Comments on: Amtrak’s stimulus money: not so stimulating http://www.consumertraveler.com/columns/amtraks-stimulus-money-not-so-stimulating/ The last honest travel site Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:27:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: SeaToby http://www.consumertraveler.com/columns/amtraks-stimulus-money-not-so-stimulating/comment-page-1/#comment-14137 SeaToby Tue, 28 Jul 2009 22:40:01 +0000 http://www.tripso.com/?p=10318#comment-14137 Curt, Washington state could pay Amtrak four million a year to run a train during daylight hours to Seattle everyday. That is, if Burlington Northern has any train spots open for a train on their very busy main line.... That is what the state of Oklahoma and Texas pay Amtrak to operate the Heartland Flyer. Unfortunately, Amtrak doesn't plan the trains time schedule for Spokane as much as they do for Chicago..... Curt, Washington state could pay Amtrak four million a year to run a train during daylight hours to Seattle everyday. That is, if Burlington Northern has any train spots open for a train on their very busy main line….

That is what the state of Oklahoma and Texas pay Amtrak to operate the Heartland Flyer. Unfortunately, Amtrak doesn’t plan the trains time schedule for Spokane as much as they do for Chicago…..

]]> By: SeaToby http://www.consumertraveler.com/columns/amtraks-stimulus-money-not-so-stimulating/comment-page-1/#comment-14107 SeaToby Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:52:03 +0000 http://www.tripso.com/?p=10318#comment-14107 Amtrak's stimulus of $1.3 billion out of a $800 billion program is less than two cents of the ten dollars spent. Its so insignificant in the total picture its laughable..... But since Amtrak has been starved for so long, this amount is significant to bringing Amtrak back into a reasonable mechanical state. HIghways and airports got much more than Amtrak.... Amtrak’s stimulus of $1.3 billion out of a $800 billion program is less than two cents of the ten dollars spent. Its so insignificant in the total picture its laughable….. But since Amtrak has been starved for so long, this amount is significant to bringing Amtrak back into a reasonable mechanical state. HIghways and airports got much more than Amtrak….

]]> By: Curt http://www.consumertraveler.com/columns/amtraks-stimulus-money-not-so-stimulating/comment-page-1/#comment-12876 Curt Wed, 10 Jun 2009 05:36:59 +0000 http://www.tripso.com/?p=10318#comment-12876 Amtrak is useless in the Pac NW. There is one train a day that goes through Spokane and it leaves at 1:30am. So if I want to go to Seattle for the weekend I have to leave at 1:30 and arrive at Seattle at 8am, and return at 2:00am and get back around 9am. Must be better on the east coast cause it is worthless where I live. Amtrak is useless in the Pac NW. There is one train a day that goes through Spokane and it leaves at 1:30am. So if I want to go to Seattle for the weekend I have to leave at 1:30 and arrive at Seattle at 8am, and return at 2:00am and get back around 9am. Must be better on the east coast cause it is worthless where I live.

]]> By: Rail4All http://www.consumertraveler.com/columns/amtraks-stimulus-money-not-so-stimulating/comment-page-1/#comment-11743 Rail4All Fri, 24 Apr 2009 14:02:48 +0000 http://www.tripso.com/?p=10318#comment-11743 Ah yes, change the name and somehow you change the expectations. But here's something to consider. The bulk of Amtrak's fleet IS NOT capable of attaining 150mph. Amtrak's front-line locomotive, the P42 GENESIS, tops out at about 110mph. Amtrak's aging fleet of "Amfleet" cars (1970s vintage) and "Horizon Fleet" cars (1980s vintage), in their best condition, also top out at around 110mph, and what's left of the "Heritage Fleet" (cars that pre-date Amtrak, created in 1971) aren't even capable of 100mph anymore. The only equipment Amtrak has "capable of attaining" 150mph are the Acela Express trainsets (capable of 200mph but limited to 150mph max by the Federal Railway Administration) and the HHP-8 electric locomotive (also capable of around 200mph, but pulls cars capable of 110mph max). The only solution to trains attaining 150+mph would be to construct, from scratch, new right-of-ways. Something that will be next to impossible given the bureaucratic impotence of this country. Ah yes, change the name and somehow you change the expectations. But here’s something to consider. The bulk of Amtrak’s fleet IS NOT capable of attaining 150mph. Amtrak’s front-line locomotive, the P42 GENESIS, tops out at about 110mph. Amtrak’s aging fleet of “Amfleet” cars (1970s vintage) and “Horizon Fleet” cars (1980s vintage), in their best condition, also top out at around 110mph, and what’s left of the “Heritage Fleet” (cars that pre-date Amtrak, created in 1971) aren’t even capable of 100mph anymore. The only equipment Amtrak has “capable of attaining” 150mph are the Acela Express trainsets (capable of 200mph but limited to 150mph max by the Federal Railway Administration) and the HHP-8 electric locomotive (also capable of around 200mph, but pulls cars capable of 110mph max). The only solution to trains attaining 150+mph would be to construct, from scratch, new right-of-ways. Something that will be next to impossible given the bureaucratic impotence of this country.

]]> By: Julie Morringello http://www.consumertraveler.com/columns/amtraks-stimulus-money-not-so-stimulating/comment-page-1/#comment-10708 Julie Morringello Wed, 11 Mar 2009 02:32:40 +0000 http://www.tripso.com/?p=10318#comment-10708 If only one penny of every transportation dollar was allocated to Amtrak, we could have a railway system second to none. I just took the Acela NY/Boston and back, and boy, it was so much better than flying. Long live the railroad.....Julie Morringello If only one penny of every transportation dollar was allocated to Amtrak, we could have a railway system second to none. I just took the Acela NY/Boston and back, and boy, it was so much better than flying. Long live the railroad…..Julie Morringello

]]>