Article in 4/28 Chicago Tribune
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Amtrak maps plan to lure riders back
Renovated trains part of strategy
By Jon Hilkevitch
Tribune transportation reporter
Published April 28, 2003
BEECH GROVE, Ind. -- Here lie the charred and twisted remains of Amtrak's City of New Orleans, a 14-car train that smashed into a truck near Bourbonnais, Ill., four years ago, killing 11 passengers.
On another track sit the crumpled double-decker coaches of Amtrak's Capitol Limited--its windows boarded with plywood and the interior stripped--that left Chicago and derailed in Kensington, Md., last year.
Amtrak wrecks from around the country are hauled on "hospital trains" to this 100-year-old maintenance facility for repair. Yet over much of the last decade, reflecting Amtrak's moribund financial condition, the rail yard became a train graveyard.
Now Amtrak, a perennial victim of mismanagement and underfunding, is attempting to recover. The renewed activity at Beech Grove is a tangible example of Amtrak's strategy, which was detailed in a five-year plan released Friday to return more trains to service and lure travelers back to the rails.
For the first time in years, refurbished cars--shiny and mechanically sound on the outside, nicely appointed with new furniture, air-conditioning and other amenities on the inside--are starting to roll out of the massive train sheds at Beech Grove, which is near Indianapolis. It will take time. Fourteen wrecks are scheduled for repair by September, with about 90 other cars and locomotives waiting for their turn.
"When you walk into a car, the lighting, carpets, drapes, seat cushions and bathrooms will look like the 21st Century instead of 1970," said Lew Wood, general manager of the facility. "All the safety equipment is being completely rebuilt and overhauled to brand-new condition."
Flawed strategy of the past
The previous Amtrak leadership furloughed hundreds of mechanics, welders and other craftsmen at Beech Grove during the 1990s and halted repairs of wrecked locomotives and cars to save money. The move was part of a flawed strategy, imposed by Congress, that the railroad would wean itself off subsidies by 2003. Former Amtrak CEO George Warrington made regular trips to Capitol Hill to report Amtrak was on a "glide slope to self-sufficiency."
That wasn't the case. Warrington's focus on stemming the red ink only cost Amtrak more customers and got it deeper into financial trouble because shutdown costs exceeded the savings, according to many industry experts. Excuses were offered in place of customer service.
"Congress told him Amtrak must turn a profit and Warrington said, `OK, we'll make a profit,' even though he knew it was impossible," said one passenger rail expert, still angry over Warrington's purported progress reports to the government.
Amtrak officials acknowledge that the inventory of junked trains at Beech Grove and at Amtrak's repair shops in Bear, Del., was partially responsible for Amtrak's ridership remaining flat after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Many passengers too afraid to fly attempted to purchase Amtrak sleeping berths, at prices similar to or greater than airline seats, and to endure 18 hours on the train from Chicago to Washington and other routes. But Amtrak couldn't provide enough equipment.
Amtrak will be out of money again in October. The patience of the government and the traveling public has reached its thinnest point since Amtrak's creation 30 years ago, after the freight railroads abandoned passenger service because they couldn't make money at it.
David Gunn, a transit turnaround artist who is completing his first year as president and chief executive officer of Amtrak, acknowledged there are no guarantees his beleaguered operation will even exist a year from now. But under Gunn's direction, Amtrak is trying to show critics in the White House, Congress and governors' mansions that long-distance train service is a viable--and vital--component of the national transportation network. And that Amtrak is the right choice to get the job done.
"You cannot leave this operation in its current state, financially and physically, and have five more years' debate of people figuring out how they want to reform Amtrak," said Gunn, 66, a 40-year railroad man. "You just can't. Amtrak will croak. It will come completely apart."
Although he doesn't think Amtrak can survive without some kind of subsidy, Gunn is confident he can make the operation leaner and more efficient. He points out that both highway and air travel are heavily subsidized by the government.
Financial reports improved
His team is producing financial reports and income statements that government watchdog groups say represent major improvements over the fudged budget documents of the past. Runaway costs are being controlled. Productivity has risen.
The crews that repair train air brakes at Beech Grove are completing 1,400 a month, up from 520 brakes monthly, after the production facility and work rules were recently revamped, Wood said.
"They say we got a lot more work coming in. I hope it's true because this is a very stressful company to work for. You don't know how long you'll have a job," said Mike Lucas, 54, a car welder who has been laid off twice since 1990.
Beech Grove has about 620 workers, half the number of the late 1980s. The average age is the mid-50s, Wood said.
On Friday, Amtrak released its five-year recovery plan, which focuses on restoring financial stability and a state of good repair.
Common sense is being brought to train schedules so passengers don't leave one city or arrive in another at 5 a.m.
Food service, which is boring at best, will soon be kicked up a notch and varied so customers on long-distance routes won't face the same menus for three days in a row.
Experts, meanwhile, predicted Gunn would be more successful than his predecessors in getting support for funding increases in Congress, but that Amtrak will continue to walk a tightrope.
"Sen. [John] McCain has already said that Gunn is a breath of fresh air," said Ross Capon of the National Association of Railroad Passengers. "But that doesn't satisfy the question in some people's minds over whether what Gunn is managing is worth saving."
Copyright © 2003, Chicago Tribune
seajay
*****************************************
Amtrak maps plan to lure riders back
Renovated trains part of strategy
By Jon Hilkevitch
Tribune transportation reporter
Published April 28, 2003
BEECH GROVE, Ind. -- Here lie the charred and twisted remains of Amtrak's City of New Orleans, a 14-car train that smashed into a truck near Bourbonnais, Ill., four years ago, killing 11 passengers.
On another track sit the crumpled double-decker coaches of Amtrak's Capitol Limited--its windows boarded with plywood and the interior stripped--that left Chicago and derailed in Kensington, Md., last year.
Amtrak wrecks from around the country are hauled on "hospital trains" to this 100-year-old maintenance facility for repair. Yet over much of the last decade, reflecting Amtrak's moribund financial condition, the rail yard became a train graveyard.
Now Amtrak, a perennial victim of mismanagement and underfunding, is attempting to recover. The renewed activity at Beech Grove is a tangible example of Amtrak's strategy, which was detailed in a five-year plan released Friday to return more trains to service and lure travelers back to the rails.
For the first time in years, refurbished cars--shiny and mechanically sound on the outside, nicely appointed with new furniture, air-conditioning and other amenities on the inside--are starting to roll out of the massive train sheds at Beech Grove, which is near Indianapolis. It will take time. Fourteen wrecks are scheduled for repair by September, with about 90 other cars and locomotives waiting for their turn.
"When you walk into a car, the lighting, carpets, drapes, seat cushions and bathrooms will look like the 21st Century instead of 1970," said Lew Wood, general manager of the facility. "All the safety equipment is being completely rebuilt and overhauled to brand-new condition."
Flawed strategy of the past
The previous Amtrak leadership furloughed hundreds of mechanics, welders and other craftsmen at Beech Grove during the 1990s and halted repairs of wrecked locomotives and cars to save money. The move was part of a flawed strategy, imposed by Congress, that the railroad would wean itself off subsidies by 2003. Former Amtrak CEO George Warrington made regular trips to Capitol Hill to report Amtrak was on a "glide slope to self-sufficiency."
That wasn't the case. Warrington's focus on stemming the red ink only cost Amtrak more customers and got it deeper into financial trouble because shutdown costs exceeded the savings, according to many industry experts. Excuses were offered in place of customer service.
"Congress told him Amtrak must turn a profit and Warrington said, `OK, we'll make a profit,' even though he knew it was impossible," said one passenger rail expert, still angry over Warrington's purported progress reports to the government.
Amtrak officials acknowledge that the inventory of junked trains at Beech Grove and at Amtrak's repair shops in Bear, Del., was partially responsible for Amtrak's ridership remaining flat after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Many passengers too afraid to fly attempted to purchase Amtrak sleeping berths, at prices similar to or greater than airline seats, and to endure 18 hours on the train from Chicago to Washington and other routes. But Amtrak couldn't provide enough equipment.
Amtrak will be out of money again in October. The patience of the government and the traveling public has reached its thinnest point since Amtrak's creation 30 years ago, after the freight railroads abandoned passenger service because they couldn't make money at it.
David Gunn, a transit turnaround artist who is completing his first year as president and chief executive officer of Amtrak, acknowledged there are no guarantees his beleaguered operation will even exist a year from now. But under Gunn's direction, Amtrak is trying to show critics in the White House, Congress and governors' mansions that long-distance train service is a viable--and vital--component of the national transportation network. And that Amtrak is the right choice to get the job done.
"You cannot leave this operation in its current state, financially and physically, and have five more years' debate of people figuring out how they want to reform Amtrak," said Gunn, 66, a 40-year railroad man. "You just can't. Amtrak will croak. It will come completely apart."
Although he doesn't think Amtrak can survive without some kind of subsidy, Gunn is confident he can make the operation leaner and more efficient. He points out that both highway and air travel are heavily subsidized by the government.
Financial reports improved
His team is producing financial reports and income statements that government watchdog groups say represent major improvements over the fudged budget documents of the past. Runaway costs are being controlled. Productivity has risen.
The crews that repair train air brakes at Beech Grove are completing 1,400 a month, up from 520 brakes monthly, after the production facility and work rules were recently revamped, Wood said.
"They say we got a lot more work coming in. I hope it's true because this is a very stressful company to work for. You don't know how long you'll have a job," said Mike Lucas, 54, a car welder who has been laid off twice since 1990.
Beech Grove has about 620 workers, half the number of the late 1980s. The average age is the mid-50s, Wood said.
On Friday, Amtrak released its five-year recovery plan, which focuses on restoring financial stability and a state of good repair.
Common sense is being brought to train schedules so passengers don't leave one city or arrive in another at 5 a.m.
Food service, which is boring at best, will soon be kicked up a notch and varied so customers on long-distance routes won't face the same menus for three days in a row.
Experts, meanwhile, predicted Gunn would be more successful than his predecessors in getting support for funding increases in Congress, but that Amtrak will continue to walk a tightrope.
"Sen. [John] McCain has already said that Gunn is a breath of fresh air," said Ross Capon of the National Association of Railroad Passengers. "But that doesn't satisfy the question in some people's minds over whether what Gunn is managing is worth saving."
Copyright © 2003, Chicago Tribune
I read that article today. It is interesting. There is another detailed article called "Amtrak's five year plan" that gives more explanation to Gunn's plans.
Viewliner
Engineer
The Plan Metions Replacing 75-50 Year Old (Heritage) cars. Does this mean more Viewliners? 
Amfleet
Engineer
I guess will have to see. I can't think of a company that still builds 48 seat diners that match those of Budd and Pullman. Most likely a new design will have to be draws up. Don't expect to see the new cars right away if the plan gets approved. They're supposed to be built towards the end of the 5-year, but designing and finding a company may come sooner.Viewliner said:The Plan Metions Replacing 75-50 Year Old (Heritage) cars. Does this mean more Viewliners?
Does anyone know when or who apporves this plan?
Even if there IS a company that will build new diners, I know that the refurbished heritage diners are beautiful, to me. Maybe it would be more cost-effective to buy new ones, but as far as passenger happiness, I doubt they NEED new ones.
Well if we are extremely, extrodinarily lucky then Congress will approve and fund this plan.Amfleet said:
However, I strongly suspect that Congess will continue to hide it's head in the sand. They will continue to bemoan the fact that Amtrak looses money, yet no one will stick their head out and commit one way or the other.
Congress knows that Amtrak is needed, they also know that they will loose votes if they kill Amtrak. Yet they also know that they will loose the millions of dollars that they get from the various lobbys, if they approve the proper funding for Amtrak. No more PAC's and various other under the carpet moneies that they get from the Trucker's lobby and the Airline's lobby.
While I hate to say it, I strongly suspect that the status quo will be maintained for several more years to come. They will give Amtrak what it needs to survive and nothing more. Then they will criticize Amtrak for not turning crap into gold with all the meager amounts of money that they did give to Amtrak.
What's really sad is they've got a golden opportunity right now. One that may never come again. If Congress were to give David say 2.5 B to 3.0 B for the next 5 years, Amtrak might actually make some real progress. They might also be able to get very close to no longer needing operating subsidies. Granted they will always need Capital funding, but under David Gunn with the right funding levels, they might actually improve business enough that they could cover expenses.
carknocker51
Train Attendant
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- Mar 29, 2003
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We can only hope.....
jccollins
Conductor
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2002
- Messages
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Well, you've gotta love David Gunn! About the only thing Amtrak could do right now is to expand their capacity and get rid of the junk that it doesn't need anymore -- and that is just what he is doing. Amtrak says it carries about 65,000 passengers a day, most on the east coast. However, I know that coach (and sleeping cars) are often sold out on L.D. trains, or the price gets so expensive before it sells out because of the pricing tiers that it doesn't sell. Hopefully by providing more capacity trains will begin to carry more passengers on each trip and, as Mr. Gunn said, will lead to increased efficiency.
It doesn't seem like there would be much, if any, additional cost to tow an extra coach or two on the California Zephyr's entire route, even if it was only used for the Bay Area to Reno/Sparks to meet the demand on that portion of the line since it could be closed off to passengers outside that portion of the line. I know this would probably not be the best utilization of equipment, but it is one region that would benefit from the increased capacity offered.
It doesn't seem like there would be much, if any, additional cost to tow an extra coach or two on the California Zephyr's entire route, even if it was only used for the Bay Area to Reno/Sparks to meet the demand on that portion of the line since it could be closed off to passengers outside that portion of the line. I know this would probably not be the best utilization of equipment, but it is one region that would benefit from the increased capacity offered.
I would guess you're right, JC. However, I know one of the problems in the last couple years was the lack of available equipment. That clearly is getting fixed, but I don't know if it would be in time for this summer. And even if it is, I don't know if they would add a couple more cars for the whole trip or not. We shall see!jccollins said:
jccollins
Conductor
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2002
- Messages
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The best solution would be to run the extra coaches from Bay Area to Sparks on #6, and leave them there for the next day's #5 to pick up and run back to the Bay Area, where the cycle would repeat. This way they would only need two sets of "additional coaches", although it would probably add quite a bit of time in the schedule for the coupling/uncoupling of them in the Sparks yard, and it might be a headache in regards to how the train is layed out (sleepers front, coaches rear, or vice versa), but it should be easier since the Zephyr no longer tows Express cars. Hopefully they'll eventually figure out how to meet the market demand here.tubaallen said:
I think either Reno or Sparks, NV is a service stop. Hopefully, it'll be no problem for coupling/decoupling the coaches. Problem is need to move the departure time later.
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