"essential rail service" do we have that?

Just reading this article about new flights out of PIT

http://www.post-gazette.com/news/transportation/2014/10/22/Sun-Air-to-begin-flying-into-Pittsburgh-International-Airport/stories/201410220165

It refers to "essential air service" and government funding. For example, a flight from PIT to Johnstown, which is about 2 hrs away with a once-daily Pennsylvanian ($36/round trip), to cost about $40 one way. Other flights will be offered to Altoona, Bradford, Jamestown, NY.

My question is this: If we have a government concept about essential air service, do we also have essential rail service? With these very local trips it would be so much more convenient if we had several trains a day going out of PGH (as I asked about in the PGH to CLE thread). Traveling to the airport, which is not nearby, waiting there for an hour, and then the flight time...it would just be easier to take a train there. There are many examples.

Anyway, I'm wondering if Amtrak fits into any official funding for essential rail or if there is such a thing. If there isn't, then I'd say we need it.

What do you think the long distance trains are justified as?

If you want to see a tap dance, use this essential service reasoning and write your elected government officials. There answers and Logic will bring you to tears. Nevertheless we must continue to support essential rail service.

There is no such thing as essential rail service in this country, although it's not a bad idea. Canada has rail services to remote areas that qualify for federal assistance.

Amtrak's operating losses appear to be on a nice downward

glidepath.

Not sure I can foresee Amtrak reaching operating break-even

in my lifetime. But my hope is to see Amtrak's need for the

annual operating subsidy drop to the level of the funding

enjoyed by "Essential Air Service". The haters don't want

to cut subsidies to business people (or smaller airports

heavily used by private planes). Maybe once Amtrak nears

parity with "Essential Air Services" the haters will lose

their enthusiasm for cutting the essential rail services

offered to the larger public by Amtrak.

I have spoke on Essential Air Service before. I think there is probably some areas of the country that are needed. However, they could probably increase rail transportation to accomplish the same thing. Airlines should only be for long distance. Medium distances should be served by high speed rail.

Now there may be some cities that these services are needed. But the ones in PA are not especially in the eastern half of the state. There is this service in Lancaster. Lancaster has 14 trains a day that go to Philly and you can easily get to the airport from there. In addition there is Harrisburg International Airport only about 35 minutes driving, while harder, can also be accessed by the Keystone. Anyway, this service mostly goes unused because people just drive to Philly, BWI, Dulles, or even Newark (which can also be accessed easily by the Keystone), JFK, etc. because the flights are cheaper.

Like many things with the government, there is not a well thought out transportation plan in place. Just because one state needs the program, doesn't mean that all states should get it.

Brenda said:

Paulus said:

What do you think the long distance trains are justified as?

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obnoxious reply

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Not entirely. I've heard Amtrak and NARP make this very point.

xyzzy said:

Brenda said:

Paulus said:

What do you think the long distance trains are justified as?

Click to expand...

obnoxious reply

Click to expand...

Not entirely. I've heard Amtrak and NARP make this very point.

Click to expand...

It's certainly a better point than "rich person's vacation," which is what the other side says. As always, the truth is somewhere in the middle.

In the USA there is no such thing as "essential rail service" unless you mean FREIGHT lines. Every State has multiple cities with ZERO passenger rail service. Just in Tennessee three major cities Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga have not had ANY passenger rail service since late 1970's. So this is a moot point.