Version XXXII-A – This Was The Week That Was – An Amtrak Saga

December 19, 2001

It’s December 19th. Certainly your shopping is completed and all the presents wrapped, right? One could only wish …

1. In The Real Enemy May Come From Within Department: Word has begun to leak out about a possible change in long distance trains west of Chicago. Most of them would go away in 2002.The leaked information is that Amtrak senior management has no desire to find a real solution to the problem of dealing realistically with the Union Pacific Railroad. It has been often noted that UP is not Amtrak’s friendliest or most willing business partner in the past few years.

   So, all Union Pacific hosted long distance trains would simply disappear after a six month discontinuance notice would be posted after the beginning of 2002. The trains included would be the California Zephyr, Coast Starlight, Texas Eagle, and Sunset Limited.

   Corridor trains handled by UP would remain as is.

   The important part of this event, if it takes place, is that these major slashed to the Amtrak long distance system would not come from the ARC, Bush administration, or Congress, but rather from Amtrak itself as an in house initiative.

   Amtrak senior management has repeatedly demonstrated that it is no friend to the long distance national system. If this becomes reality, it may be the most glaring example of that hostility.

   Which, brings up the next question. Since the ARC found this management team unable to meet the self sufficiency standards as set by Congress and found a number of other major problems with their stewardship of Amtrak, why are they still in control of the company? Why have they not been removed and some type of caretaker administration put in their place while Congress completes the debate of what the New Amtrak should look like in 2002?

2. Even apples are treated better than passengers: Washington State apples are finding their way eastward on Amtrak as part of the mail and express business that continues to bedevil Amtrak passengers.For now, the apples are receiving a higher priority than Amtrak passengers on trains 350 and 355 between Chicago and Detroit.

   The apples, in reefer cars, head east to Chicago, then the reefers are placed on the back of Michigan service train 350, the Lake Cities. This train runs between Chicago and Detroit via Battle Creek.

   The reefers are not destined all the way into the Detroit station, however, they are headed to a local freight rail yard for local handling.

   Well, Amtrak runs the full train and reefers all the way from Chicago to Dearborn, Michigan, eight route miles short of the Detroit station.

   In Dearborn, all of the passengers remaining on the train bound for Detroit are detrained, and placed in taxi cabs for the final eight miles to the Detroit station. Then, the now empty trainset is taken directly to a local freight yard, where the reefers are detached and emptied. The empty and reeferless passenger trainset continues on to the Detroit station (the same one where the taxi cabs went) for turn maintenance service.

   On the reverse move, on train 355, the westbound Lake Cities, all passengers due to entrain at the Detroit station are again put in taxi cabs, and sent to the Dearborn station, where the empty train is waiting, with now empty reefer cars attached to the rear for the return trip to Washington state. This same trainset, of course, had originated empty at the Detroit station, but was sent to Dearborn via the freight yard to pick up the empty reefers.

   So, for the sake of the apple business, Amtrak has altered its route and is paying local taxi service to haul passengers the final leg of a trip that the trainset makes, anyway.

   Of course, from a passenger perspective, this may actually save some time because of the yard moves and switching to handle the reefers. But, the reality is, this is just one more move by Amtrak senior management to service the mail and express business at the expense of paying passengers, who continue to take a back seat to freight.

   Amtrak seems to forget that people buy a ticket to ride a train, not take a bus or taxi.

3. The actual text of the nine options for the creation of the New Amtrak that was discussed last Friday has now been made public in several places.When actually reading the document and looking closely at the various options, one or two rise to the surface above the others. One looks remarkably like the URPA’s Selden Plan.

   When these options were originally reported in the public media, the stories (as is correct form in the media) reported the extreme ends of the spectrum of the options, and also made mention of the “middle” options in summary news stories.

   Reading those options fully for yourself sheds a different light on the discussion, because details and nuances of each plan are available for analysis.

   What all of this shows the most is the continuing fine work of the ARC. History will look very kindly on this group of patriots because with all of the roadblocks which have been thrown in their path, they are still continuing to fulfill their congressional mandate and come up with a restructuring plan for Amtrak.

   Also, when reading this document, one or two finer points come to light: the ARC has an overall interest in a true national system that involves both long distance trains and corridors, and, the ARC recognizes the vitally important step that needs to be taken to split the infrastructure ownership of the NEC away from the operating company so all parts of the New Amtrak system can be evaluated on their own, without the continuing plant and right of way needs of the NEC obstructing the needs of the rest of the national system.

   The ARC is racing to complete its work to have a report to Congress in early February. One has to assume they will take the whole day off on Christmas Day. Anything beyond that doesn’t seem likely for them to be able to finish their work. Our country will be indebted to them for their help creating a New Amtrak when this is all over.

4. A friend of passenger rail has been lost. Donald W. Weidner, an attorney here in Jacksonville, Florida was killed last week when the private plane he was attempting to land in fog crashed. Four people were lost in the tragedy, including his law partner, G. Thomas Bowden II, the son of a CSX employee.Mr. Weidner was well know to some readers of TW3, barely known by others, and is a mystery to the majority of readers here.

   What you did not know about Mr. Weidner was his efforts over the last 10 years on your behalf for the betterment of passenger rail in this country. He was an avid model railroader at Christmas time (Lionel was his choice), but all during the year, he was always available to help with various rail related projects that your humble correspondent and others were involved with on an regular basis.

   Mr. Weidner worked anonymously, but vigorously on projects that included assembling a team that met in the White House in 1994 to discuss the privatization of Amtrak. He lent his name, his expertise, and his many Washington contacts to that effort, as well as a number of other projects. He was always eager to help in the cause of better passenger trains.

   Mr. Weidner leaves behind a wife, five children, three grandchildren, and a host of friends that will have a difficult time of filling the void of his departure.

   This essay is not about Mr. Weidner, but more about the hundreds of other anonymous friends of passenger rail that work in their own way to further the cause of good passenger rail service in the United States. There are many people who lend their reputations, skills, and knowledge to the effort to have more and better passenger trains.

   As we continue to heighten the debate in the United States about the New Amtrak, there will be many unnamed heroes of the revolution that may never to known to all of us. But, each and every one will be able to declare a personal victory when the New Amtrak debuts in 2002.

That’s the perspective from the middle of the week before Christmas. For those that will begin your holiday travel before Friday, Merry Christmas to you and your family, and a hope for a safe and comfortable trip.