Amtrak Southwest Chief Discussion

[Backshophoss]

Gov Suzanna backed out of the second part of the deal was more a political move to spite the retiring Gov Richardson,that also has created
resentment at BNSF HQ,eased over with tax breaks equal to what UP got for building Santa Teresa yard.
Mr Anderson's playing with the Tiger grant $$$ just created more resentment across the entire route.
Now the "Panera Bread" food service model is to debut in Nov,creating more protests.
2 Senators in NM and a few other Congress Critters had a meeting that was political theater,that seems to have backfired in Mr Anderson's office.
A backhanded "thank you" to him for wasting a season of needed tie replacement on this route!
This will come back to haunt you at Capital Hill soon enough

[eolesen]

No matter what your politics, the math doesn't have an agenda.

The costs are what they are, nobody wants to pay for it, and no argument other other than the nostalgia factor of "keeping the route the way it used to be" can change the fact it's a poor use of limited funds...

[mtuandrew]

Let’s play with this. How about a CHI-KCY-DEN daylight train and a LAX-FTW or -HOU Southwest Chief?

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

Let’s play with this. How about a CHI-KCY-DEN daylight train and a LAX-FTW or -HOU Southwest Chief?

LAX-FTW SW Chief? Doesn't that exist right now as the Texas Eagle/Sunset Limited or do you have an alternate routing in mind?


Hey, I'll take any one seat ride between CHI-LAX that's reasonably close in time to the current SWC. The TE route would be almost a full day behind.

[mtuandrew]

LAX-FTW SW Chief? Doesn't that exist right now as the Texas Eagle/Sunset Limited or do you have an alternate routing in mind?


Hey, I'll take any one seat ride between CHI-LAX that's reasonably close in time to the current SWC. The TE route would be almost a full day behind.

Meaning LAX-FTW via the BNSF Southern Transcon to Amarillo, then the old FW&D to Fort Worth. It would remove the one-seat CHI-LAX ride though, except tri-weekly via the Texas Eagle - Sunset Limited. Obviously the current Chief route would be my first preference and a fully-Transcon routing my second, but if you’re going to trash the route at least end it somewhere useful.

[Matt Johnson]

Bus bridge? I'd rather bet on the proven safety of rail even without PTC.

https://www.abqjournal.com/1196857/3-de ... -i-25.html

[Backshophoss]

That is the Example of cut rate bus ops out here, has operating permit El Paso- Denver,this is the 2nd generation of the original bus op shut
down by NMDOT and the Feds some years back.
Bus Drivers are CDL holders with a passenger endorsement,have same HOS rules as the Truckers do!
They don't even use the intercity bus station in ABQ,their "station" is a converted cars wash type "building"!
They might be as BAD as the "Chinese" Charter bus operations on the East Coast.

[MACTRAXX]

BSH and MJ: The best example of Chinese bus companies was the now-defunct Fung Wah Bus
which ran between the Chinatowns of lower Manhattan and Boston. FWB was the best known of
the low price ethnic bus operators that connected northeastern cities in ways directly competing
with Amtrak and other NEC transport operators.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fung_Wah_B ... sportation

Getting back to the SWC topic: I am in agreement with most here and NARP that breaking up the
through train should never happen. Forcing riders onto a bus and then back onto a train will not
only be more problems then it is worth - it will cause a drop in passengers that the route may not
be able to recover from and would eventually lead to the end of the SWC as we know it...

MACTRAXX

[gokeefe]

Here you go ... A dyed in the wool rock solid red state Republican U. S. Senator from Kansas going to bat for the folks "back in Dodge" ...

Amtrak told Congress ridership on the line has been falling in recent years, and that the service loses about $50 million a year. But U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, a Kansas Republican, said that’s not the point.

“Amtrak is not doing its job,” Moran told the Kansas News Service on Thursday. “It was created to support long-distance passenger rail service, and it ought to be much more supportive of the Southwest Chief than it is today."
...
In the meantime, Moran said he’s put holds on nominations to Amtrak’s board. He and Senator Tom Udall, a New Mexico Democrat, have put language in the appropriations bill for Amtrak requiring the agency to consult with communities along the route before changing service.

“We are going to do everything we can to see that we reverse the direction that Amtrak is headed,” Moran said.

This is the kind of stuff that just grinds executive branch agency initiatives to a halt ... There's probably more going on behind the scenes as well ...

[Ryand-Smith]

Here you go ... A dyed in the wool rock solid red state Republican U. S. Senator from Kansas going to bat for the folks "back in Dodge" ...

Amtrak told Congress ridership on the line has been falling in recent years, and that the service loses about $50 million a year. But U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, a Kansas Republican, said that’s not the point.

“Amtrak is not doing its job,” Moran told the Kansas News Service on Thursday. “It was created to support long-distance passenger rail service, and it ought to be much more supportive of the Southwest Chief than it is today."
...
In the meantime, Moran said he’s put holds on nominations to Amtrak’s board. He and Senator Tom Udall, a New Mexico Democrat, have put language in the appropriations bill for Amtrak requiring the agency to consult with communities along the route before changing service.

“We are going to do everything we can to see that we reverse the direction that Amtrak is headed,” Moran said.

This is the kind of stuff that just grinds executive branch agency initiatives to a halt ... There's probably more going on behind the scenes as well ...

Amtrak LD will never be cut because with trumps effective 49+1 since Mccain is ill means every vote counts.

[Backshophoss]

Senator Udall has also started a measure to insure the money needed for the trackwork needed in NM and Co is used for that expense,
and comes out of the federal budget if need be. word is it was passed in the senate,sent on to the house
Senator Udall is VERY unhappy with Mr Anderson's running of Amtrak as well.
The 6pm news story came out y-day,but has been overwhelmed by the current batch of monsoon storm stories,last night and tonight.

[gokeefe]

Amtrak LD will never be cut because with trumps effective 49+1 since Mccain is ill means every vote counts.

I believe that Amtrak and especially the Long Distance services have strong bipartisan support. 49+1 is a very optimistic scevario for Amtrak opponebts in the Senate. There is no reason whatsoever to believe that the Republican caucus is united on Amtrak cuts.

If anything the fiscal progress made in the past few years by Amtrak has helped them consolidate support.

[Mackensen]

Senator Udall has also started a measure to insure the money needed for the trackwork needed in NM and Co is used for that expense,
and comes out of the federal budget if need be. word is it was passed in the senate,sent on to the house
Senator Udall is VERY unhappy with Mr Anderson's running of Amtrak as well.
The 6pm news story came out y-day,but has been overwhelmed by the current batch of monsoon storm stories,last night and tonight.

In which case Amtrak's stratagem accomplished its purpose. Amtrak asked who owns the Raton Pass (because we don't), and the Feds are stepping up and saying "we do, and here's the cash."

[gokeefe]

Precisely.

[bostontrainguy]

Senate sends letter to Anderson:

http://trn.trains.com/~/media/files/pdf ... derson.pdf