion that counts for anything. What counts is how much of YOUR OWN money you are willing to bet on either industry. The rest is all armchair socialists or worse talking about how to spend other people's money.
Nobody posting here has an opinion that counts for anything. What counts is how much of YOUR OWN money you are willing to bet on either industry. The rest is all armchair socialists or worse talking about how to spend other people's money.
They tazed a guy on Friday for being irate at being stuck under the Hudson for two and a half hours.
And then there was mass panic afterwards. It was clear the police created a dangerous situation in a crowded area, but instead they'll blame the guy tazed.
And then there was mass panic afterwards. It was clear the police created a dangerous situation in a crowded area, but instead they'll blame the guy tazed.
Amtrak seriously dodged a bullet with it being Good Friday. I was at Penn Station at 5:45pm and while it was crowded, it was nothing like the pandemonium you get when the tunnel has problems on an ordinary day. If they'd caused a panic like that with Penn Station full to capacity, you would have crush injuries at the very least.
(I grabbed the first train out regardless of it not being my line. This turned out to be the right move)
Ain't gonna happen. You've got the problems of ROW acquisition, a regulatory agency mostly stuck in the 1890s (but wanting PTC on top of that), and the fact that every shovelful you dig and track you lay is going to require an environmental impact statement and the associated Federal and State lawsuits.
Are there serious studies of why infrastructure in USA is so much more difficult and expensive to develop, than in China and Europe which both have thousands of years longer documented history and higher density land uses to be concerned about?
America was great because we took from the best of the world. Blind and deaf arrogance is not going to make us greater.
A. Rail is the most efficient form of land transport.
B. Government meddling is the culprit preventing its renaissance.
C. Abolish all government meddling (taxes, subsidies) and American rail transport would dominate land transportation.
D. This would increase the number of jobs with respect to rail - manufacture, installation, operation, and repair. BUT. Transitioning to rail as the dominant form, will have a devastating effect on the automobile industry and all its related industries - pavement, fuel, infrastructure, sprawl, maintenance, and all associated aspects. Remember, the automobile is one of the most inefficient forms of land transportation - hence a loss of profits and jobs for those dependent upon it.
E. Due to the 90% drop in fuel consumption, America would cease importing fuels, and thus shift geopolitical interests.
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