It’s Time We Stood Up to Amtrak.
http://www.trainsandtravel.com/2019/01/07/its-time-we-stood-up-to-amtrak/
http://www.trainsandtravel.com/2019/01/07/its-time-we-stood-up-to-amtrak/
&I hope we can get the 575 to do much simpler things like insert a line rescinding the “F&B standing as a separate profitable P&L center” requirement, before throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
Is there any evidence that Anderson actually wants the F&B rules changed or that he thinks they're detrimental to Amtrak's future as currently written?Wouldn't it be a better idea if they stood up to Congress? After all, they provide the funds and direction for a lot of what does and doesn't occur. For all the complaints about food service, cuts in amenities and service, it was Congress that passed laws calling for the cuts in costs and elimination of funding for food service.
I'm not sure he personally cares one way or the other but Mr. Anderson has been clear that he will follow PRIIA and is also governed by the FAST act. One of the provisions is to eliminate F&B losses and by Dec 4th, 2020, federal funds will not be used to cover F&B losses.&
Is there any evidence that Anderson actually wants the F&B rules changed or that he thinks they're detrimental to Amtrak's future as currently written?
I have heard that before but if revenue from sleeper passengers is based upon consumption, then it is clearly an incorrect method of accounting for revenue for F&B.Thirdrail can correct me, but in general revenue is transferred to the F&B account based on the actual consumption recorded in the Diner bills.
This incidentally has been discussed a dozen times in AU over the years.
The bottom line though is that F&B should not be a separate P&L center. No one else operate that way.
Additional frequencies typically cover only part of the route, often determined by the willingess of states to support them financially. Think of the Lincoin Service providing (partial) extra frequency that supplements the Texas Eagle, or the Quincy services party augmenting the Caifornia Zephyr, or also all the various partial (if not accidental) overlaps between LD and state supported service in states like NC or CA, .I would point out that the only way to get better frequency is to start new trains on existing routes, and same considerations regarding equipment applies. Indeed the pressure to include Sleepers on a new train on a route that already has a train with Sleepers is probably even less.
Actually, it would be nice if Congress would explicitly state that Amtrak's purpose in life is to maximize ridership, not revenue or profitability. Seems to me that the point of sinking taxpayer dollars into something like Amtrak is to get the maximum number of possible passengers riding trains, with the public purpose of reducing road congestion, reducing emissions, reduced loss of life and injury by getting people out of cars, etc. Plus high speed rail to compete with short haul airlines, reduce airport congestion, and reserve capacity for trans continental and intercontinental flights.I hope we can get the 575 to do much simpler things like insert a line rescinding the “F&B standing as a separate profitable P&L center” requirement, before throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
Well, I hope RPA is keeping tabs on how many more of the 575 are needed to come over from the dark side and change policy for the better.Unfortunately Congress has never agreed to that principle, let alone going so far as to direct Amtrak to that effect. They have never backed away from the “for profit” corporation language. While you and I might agree on this I am not sure that enough of the 575 agree with us to make it so yet. Maybe some day.
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