Amtrak's top man on the power and problems of East Coast rail

[hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com]

The signaling systems and the catenary, the overhead wires that power electric trains, are, in places, about a century old and need an upgrade. This is not news to SEPTA passengers, who have experienced delays due to failures on Amtrak’s rail. Amtrak spends about $300 million a year on keeping the Northeast Corridor in good repair, but the need is between $700 million and $900 million.

Moorman, who took the chief executive job in September, toured the East Coast on Tuesday, offering reporters rides on the custom car to sell the possibilities of Amtrak’s future — more capacity, transit-oriented development, faster trains — and explain the need for funding to make that a reality, or just maintain its existing service.

full article at:
http://www.philly.com/philly/business/transportation/Amtrak-CEO-power-problems-East-Coast-rail.html

[houn...@yahoo.co.uk]

I would think that infrastructure between Shell (CP216) and South Street
is in pretty good condition, considering that it is relatively new. The
current OHLEs are much easier to maintain than their predecessors, AIUI.

I nonetheless wonder what the possibility is of obtaining needed funding
from the federal government under the current administration, for
maintenance and needed upgrades, even though that is the economic centre
of the United States.

Is 125 miles still the speed south of Trenton?

[hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com]

IMHO, the Republican Congress will attempt to kill Amtrak altogether,
plus, not be very sympathetic to regional rail and transit either.

A lot of Congressmen were supported by the Reason Foundation and
Cato Institute who both despise Amtrak.

[houn...@yahoo.co.uk]

On 21.04.17 20:51, hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:
> On Thursday, April 20, 2017 at 3:58:07 PM UTC-4, houn...@yahoo.co.uk wrote:
>> On 20.04.17 19:19, hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:
>
>> I nonetheless wonder what the possibility is of obtaining needed funding
>> from the federal government under the current administration, for
>> maintenance and needed upgrades, even though that is the economic centre
>> of the United States.
>
> IMHO, the Republican Congress will attempt to kill Amtrak altogether,
> plus, not be very sympathetic to regional rail and transit either.

Two things.

a) I thought that there was a proposal from under the previous
administration to perhaps break up Amtrak into smaller units specific to
the regions.

For example, one entity would operate Boston to Washington DC, whilst a
completely separate entity would operate, say, Los Angeles to San Francisco.

Also, wouldn't it cost absurd sums to shut down and dismantle Amtrak? I
recall hearing a while back that crews would receive at least several
years of redundancy.

> A lot of Congressmen were supported by the Reason Foundation and
> Cato Institute who both despise Amtrak.

What exactly does the current administration want, to shut down all
railroads or simply allow them to run into the ground as Penn Central did?

What happened to talk about the parlous state of US infrastructure and
the need to invest and rebuild?

Or does that concern only highways, in reality?

[hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com]

On Friday, April 21, 2017 at 4:08:14 PM UTC-4, houn...@yahoo.co.uk wrote:

> > IMHO, the Republican Congress will attempt to kill Amtrak altogether,
> > plus, not be very sympathetic to regional rail and transit either.
>
> Two things.
>
> a) I thought that there was a proposal from under the previous
> administration to perhaps break up Amtrak into smaller units specific to
> the regions.

Forget about past proposals. The new congress will dream up
new stuff, perhaps using pieces from old stuff.

> Also, wouldn't it cost absurd sums to shut down and dismantle Amtrak? I
> recall hearing a while back that crews would receive at least several
> years of redundancy.

Yes, it would be costly and stupid. But when it comes to Amtrak,
its critics have long been driven by ideology, not facts. There
were televised hearings on C-SPAN showing Senators ranting against
Amtrak as its president tried to point out the real facts in a
handout the Senators chose to ignore.

With some modest investment in better tracks and trains, Amtrak
could double its ridership easily. The demand is there if there
was reasonably decent train service. But the ideologues don't
want passenger trains.

>
> > A lot of Congressmen were supported by the Reason Foundation and
> > Cato Institute who both despise Amtrak.
>
> What exactly does the current administration want, to shut down all
> railroads or simply allow them to run into the ground as Penn Central did?

It is tough to give an answer to that question as the situation is
fluid. Officially, long distance trains are out, only the NEC to remain.
This is passenger trains. They ignore freights.

> What happened to talk about the parlous state of US infrastructure and
> the need to invest and rebuild?
>
> Or does that concern only highways, in reality?

And airports. The top priority is to build the Mexican Wall and
piss away $16 billion.

[houn...@yahoo.co.uk]

On 21.04.17 21:26, hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:
> On Friday, April 21, 2017 at 4:08:14 PM UTC-4, houn...@yahoo.co.uk wrote:
>
>>> IMHO, the Republican Congress will attempt to kill Amtrak altogether,
>>> plus, not be very sympathetic to regional rail and transit either.
>>
>> Two things.
>>
>> a) I thought that there was a proposal from under the previous
>> administration to perhaps break up Amtrak into smaller units specific to
>> the regions.
>
> Forget about past proposals. The new congress will dream up
> new stuff, perhaps using pieces from old stuff.
>
>
>
>
>> Also, wouldn't it cost absurd sums to shut down and dismantle Amtrak? I
>> recall hearing a while back that crews would receive at least several
>> years of redundancy.
>
> Yes, it would be costly and stupid. But when it comes to Amtrak,
> its critics have long been driven by ideology, not facts. There
> were televised hearings on C-SPAN showing Senators ranting against
> Amtrak as its president tried to point out the real facts in a
> handout the Senators chose to ignore.
>
> With some modest investment in better tracks and trains, Amtrak
> could double its ridership easily. The demand is there if there
> was reasonably decent train service. But the ideologues don't
> want passenger trains.
>

Such as?

> It is tough to give an answer to that question as the situation is
> fluid. Officially, long distance trains are out,

Trains like the Zephyr, the Adirondack and the Maple Leaf, to name a
few, would then be out? People use those trains, I note.

How about service down to Miami from New York or Washington DC.

What about trains between Los Angeles and San Francisco, where indeed a
major economy is?

> only the NEC to remain.
> This is passenger trains.

I know

> They ignore freights.

The previous administration ordered that passenger trains have priority
over freight, IIRC.

Would I be right in guessing that the current administration rather
quickly repealed that when it came to power?

> And airports. The top priority is to build the Mexican Wall and
> piss away $16 billion.

... and further serve to damage the US economy.