Long-Distance Train Schedule Performance

[John Bobinyec]

If you examine the present passenger rail system, except for the NE corridor, you have private railroad tracks being rented out to a government owned passenger rail system. This brings about an incompatible working relationship. What would seem to make sense is to turn the passenger rail business back to the private RR's, subsidize them (for less than Amtraks budget) set standards, conduct oversight and save the taxpayer money. Unfortunately ALL government programs are in reality, broke right now so its obvious that approach is not working.

With the proper incentives, the railroads might take it. Here are the incentives:

• Freedom to set ticket prices
• Freedom to run trains on any schedule
• Freedom to stop running the trains if they so choose

In such a scenario, the only way to make money would be to charge exorbitant prices which would soon lead to all the passenger trains being abandoned.

So, how do we make the present system work better? Perhaps if the rates Amtrak pays the host railroads were negotiated, with good on-time performance incentives, then maybe Amtrak's trains would see more clear signals. You get what you pay for.

Theoretically, none of this should be necessary. The statute that allowed the private railroads to get out from underneath the passenger train burden also gave Amtrak's trains priority. It seems though, that that part of the law isn't enforced.

jb

 

[CSXfoamer1997]

Also, in theory, would Amtrak getting new locos to replace the Genesis locos help improve any?

 

[John Bobinyec]

Also, in theory, would Amtrak getting new locos to replace the Genesis locos help improve any?

Yes, but only in those cases where Amtrak's engine failures due to age caused the delays. It wouldn't help with the way the host railroads do their train dispatching, would it?

jb