As Amtrak continues to say the right things, and to do a few as well, the logic of incrementalism is making inroads… but the “old-think” that stunted our passenger rail network for half a century hasn’t gone away yet.
Originally posted to the All-Aboard email list
As a thought, both the Southern and Rio Grande stayed out of Amtrak in the beginning; even the staid Seaboard Coast Line wasn’t doing poorly running the Florida trains and many have said SCL thought long and hard before jumping into Amtrak.
For now, Amtrak is the only game in town regarding long-haul trains. As California has on many occasions concerning many other subjects, they have shown the way to regional self-reliability through willingness to tax themselves for local concerns. And they should be applauded for this. They wanted more rail, so they were ready to pay for it, along with the necessary equipment to operate services. All other areas of the country should take note. And, don’t forget the commuters of the Midwest in and out of Chicago have been doing this very thing successfully for years.
