about; National Association of RR Passengers...

Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum

Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

HARHBG

Service Attendant
Joined
Sep 13, 2015
Messages
148
What is the general opinion of Amtrak Unlimited members of the NARRP?

Do many/most or little/few AU members belong to NARRP?

Ingeneral, do the dual members of AU AND NARRP think/believe NARRP is actually EFFECTIVE in bringing about positive change in Amtrak? and active as a real spokesperson for the average Amtrak rider?
 
I used to be a member of NARP, but let the membership expire many years ago. I am not convinced that NARP causes changes in the passenger rail scene here in this country. Just my .02 cents on the matter.
 
I cannot speak for AU Members, since I have no clue what they do or not. Personally I have been a member of NARP for about 25 years now. In that period I have seen it do useful things and stupid things. I have actively participated in their advocacy efforts from time to time, including participating their "Day on the Hill" to personally go and meet Congresspeople and Senators on Capitol hill to talk to them and their staff and educate them about passenger train issues. I have seen our suggestions make their way into actual bills, latest example being in Cory Booker's Amtrak Authorization bill in the Senate. So yeah, it does serve some useful purposes, but from time to time it also does a few pointless and counter-productive things and spends far too much time obsessing about little things while the big issues rot on the vine, in a manner of speaking, in my opinion. But I suppose one can agree to disagree and still collaborate on the points where there is agreement.

Ultimately NARP does what its membership allows it to do or not. The only way to influence what NARP does is to become an active member. The politics at the top levels of NARP can get at least as dirty as it can in Congress from time to time, which is a perennial cause of irritation at least for this member. I do not consider several members of the current NARP Board to be particularly competent or knowledgeable about the stuff that they endlessly talk about. but so what is new? Right? OTOH there are a few who are much better. But IMHO NARP is not as effective as it could be if it were run by a competent Board.
 
Ultimately NARP does what its membership allows it to do or not. The only way to influence what NARP does is to become an active member. The politics at the top levels of NARP can get at least as dirty as it can in Congress from time to time, which is a perennial cause of irritation at least for this member. I do not consider several members of the current NARP Board to be particularly competent or knowledgeable about the stuff that they endlessly talk about. but so what is new? Right? OTOH there are a few who are much better. But IMHO NARP is not as effective as it could be if it were run by a competent Board.
First of all, I'd like to express my admiration and thanks for your involvement.

It's always easy to criticise others, but when you're talking about volunteers doing important stuff in their free time you're normally happy to have activists at all. More and more people are more and more embedded in the hamster wheel of their day jobs (speaking from own experience here - I definitely feel the lemon is being squeezed more and more as everything at work gets more optimized and productivity focussed and I've had to drop lots of things I used to do on the side just because I find I don't have the energy any more)

So maybe some people do stuff that I would do differently, and that maybe even i think I could do better. But I feel that as long as I don't have the capability to go there and get on board and actually start doing that, I shouldn't really be criticiszing them.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I, also, have been a member for the last 30 years. I don't think they are the "magic" answer to keeping Amtrak running and adequately funded, but, considering there is no other National group advocating for National service, I figure every little bit helps...
 
Honestly, I think NARP's focus has gotten better over time. They used to give an excessive level of attention to the western transcontinentals; they seem to be more aware of the key importance of the "corridors" now. National Corridors Initiative was set up in the context of NARP ignoring the corridors -- it's been around for 26 years now and I think NARP is finally coming around to a similar understanding. (Rail Users Network was set up in the same context. So were the various "All Aboard" organizations -- Ohio, Washington, etc. So was Trainriders Northeast.)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
NARP was instrumental in the very creation of Amtrak. And NARP members receive recogntion by Amtrak in the way of a discount on fares...
 
A very grateful THANKS to all who have posted and another THANKS! for the blunt honesty in everyone's opinions and comments.

From what I've read and can surmise, it seems that NARP is pretty much the only organization trying to give a voice to the Amtrak Passenger/Consumer.

As with any such organization, internal politics is always problamatic, unfortunatly.

I do appreciate the NARP feature that clearly lists active legislation in progress and voting records of all those casting votes on legislation re: Amtrak. It makes it easy to see who is clearly for and against Amtrak in general and where and whom a written letter would do the most good.

The one thing that left me "scratching my head" was the obvious "coziness" between Amtrak and NARP. Links to NARP on the Amtrak web-site and the 10% discount for NARP members, etc. Just struck me as a bit odd.

Again, THANK YOU!
 
I am a NARP Council member, and I am very encouraged by the direction that the organization is taking. We have long way to go, but I am pleased by the professionalism of NARP's DC staff, and our efforts toward recruiting younger activists. Please feel free to PM me if you have questions.
 
From the book Waiting on a Train: The Embattled Future of Passenger Rail Service by James McCommons:

“Depending on your point of view, NARP is a foamers’ club, a corrupted apologist for Amtrak, an information clearinghouse, or a dogged advocate of intercity rail and transit.”

Regardless, I have been a member of NARP since 2009. I think the organization has improved in the past few years; their newsletter seems more informative and includes more rail interest that is not specific to just Amtrak. They get into transit discussions, California high speed rail, and private efforts like All Aboard Florida. I know a good portion of NARP's work is done by volunteers. After serving as a condo board president I can appreciate the unpaid hours and hours of work it involves.

And for now, NARP needs Amtrak (our only national passenger rail carrier) and Amtrak needs NARP (as a lobbyist). It is a unique relationship, indeed. I don't mind the 10% Amtrak discount, either, and deducting my membership fee from my taxes. :)
 
I was a member in the past but allowed my membership to lapse. Then I saw Charlie's NARP related posts and decided to rejoin. I'm not terribly active but I do read their newsletters when i can and I try to make a phone call or two when things look especially interesting or absurd.
 
NARP presents an incredible opportunity to its members to participate in the "Day on the Hill" event in April each year, where you can go and join the delegation from your state to go to the Hill and talk to your Representative and Senator s and their staff and let them know face to face what the issues are and how you see passenger rail benefit the entire nation and your corner of it. I find this experience extremely useful both th=o communicate my thoughts to my representatives and also to learn the imperatives that they are working under, which gives a better appreciation of the realities of the politics within the Beltway.
 
National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP), Midwest High Speed Rail Association (MHSRA) and Missouri-Illinois Rail Passenger Association (MIRPA) member. Although I haven't heard anything from that last one since I sent in first payment.

While I do not agree with all mindsets of organizations above - I think it is important to show support to those that advocate for passenger rail. Overall cost of membership each year is similar to 1 or 2 regional round trips in Illinois Business Class.

I have video of several Midwest High Speed Rail Association meetings on my website.

Would be attending NARP event in Indianapolis this month - but didn't hear about it until a month after I had booked my rewards land cruise. So I'll miss this gathering of supporters unfortunately.

I would question NARP's and Midwest High Speed Rail Association true commitment to better customer service. Doesn't really even seem to be a concern for MHSRA.

“Depending on your point of view, NARP is a foamers’ club, a corrupted apologist for Amtrak, an information clearinghouse, or a dogged advocate of intercity rail and transit.”

Combination of all that - depending on the day. Not so sure about the foamers club part though.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Surely NARP's essential role is to get quotes in media stories that are pro-passenger rail and pro-Amtrak. There's some haters who are paid very well to get anti-rail statements into articles and newscasts.

Without NARP cultivating the press, we'd endure more ignorance and outright hatred of passenger rail than we have to put up with now.

So I'm a member, for what is it, $50 a year or less at the senior rate, and feel I get my money's worth out of their little bit of influence on the underinformed, if often well-coifed, representatives of our nation's media.
 
National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP), Midwest High Speed Rail Association (MHSRA) and Missouri-Illinois Rail Passenger Association (MIRPA) member. Although I haven't heard anything from that last one since I sent in first payment.

I would question NARP's and Midwest High Speed Rail Association true commitment to better customer service. Doesn't really even seem to be a concern for MHSRA.

Combination of all that - depending on the day. Not so sure about the foamers club part though.
I'm also in NARP and MHSRA and just renewed my MHSRA membership a few minutes ago. :)

I agree that MHSRA does little in the customer service area, but it seems to me their focus is bigger-picture and longer-term -- more trains to more places, including transit and commuter rail as feeders to intercity -- with nuts-and-bolts day-to-day customer service being (IMHO, rightly) below their gaze.

I also agree that NARP isn't particularly foamer-ish, but IMHO again that's a feature and not a bug because other organizations, web-boards, etc. fill the railfanning and historical niches quite nicely.

Personally, I care about what passenger railroading was mostly as it relates to what it is or could be, and I care little for the technical side of things except as it actually affects the amount and quality of passenger train service. I get more excited by seeing new equipment on the tracks (Viewliner II now, the corridor bilevels in the future) than seeing a Heritage car or older paint scheme, and upon seeing free wi-fi on-board than flowers on the dining tables. I want dining cars on the long-distance trains not because that's what they had in the Good Old Days, but because some kind of full-meal service must be an available option on an overnight train. It seems to me that NARP also focuses on what's practical now rather than preserving The Old Railroad Ways for their own sake.
 
"get more excited by seeing new equipment on the tracks"

Hopefully this doesn't turn into a hijack - with recent test failure of new passenger rolling stock and labor issues in Rochelle Illinios - I highly doubt a good majority of country will see equipment updates soon. Yes baggage cars and new engines have come online. Passenger cars from another vendor could see rail action.
 
Per my statement above - I'm not debating that. And you may see new locomotives in Illinois before our new passenger cars. That being said - a multi-state order for passenger cars is going to be held up and we won't see those next year or any time soon. Do to failing safety test and labor issues. Some could argue that Federal Railroad Administration's ( FRA ) outdated regulations could be to blame. Companies having to redesign proven in use safe rail cars to meet American rules.
 
I've found NARP to be both useful and getting better. I know there's a lot of historic baggage (and not just baggage cars) to deal with there, but there do seem to be slow, steady, tangible improvements within the group over the last few years.
 
First joined NARP in the late 70s, but dropped out until I renewed around 2002. If you think about it who else consistently talks the message to congress. Will be attending my first NARP meeting in Indianapolis next week, so I am hope to meet more of their staff and board of directors.

As a nation we are wed to our automobiles. Rail transportation is not something most Americans and congress can not in anyway relate to. Nevertheless, I still believe we should continue to press for a more balanced transportation system.
 
Back
Top