Replying to Bring Back the Mail Trains

The Post Office is on life support. Not a good time to get nostalgic for mail trains. I think airplanes and trucks are pretty much it for mail, so long as mail survives. As I recall the history, the government started contracting airborne mail service to jumpstart aviation. But that was eons ago. Now even airplanes aren't fast enough for most mail. Business wants EDI. Mail trains are now museum pieces.

One ironic change here: The Williamsburg Post Office, which used to be across town (well, across the city center) from the train station, is now right next to it.

Anyhow...a few oddball specific routes aside (IIRC, a few shipments occasionally run CHI-MSP on the Builder because of timing or something), I don't see much benefit to moving mail onto passenger trains. As noted, non-bulk non-package mail is largely dying. I'm in the process of tendering my first hand-written letter in three or four years, and only my second non-card letter since I can remember, to a friend currently going through military training. Once he's out, unless a friend gets deployed or goes through another round of training (or someone I know goes to jail or something), I don't see myself sending another letter for a long time.

Sadly, it is the case that anymore, sending a letter for a reason other than either sentimental value, mail restrictions, or legal requirements makes very little sense...why would I pay $.50 or $1 to have something get to someone more slowly than I can send it to them for free online? Or why not just call them up if the communication doesn't need to involve a hard copy, so as to allow an exchange of letters/notes to go faster?

In the old days, the main PO of a city was almost always nearby the main passenger station. No longer.

Actually, our main PO is still just two blocks from the passenger station. It is just that the passenger station is abandoned and falling down, and the rails have been ripped up from the bed.

In St. Paul, the main post office moved as part of the rebuilding of St. Paul Union Depot. In Minneapolis, on the other hand, the main post office is still there, but the Great Northern train station is long-gone.

In the old days, the main PO of a city was almost always nearby the main passenger station. No longer.

Actually, our main PO is still just two blocks from the passenger station. It is just that the passenger station is abandoned and falling down, and the rails have been ripped up from the bed.

Another factor is that many USPS processing centers have been relocated out of city centers to sites near airports and interstate highways. In the old days, the main PO of a city was almost always nearby the main passenger station. No longer.

Intermodals are only 10mph slower than passenger but sustain their speed for longer periods of time (no station stops) The average end to end speed is possibly higher due to preferential dispatching.

Wouldn't argue there, I was just factoring in the time required for unloading of the train and drayage in the freight example. Whereas in the passenger example, I was assuming the shipment would be immediately available upon arrival (though likely it still would need to be transported to it's final destination). But I'd agree with you, in the end, the speeds are probably neck and neck, if not the freight being faster.

Intermodals are only 10mph slower than passenger but sustain their speed for longer periods of time (no station stops) The average end to end speed is possibly higher due to preferential dispatching.

True, but can you actually send ANYTHING across the country by freight rail faster than by passsenger rail - even in the most optimized of conditions?

Probably not, but if a high priority intermodal freight train is too slow, then likely air freight is what's desired. The fundamental problem is that Amtrak has a small number of trains with baggage service and limited cargo capacity in each baggage car. So there's a very limited market in what they can transport efficiently. Any business shipper is going to want to be able to move volume, which Amtrak can't handle.

True, but can you actually send ANYTHING across the country by freight rail faster than by passsenger rail - even in the most optimized of conditions?

Yes because you aren't limited to the routes that Amtrak runs. You want to ship a package from Washington DC to Houston TX. To go via Amtrak, it is going to be routed through Chicago. There have to be more than half a dozen better freight routes that a package train could take. Want to ship something from Cumberland to Albany? You're better off walking it there yourself than shipping it Amtrak, but it is one zone for UPS which means it will be there typically in 2 days even with ground service.

True, but can you actually send ANYTHING across the country by freight rail faster than by passsenger rail - even in the most optimized of conditions?