What are the chances of the ATL getting more Amtrak service? (Buckhead: rain, drive)

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by jsvh

I think their whole route structure needs review to focus on more limited routes where they can be profitable and do well and expand from there.

There are a lot of 200 - 500 mile routes where rail is the best option if they can get the business right.

I think Anderson is exactly the sort of guy to do this sort of overhaul.

This would need to come in addition to the existing long-haul routes. They're not profitable, but Amtrak was never meant to be profitable in the first place. On the other hand, they provide enough service to maintain public political support. They are a political bedrock as well as a public service.

We would need to approve additional funding, though, if we were to see any increase in service, which should absolutely happen for the economic benefit of the nation and our metro areas. Some of them may turn a direct profit. Some may not. The service is still important for the over all health of our nation.

[jsvh]

I mean, if you create something as a private for-profit entity, like Amtrak, it is intended to be profitable.

But yeah, I think grants to incentivize some of the routes and help cover some of the infrastructure makes sense. Certainly a better way to spend the money than adding yet another freeway lane.

But the problem is politics. Think Richard Anderson will do the best he can with the resources Amtrak is given. I assure you the CEO Amtrak will put up no opposition to getting additional funding, but I just don't see much of that happening.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by jsvh

I think their whole route structure needs review to focus on more limited routes where they can be profitable and do well and expand from there.

There are a lot of 200 - 500 mile routes where rail is the best option if they can get the business right.

I think Anderson is exactly the sort of guy to do this sort of overhaul.

Some of the long haul routes need to be eliminated. I get they are the only thing connecting some towns, but we cannot ruin the financial success of Amtrak so some hicks can get rail service that a few people use a month.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Some of the long haul routes need to be eliminated. I get they are the only thing connecting some towns, but we cannot ruin the financial success of Amtrak so some hicks can get rail service that a few people use a month.

But it's not really the current long-haul routes that keep Amtrak financially unsuccessful. The NEC isn't the profit machine so many think it is, only generating profit 'above the rails' and unable to finance the much needed overhauls and maintenance of the rote.


Amtrak struggles because it is a public service people keep trying to make a private company no matter what. It has been kept, like a lot of other public transportation services, at a starvation level of funding, and it shows.


Not only in the degraded NEC & Long-Haul services, but in the lack of new regional services as well.


So, instead of leaving so many people without any service of any kind, why don't we just let it be the social service it is, increase regional services on top of the long-haul routes, and generally actually invest in our national rail system. With increased service would come increased use, and the ability to leverage better funding mechanisms (like TODs at stations) to better offset the cost.

Originally Posted by jsvh

I mean, if you create something as a private for-profit entity, like Amtrak, it is intended to be profitable.

But yeah, I think grants to incentivize some of the routes and help cover some of the infrastructure makes sense. Certainly a better way to spend the money than adding yet another freeway lane.

But the problem is politics. Think Richard Anderson will do the best he can with the resources Amtrak is given. I assure you the CEO Amtrak will put up no opposition to getting additional funding, but I just don't see much of that happening.

Amtrak has always been a hybrid public-private entity. From day one its purpose was to provide a service that the freight companies didn't want to maintain for lack of profit. I have no idea how there's a reasonable expectation that Amtrak should be a for-profit entity.


I don't deny that adding more & better regional services are important for helping offset the costs, as should be a goal, but I'm not okay with removing the social-service aspect of the system either. Both long-haul and regional services need to be expanded. Some will be profitable, some won't, but the overall system will be more useful, and see better ridership for it while offering a more complete set of alternatives for people to truly make choices.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

Both long-haul and regional services need to be expanded.

Sure, I think it would be great too. But I think the chance of a significant increase in subsidies is very unlikely. A decrease is more likely.

Given that reality, unprofitable, rural, long-haul service should be sacrificed in order to focus on more profitable and useful regional service.

I think the best case long run is that we find a way to scale back highway subsidies. If you have to pay $50 - $100 in tolls to drive across a state suddenly the cost of that train ticket is not sounding bad at all. Then more of those rural train routes start to make more sense to operate.

[arjay57]

CfPT has a good event coming up on August 9. 6 pm at the Mellow Mushroom in Buckhead, and then walk over to see the train in the station.


Amtrak to MARTA Happy Hour

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by arjay57

CfPT has a good event coming up on August 9. 6 pm at the Mellow Mushroom in Buckhead, and then walk over to see the train in the station.


Amtrak to MARTA Happy Hour

I wonder how many people will drive to MM and use their free parking?

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by cqholt

I wonder how many people will drive to MM and use their free parking?

It happens. I have even seen paid MARTA advocates and employees driving around.

[primaltech]

Ironically, that Mellow Mushroom is where the Brookwood MARTA station was supposed to go, which would have linked MARTA rail and Amtrak 2 blocks away.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by primaltech

Ironically, that Mellow Mushroom is where the Brookwood MARTA station was supposed to go, which would have linked MARTA rail and Amtrak 2 blocks away.

People would have still complained about it, like they complained about having to walk thru AC'd Underground Atlanta to a free transfer Braves Shuttle Bus.