You don't have to be a genius to figure out that the USA is bankrupt and we owe more and more money each month than the flow of tax revenue can cover. Point is that whether you are a supporter of a government owned Amtrak or not, eventually the USA runs out of money and good or bad, changes will occcur. I predict that something can and will happen to Amtrak. This is not a knock on anyones favorite political party but a reality of our financial affairs that must eventually be dealt with.
When the day comes, this is how I view the transition of Amtrak to private industry.
Compared to the rest of thr Amtrak LD routes the NEC is in pretty good shape. Most of the LD routes are not but I strongly suspect that congress will move to privatize all of Amtrak in the next four years.
This is how I see it happening.
The daily operation of Amtrak will be given to private industry.
The government will still own all of the equipment for now.
The employee pension plans are vested and their compensation packages will be government protected by subsidies. Most employees will be retained but food service will be contracted out. As Amtrak employees retire the private RR operators will hire their own employees at greatly reduced compensation packages. What else is new?
Fares will remain stable but the routes will grow and the RR's will continue the upswing pattern. Service will get better as some railroads will now have full control of their track or will it?
Thats my prediction on how it will go.
I deliberately did not present arguments to whether or not privatization would be fair, efficent, or benefical but in todays heated political climate, picking on 2.8% of the federal transportation budget seems to be in style.
When the day comes, this is how I view the transition of Amtrak to private industry.
Compared to the rest of thr Amtrak LD routes the NEC is in pretty good shape. Most of the LD routes are not but I strongly suspect that congress will move to privatize all of Amtrak in the next four years.
This is how I see it happening.
The daily operation of Amtrak will be given to private industry.
The government will still own all of the equipment for now.
The employee pension plans are vested and their compensation packages will be government protected by subsidies. Most employees will be retained but food service will be contracted out. As Amtrak employees retire the private RR operators will hire their own employees at greatly reduced compensation packages. What else is new?
Fares will remain stable but the routes will grow and the RR's will continue the upswing pattern. Service will get better as some railroads will now have full control of their track or will it?
Thats my prediction on how it will go.
I deliberately did not present arguments to whether or not privatization would be fair, efficent, or benefical but in todays heated political climate, picking on 2.8% of the federal transportation budget seems to be in style.