Bidding opens to outsource up to three Amtrak long distance trains

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Well this is certainly going to be exciting. I'm sure there are dozens of private companies busily preparing bids as I type!
 
So much depends on the requirements.

Will winner have to keep present crews and staff? Pay them the same? Keep positions the same way Amtrak does? Will existing union rules apply? Can they change levels of service?

What changes can be made in routing, dealing with host RR, times, etc? Are they restricted by Arrow's limitations on reservations? Must they use Amtrak's reservation people?

What changes can they make in other areas like having an auto-carrying car, adding their own private cars for higher level of sleeper service (ala the Canadian)? Will they be given enough cars to add sleepers and coaches as needed? Can they provide "their own" (i.e. leased) additional cars when they want as long as those cars are roadworthy?
 
I doubt that Amtrak is going to 'give' them equipement. This is another Iowa Pacific in the making.
 
So much depends on the requirements.

Will winner have to keep present crews and staff? Pay them the same? Keep positions the same way Amtrak does? Will existing union rules apply? Can they change levels of service?

What changes can be made in routing, dealing with host RR, times, etc? Are they restricted by Arrow's limitations on reservations? Must they use Amtrak's reservation people?

What changes can they make in other areas like having an auto-carrying car, adding their own private cars for higher level of sleeper service (ala the Canadian)? Will they be given enough cars to add sleepers and coaches as needed? Can they provide "their own" (i.e. leased) additional cars when they want as long as those cars are roadworthy?
The answers to most or all of your questions are to be found in the referenced document.

I've only had a chance to skim thus far, but the real deal killer (among several) is that the host (freight) railroads are under no obligation to grant anyone other than Amtrak access, and any potential bidders must have preliminary agreement with all hosts before submitting a bid. Anything so much as hinting at "open access" sends the major freight roads running for the hills, so that is effectively a non-starter.
 
I've only had a chance to skim thus far, but the real deal killer (among several) is that the host (freight) railroads are under no obligation to grant anyone other than Amtrak access, and any potential bidders must have preliminary agreement with all hosts before submitting a bid. Anything so much as hinting at "open access" sends the major freight roads running for the hills, so that is effectively a non-starter.
Amtrak current trackage does not transfer. Yet you may not run less service or short distances. However even the most basic need for a slot for the train is not included.

The bid is designed to fail.
 
Can we all chip in and purchase one of the routes? I'll pay $20, that should be more than sufficient. Presenting Amtrak Unlimited Empire Builder
 
The only bidders that are vaguely plausible are freight operators themselves.

But really this is the classic D.C. Equation:

Noise + Paper = Accomplishment.
 
It should be quite clear that freight does not want to touch this. They shy away from state supported services which have their costs covered. Why would they take on long distance service and still have to answer to Congress? They still have to make the stops (or a comparable amount of stops), they still have to run the same distance and now their name is on display is something goes wrong. They won't be the faceless "host" railroad. Amtrak was formed so they wouldn't have to deal with this stuff.

There is a reason the NS (who had a first dibs on the VRE MSS contract) let it pass. There is a reason that CSX let go of MARC service even though their costs were covered and there is a reason they let the VRE FBG contract pass without a bid.
 
What about other railroads in other parts of the country...don't the freight roads still run some of the Chicago RTA routes, and by choice?
 
What about other railroads in other parts of the country...don't the freight roads still run some of the Chicago RTA routes, and by choice?
Sure...and they are regional/commuter services with their costs covered. They aren't running trains through multiple states. If they were interested in running long distance service or additional services, you'd see them submitting bids for the various commuter contracts that have been up in recent years (such as C-DOT, Knowledge Corridor,MBTA/MBCR,VRE,MARC)...that have their costs covered.
 
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To be absolutely clear here, the provision of federal law which required this idiotic bidding scheme was inserted by the particular faction of "privatize everything" Republicans of whom I spoke. Many, many years ago. (If I remember correctly the legislation was actually passed under the G W Bush administration, but I'm bad with remembering timelines.) (Edit: did some research: this particular provision came out of the Republican Congress of 2015. I was remembering the previous attempt, by the same gang, to insert the same idiotic provision, back in 2008.)

I followed this nonsense down to the committee hearing level. It was left in the legislation as a sop to this crazy Congressional faction, because everyone sane (which included both Congressional Democrats and some Congressional Republicans) knew there would be no bids anyway. So all it does is waste some paper and some people's time.

Sorry I wasn't more specific before.
 
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So, for reference, the only cases in the US of "freight" railroads operating passenger trains are:

(1) a small number of class IIIs which are essentially running tourist trains for an extra buck or two

(2) UP operating three lines in Chicago (which are inherited from lines operated by their predecessor) and the occasional tourist train

(3) BNSF operating Sounder in Seattle, Northstar in Minneapolis, and the "BNSF Line" Metra line in Chicago

There's one extra example in Canada: CP operates one GO Transit line in Toronto.

Basically only BNSF has been willing to consider operating new commuter lines. CSX, PanAm, CN, and others have aggressively worked their way out of all their commuter rail contracts. Honestly I expect UP and CP will probably eventually figure out how to end their existing passenger operating contracts too.

Herzog Transit Services has been a willing contract operator of new commuter rail lines, as have Keolis and Bombardier. But they don't take revenue risk. They're we-get-paid-for-our-work contracts, with the commuter rail agency taking on all the risk of dropping ticket sales. (This is the same with the BNSF, UP, and CP contracts.)

This idiotic bidding concept entertains the idea that an operator will take on revenue risk. It's simply not going to happen.

The restriction that the bidder must either own the track or have a contract with the track owner helps further guarantee that there won't be any bids. The track owners (Class Is) don't want to do it themselves and will not contract with anyone. All the long-distance routes actually have multiple track owners, making it even less possible to get a contract. Most of them have multiple Class I track owners; I believe the Southwest Chief and Silver Meteor are the only exceptions, and even they run through multiple commuter rail agencies, and in the case of the Southwest Chief, the Kansas City Terminal.
 
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This idiotic bidding concept entertains the idea that an operator will take on revenue risk. It's simply not going to happen.
IMHO, this "idiotic bidding concept" reeks of Congress. I am sure that this isn't Amtrak's idea. Someone in Congress probably loudly proclaimed that several freight railroads have personally contacted him, begging to take over LD, intercity, passenger train service. And use this to backup their claim that any well-run passenger service can easily turn a major profit.

This bidding might be the only way to show that this Congressional genius is wrong, and move on.
 
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