{ Category Archives }
This Week
Volume 5 Number 3
- Where to begin? There are so many choices. — Someone must have successfully been hitting Amtrak with a “stupid stick,” because Amtrak is doing something really stupid and unforgivable. — Amtrak clearly doesn’t take its mission of providing reliable, national passenger rail service seriously. It obviously has no intention of ever being a successful organization. — We’ve been horrified to see what happened to the east end of the Sunset Limited since Hurricane Katrina blew ashore, and now, could we be seeing a repeat performance with the Coast Starlight and the Oregon mudslide? — Once again, we’re seeing the direct result of Amtrak being a child of government, with a mentality of serving its passengers only when convenient for the operating department, and not worrying about maintaining market share, its franchise with the public, or running trains which are already paid for annually by continuing doses of free federal monies. Amtrak just can’t help proving for itself how irrelevant it is in the national transportation marketplace.
- Here’s the Amtrak service disruption notice that started this whole, unholy mess. Continue Reading »
Volume 5 Number 2
- EVERYONE involved in the process should hang their heads in shame. Some people may be smiling on the surface, but that only covers the long-lasting damage which has been done. Continue Reading »
Volume 5 Number 1
- Great, wonderful, progress! Amtrak has figured out the high value of its timetables in the world of marketing, and has started soliciting paid outside ads. The ads now appear in the Fall and Winter 2007-08 national timetables. Overall, Amtrak prints something close to a million timetables a year (including all of the individual route timetables and wallet corridor timetables), and has been doing so almost solely at its own expense for years. Continue Reading »
Volume 4 Number 39
- “Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably will themselves not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will not die.” — Daniel Burnham, architect of Washington Union Station, El Paso (Texas) Union Depot and other notable structures
- First, background from a notable Washington Wag about the beginnings of Amtrak and the original intentions of Amtrak’s creators. Continue Reading »
- Amtrak has a new chairman of the board, and it’s a lady for the first time. Here’s the news release from Amtrak. Continue Reading »
Volume 4 Number 37
- National Review Online ran an article by staff reporter David Freddoso November 1st recounting his exploits as an Amtrak passenger, and all of the reasons he can think of to discontinue Amtrak’s subsidies. While Mr. Freddoso does get some of his points correct, Dr. Paul Wilson send him a reply with a better set of facts presented. Here is Dr. Wilson’s reply to Mr. Freddoso. Continue Reading »
- Same song, different choir. Let’s take a look at some of the issues facing our Canadian cousins and VIA Rail Canada. How quickly can you spot the different Canadian verses to the song? Continue Reading »
Volume 4 Number 35
- Amtrak Chairman of the Board David Laney is an American hero. His term as a member of the Amtrak Board of Directors is nearing and end, and he has signaled he doesn’t want a second term. Jonathan Hutchison of Amtrak Governmental Affairs in California made the announcement concerning Mr. Laney at a San Joaquin Valley Rail Committee meeting on October 11th. Continue Reading »
Volume 4 Number 34
- The Amtrak execs said on the conference call this morning, “We don’t want this to get out to any of the politicians until it’s a done deal.” Oops. It got out. Continue Reading »
Volume 4 Number 33
- President George Herbert Walker Bush, the father of the current President Bush, was probably, by resume, the most qualified man to be President of the United States in the 19th and 20 Centuries. In addition, he is a true gentlemen’s gentleman, and a master of making people in his company feel at ease. Continue Reading »
