- Joined
- May 26, 2012
- Messages
- 356
Yawn...
In electric territory you'd also have to consider the effect of regenerative braking.I chose long distance trains because that is what the discussion is about and the California Zephyr because it's performance improvement plan listed its fuel costs. And pounds of CO2 per pax in electric territory would generally require knowing how many kWh and Amtrak's electricity mix. As a rule of thumb though, 12.5 kWh per gallon of diesel. I'd be rather surprised if CO2 went up rather than down however.
Included in said rule of thumb. It's probably not the best of ideas for Amtrak though since iirc the AEM-7 is something absurd, 50-60 kWh per mile and no regeneration.In electric territory you'd also have to consider the effect of regenerative braking.I chose long distance trains because that is what the discussion is about and the California Zephyr because it's performance improvement plan listed its fuel costs. And pounds of CO2 per pax in electric territory would generally require knowing how many kWh and Amtrak's electricity mix. As a rule of thumb though, 12.5 kWh per gallon of diesel. I'd be rather surprised if CO2 went up rather than down however.
The Cato that the institute was named for was famous for saying, at the end of every speech "Carthage must be destroyed"Any "study" that quotes the Cato Institute is, on the face of it. biased.
Therefore this article, being one opinion, is also biased.
Ancient Rome joke--love it!The Cato that the institute was named for was famous for saying, at the end of every speech "Carthage must be destroyed"Any "study" that quotes the Cato Institute is, on the face of it. biased.
Therefore this article, being one opinion, is also biased.
Is that like Yogi Berra's Famous Comment: "That Place is Too Popular So No-One Goes There Anymore!" :lol:At least it is on the Daily Beast, which no one reads.
This article brings to light the real point. Why are we worrying about food, when there is real money to be made. Because of the nail the shoe was lost, because of the shoe the horse was lost, because....
"Nobody" may read it but the DB gets quoted and reposted quite a lot.At least it is on the Daily Beast, which no one reads.
Enjoy..This story makes Amtrak seem like Amtrak doesn't move people. I tried to find a way to contact the writer. No dice on that. I would love to hear his side of things.
It's even more awesome when seemingly-reasonable aviation bloggers read it and write about how awful Amtrak is.
http://boardingarea.com/viewfromthewing/2013/11/24/amtraks-losses-abuse-customers/
The comments section is somewhat entertaining...
My memories of the preAmtrak service agrees with your last paragraphI noticed that most of the comments were Against the article itself & For the support of Amtrak!
One of the comments, toward the end I believe, said something about -- sometimes the government needs to support things that contribute to 'quality of life' -- such as the opportunity to travel by train.
Or, on a more local level, cities providing facilities such as pools & other infrastructure (when I swim on my own in Aurora [Colorado] it's at a city pool that most likely would not be built to that level by, for example, a private health club). But of course, my city pool is also used by swim teams -- high school & age group, so there is some cost-sharing. Same concept that some cities are doing -- intermodal stations used not only by Amtrak but also by local rail & buses.
Or Amtrak itself, when they used to pull 'material handling cars' especially on the SWC -- I presume that that service didn't make enough revenue for them?
Years ago, the number (I heard) of Americans "afraid to fly" was over 20 million. Also, apparently there has recently been several new Intercity bus lines being established, sometimes even in Amtrak's market -- but a bus is so different than a train amenities-wise that I'm not sure that if "Amtrak was to disappear, that all those former riders would ride the bus".
There's also debate about whether many of the heritage passenger railroads dining car services 'made money' -- many times they 'spared no expense' to provide the passengers good food, who then told their friends, who then traveled on That railroad vs the competitor (often because of the food aboard & other services).
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