Empire Builder vs Canadian

[AlanB]

As nice as the Canadian may be--and I do intend to take it someday, if the funds ever permit--if an Amtrak train ran with a dozen sleepers and only one or two coaches, you can bet Congress would be crying foul.

And yet the silly part of that is that the sleepers require less subsidies than the coaches do. The sleeper passengers cover all the added expenses of being in the sleeper, attendant, sheets, blankets, extra amenities like coffee and what not. Plus the Fed subsidizes less of the sleeping car passenger's rail fare, than it does for the coach passenger.

So if they were smart, they'd be encouraging Amtrak to add sleeping cars and further reduce the rail fare subsidies.

 

[GAT]

Points taken, GML and AlanB. However I'm not yet certain that adding more sleepers and going daily will significantly improve travelling conditions for the regular Canadian needing to go from Point A to Point B on the system. But you've given me a project for March, when I get back from my NYP - EMY trip. I'll do some serious research on VIA's economics and report back.

 

[wayman]

Points taken, GML and AlanB. However I'm not yet certain that adding more sleepers and going daily will significantly improve travelling conditions for the regular Canadian needing to go from Point A to Point B on the system. But you've given me a project for March, when I get back from my NYP - EMY trip. I'll do some serious research on VIA's economics and report back.

George, I look forward to your research. I find this topic fascinating. Someday I also have the funds to do "first-hand research" (aka, ride several of the VIA routes), but I'm equally interested in this from an academic perspective.

To that end, does anyone here have any book recommendations? Something along the lines of Waiting On A Train or New Departures which takes a closer look at CP, CN, VIA, BC Rail, etc?

 

[GAT]

Points taken, GML and AlanB. However I'm not yet certain that adding more sleepers and going daily will significantly improve travelling conditions for the regular Canadian needing to go from Point A to Point B on the system. But you've given me a project for March, when I get back from my NYP - EMY trip. I'll do some serious research on VIA's economics and report back.

George, I look forward to your research. I find this topic fascinating. Someday I also have the funds to do "first-hand research" (aka, ride several of the VIA routes), but I'm equally interested in this from an academic perspective.

To that end, does anyone here have any book recommendations? Something along the lines of Waiting On A Train or New Departures which takes a closer look at CP, CN, VIA, BC Rail, etc?

I don't know of any - yet, but I'm new to this subject. I can't get started until March, but my thought is to start with the VIA Rail corporation itself, to see what they can provide in terms of operating costs, subsidies, passenger-mile revenues, etc. Then try to compare with Amtrak. Any ideas about research sources would be appreciated.