United Rail Passenger Alliance

Andrew Selden offers three examples of Amtrak problem areas that are not only hurting the company, but hurting America’s domestic transportation network as well. These examples highlight why Amtrak’s national long distance system is the most important part of Amtrak.

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1. Last week’s TWA stirred up some mail, including this note from Amtrak’s best chef, west of Chicago, a 30 year veteran of Amtrak: Read more…

Volume 2 Number 40 – December 06, 2005

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1. Come February, don’t get on certain Amtrak trains when you’re hungry. You likely won’t have your appetite appeased by what is being served – or, perhaps, what is not being served. Amtrak is preparing its dining car crews for serious cutbacks in February 2006 with the instigation of one of Amtrak’s worst concepts: “diner lite.”Diner lite will be instituted on the Crescent (still, despite every effort by Amtrak’s dining car department, one of the railroad’s best diners), one of the two Florida trains, the City of New Orleans, Texas Eagle, the Cardinal, and most likely one of the Western transcontinental trains (probably the Sunset Limited). This disaster-in-the-making program was first pulled from under a slimy rock earlier this year when Amtrak was in one of its “wannabe airline” disaster modes.

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Volume 2 Number 39; December 01, 2005

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Vol. 2, No. 38 – November 28, 2005

1. Many distinguished Americans have become part of the debate on the future of Amtrak. One of the most venerable voices in the debate is that of Gilbert Carmichael of Meridian, Mississippi, former Federal Railroad Administrator, and former Chairman of the Amtrak Reform Council. Mr. Carmichael shares his thoughts below: Read more…

Vol. 2, No. 37 – November 22, 2005

1. Amtrak is trying what can only be categorized as a bold and worthy experiment on Empire Service trains between Albany, New York and New York City. Amtrak has contracted with the well-known and highly visible Subway restaurant fast food chain to handle food service on the current food-less Empire Service trains as a pilot project. The trains previously had food service, operating from the New York City commissary and a commissary at Albany. However, earlier this year in a cost-cutting move, Amtrak closed the Albany commissary and put the all-coach trains over the road with no food service. The 142 mile route takes just under two and a half hours to run. Read more…

Many distinguished Americans have become part of the debate on the future of Amtrak.

One of the most venerable voices in the debate is that of Gilbert Carmichael of Meridian, Mississippi, former Federal Railroad Administrator, and former Chairman of the Amtrak Reform Council. Mr. Carmichael shares his thoughts below:

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Vol. 2, No. 36 – November 17, 2005

1. Aaarrrggghh! Harrumph. Good grief. Choose whichever you like best to describe the circus that the Railroad Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure hearings turned into on Tuesday, November 15th. Read more…

By Andrew Selden,
Vice President, Law and Policy
United Rail Passenger Alliance, Inc.

November 10, 2005

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