Lake Shore Limited

[eagle628]

No, I am trying to make Amtrak better and despite the business at Back Bay, South Station has 1,311,205. I am cutting Back Bay because it is once again a mile from South Station. The only reason it has a high ridership I bet is that they are too lazy to use MBTA commuter trains. Bet Back Bay will become a hot spot for MBTA if that station is cut from Amtrak. How about focus on bringing Amtrak service to major cities that don't have it like San Francisco or Phoenix.

No, the reason passengers use Amtrak at Back Bay instead of MBTA is because MBTA can take you to...um...Providence. Amtrak can take you to Albany, Buffalo, Cleveland, New Haven, New York, Philidelphia, Richmond and Newport News. It's a matter of neccessity that people use Amtrak at Back Bay, not a matter of convenience.

 

[AlanB]

Cutting revenue doesn't make Amtrak better. It makes it worse!

And again, since no Amtrak train can even get above 25 MPH between South Station and Back Bay there is no point to cutting the station. Again, it's not like your taking the train down from 150 MPH to a dead stop. The train is barely moving when it gets to Back Bay. And going north, the trains will still have to slow down before Back Bay in order to be going the correct speed to negotiate the curve into South Station.

So cutting Back Bay at most would save 2 minutes running time. You don't sacrifice 450,000 people to save 2 minutes. If it were 20 minutes, maybe you'd have think about it.

And Back Bay provides the direct link to North Station via the Orange line, so cutting it would make transfers to the Downeaster that much harder, at least until you come up with the $20 Billion or so to build your tunnel. Back Bay is also a hotel Meca, so for tourists it is a much better stop than South Station is.

Next, Back Bay is already a huge stop for the MBTA, they don't need a reason to make it busier. And they don't need to sit in that station longer to board Amtrak passengers bound to South Station, since they're tying up the mainline tracks and preventing Amtrak trains from getting to South Station.

Moving on, no one in their right mind is going to pay Amtrak prices if they can use a T commuter line, except maybe for those looking for an express ride to Providence. And they're going to board Amtrak no matter what. But I frequently ride the corridor to Boston and I can assure you that most passengers getting on at BBY aren't going to Providence, they are going further down the line. Forcing them to ride over to South Station is just a waste of everyone's time & money. Amtrak gains nothing by skipping that stop and it loses millions if it does!

Finally, cutting Back Bay in no way shape or form is going to do anything to help get Amtrak service into San Fran or Phoenix. You'd lose more money than you could ever save by cutting BBY, making it that much harder for Amtrak to ever try to get into those cities you've mentioned.

FORGET BACK BAY! It's not a problem; it's profit center for Amtrak. Cutting it only hurts Amtrak!

Then how about only Northeast Regional stops in Back Bay.

Please read my words carefully; FORGET ABOUT BACK BAY!

Cutting Back Bay will not improve service; at least 1/3rd of the passengers boarding Acela's at the 3 Boston stations board at Back Bay. Cutting Back Bay cuts revenue and you gain nothing. Getting an Acela to NY 2 minutes faster is NOT worth the lost revenue! You will not get enough new passengers out of South Station because you cut 2 friggin minutes off the run time to replace those lost from Back Bay.

 

[gatelouse]

(Replying to eagle)

Actually it is a matter of convenience, and convenience equals revenue. Consider the hotels and business destinations within walking distance of the station. That proximity is a strong incentive to ride the train vs. fly from the fairly close Logan airport.

 

[J-1 3235]

For over 110 years, long distance and commuter trains have been stopping at Back Bay. I'd say it's a keeper

 

[SarahZ]

I'm starting to think this guy works for MBTA or something.

 

[gatelouse]

I'm starting to think this guy works for MBTA or something.

Naw, just someone trying to be provocative.

But the replies are cathartic...otherwise the mods wouldn't keep approving the posts!

 

[pennyk]

I really do not have much to say other than the 2 times I took the Acela, I was amazed at how many people used the 2 stations close by. But what really amazes me is that I have never seen Alan so frustrated and that disturbs me.

Alan, you have the patience of a saint. I would have yelled, pulled my hair out, etc much sooner.

Thanks for being a great moderator. BTW, I am on the silver star now listening to my scanner.

 

[TCRT]

I think a fairly large amount of commuters take 66 into Boston from Providence every day. When I was onboard, a fairly large amount of them left at BBY.

This may be because Amtrak BOS/BBY-PVD is all of $3 more than MBTA from BOS/BBY-PVD (when booked 14 days out), and is about twice as fast. Again, a good reason for Amtrak to serve BBY.

BBY is also very convenient for those of use who live in Boston, since it happens to be close to many neighborhoods that students and younger people live in (as opposed to BOS).

 

[AlanB]

I have no idea who has been impersonating USrail, but it had better stop! :angry2:

I'm not about to order people to like USrail, and I can't anyhow, but making false posts isn't going to get him banned from here. However, if I find out that it is a member doing this, you will be banned.

If you don't like his posts; please don't respond and skip over reading them. But making posts while pretending to be someone else isn't going to be tolerated. And you just increased my sympathy towards USrail, so I can promise you that should he choose to keep posting, I will continue to allow him to do so.

 

[amamba]

Today he regional was tubing late so my H spent $49 on a one way acela ride from BBY to PVD. That was some nice revenue for Amtrak. He coildnt bear the thought offbeat crowded and slow T train home. So yeah - Abby is good

 

[afigg]

I'm starting to think this guy works for MBTA or something.

Doubt it. I think USrail21 has never been in Boston or if he has, is not familiar with the T, Back Bay, and South Station areas.

He does have an odd obsession with cutting long established Amtrak station stops.

 

[SarahZ]

I'm starting to think this guy works for MBTA or something.

Doubt it. I think USrail21 has never been in Boston or if he has, is not familiar with the T, Back Bay, and South Station areas.

He does have an odd obsession with cutting long established Amtrak station stops.

I was joking.

It was rather amusing to me because it was all "forget Back Bay!", "but MBTA!", "forget Back Bay!", "but MBTA!" for a while there.

 

[AlanB]

I'm starting to think this guy works for MBTA or something.

Doubt it. I think USrail21 has never been in Boston or if he has, is not familiar with the T, Back Bay, and South Station areas.

He does have an odd obsession with cutting long established Amtrak station stops.

I was joking.

It was rather amusing to me because it was all "forget Back Bay!", "but MBTA!", "forget Back Bay!", "but MBTA!" for a while there.

Except that it wasn't all him, it was someone else being despicable and impersonating him, no doubt in an attempt to get me to ban him quicker. Something that has now backfired. So for anyone who happens to be tired of USrail, the real person, I'm sorry but you can now blame the impostor for USrail being allowed to continue posting here.

 

[USrail21]

I have no idea who has been impersonating USrail, but it had better stop! :angry2:

I'm not about to order people to like USrail, and I can't anyhow, but making false posts isn't going to get him banned from here. However, if I find out that it is a member doing this, you will be banned.

If you don't like his posts; please don't respond and skip over reading them. But making posts while pretending to be someone else isn't going to be tolerated. And you just increased my sympathy towards USrail, so I can promise you that should he choose to keep posting, I will continue to allow him to do so.

Wait, I said someone is stealing my username and using it to make false replies. I don't want to cut rt. 128. So find the person and punish him/her.

 

[AlanB]

I have no idea who has been impersonating USrail, but it had better stop! :angry2:

I'm not about to order people to like USrail, and I can't anyhow, but making false posts isn't going to get him banned from here. However, if I find out that it is a member doing this, you will be banned.

If you don't like his posts; please don't respond and skip over reading them. But making posts while pretending to be someone else isn't going to be tolerated. And you just increased my sympathy towards USrail, so I can promise you that should he choose to keep posting, I will continue to allow him to do so.

Wait, I said someone is stealing my username and using it to make false replies. I don't want to cut rt. 128. So find the person and punish him/her.

Yes, I know. Please read my words more carefully! My post was directed to the person pretending to be you; not to you personally.

I have deleted some of those false posts and we are currently taking steps to figure out who did that and if it turns out to be a member they will be in big trouble. In fact confessing now would go a long way towards mitigating their punishment if we do figure out who it was. But I still don't appreciate people playing games.

The staff has now been instructed to look specifically for your posts and to not approve the impostor's posts.

 

[sitzplatz17]

1320812581[/url]' post='328740']

1320810867[/url]' post='328730']I have no idea who has been impersonating USrail, but it had better stop! :angry2:

I'm not about to order people to like USrail, and I can't anyhow, but making false posts isn't going to get him banned from here. However, if I find out that it is a member doing this, you will be banned.

If you don't like his posts; please don't respond and skip over reading them. But making posts while pretending to be someone else isn't going to be tolerated. And you just increased my sympathy towards USrail, so I can promise you that should he choose to keep posting, I will continue to allow him to do so.

Wait, I said someone is stealing my username and using it to make false replies. I don't want to cut rt. 128. So find the person and punish him/her.

That is frustrating and confusing! My recommendation to avoid this issue? Sign up as a full member, it seems you're looking to become quite engaged in this forum anyway. No?

Cheers,-sitzplatz17

 

[trainviews]

To USRail21 - I agree - sign up. I do often think so too that your posts are pretty stupid or at least very unthoughtful, and I can also get frustrated with your repeating the original statement as an nonanswer to someones well argued replies to your posts. But I have never seen you being nasty or namecalling and having stupid ideas (in my or other's opinions) is perfectly allowable, and sometimes provides interesting bases for discussions do come up. If anything then work a bit on your answers as new thoughts are much more interesting than just repeating old statements.

And to Alan: You are moderating this in exactly the right way. Difference of opinion, however poorly argued, should never get anyone banned. Improper behaviour, whether it is namecalling or fake posts in somebody else's name should.

 

[VentureForth]

So wait. Does the REAL USRail21 really want to kill Back Bay as a stop? I'm so confused.

USRail21: I know that we have all tried logic on you and it has failed. But I would like for you to answer this for me. If you want to take Amtrak to Portland, ME, how would you do it? Whether I'm on a regional boarding in New Brunswick or riding the LSL or really from anywhere, the easiest, timliest, most convenient transfer is at Back Bay. Heck, forget about connecting to the Downeaster. What about ANYONE coming off of Amtrak to go home and home is off one of the Northern MBTA routes? Really, the only reason to go all the way to Boston South is if you are going to a convention in downtown Boston (already mentioned that there are better hotels at Back Bay), or boarding one of the South MBTA commuter lines and/or subway.

So back to you, Mr. USRail21. Would you rather skip Back Bay, change trains at BOS, then again at some other subway stop (like Back Bay again), then change again at BON? Or would you prefer to walk a mile (not impossible, but certainly irritating) in the snow, rain, heat or cold? Or would you rather just make just one change at BBY, another at BON then be on your way?

Frankly, even if all 400,000 passengers were happy to go to BOS instead of BBY, you'd likely be complaining about all the crowding at BOS.

 

[railbuck]

I have no idea who has been impersonating USrail, but it had better stop! :angry2:

I'm not about to order people to like USrail, and I can't anyhow, but making false posts isn't going to get him banned from here. However, if I find out that it is a member doing this, you will be banned.

If you don't like his posts; please don't respond and skip over reading them. But making posts while pretending to be someone else isn't going to be tolerated. And you just increased my sympathy towards USrail, so I can promise you that should he choose to keep posting, I will continue to allow him to do so.

Wait, I said someone is stealing my username and using it to make false replies. I don't want to cut rt. 128. So find the person and punish him/her.

That is frustrating and confusing! My recommendation to avoid this issue? Sign up as a full member, it seems you're looking to become quite engaged in this forum anyway. No?

Cheers,-sitzplatz17

To add to the confusion, it seems Guest_USrail21_* may have posted several times (in this thread and others) as Guest_guest_*. :wacko:

 

[Ryan]

So wait. Does the REAL USRail21 really want to kill Back Bay as a stop? I'm so confused.

USRail21: I know that we have all tried logic on you and it has failed. But I would like for you to answer this for me. If you want to take Amtrak to Portland, ME, how would you do it? Whether I'm on a regional boarding in New Brunswick or riding the LSL or really from anywhere, the easiest, timliest, most convenient transfer is at Back Bay.

I think that he also had a thread saying that the Downeaster should be extended to BOS. Tough to keep track with the massive volume of chaff.

 

[USrail21]

Actually how about this: ONLY NORTHEAST REGIONAL STOPS AT BACK BAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![

 

[AlanB]

Actually how about this: ONLY NORTHEAST REGIONAL STOPS AT BACK BAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![

How about this:

Forget about Back Bay!

Cutting out the BBY stop for Acela will at best decrease total running time by 2 minutes. That is the only gain! Everything else is a loss. You lose passengers and you lose revenue and you make life harder for your passengers. Making life harder means that they drive, take a bus, or fly. These are NOT desirable outcomes for Amtrak.

Acela already must run slowly through that station no matter what! They're facing a 15 MPH (might even be slower) curve just yards after the BBY station, so they won't be rocketing through BBY at 150 MPH, unless they wish to derail. Cutting BBY also makes dispatching much harder, as you need bigger gaps between Acelas and the trains ahead.

There is nothing positive about cutting BBY from the Acela schedule; only negatives!

PLEASE GIVE IT UP!

 

[VentureForth]

I see you failed to want to answer my attempt at asking you a fair, rational question.