Well, its bound to start with more regularity soon.. The whole idea of shifting the cost to states for what should be Amtraks National Rail Service is about to come under great strain. Our system and ability to travel is being held hostage to Amtraks goal of transferring as much of the cost to states as possible. Yesterday Missouri's Governor announced plans to cut the rail service between Kansas City and St. Louis to one train each way a day instead of the current two which makes possible round trips to one or the other point possible for many riders and well as connections to long distance trains without over night lay overs on each end.
If Amtrak was formed to provide and sustain a national rail system, then this business of saying they will only operate trains when a state pays much of the cost is shifting the responsibility and creating a situation where passengers are once again going to be at the mercy of ever less service. The whole reason Amtrak was formed in the first place, which seems to have been totally forgotten by most who operate it or voted for it.
I can see with the budget mess we have in Illinois or in California the elimination of other routes that have proven so successful. The chickens may come home to roost on this theory soon.
If Amtrak was formed to provide and sustain a national rail system, then this business of saying they will only operate trains when a state pays much of the cost is shifting the responsibility and creating a situation where passengers are once again going to be at the mercy of ever less service. The whole reason Amtrak was formed in the first place, which seems to have been totally forgotten by most who operate it or voted for it.
I can see with the budget mess we have in Illinois or in California the elimination of other routes that have proven so successful. The chickens may come home to roost on this theory soon.