I don't know how the Palmetto rates a comparison with the Sunset Limited. The Palmetto is a little day train on a route with three other trains. Most passengers are going short distances. The Sunset is a long distance train with most passengers taking much longer trips.
It rates a comparison because if this plan goes through, then the existing Sunset becomes a Palmetto between NOL and SAS. In fact, at that point the Palmetto will actually travel 300 miles further than the replacement "Sunset" will, so it will actually be carrying passengers on longer trips than the replacement "Sunset". And therefore Amtrak will see a drop in revenue.
The current 3 times a week service makes the Sunset the biggest looser in Amtrak's inventory. Something had to be done to fix that. I can't imagine why anyone would want to opt for only 3 times a week service just to get a sleeper seat for what is a mostly daylight ride. Three times a week service is the same as NO service. This change is probably the most positive thing Amtrak has done anywhere in years and the first positive thing they have done for the Sunset Route since before Katrina. The much maligned coach trains between SAS and NOL will for the first time since the Southern Pacific ran service on this route offer daily service at times normal people would utilize the service. It can only be taken in a positive note regardless of the lack of a sleeper. They intend to offer business class in it's place for those wanting to escape from the masses.
I wouldn't argue that the 3 times a week service doesn't hurt the Sunset's numbers. But to fix that Amtrak should be making the Sunset as is daily, not downgrading the existing service to support some whimsical idea floated by railfans in California. Amtrak doesn't need another Chicago to LA train, yet; it needs a Florida to LA train, or at least for the moment a New Orleans to LA train.
And I haven't seen one study that shows that people will actually ride the daily train. If Amtrak had done some studies that show that increased ridership might actually offset the revenue loss, I might be a slight bit more inclined to support what I see as the second worst decision made by Amtrak regarding this route, behind only the failure to restore service east of NOL.
I also find it funny that Amtrak can somehow manage to hire and train enough crews to run the "Eagle" west of SAS in just a few months, but apparently they need 2 to 3 years to do it in the rest of the country. :unsure:
In addition, passengers continuing through SAS west will be allowed to stay on the train until their connecting train is ready. So it will be a simple across the platform transfer.
Please show me where Amtrak has guaranteed this. This would be the first time in the last probably 10 years that Amtrak would willing pay the crew to remain on the train, such that the passengers can remain on the train. Normally the second an Amtrak train hits the bumper blocks, the crew goes off duty and stops gettting paid, so they leave the train ASAP. No crew on board, no passengers on board.
Even more important, this will for the first time establish a corridor style train in Texas with daily service between SAS, HOU and NOL. This is a huge step in a state that has shunned passenger rail in the past. Houston Metro also has plans for an intermodal facility to replace the current one room station which will serve metro, Amtrak and intercity bus. With TXDOT's recently established passenger rail division and this first step at establishing corridor style service Texas is finally moving toward establishing some passenger rail corridors. We finally will have something to build on. How it develops now will depend on how well we support it. Rather than all the negativism, it would be better if everyone got behind these new changes and worked to make them a success. It's a first and very important step.
If Texas wants corridor service, that's fine by me. But corridor service shouldn't come at the expense of long distance service and the passengers served by that service. As for the improvements in Houston, bravo. I'm glad. But they don't need daily service to do that either.
Through sleepers from SAS and restoration of NOL east to Florida are the next steps along with restoring the Houston-Dallas corridor followed by multiple departures on all the routes in the triangle. Start up date for this is reported to be April. Lets hope they stick to this timetable and get this thing on the road.
I see nothing but a whimsical thought that Amtrak might one day restore a through sleeper between NOL and SAS. There are no guarantees, much less even a firm promise. If there were, I might be more supportive. Let's hope that Amtrak comes to its senses before they impliment this plan.
Sorry Henry, but I've seen nothing from Amtrak that convinces me that this will be a good thing for Amtrak, much less the people living along the Sunset route.
