United Rail Passenger Alliance

Volume 4 Number 29

1. It’s time for a short, but illustrative history lesson. There once was a strong company, that lasted over a century, that Americans — and, citizens of the world — knew and respected for good service, reliability, and value. It was conversely loved and hated, depending on your class and viewpoint. To most, it was a haven of fleet footed transportation known as The Pullman Company. Read more…

Volume 4 Number 28

1. So very many misguided people and organizations constantly repeat just one refrain about Amtrak: “Give Amtrak enough money and everything will be fine.” Such ignorant drivel. Read more…

1. Earlier this week, the local Jacksonville chapter of the National Railway Historical Society held its monthly meeting, with a local guest speaker bringing to the group’s attention a Jacksonville transportation project that cries out for common sense and help. Read more…

1. Texas!

   Continuing our series on how Amtrak can help itself to become closer to self-sufficiency, we’re going to look at under-utilized routes along with five severely under-served major cities in Texas, and how each can be improved.

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• “No passenger rail system in the world operates without some type of subsidy, and it’s impossible for Amtrak to exist subsidy-free.” Read more…

Where does… where should… Amtrak figure into the development of high speed rail? The automatic answer is it should figure prominently. The realistic answer is, Amtrak, after being the monopoly passenger rail carrier in the United States since 1971, for nearly 40 years, still has not proven it is worthy of the tax dollars which are poured into it year after year.

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1. There is ample evidence the dog continues to eat Amtrak’s homework. Russ Jackson of California, master communicator and pretty good photographer, and one of URPA’s earliest denizens, made a personal survey of Sunset Limited “passenger stations” in the Southwest. Mr. Jackson also shares his skills with the California RailPAC group and is the retired editor of the esteemed Western Rail Passenger Review. The commentary below is in part featured on http://www.railpac.org with accompanying color photographs of the “station” sites.As you read Mr. Jackson’s account of his survey, keep in mind one of the main reasons Amtrak cites for not restoring the long missing Sunset Limited east of New Orleans is a lack of station facilities because of damage from Hurricane Katrina, now almost two full years ago, late in the summer of 2005. Here is Mr. Jackson’s account. Read more…

Volume 4 Number 24 — June 04, 2007Overview

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Volume 4 Number 23.

1. Continuing our series on how Amtrak can help itself to become close to self-sufficiency, we’re going to look at two other under-utilized routes and a severely under served major city and how each can be improved.Remember the rules of this exercise; this is about upgrading existing routes, using as many existing stations and maintenance facilities as possible, and using existing motive power and rolling stock out of Amtrak’s current pool of active and stored equipment. Under these rules, while many new routes or extensions of current routes to areas not served make sense, they are also expensive and beyond consideration for this exercise; those considerations will be addressed at another time.

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1. URPA’s William Lindley offers these thoughts.
   

   On the pattern for progress

   By William Lindley

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